Journal of the Tavern Keeper Overseer 5th of Galena 163I opted to keep the tavern open a little longer than usual last night, asking the night workers to keep an eye out for anything dangerous Vutok would do.
I narrowly avoided spilling my evening tankard in shock when I heard the screams. Also because of the beakdog puppy that came charging down the stairs in fright. This was definately not good, I ordered those things butchered a while ago. A quick refill and helmet on and away I went.
Solon, one of our gravewardens was in shock partway up the stairs. He was stuttering and stammering till I thrust a small bottle of beer into his chest which seemed to break him out of whatever trance had got him. He said that Vutok stormed into the butchers shops where he had just left to go fetch another beak dog for slaughter. He got to the stop of the stairs and saw Vutok storm out, with an aura around him of pure dread and he
murdered Amara right in front of his and Imic's eyes. Imic was off running down the corridor overcome by terror.
On the floor in front of me was the lower half of Amara's lifeless head, mouth still contorted in her death throes. Not even a clean cut with the butchers knife.
I kicked down the door sword in one hand, my granite tankard in the other filled with strong booze. You can always rely on a thrown tankard
At the end butchers table, was the remains of Amara's body. In front of it was Vutok- eyes full of crazy and a dark cloud surrounding him raising a pair of leggings that could only have been created with a necromancers touch.
The entire thing reeked of evil what with the remains of Amara twisted in such a way as to evoke a tarantula's web down the sides of the clothing, the top half of her skull on the crotch and her hip bones turned into pockets.
"In my family's name do I name you Sethaldamid Matzang! The spider-witch of jumping!" He cried, voice tainted with the ethereal. Raising the leggings as one would an item of great worth.
I promptly threw my tankard at him and it knocked him out in one blow, thank goodness for granite. The strange aura around him vanished too.
Into my journal here for future overseers to read I will write this passage.I refuse to grant this thing equal status to our other artifacts. As such I will only enter the basics into the Overseer records and hide the leggings inside a secret room behind a bridge that leads over the magma. There are only three things that this could be the result of:
1. One of our necromancer captives- what else would work with bone so well
2. The demon that the goblins bow to in the east- that magic is strong, very strong and only the sort they and their servants carry
3. An elven menace hidden within their lands- this decor reeks of elven design. In addition, I recently discovered their diplomat I offed last month was in fact an heir to their Queen according to Legends records.
Its time I went to bed. I don't think anybody is going to sleep tonight.
Journal of the Tavern Keeper Overseer 28th of Galena 163It took all the effort I had to raise and slam my tankard for quiet this evening for my long overdue briefing to the fort
This month has been productive, really productive. I think everybody just wanted to get back to work and forget about the incident several weeks ago. I wish I could. I've been debating whether to ask Zultan to punish Vutok with a hammering for what we did, but we all saw how he wasn't his self. He has no regrets...but is frightened of how skilled he is at bone carving now.
The new tavern is shaping up well with the third floor placed and now getting walls and the handle is beginning to take shape. I made a slight tweak to my design to allow the handle to be a lookout. Its going to be taller than every other structure here, but it has to be as a monument to myself and smallhands.
My new rooms are almost done as well. At long last one of smiths managed to fight off the goop fever enough to make me some superb bronze doors- always liked bronze. wonderful colour and metal, but not everyone appreciates it like me.
I told the tavern goers something they didn't want to hear. All rotting or worn clothing is to be sent to the trading depot. Our brethern from the north are coming soon and the stockpile is stuffed full of new clothes that nobody is wearing, yet all of them had the gall to complain to me about lack of clothes. I don't care if things are favourites- they have to go and make my handiwork mean something.
Once again this sent Auze into a depression, though he recovered within hours.
Journal of the Tavern Keeper Overseer 17th of Limestone 163I finally made up my mind what to do with Vutok. I asked Zultan to go and interrogate him about the possession.
She came out of her new office and slammed through my tavern door at breakneck speed demanding a drink in ragged gasps. Something happened that had her overcome by horror but she couldn't say what. She was too distraught so I slipped her a second one free of charge. I sent another dwarf to quietly lock Vutok for the time being.
Our fellow dwarves came on the 11th at least and they brought a load of goodies considering it was only a single wagon. Dwarven engineering everybody! I'll raise a toast after the trading results from Auze...Auze?
Welp, looks like I'll have to have that therapy meeting...
Eventually I talked Auze into pulling himself together and chatted to the trader while the liason went off to find Salmeuk
In the meantime, me and Auze managed to obtain one hell of an agreement. All of our worn clothing and crafts, a barrel of prepared food (not sure what it was if anything) plus the elven detritus we had laying about in return for all 8 barrels of booze and their food, several new clothes and some good quality steel and iron armour.
I took the liberty of obtaining more paper for our library and best of all managed to obtain some much needed pig tail seeds after our supply ran out last month.
Honestly, it was shocking how much space our old clothes took up. I'm gonna need to order some bins
Surprisingly, the merchant was pleased with the trading as well.
After all the crap over the last month and a half, it felt good to be able to have something go so right for once.
I'll drink to that
slams tankard Free round tonight everyone! courtesy of our friends at the mountainhomes!
Author
Topic: Smallhands - nearly 40 years and still tiny! (Read 441034 times)