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[KenboCalrissian]

3 Malachite (cont.)
-------------

I enter Kikrost's quarters.  The smell of incense wafts through the air - mm, dragonsblood, if I had to guess.  On her table is a pane of crystal glass, about two hands wide square.  Mounted on her walls is an iron two-handed sword recovered from a siege, and a well-crafted steel trumpet studded with exceptionally worked electrum and encircled with bands of exceptionally worked onyx.  It is adorned with hanging rings of exceptionally worked cave crocodile leather.

Steel, electrum, onyx, leather... I study the components of the trumpet carefully, examining each piece and how it was constructed.  I start putting them together in my mind, imagining building other things from the pieces.

"Asob!"  Zon claps her hands.  "Hello, wake up!  You just gonna stand there and stare at the wall?"

"I-- I'm sorry, I was just admiring this fine trumpet.  It fascinates me for some reason."

Kikrost looks at the trumpet and wrinkles her nose.  "It was there the last time you were here.  Been on that wall for some time.  You're only just noticing it now?"

"Ah, she's an Asënite.  More focused on aesthetics than practicality."

"I do wish you wouldn't trivialize my behavior based on my beliefs," I say gruffly.  We've been on thin ice lately, Zon and I, and it frustrates me that she doesn't seem to be taking that seriously.

"Now now, you two behave.  We have an exciting discovery on our hands!  I've fully translated this scroll here - it's a spell called 'VISION.'  It appears to be a scrying spell of sorts!  We just specify what we want to see, and it will show up in this glass here.  We just need the right components!"

I sigh and offer my strawberry wine.

"Oh, how did you know?"  Kikrost takes the wine and dips a pig tail cloth into it, then wipes the surface of the glass with the wine-soaked rag.  "Now we just need your magic implement."  She holds her hand out to me expectantly.

I already know this isn't going to work, and I know why, but I pull out the finger bone anyway and hand it to her.  She takes the bone, holds it one way, turns it over and holds it another, puts it on the glass... nothing happens.

"Um... Here, maybe it only works for you."  She hands the finger bone back.  I sigh and do the same thing she did, to no effect.

"What's going on?"  Zon asks.  "Is it broken?"

"No..." I reply, hesitant.  "I think... it's run out of power."

"Ran out?  Well how do you recharge it?  Or can we just find another?  Maybe Quietust still has the one she used before."

"You mean the one we used to 'clean' the fort, and ended up opening the demon pit?"

"Yeah, that's the one.  Why don't you go ask her for it?"

Because it won't work.  I won't allow it.

I grit my teeth.  "Because... Look, Zon, Kikrost... We're messing with something really, really dangerous here.  This... magic, if that's what it is, is coming from the demon pit.  I don't know if I'm comfortable dealing with this stuff anymore."

Zon and Kikrost stare at me a while, not saying anything.  At length, Zon replies, "Well, Asob, I understand why you would feel that way.  We're dealing with something unexplained, unknown, and unpredictable.  It's risky!  But, we're dwarves.  We take risks to make progress."

"I have full confidence that the 'ESCAPE' spell is something truly miraculous," said Kikrost.  "There's still much to translate, but I'm getting hints of celestial influence from it.  Maybe whatever it is will rid us of the demons below?"

It won't.

"If we don't do this," Zon continued, "then we just go back to the way things are.  Living our day-to-day lives.  Following orders."  She emphasized that last point.  I know what she means... if Zon abandons her grim mission, Minkot will have her head.  And maybe mine, too.  "Nothing changes, until it's too late to go back.  But this... we might have a chance of breaking this cycle, if we see this through."

She's right.  You know what lies at the end of the path of procrastination.  Take action, or allow action to be taken upon you.

I'm breathing heavily.  I look to Zon, to Kikrost... back to the (≡«-Steel trumpet-»≡) on her wall, and then to the lifeless bone in my hand.

"...If we do nothing..."

Then your fate belongs to King Minkot.

"...our fates belong to King Minkot..."

"Yes, you're getting it!"  Zon exclaims.

Kikrost shifted her weight.  "Uh, you guys are doing that thing again where you're talking about something in front of me that I don't know about and maybe shouldn't.  It sounds like something I don't want to find myself wrapped up in."

"You really don't," Zon said.  She turned again to me.  "But, hey, Asob, if you're really not comfortable with this... I get it, there's demons in the pit, maybe we're biting off more than we can chew here... but, if we don't do something--"

"I get it.  Hold on, I'll be right back."

Asob Momuzzokun has been possessed!

[Quietust]

Asob Momuzzokun has been possessed!

Presumably not the "usual" type of possession, since Asob's already had a strange mood (and made that Garnierite bed).
Then again, I suppose anything is possible when Demons are involved.

[KenboCalrissian]

Asob Momuzzokun has been possessed!

Presumably not the "usual" type of possession, since Asob's already had a strange mood (and made that Garnierite bed).
Then again, I suppose anything is possible when Demons are involved.

Wow, you've got a great memory!  I'll be honest, while I was writing that I actually stopped and went "Wait, didn't she make something already?" but couldn't remember what.  And I even recently went through this entire thread and took notes on every page.

[KenboCalrissian]

4 mal
===

its done

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Very good.  This shall suffice.

k bed

Don't you want to try it out?

nobody makes two artifacts.  im tired.

I told you I would grant you power unimaginable.  And now, the scales have been balanced.  Your chances of surviving what will come are now about equal to your chances of meeting your demise.

and zon?

Not as good, but better now that you have my help.

k bed

Fine.  I look forward to watching you discover your new abilities.  Until tomorrow.

[KenboCalrissian]

5th Malachite, Mid-Summer, 212 by Asob Momuzzokun
-------------

I just woke up and everything looks different.  What

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Is this... what the demon meant by 'gifts?'  My whole reality looks different!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Outside... I must see the world under a new sun!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I don't believe this... how can this be?  It's like the whole world just got more detailed!  Everything looks more beautiful than it did yesterday.  I wonder if this is the way Asën sees the world...

"Good morning, Asob!"  Zon finds me gawking at the ballista towers.  "I heard you commandeered a craft workshop yesterday.  Getting tired of mining?"

I gingerly produce the crystal wand I'd crafted yesterday and show it to her.

"This is a crystal glass wand.  All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality.  It is studded with garnierite and encircled with bands of tin, silver and the leather of Azinodos Kezkíg Zoluth the giant bat.  It is decorated with carnelian, smoky quartz, and human bone.  On the item is an image of The Deified Furnace the Adamantine buckler in raw adamantine.  On the item is an image of a strawberry in red flash opal.  I call it Lushűtmeng - Guiltlashes."

Zon stared at the device with wide eyes.  "You... but you already made that bed."

"Azuzmozib Kebontishak, 'Somberswallows the Odorous Typhoon.'  The king himself sleeps in that bed.  Thank you for remembering."

"You used human bone?!  ...Ohh, that's the finger bone!"

"Of course.  I wouldn't choose to use the bones of a sentient being for any other reason."

"Well, does it work?"

"Let's go find out."

-------------

We find Kikrost in the forges, busy crafting something out of a slab of bismuth bronze.

"Kikrost!"  Zon waves to her.  "Take a break, we want to try that scroll again!"

Kikrost put down the hammer she was using to pound the metal into shape, and wiped the sweat off her brow.  "Zon, what's with this order for 11 bismuth bronze statues?  Where are you planning on putting these?"

I furrow my brow.  "Yeah, Zon, who said you could start giving orders again?"

Zon put her hands up in defense.  "Look, I know I said I'd stop, but... uh... well, you know how Minkot's been with us lately.  If he says to do something, I'm just not even going to question it anymore.  You know he won't take 'no' for an answer."

Kikrost was taken aback.  "Why didn't you say these were for the king?  I would have started this much differently.  Are they supposed to be of him?"

"No!  No no, just stick to the order.  Giant eagles, giant bats, wolves..."

"...And fish and cats?"

"Like I said, I didn't ask him any questions."

"There are already 11 nickel statues of the fortress's champions just sitting in the stockpile, why can't he use those?"

Zon shrugged.  "Again, didn't ask."

I shake my head.  "Well, let's hope he at least plans to install them somewhere we can all see.  Maybe he wants to expand the zoo?"

"Maybe!" said Zon.  "But hey, enough about the statues.  Asob's souped up the bone implement, so let's try activating that scroll again!"

"Alright then," said Kikrost.  "Let us retire to my chambers.  Oh- let's not forget the strawberry wine!"

"I wonder why that keeps coming up as a component in these spells?" wondered Zon.

"Beats me.  At least this magic tastes good!"

-------------

Kikrost's chambers look to be in the same state as two days ago - pane of glass on the table, sword and trumpet on the walls.  Yet, with everything around me looking so different, in so much more detail, the room feels almost foreign to me.

Kikrost procures the scroll.  "Ah, here it is - VISION.  Let us see what this does!"

"You shouldn't be proud of that," said Zon flatly.

Wait... it's a scroll of 'VISION?'  Did we actually activate this on me?  Or is this some bizarre coincidence?

There are no coincidences.

"Not now."

"Huh?"  Kikrost cocked her head.  "What's the matter this time?"

"Oh, no, sorry!  Not you.  Yes, let's see what happens..."

I draw Guiltlashes from the leather holster I made for it to wear on my belt.  As I hold it up, the bone set in the center of the device glows bright blue, illuminating the crystal rod up and down its length.  Even the gems embedded and lashed to it turns bright as the light radiates through them.

"Oooo, now that's a magic implement!"  Kikrost was grinning wide.  "Look at that!  You not only used components that are rumored to conduct magical energy, but you attuned the wand to this fortress by including relevant pieces of our history.  The garnierite is a reference to your previous artifact, yes?  How did you know to put all these things together in such a way?"

"I just... followed my intuition, I guess."

"Enough stalling," Zon exclaimed, "do the thing already!"

I hold up the wand and point it at the glass.  Kikrost reads some strange words from the scroll.  I feel the need to repeat the incantation after her.  It's apparently good enough - a beam of blue light shoots out from the smoky quartz affixed to the end of the wand and envelopes the crystal pane.

"Look!"  Kikrost almost knocked over her chair in her excitement.  "I see shapes moving on the glass!"

"Isn't this the same as what the FORTUNE spell was doing?" I ask.

"No, this is better!  That spell just gave us a still image.  Look, this image is moving in real time!"

We gaze into the glass, and from a bird's eye view, we see our band of adventurers leaving the town of Oakhurst in search of the magic apple we need for the 'ESCAPE' spell.

[KenboCalrissian]

OOC: Just wanted to comment on some weird/cool stuff I've experienced messing around with this world.  The link in the previous post leads to 'The Sunken Citadel,' which was created on a copied saved in which I abandoned Severedcoils and started a new fort in the same world (Likewise with the Hearth of Wrath, which we'll get to later) (Don't worry, the original Severedcoils save is still active and will be used for future updates).

-Nelare, the tamed dragon, invaded the Hearth of Wrath, but arrived on site pre-tamed.  She just ran straight for the meeting hall and chilled there.
-Every fort I create, no matter where in the world or what civilization I use, is obsessed with The Deified Furnace.  That freaking adamantine buckler shows up *everywhere* - engravings, artifacts, and decorated goods frequently get an image of this buckler on it.  It's apparently world-famous.

While I'm here, I might as well talk a little about what's going on with the story and how it will affect pacing.  If it's not clear by now, I'm running a DnD campaign with some friends, using Severedcoils as their base of operations.  Their actions are canon to the story, and in time they will play a hand in deciding how this story ends.  As such, I'm trying to keep progress of this thread in step with progress in the campaign with respect to game time.  This means while the party is out exploring the dungeon, nothing's happening here, because it only takes a day or two in game time (but potentially months real-time) to get through a dungeon, while a typical update for this story spans several weeks.  To compensate, I'm narrating the party's progress in a separate thread (linked in the post above), which should be updated roughly every two weeks after we've played.  This means Severedcoils itself will end up going long periods without an update (no news there), but you can keep up with the story in the other thread until they've completed the dungeon - at which point Severedcoils should see a few updates until the party moves out to the next dungeon.

We are on track to eventually see an ending to this story!  It's waited long enough - and I think this new challenge of bringing DnD players into the story is what this thread needed, a breath of fresh air before the grand finale.

[KenboCalrissian]

OOC Update: Did you miss the video replays?  Me too!  I've re-mastered every video in this thread and uploaded them to Youtube.  I've cut out excess camera movement and pauses, resulting in more fluid, action-oriented replays.  Each video link in the thread has been updated with a Youtube link, but the old DFMA links are still there for archival's sake.

Plus, while editing I've uncovered a few videos that somehow went unused, and worked them into the story where they belong.  I've linked them here:

Oddom Goes Insane - ((Movie))

Dragon Execution 207 - ((Movie))

Fire Imped - ((Movie))

Obsidian Generator Improved - ((Movie))

The party is about 50% of the way done with the first dungeon, so it'll be another month or two before the next update here.  Stay tuned!

[KenboCalrissian]

6th Malachite, Mid-Summer, 212
Zon
---

"The Barons are restless,
The Counts agree,
The Dukes demand
The King's heads three."

As we watch our adventurers battle a fearsome wraith through the enchanted pane of glass, we hear these words uttered by the apparition - the angry ghost of an elven baronness - just as it's vanquished by our hired adventurers.  A chill runs down my spine.  I know exactly who that message was intended for, and I'm afraid to ask how it knew we were listening. 

What-- Wow, I didn't even realize I had picked up the fortress log tablet from the table and started writing.  Just like old times...

Asob turns to me, white as the ghost we'd just seen in the looking glass.  She sees me writing.

"What are you doing, Zon?"

"I just remembered, we have three things we really need to get done today."  I hold up three fingers, and point to each one in turn, driving my point home.  "Minkot is still very upset by a lesser's pretentious dining arrangements, you need to see about widening all the hallways for ease of transportation, and I need to go and find a place to put that dragon."

"Nelare?"  Kikrost cocks her head, oblivious (I hope) to my true meaning.  "She's been quite content in that small cubbyhole north of the gate.  You think she needs to move?"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"I just got this feeling... Y'know, those kobolds they met said that dungeon was used to worship the dragon Nelare, right?"

"They did say that, yes.  Nelare is one of the four oldest known dragons - and the last of those alive."

"Uh huh.  And, we have her crammed into a small cubbyhole north of the gate?  The same Nelare who killed seventeen humans, elves, dwarves, and goblins, and terrorized the lands for all two-hundred-plus years of recorded history?  That's her, the same dragon to whom an entire citadel and a cultish sect of kobolds are dedicated, older than history itself, tied up in a small cubbyhole north of the gate?"

"She's tame, Zon!  I trained her myself!"  Kikrost the dungeon master stood with a huff.

"Be that as it may," I raise my arms to calm her, "these adventurers are going to come back with ideas in their head.  'Hey, can we see the dragon?  She's just right there, in that small cubbyhole north of the gate?  Right by the door, where we could easily slip her out at night?'"

Kikrost bit her lip.  "Alright, sheesh!  You've made your point.  This is entirely too much excitement in my life, let me tell you.  You know, I'm sure she'd be very happy with a nice, larger place to spread out.  What about that smoky room near the adamantine pits?"

"Leftovers!  No, no.  Don't worry, you let me handle this."  I turn to Asob.  "That is, with your permission, Mayor?"

"We talked about this..."

"Alright, alright!  That's why I asked.  I just know we've got a lot to prepare for, and it'll be here before we know it." 

I've said enough.  I know she can't read my mind, but I can plainly see it on her face that she's come to realize the same thing that I have... That message was meant for us, and it's not just the adventurers we need to prepare for.  There's something else out there that knows what we've done, and it's coming. 

I continue.  "So, why don't you go and get the fort prepared for when our adventurers return, while Kikrost and I stay here and keep watching the party?  We should keep up to date on what they're finding and seeing in there."  I tap my finger on this tablet.  By the gods, from our vantage it was impossible to see exactly what they were looking at, but I'd recognize these slate tablets anywhere.  Why, how, and what have they seen?

Asob froze.  Geez, c'mon, yes I said it that way to make a point, but don't you have any stones at all?  "Err... yes, preparations... such as..."

"...Like, when you did your trading with Pesor Siti, did you remember to trade for gold coins so we can pay these adventurers when they get here?"

"Oh..."

"Okay.  Look, I just want to help--"

"Go.  You know what you're doing.  Just don't get anyone hurt."

"You know I can't make any promises."  With that, I turned and left, stone tablets in hand.  I'll have to figure out if any entries are missing later - there's too much to be done right now.

-------------

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"I will see that our leader gets this offering," says Thrura, the caravan manager.

"No, no, not an offering.  We need coin."

"Coin?  As in, gold?  Pardon me, but don't you just... pull it out of the ground?"

I stare at Thrura, and force a smile.  "Ah, it is not quite so easy... and the gold we find, we often turn into artifacts before coinage."

"Oh, yes!  I've heard Severedcoils is a popular place for nobility.  You've had quite a number of barons and dukes visit this place, have you not?  Must be exciting!"

"Yes... exciting."

We make the transaction.  Gold in hand - far more than I intend to give all at once, mind* - I head straight for my bunker and find a safe spot to stash it.  Literally the only thing these coins are for is for paying the adventurers.  Hear that, Asob?

Okay, back in business.  First thing's first; The puppy-- I mean, goblin traps.  Looks like we built a shoddy one up on top of the mountain, to catch that sasquatch I think - and by that, I mean somebody left a dog tied up out in the open next to a very obvious cage trap.  Oh, Asob.  Let's get this poor pup inside, shall we?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There we are.  Now, at least it'll be safe from archers.  Better chance of actually catching something in that trap this way.  While I'm at it, I look over the other pup-- goblin traps - yep, a few of them are empty.  I know, Asob, it's a dirty job, but it's a necessary evil.  Those traps lure goblin ambush parties out of hiding so they're revealed closer to the borders of our property, giving us time to assemble the military and get the workers out of harm's way.  They've saved countless lives, no doubt.  In fact... There are a few gaps in our perimeter, now that I look at it again.  Better chain up a few more groundhogs.  Or puppies, whichever's closer I guess.

Next, hallways.  So many narrow, diagonal passages!  Honestly, I didn't really mean to make this a priority, I just needed to think of something to say to fill space.  But, I told Asob I'd do it, and, let's be real, I kinda owe it to her to make good on what I say I'm gonna do for her.  I'm starting to see things accelerating, and I don't know how long we've got left.  Might be too late to become a better friend to Asob, but I wouldn't be able to call myself a friend at all if I didn't at least use the time I had left to try.

Hrmph.  Cursed chisel.  What if this thing could erase what I'd already written, wouldn't that be a gamechanger?  Somebody should invent that.

Ah, but back on topic.  Anyway, widening the hallways is something I've been meaning to do for a long time, anyway.  Enough squeezing past one another through cracks, let's get all the hallways carved open wide enough that we can see down a hall no problem.  That'll make everyone's life easier.  These diagonal doors, too, especially around the gatehouse... What was I thinking?  So awkward to maneuver through!  Let's move these doors over so they're flush with the walls.  Much easier to understand on a map, to boot!

Now, on to the important stuff.  How do I hide that blasted pit...

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All those fortifications carved along the main level look down onto the pit... which means, our little 'operation' has basically been in plain view all along.  Egads, has anyone seen the shower in operation from this very obvious overlook?  All these years, I never thought to seal these off?!  I'd better do that immediately.

While we're covering things up, how about securing the demon pit a little better?  A few iron doors to keep that rogue or their muscle out should do the trick.  Let's see, what can we melt down for spare iron... Lots of junk swords we'd crafted for practice, sure, and a handful of iron spears collected from sieges over the years.  ...On second thought, better hold onto the spears.  Could be useful for traps.  Lots of (narrow) equipment to melt, too.  Once upon a time, I might have considered this undwarfy, but man, I'm getting old.  And we'll need a lot of iron doors.

Speaking of keeping the adventurers out... that troublesome cat.  Not at all what I expected when we hired adventurers, this... 'Space Pants?' might as well be considered a constant threat.  I'd better check in with 'Legon,' see how the fort guard's holding up...

Last, but certainly not least, Nelare.  This dragon needs a proper home.  I don't know much about dragons - hell, here all this time I thought she was just some angry lizard that wandered into the fort one day - but I suddenly got this feeling like these things might have a long memory.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Good.  Asob's miners have taken to my orders without hesitation.  Hm?  Where is it, you ask?  Well, see, here's the thing... Something's playing games with me.  Something's dropping pages of the fortress logs for these adventurers to find.  So now, instead of having a nice, easy gang of mercenaries to collect a few magic items for us, now we're gonna have a bunch of nosey lookie-loos snooping about.  So, you think I'm gonna tell you, journal, where I'm putting the dragon?  Nah.  All you've got to know is that I'm keeping her somewhere nice and safe.

It's good to be back in the saddle again...

Spoiler: OOC: About the gold coins... (click to show/hide)

Yes, I really did make that offering, as an actual in-game consequence of what's needed for the DnD campaign.  I don't have an exact exchange rate mostly because dwarf artifacts tend to vary wildly in price, but 10,000 ☼ = 4,000 gp.

[KenboCalrissian]

19th Malachite, Mid-Summer, 212
Zon Rimtarothil Afentumam
---

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

My, all these shoes and socks and idols everywhere!  I've really let my office get disorganized, haven't I?  Well, it's no wonder - I've been very busy, lately.  And today is an especially busy day.

First, I walk by the tavern, or at least what little of it has been completed.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The adventurers will be back in less than two weeks.  I see some floors, but no walls.  So much for keeping them out of the meeting hall, away from the levers.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I absolutely need to keep them out of the bottomless pit, and away from the noble's shower.  First, I set some spike traps with alarms rigged up at all the points of entry I can find into the pit.  I spend all the (Iron spears) "imported" by goblins doing so.  Obviously, these doors will be locked too, and we'll need to station guards near each one.  Hopefully, these won't need to come into play.

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We had some complications blocking up the southern fortifications overlooking the pit.  Turns out we had a dump pile there, containing over 50 boulders in a pile.  Since I can't expect the workers to move that much rubble to place the last section of wall, I commission another wall in front of that.  And then, that looks suspicious, so I add a few more walls, stick a door over it, and have a rack installed for storing cleaning supplies.  There, now we have a janitor's closet.  The build is a bit awkward, since we had to throw it up in a hurry, but hopefully not enough so to draw suspicion.  We'll carve a new path out to the pit for web collection later.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This room, however, is a much bigger problem.  The only way to seal off those fortifications is to dig them out and build a fresh wall, but the miners are busy digging Nelare's lair.  Nobody gets to the job in time.  That's where Legon comes in.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Legon hasn't walked since she was struck in the spine with a crossbow bolt years ago, during a goblin ambush that ultimately cost her all four of her children and her mobility.  Even after that tragedy, Legon has held onto her position of Captain of the Guard, maintaining the respect and command of the guard even though she can't personally oversee their activity herself.  Her husband, Atír Stukosromlam, a woodcutter, has become a hardened individual from the experience and has been wonderfully supportive through all of this.  She's very lucky to have him.

I enter Legon's chambers with a mug of dwarven ale, her favorite - the workers usually only think to bring water.  "Hello, Legon!  It's been a while, hasn't it?"

In spite of all that's happened to her, Legon regards me coolly with a smile.  "'Allo, Zon!  Ah, is that ale I smell?  I can't even remember the last time I had some."

I hold the mug to her lip so she can drink.  "Fresh from the stills!  I trust Archibold's been keeping you entertained with stories of the battlefield?"

"Oh, of course, I hear it all.  'Course, t'would be nice to have an office to hold those meetings in.  It's awfully cramped in here, not much to see, eh wot?"

I look around, and cringe.  Yikes.  Yeah, you know what, huge whiff on my part for not doing something about this sooner.  Poor Legon has been stuck in this little room for years, now.  I think it's safe to say at this point her wound definitely isn't healing.

"You know what," I say, "Legon, I stopped by because I need to ask you a favor, but I just realized I'm in no position to do that until I've done this for you.  Let's discuss your needs, and see about getting you a nice space to live out your days in.

-------------

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A few hours later, I have a draft of Legon's future quarters in hand.  Legon requested a large dining room, with seating for the whole guard available for meetings.  We'll keep it near the prisons, where her guards should be present and within easy reach.

"Wonderful, just wonderful."  Legon's smile doubles in size.  "You don't know how much this will mean to me.  Now, what can I do for you, eh wot?"

"We have a bit of an issue - or, at least, we will in a couple of weeks.  These adventurers we hired..."

"Oh, yes!  How exciting, going out and seeing the world.  You couldn't spare any of the military around here?"

"No, no.  The goblins have been too active for the risk."  Just a small lie, here comes another.  "But speaking of, I've received word that these mercenaries are causing a little bit of trouble..."

"Uh oh!  What kind of trouble?"

"Well, for starters, they seem to have picked up a few extra travellers... One of whom doesn't seem to be there willingly.  A gnome, something of a priestly sort, appears to have become the plaything of the cat person."

"Cat person, eh?"  Legon scrunched up her nose.  "Never did like them beastfolk.  Thankful we haven't seen any batmen or ratmen or cave swallowmen around here in quite some time.  Never saw a cat man before."

"Well, this one apparently has magic mind powers, and seems rather ruthless in using them.  And I don't want these people snooping around the bottomless pit."

"Ah, you don't want them playing around the execution device."  Legon nodded.  "Of course, seems reasonable.  I suppose you'd like me to post the guard up around all the entrances to the pit?"

"If you would, please."  I freeze up as she mentions 'the execution device.'  Of course... The workers built it, the military have fought the creatures dwelling in the pit around it.  Many have seen the noble's shower, but who knows of its exact purpose?  "And the levers in the meeting hall, too.  We'll need a constant eye in that room to make sure they don't pull anything."

"I'll give the orders right away," said Legon.  "And, thank you again for hearing out my wishes.  I understand it's easy to forget about little ol' me down here, what with everything else going on with the fort.  I'll really appreciate you taking the time to set me up with proper chambers."

"And I'll get the orders for your dwellings to the miners today," I say.  With that, we say our goodbyes, and I take my leave.

"Zon, Zon!"  I'm approached by Nil Kosothdad, a fisher.  "Rovod Oslanotad has started a mysterious construction, and she's using adamantine!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I wince.  Strands, huh?  Do we not have any wafers?  No, we don't.  Sigh.  Another potential waste.  I assign some new smelting jobs to get us a bit of a stockpile of the stuff, so next time this happens we have a shot at getting something truly amazing.

"Very good, thank you for the heads-up!"  Very interesting.  Considering she's started now, she might be finishing up with that artifact right about the time the adventurers arrive.  Good - I could use a distraction.

Now then, speaking of new quarters, I think it's time to move that dragon.  And-- you know what, I'm not real keen on the way Kikrost has handled her so far.  I think I'll take care of that myself.

[KenboCalrissian]

19th Malachite (Cont.), Mid-Summer
Zon Rimtarothil Afentumam
---

I proceed down the rough basalt passage north of the gate.  Light filters in through the arrow slits carved into the wall facing the bridge, and all around Nelare, where she rests behind fortifications and nickel bars facing out.

"Good evening, Nelare," I say.

The dragon raises her head and stares at me.  Can she understand me?  She seems tame, at least.

I look around, and I fail to understand.  Nelare Fedíofi Fonenelare - Flickersizzles the Glowing Silvers.  The last of the four known major dragons of history, likely part of the reason we only have about 200 years of history recorded.  This little hallway is barely an urist wide.  How could such a terrible beast with such a storied history be so small?  Something isn't right about this.

"Okay, I'm just going to grab your rope real quick here--"

Nelare rears up, hisses, and pulls hard at the ≡«cave spider silk rope»≡ holding her in place.  I stop.  What do I think I'm doing??

I pause.  Nelare does the same.  She settles back, staring at me with a low growl in her throat.  "Kikrost said you were tame..."  A hunch - those kobolds the adventurers met treated their young dragon, Calcryx, like an animal, too.  From the looks of it, they weren't having much luck controlling it.  "...But you know what, Nelare?  I don't think I believe that.  I think your kind are a lot smarter than we take you for."

Nelare stops growling.  Her eyes are locked onto mine, intensely focused.

"Do you like it here, seeing everyone who comes and goes in and out of the fort through these arrow slits?  You've seen quite a few battles with the goblins through there, haven't you?" 

My original intentions for putting her here was as a form of defense.  I thought perhaps she might shoot fire through the fortifications at the goblins, but that never happened.  Probably a good thing, in hindsight.  Nelare snarls, and tilts her head.  I look in that direction, and only then do I notice the claw marks all over the walls.

"How would you like a nice, big space to spread out?"

Nelare raises her head, then stands on all fours.  She turns her body to expose the rope.

Okay... yep, we're doing this.  "Alright, girl.  Easy, now.  Let's take you for a little walk, shall we?"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Dîshmab Stinthädtekkud, a child, sees us from the bridge, and stops and stares.  Get a good look, kiddo, she's headed your way.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We pass through the courtyard.  Tekkud Usirudil, Stonecrafter, and Bomrek Shŕmmancog, another child, shrink back as they see us coming.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I squeeze her through the door of the barracks, and pull her past the well meeting area.  "Hello, hello, good day to you!"  I hurry past without getting a good look at who was in the room, just trying to get this beast out of harm's way before she decides she wants a snack.  Sibrek Kuletnitig, the Hammerer was there for sure, as well as a fortress guard, a royal guard, and a champion.  It's up to luck to determine who among them saw us.

We brush by, but get stuck on the stairs.  She stops at the top, not wanting to come down.

"C'mon, Nelare, your lair is this way.  I've got a nice space carved out for you... It's not done, but it's getting there."

Nelare snaps at Geshud Nefekducim, a legendary planter tending the fields.  "No, no, down, down!"  Geshud is scared out of her wits.  Tame, she says.  As if.  Right now would probably be the worst place to lose control of a dragon, right where half the military is currently training.  I lose her here, and this fortress is done for.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

With some effort, I get her down the stairs.  Inod Rimtarkod, a trapper, takes an interest.

"Hullo, Zon!  Uh, yikes, you're moving the dragon with, what, a rope and that's it??  Do you want me to get you some restraints to keep her trapped?

"No need, I've got her, thank you very much!"  I hurry on, not knowing how long I'll be able to maintain control over this beast.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Down, down, down, down, down, down, down we go, into the mining levels.  We pass a number of dwarves coming the other way from working on Nelare's new room; Reg Eralfath, a miner who was digging it out; Műthkat Sibrekshoveth, an engraver on her way back from decorating; črith Kadolbal, a gem Cutter on his way to get a drink after leaving the boulder he was carrying directly in my path; and Mebzuth Sanreblogem, a miller, probably doing the same.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Zuntîr Nebélathel, a wood burner, clings against a wall as we squeeze by.  Again, I can't believe such a terrible beast can fit down these small corridors.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We reach one of the quarry pits, and Nelare stops.  She seems to think this is the place.  "No, no, not here."  I pull, and she snaps.

"She's gonna blow!"  Deler Dodókgídthur, a peasant, and Shem Domasled, a weaponsmith, hurry out of the room.

"Thanks for the help!!"  Weaponsmiths.  Just like Oddom, the one who went insane after I told him to shave his beard.  They can craft 'em, but for some reason they refuse to use 'em.

Nelare looks around, eyeing each of the six entry points, and snorts.  Eventually, she decides the room is not to her liking, and she continues on with me.  We proceed just a bit farther. Through the southwest passage, there is a stairway leading down to the new space I've had commissioned.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"There," I say, as I tie Nelare up to the emerald-dyed ≡cave spider silk rope≡ pre-installed and ready for her.  "This is your new home - or at least, the start of it.  Now, please be nice to the miners and the workers as they come in here, they're going to dig this place out larger and remove all the stone so you can...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"...So you can... Spread out... I knew it."

In a matter of seconds, Nelare quadrupled in size, until her body filled up as much of the room as she could to the ceiling.  If this room were larger, so too might she be.  I grip my axe, though my grip is shaky. 

Spoiler: "Wisdom save..." (click to show/hide)

Nelare looms over me, flames licking her nostrils.  This monster could kill me without even a second thought.  What do I think I'm doing with this axe?  She starts to unfurl her wings.  My legs are shaking...

Spoiler: "Wisdom save!!!" (click to show/hide)

But, y'know what?  If this is how I'm going to die, I suppose I couldn't ask for a better story to tell on my way out.  Screw it.  I step forward.

Bold.

I freeze.  She speaks dwarvish?!  I hold my ground and stand in place.

Smart. 

Then, she narrows her eyes at me. 

Scum.

I find the courage to speak back.  "Well, that's not very nice.  I'm sorry it's not finished, I said we're working on it--"

Scum.  You cheated.

Nelare's eyes flash gold.  An image plays in my mind.

I won.  You cheated.

I'm at a loss.  This was... the nightmare I had in the weeks before she attacked.  The premonition I had, that warned me to set the traps in time.

"This didn't happen..."

Yes, it did.  I won.  You cheated.  You used Scum.

I clench my (Steel battle axe), continuing to write in real time with the other hand.  I have no idea what she's talking about, but I run with it.  "Look, call it what you want.  I'm a survivor, okay?  It's nothing personal.  This fort is far removed from our home civilization.  Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do to survive."

You used Scum.  Only the Gods have that power.  How is it that you wield the power of a God?

"Uhh..."  I'm really pulling this one out of my fine seat.  "I may be a dubious worshipper of Kovest, but I still pray.  Perhaps he was listening that day."

Kovest... Ah, yes.  It all makes sense now.

Nelare picks up a claw.  She's holding something... a geode, it looks like.

They are replacing me.  They have considered me lost, but you have honored me with this lair.  You shall be my emissary.

"Emissary?"  Oh, great.  Another noble to satisfy.  "Who is replacing you?"

The other demidragons.  Rashalax.  Gargalaff.  Curalesh.  Blisseryn.  They have bided their time in the astral plane, but it seems they will be intervening soon.  The reckoning is upon you.

"...Other... demidragons?  What is a..."

I am one of the original demidragons.  We were created by the Gods to govern the World of Typhoons.  We assert our will so that the lesser beings of this world behave within the will of the Gods.

My eyes widen.  "Wait... All the stories of dragons razing settlements, terrorizing hundreds, ultimately directing the course of civilization by means of their sheer threat... You're telling me the gods intended this?"

Mortalkind earned its freedom by defeating the demigods - my brethren were killed in battle, and I was cheated out of an easy victory.  The Gods have allowed you freedom from our wrath for a generation.  But, I feel a gathering of power in the outer planes.   Soon, the demidragons will control this world again, and direct it towards their new vision.

"But why??"

Yours is not the place to question the Gods.

"Fine, fine... but where does that leave you?"

They have forgotten me.  They exerted their influence through you to contain me.  So, now I will exert my will as I once have, but in secret, gaining influence until they see what a stupid mistake they've made.  Starting with controlling this fort.

And there it is.  "Now, hold on there, Nelare--"

I am an emissary of the Gods.  You shall not question me.  I have seen your mountainhome and your defenses - you are no match for me.

I look down.  Sure enough, when Nelare grew, she snapped the rope right in half.  She's been free since we got here.  "Alright, you may have me there.  I think, on the other hand, our military could keep you down, but I'm not going to put everybody's lives at risk in doing so.  Let's work something out."

As I said, you shall be my emissary.  You will exert my will on the surface as I dwell here in secret.  Then, when the Gods come looking, I will demand my place in the new world.  They shall not defy me a second time, or so help me, I will devour each and every one and claim their power as my own.

This just became a whole lot bigger than I really needed it to be.  I was just a fisherdwarf once, a lifetime ago it seems now.  Now, here I am, dealing with dragons.  "Very well.  What is it you would have me do?"

Take that stone and care for it.  And go.  Leave me to my lair, except to make it larger.

I decide I've pressed my luck far enough, and I hurry the hell out of there.  I head back to my office to decompress.  Wait... first, I stop by the storeroom and grab some emerald root dye.  Then, I go to my office to change.  Off with the red +cave spider silk tunic+, but the X≡mountain goat leather tunic≡X stays, I've had too many good days in this to throw it out yet.  I think I'll change to green... and let's see about dying this axe to match.

I work at this for a couple of hours, and admire my handiwork.  Not bad!  I sit back and hold the geode for a moment.  It's green in color, and warm to the touch.

"Oh my, Astesh Logemilid," I say to my cat.  "What a day this turned out to be.  What could possibly--"

The geode jerked, then rolled over.  Then, it cracked.  A little, green, scaly nose popped out.

"...Oh, my indeed..."

The geode split open.  A tiny green lizard, with small wings pinned to its back, crawled out onto the table.

"Aww, look at--"

Like Nelare had, the lizard suddenly quadrupled in size.  Now it was the size of a small dog.  It hopped off the table and looked up at me expectantly.  Astesh hissed - the cat was having none of it.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I knew today was going to be a busy day, but I never in a dozen years could have guessed it would turn out like this.

[KenboCalrissian]

I might regret this, but...

*Community Fort Decision Time!*

Ok readers, I'm going to give you a chance to impact the story in a way that will also affect the DnD campaign!  Here's a prompt for you...

"What demands will Nelare make of Zon?"

A few things to note:

-Demands can be along the lines of something a Noble would ask for (such as "3 bronze statues"), or they could be slightly more elaborate.  For example, "Move all unclaimed gold items to a stockpile within my lair."

-I'm only playing Severedcoils in time with 'The Sunken Citadel,' to simulate what's happening back home while the party's out in real time.  That only gives me a couple of weeks in-game time at a time to play with between adventures, so I can't commit to any megaprojects.  One season is the maximum length of time for a challenge I could consider taking on.

-The Severedcoils save is already up-to-date with where it will be on the date I expect the party to return.  Any demands made will be made on that day in-game time.  So, I won't be able to actually complete said projects before the party arrives, but the demands will be in progress and likely noticeable through the activities of NPCs during gameplay.

-Remember, this is vanilla 40d, so a lot of modern features like libraries are not possible.

Have fun!

[Quietust]

Just to throw out a few ideas:
* I'm sure she would love the floor of her lair to be paved with gold (or perhaps golden roads if not enough bars are available). Maybe some precious gem windows along the walls too?
* A stockpile of gold coins would also seem appropriate for a dragon's lair, but that would probably be a terrible idea because every single dwarf would immediately claim them as currency.
* A metal Adamantine statue would probably make a fabulous centerpiece, especially since those cost 9 wafers to make.

[KenboCalrissian]

Just to throw out a few ideas:
* I'm sure she would love the floor of her lair to be paved with gold (or perhaps golden roads if not enough bars are available). Maybe some precious gem windows along the walls too?
* A stockpile of gold coins would also seem appropriate for a dragon's lair, but that would probably be a terrible idea because every single dwarf would immediately claim them as currency.
* A metal Adamantine statue would probably make a fabulous centerpiece, especially since those cost 9 wafers to make.

Love it. Keep 'em coming!

Also:

Spoiler: "No heroes in this party confirmed, new alignment chart just dropped" (click to show/hide)

AMA & Chat Time!

Since Severedcoils is on hiatus until Severedcoils II catches up to it, why don't we take advantage of the down time? It's been a long time since I've had a chat with this community! Go ahead, chat away, ask me anything. I'll answer as best I can about my process without giving away where the story is going next. If you have a question for the players, I'd be more than happy to get you an answer. I would even be willing to provide art assets*, if it would somehow assist the community either to run a project like this yourselves, or adapt into a mod.


=============
Some helpful links that will be useful in the future and for discussion:

Severedcoils II: The Reckoning : The start of the DnD campaign based on Severedcoils and DnD's 'Tales From the Yawning Portal.' The thread was formerly known as 'The Sunken Citadel,' named for the first dungeon of the campaign, a near-replica of TftYP's 'Sunless Citadel.' The Sunken Citadel has served as a training ground for all of us - myself included. I barely had any prior DM experience and had never run a dungeon before, half of these players had never played the game before, two different friend groups were merging together and learning to work together, and we had to figure out how to get through eight players' turns within a reasonable amount of time. We had a lot of kinks to work out before diving into Severedcoils! As a primer, the Sunless/Sunken Citadel has worked BEAUTIFULLY, and I'm ecstatic with what these players, all of whom close personal friends or family, have brought into the narrative already. The players are currently [F]orbidden from entering the Severedcoils thread, but I intend to eventually grant them access to the full story, as a means of informing their next course of action. When this happens is up to them, but boy oh boy, these guys are so creative and so determined to tear this story to shreds, I trust that it's the first thing they're going to attempt!*

The Hearth of Wrath: My first experiment with this project, a rebuild of TftYP's 'The Forge of Fury.' Of course I had to start with the dungeon that is a literal Dwarven fortress! This decision to practice with the second dungeon first created a bit of awkwardness in the beginning*. As such, I'm retiring the HoW thread, but the dungeon is currently slated to make an appearance in this campaign. The story will simply continue from the current game thread, and eventually I'll post a link on this thread pointing to the start of that chapter, so this thread will lead back to the story where it belongs. I'm making every effort I can at keeping this dual-perspective malarkey consistent and interesting.

Ooooops, squished the Duchess: The event that started it all. This random, curious happenstance is the thread in which the challenge of Severedcoils was made. This happened in Cometnet, my very first fortress, which still exists but was generated in a different world than Severedcoils.

Feel free to ask anything at all about Severedcoils I or II, its inspiration, how it's organized and executed, how it's uploaded and edited, what tools I use to make it, how I play it in Roll20 - I'm willing to give back to this community everything it's given me, which is a lifetime of inspiration and purpose. Thank you, thank you all for being such a huge part of my life. You have no idea how important this project is to me, and I'm doing everything I can to make it the very best it can be. I'm all ears to any suggestions you've got that can take this story farther.


=============
The Codex of the Mighty Asterisk:

* I started this project using the Guybrush tileset, since that's what I'd used when playing Severedcoils, and I wanted the graphics to match. I began by gradually modifying the original tileset bit by bit, then eventually creating a ton of new content myself, but adapting Guybrush's style to stay consistent. I have to admit, I jumped into this excited for the idea but lacking the experience or knowledge as a DM and focused on learning, that I hadn't considered the ramifications of using this art style until now. Judging by the rate the view count's been going up, I'm estimating we've got a few hundred readers or so, so now it's time to recognize that this has stepped beyond a hobby and into something that has a bit of publicity. So, there's my full disclosure on where the credit for the art assets lie.

*After debating internally how I was going to keep this dual-thread monster of a narrative consistent, interesting, and simple to understand, I've decided 'The Sunken Citadel' will transform from a story thread about a single dungeon, to the entire campaign from the real-world DnD players' perspectives. Meanwhile, Severedcoils will continue to receive its own updates in the way it always has (that is, more Dwarf Fortress-focused than Dungeons and Dragons, in the same style it's always been), except the threads are now chronologically "locked." The in-game dates on each post are now very important: They tell when certain events coincide, which are important for details like who witnessed what and when (via the spyglass window, for example). Currently, this means that Severedcoils has already been played up to the point when I believe the players will return home. The board is already set for what I want them to find, but there is another, surprise event I intend to throw at the players the session before they enter the fort*.

*: My DF map assets were not prepared, so at first we were playing on a standard, Google-downloaded map of "The Sunless Citadel" (yes, I own a physical copy of "Tales from The Yawning Portal," that's what the game's been run from so far). In the meantime, I worked on 'The Sunken Citadel' (because 'Sunken' is in the DF library, but not 'Sunless'), and I made some modifications to practice building settings, like the addition of the entire Noble's layer.  Much of the bottom floor has been re-tooled or rewritten, as well. I didn't actually introduce the Dwarf Fortress maps to the players until the quasit cast a spell on them and revealed items in the troll's room. I've actually created a bit of an unintended disconnect here; The story looks like this was a fairly mundane effect, but the players are convinced they've been transported to another world in the multiverse (and, out-of-game, they have some *very interesting theories* about where this game might be headed, and I'm writing this as we go, so... Plenty of flexibility to play with!

*: What could it be? Who knows? There are hints in play already, but this is a brand-new, 100% original story and homebrewed module, designed and written by Yours Truly, scheduled to be introduced just before entry to Severedcoils. I've designed this game to function completely independently from Severedcoils, Dwarf Fortress, and even Dungeons and Dragons; I'm simply using this campaign to test it. This module is designed in a very special way: It has well over 20 endings (that I can anticipate, at least), the result of which depends entirely upon the decisions the party makes as a team, and ends with a prompt that will drive the direction of the rest of the entire campaign. That's right - there are at least two dozen different directions this story could go, by my count, depending on how the players handle this module I've invented. It can be used to generate many different campaigns, is able to provide very different experiences every time you play it, and I aim towards pitching this as a "Start here, and fill in the rest with whatever your party just revealed to you they want" type of module. I'm being very tight-lipped about this right now, just know that this will be completely new content and will add a whole new layer to this story.

[KenboCalrissian]

Unscheduled hiatus over. We now return you to your regularly scheduled hiatus.