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[Bluesproto]

It had been predicted long, long ago. More than two hundred years ago, when dwarven kind hadn't still discovered the ether, the Great Master of the dwarven alchemists said it. Stars had been fading. And that couldn't mean anything good. Now, in the year 202 of the Age of Myths, something is happening. After a hundred years of war against the bog trolls without loosing any major battle, the armies of The Anvil of Grottoes were supposed to be the ultimate war machine... But they weren't. A year ago, at the beginning of year 201, something strange happened. A whole regiment of the army dissapeared without anyone knowing why. It was followed by another, and then other, and other... Something was coming from the icy lands of the South, killing our army. And everything else. Even the mighty nephilim have lost entire armies with no apparent reason. Queen Zon Blanketvises, in her wise, decided to send a little group of seven dwarves to start building a fortress that could become (Gods forbid) the last bastion of dwarven kind.

Urged Stones is that bastion. It has started to build defenses, and after a year of work, its population has grown up to 34 brave dwarves. May the gods be with us if the Danger comes here.


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Please notice that English is not my first language, so i may commit mistakes, and if you have any ideas, please, try to explain them clearly or i may have problems with understanding. Hope you like.

PS: I'll try to post some screenshots of the fortress later.

[King DZA]

Seems interesting. I'll wait to see the screenshots before I join.

[Bluesproto]

A look at the entrance and the meeting hall. You can see the first stockpiles and the workshops too. Those two ballistae next to the meeting hall are for training, as they wont waste any ammo and they are set to "Fire at will". I know it's easier with catapults but i simply felt like it XP.



The dorms and barracks (still building, little by little). That area on the left is going to be one of the two dinnind rooms (this one will have a well)



And the details about population and so on.

The embark is in a cold biome. There are two mountains separated by a brook and two valleys.

EDIT:Why wont images show?

[King DZA]

Not sure I can help with your picture problem, as Tinypic is the only image hosting site I use. I was able to see them by opening them in a new tab though, so no worries.

Anyway, yeah, I guess I'll join. I'll be the manager. Any male dwarf will work fine.

[Bluesproto]

Then, here you go:

It happened to be that the manager was also the militia commander. I'll write the first post the Tuesday I think (or when some more people get interested, what happens the first)

[Joost66]

Hmm, seems like a good story. I will be watching.

[Ishar]

Dwarf me as a male military dwarf please. Preferably swordsdwarf, but if that's not possible, anything will do.

[Bluesproto]

Everything seemed to be going fine... As fine as it could, at least, thought King DZA. He had been appointed to the positions of manager and militia commander by the leader of the expedition. He was the only one who could take that position... It was a lonely duty until the leader of the expedition assigned three miners armed with iron picks to his squad. The three females were almost double the size of King DZA, and even without any military training, they told him to trust their picks. He did trust them. And until now, he hasn't regretted that decision.

"Take him down!" He shouted. Just a second after he said so, one of his comrades killed the lizardman swinging her pick and striking him on the head with it. The skull broke, and the creature died within a moment.
"It is the fifth this season." Said the miner militawoman "Three lizardmen and two kobolds. Not to count the two goblins from last year. At least they're only thieves."
"It doesn't matter how many they are, or what they have come to do." Said King DZA while looking at a prisioner. The only lizardman that they were able to capture alive. "As long as they keep coming, we'll keep fighting them back. It is our duty, don't forget it."
"Yes sir".

King DZA was worried. He may had spoken bravely, but he was worried. The nephilims, who seemed to be very interested in the fortress and came to trade every two or three seasons, didn't want to speak abou what could be happening outside. And the outpost liaision had told them that General Zes Sirablaltur had sent a punitive expedition to Waterfears, last bastion of the bog trolls of the rounded slits, our enemies for more than a century. The bog trolls were still many, but the dwarven forces were not alone. The mighty nephilims from Moderatrix Pugna, the ancient elves from Fecicisalore, the bellicose humans from Behal Sapa and even the chaotic meowkin from Veridiquelac would fight alongside the dwarves. If the Danger (as the sages from all over the south of Ban Char had called this threat) was coming, it would be better for everyone to destroy old enemies and strengthen old alliances.

But that wasn't a problem in Urged Stones. The problems were simpler. During some practise exercises for the siege operators, a cook was seriously injured, and had to rest in bed. The problem would have to be solved. Maybe by using the prisioner as a target the problem would be solved.

Life went on in Urged Stones. More migrants arrived. And no more kobolds, goblins or lizardmen had been seen for long... It seemed that life would be peaceful at last... But it didn't. A weaponsmith took over the forge and started to say something about some Abrasanir thing. The leader of the expedition told the people to let him be, as he had been muttering for a while before creating an extremly well crafted willow grate. But things got bad.

"Sir!" Shouted someone. "Sir! You have to come, sir!" Someone had waked King DZA... A new recruit... A macedwarf that had came with the last migrant wave.
"What do you want soldier? Calm down."
"Sir, a weaponsmith has gone berserk! He has tried to attack a young kid. The others are trying to restrain him."
"Take me there soldier." Said King DZA (Simply DZA for now, ok?) "I want to see that with my own eyes."

DZA got there. The scene was truly disturbing. The weaponsmith was being restrained by two of the miners, while the other tried to keep the other dwarves for coming in the workshop area. The weaponsmith was shouting Abrasanir over and over again, with a hard voice that seemed like coming from the deepest bowels of earth. The poor dwarf was obviously crazy. DZA didn't want to take risks. The dwarf wasn't very muscular, but the two miner were having problems with him. DZA swung his mace and hit him on the head, breaking the skull and killing him with a single blow.
"Bury him. I'll make sure a memorial is engraved for him."
It had been a difficult decision, but his sense of duty had helped him. There was nothing to do with that man. He had seen others like him before, when he was a soldier in the moutainhomes. Poor dwarves possesed by spirits ro ghosts that were driven mad when they couldn't complete the task the spirit has assigned them.
"Take one of the war ankylosaurs here. Just for security. Maybe next time you won't be here."



The winter seemed bad... They were running out of booze. Even after having ordered the brewers to brew more, there was a shortage. Thanks to the gods that a nephilim caravan appeared and it was carrying booze. But it was only a minor problem. During the last weeks of the year, a child claimed the forge, and just as the weaponsmith before him, he started saying something about Abrasanir.

"DZA, you bastard!" The leader of the expedition, Deler Sanrebsakrith, rushed into the barracks during the training. The militiamen were surprised. And it was obvious why. With her five and a half feet height she was very tall for a dwarf. Even more than two of the miners. And she had a strong character. "I'm sick of this! I've already been too open-minded to your ideas! This is too much! How you dare to use a war ankylosaur as deadly guardian for a child!"
"I'm sorry Deler, but you let me control over the security of this fort, and i'm not going to let it fall during my lifetime."
"Fall? He's just a..." She was interrupted. Someone jumped over her. A child... The child.

He looked mad and his right arm was seriously wounded, but it was incredibly strong for a child. Even someone like Deler would had problems dealing with him. An ankylosaur rushed through the open door, and smashed the child against a wall. He was now dead. One of the soldiers took the body of the children, while another went to tell the parents.

DZA helped Deler to stand up.
"Do you still believe a child could have dodged an ankylosaur, then rush to the barracks with a smashed arm and still jump over someone like you and almost kill you?"
"Ok... Maybe you're right about this... I'll let you do what you want with security... Just make sure everything is ok."

Just a day after the incident, joy took over Urged Stones. The first baby in Urged Stones was born!




But during the celebrations, something happened... One of the nephilim guards that had come with the caravan had gone to the brook to drink some fresh water, when he saw something and entered the fort again, shouting: "The minotaur Zejaso Pozijante has come! A giant humanoid moster with the head of a bull."



The fort seemed doomed... Until the stupid minotaur, in his rage, rushed into a cage trap... Now Urged Mountains has a trapped minotaur... An arena could be a good idea...

But again, a problem came... A metalsmith claimed the forge... And again a poor dwarf was shouting Abrasanir... He took gold bars and leather... And he started to work... The dwarf, Tesum Eguliton, came out of the forge after two weeks. DZA was in the improvised graveyard until a real graveyard could be build. Three dwarves rested there. The cook that was injured during training for the siege operators, and the two dwarves that had died because of the Abrasanir curse. When the metalsmith entered the graveyard, DZA was prepared for the worse.
"Have you come to join your fallen comrades, dwarf?"
"No, sir, I've come to give you this."



"What is this?" DZA replied. The mailshirt was great, and the gold was shining. The images crafted on it were great... It was the best armour he had seen.
"This is Abrasanir Kekismamel. It has taken two lives from this fortress. And now it must protect it. Please use it. Defend the fortress with it."
"But... It must very valuable... Do you really want me to use it?" DZA was surprised... He couldn't even think about wearing such an armour.
"It is valuable. It is valued in 109200 dwarven coins. But I want you to use it."
"I accept it... But once I die or I retire, it shall go back to you and your heirs."
"Then I'll have to give it again to someone." said the metalsmith "It is too much for me. I've heard the voices of those who died because of it, and I won't keep it."
"Then, it is mine... I'll give it a good use."

And so, the third year og Urged Stones began... Some more migrants came, four of them were members of the army sent to help here in the militia. One of them stood before the others. A speardwarf called Ishar. He stood before DZA and Deler.
"I'm Ishar. We've been sent by the Queen to help you. The army sent against the bog trolls hasn't returned yet. We're afraid something might have happened to them..."



PS: There were no male sworddwarves. Sorry.
PPS: That was a long one... A whole year has passed, but nothing important happened until winter. Any ideas about the arena? The prisioner died during siege operating practise, so we'll have to wait, but I want to do something big.

EDIT: I can't believe it! The ankylosaur that fought with the dwarven child (he was six years old) has died because of the injures! Its tail had been riped apart by the baby... By biting it! I feel sad for him... He would have made such a nice soldier...

[Ishar]

Speardwarf is fine, thank you.

[King DZA]

Wow, your storytelling prowess is impressive. Glad I decided to join.

Oh, just out of curiosity, can you provide a little more info on the deities I worship? A title like "the Silvery Coal of Beaks" sparks my interest.

[Joost66]

Hmm, if it isn't too much trouble, could I be the newborn? Joost would be a fine name. Thanks in advance, and this is a very good story.

[Bluesproto]

I'm glad you like it. Actually, i'm a two years ahead of the story telling, so today there will be another big post (i have a problem, i start playing and i can go on playing for four hours without realizing, i need medical help XD).

As Goldgit is a god of mountains and wealth depicted as a male dwarf, while Enkos is associated with strength and consolation. (Just so you know, you've only killed the berserk dwarf i said before and a kobold.)

Joost: Do you want the newborn to be something special when he grows up? (Actually, he is some kind of hippy, as he is an ardent worshipper of the deity of peace and love, a worshipper of the deity of sky and a worshipper of the deity of mountains and wealth, so i don't think any dwarfy job, apart from a jeweler job, would suit him.)

EDIT: I wonder... do you prefer it all story telling or do you prefer more screenshots? It's just because i'm lazy with the screenshots, but if you prefer it whith them, i can try.

[King DZA]

Screenshots are nice(especially the ones containing the character details) but not necessary, I suppose.

[Bluesproto]

The year continued on... Nephilim and elven caravans came, but they had no news from the battlefield. But Urged Stones had. With the grow in the population, a mayor was elected. The first thing he did was to call DZA and Ishar.

"So, Ishar... I know you came with some bad news from the capital... Which are those news?"
"When the forces arrived to the border, they split in two. The main force would go directly to the enemy stronghold, while a little force would go and get to the opposite side of the valley where the bog trolls were. They were supposed to prevent the enemy from retreating." At this point Ishar stopped and looked to DZA. When DZA was told by Ishar of what happened, he decided that the civil population shouldn't know, as it would make them panic. But they had to tell the mayor. DZA assented. "After two weeks, the main force lost comunnication with this secondary force. A week later they found the rotten corpses of the members of that force." The mayor face paled.
"The bog trolls?"
"No. It was much more... clean. Maybe goblins, but they would have taken the loot from the dead, and also, no goblin corpse could be found."
"So it was..." The mayor whispered only two words "the Danger?"
"We cannot know." said Ishar "The main forces have stopped for a while, until further research can be made."
"I see." The mayor was truly worried. Everybody knew why Urged Stones was being built, but even so, what happened to the allied armies sounded terrible. "DZA, take all the measures you must to ensure safety. If necessary, you're allowed to call the alert status."
"Yes, sir."
"Now go. I have to attend the nephilim diplomat, and I don't want to look like a scared child."

The year went on relativily safe. The hospital was made, some goblin, kobold, and even bog trolls, thieves apperared, and were trapped or killed. The militia didn't have too much work. The economy was splendid, and a dungeon master was appointed. Some projects started, the main hall had to be paved, and some real tombs should be made. But some discoverments were made. A rare material, iovium, was discovered. Even heavier than silver, some iovium maces and warhammer were forged for the militia.

Around the twentieth of timber, the militia faced it first challenge. A goblin ambush. They thought they could enter the fortress, but they were easily killed by the militia. No one was injured, except for a baby that was passing by. That night, a party was held for the militia.

But that wasn't the last time they would heard from goblins... An ambush killed Tesum Eguliton, the creator of the legendary mail shirt, Abrasanir, while he was going for a walk with a friend, an anonymous furnace operator. They were easily killed by the ambush, and everyone was ordered to go inside while the militia went to kill them. This time, things were worse... One of the soldiers was heavily injured, while one of the miner/militiawoman was injured in her hand. A goblin was killed and the others were trapped.

The mayor was in his office, thinking about the problem of the prisioners... They were too many... If a goblin thief could get in and free them, it would be very tough to ensure the safety of the citizens... Maybe an arena should be made for disposal... While thinking about this, someone entered the room. DZA... With Ishar... Those two had got on very well with each other... Ishar had become the second in command of the militia. And everytime they went into his office together, it meant problems. But there was a third dwarf... A female dwarf... She was fat, and didn't looked very exactly well, but it was nicer than seeing the two militiamen.
"Mayow." Said DZA "This is Dastot, high priestess sent by the Queen."
"A priestess?"
"Yes, mayor." Said Dastot. Her voice was scratchy, but somehow convincing. "I've been sent to provide spiritual guidance and help here in Urged Stones." She stopped for a second an then, continued. "I'm here to ask for a place where I can train a little squad of paladins of the gods."
"A squad of what?"
"A squad of paladins. Two warriors and myself." She showed the mayor a mace and said. "I was a soldier before I became a priestess. And now, I want to help. We won't need much... Just some place to train, maybe near my dormitories..."
The mayor looked at DZA. He was smiling. "This has been your idea... I'm sure... *sigh* Ok. You can... Just don't get killed, I don't want the Queen herself to show up and unleash her rage over me."

Life was difficult. But better than in other places. The year passed again, and Spring take life, as some children were born... But it also took life from us...

Felsite the 24th shall be remembered with sadness in Urged Stones... If Urged Stones survives...

An ambush appeared... The militia was sent out, and the new squad of paladins, wich now counted with two members. The high priestess and a paladin. DZA told Ishar to go without him, as he had to go for his weapon. The militia did it very well... Ishar did it very well... Only one of the soldiers was injured... One of the miners had lost a hand. But everything went okay... Except for DZA... When he was going, he saw another goblin ambush charging... But not only that...

As he turned back to ask for help, he saw something...
"HOLY SHIT!"



A lizardman siege! That was bad... Very bad... Ishar appeared with the others, but DZA refused the help.
"GO! The lizardmen will attack the fort! You cannot let them!" Shouted DZA.
"But commander..."
"I'm not the commander anymore." said DZA as he looked back to the goblins. "I ascend you to the position of militia commander Ishar. I'll buy you some time. Don't disappoint me."
"Commander don't!"

But it was late. DZA rushed in fury against the goblins. Ishar gave the order to retreat and block all entrances. If they could seal the fortress they would have some time before the lizardman siege started to move. Maybe some weeks if they were lucky. And that would be enough. They would take that time as a gift.


DZA hit the first goblin in the stomach, making him fall. Another one tried to attack him from behind, but wasn't fast enough and found his face against the steel shield. A bowgoblin fired and hit him in his back, but the armor protected DZA. Then he used the iovum mace to smash a goblin leg, but he failed and the goblin cut the shield arm. The iovum mace was heavy. Then a pikegoblin attacked him and went through the breastplate, but Abrasanir was again a good defense... But then the bowman striked again... This time, it went to the throat. The iovum mace fell on the ground... As DZA's body did. Everything went black... Pain, fear and even rage dissapeared. The last thought of DZA, first militia commander of Urged Stones, was about Urged Stones... He wanted the people there to survive...

When the warriors get in and started to give orders, a young kid went through the hall and tried to attract the atention of Ishar. Ishar looked down and saw Joost, the first dwarf born in Urged Stones. He tried to smile.
"What has happened to the golden warrior." asked Joost, who hadn't seen DZA, hero of Urged Stones.
"He... He... He loved this place and its people too much." said Ishar, and then he walked down the corridor. He was supposed to tell the mayor what had happened. But he just couldn't. Some people saw why. Tears had appeared in his eyes. He wasn't crying for a fallen hero. He was crying because he wondered if that hero's fall would do any difference.

And while he was walking down the corridor, a child was trying figure out what a warrior meant with his words.

PS: I feel sorry for DZA, but now i'm having some problems. One of the miner was a good friend of DZA. And with his hand cut and DZA dead, i fear she goes berserk. And also there's still a goblin ambush out there, but the lizardmen aren't moving.

[Joost66]

Hmm, jewler seems like a proper job. I don't really care what happens to Joost, just that he's there.