Ovg - Sure thing. Profile up on first post.
Note that due to lack of unclaimed male dorfs, you're actually a woman turned into a man with Runesmith.
22nd Hematite 676The celebrations that should have followed the victory over Osman and his hordes did not manifest the day after. Rion's death had shocked the community worse than Kogan or Sibrek's. Rion had been a slayer of two forgotten beasts, possibly one of the best soldiers in the fort, and a founding member of Nomekast, to have him die reminded everyone else uncomfortably of their mortality. His funeral was a solemn affair, Ibruk, still shaken from Reg confronting him, made no talk of a higher purpose, simply reading the traditional rites that would draw the attention of Nekut Glowedguises, the goddess of the moon and protector of the dead, to Rion's spirit, and guide him to the halls of Id, the Stonefather. Then he was placed in granite sarcophagus next to Kogan's, with a gravestone declaring his deeds and life. Osman's name was conspicuously missing from it, simply describing his opponent as a 'great coke beast'.
Then came Volrath's revelation about his blacksteel sword, and by the time night fell - as much as night could fall on an underground town - there was a grim determination in the air. For the past three years they had lived under the earth, chased and trapped by the Nothing but now the time of hiding had to end, they had to strive, to seek, to fight and not to yield.
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GalenaThe rest of Hematite passed in a blaze, moving straight through Malachite and then into Galena. Rar had finished that which he had been divinely inspired to make;
Ibruk had not been there at the time, being in the Temple barracks discussing things with Kadzar, and so there was no grand interpretation of the meaning of this particular artifact, though Rar himself had suggested that the fact it was made of forgotten beast bone was probably a sign or something of the victory against Osman.
Fori, brimming with determination, had placed herself in charge of the plan to return to the surface. She and Torvold had begun plans for a trap to annihilate the Nothing, after which the community could move out and secure an area before any more Nothing could arrive. Torvold, for his part, had convinced Spartan to dig him out a lab where he could work. He was still perusing over the work of Dos Panzermench which Meinhard had given him, and had designed a system to pump magma from the magma pools of the Fiery Cistern up to where it could be used against enemies.
Ibruk and Kadzar meanwhile had commandeered - with the support of Ibruk's devout followers - several bars of gold for the Temple, using them to craft two elaborate pillars before the temple. Ibruk declared one to be a reminder of times past and people gone, and the other to be hope for the future and new pilgrims.
The harvest was brought in, putting Nomekast's food reserves up enough to last until the planting season, especially with all the meat brought in from the dead creatures and the beasts.
Meanwhile, the newcomer Rashem had joined the militia in their training, determined to fight against the Nothing. He was notable in his refusal to actually wear any good armour at all, preferring to depend on his own reflexes, and wearing nothing more than simple leather armour. The Elf, Ocade, had also been seen training with a sword, sometimes sparring with Loral, the sound of their swords strikes echoing through the caves. Everywhere, preparations were being made for the eventual return to the surface, and for the inevitable next attack.
3rd Galena 676They met in the dark of the night.Stas stood by the barracks, Bax leant against the cave wall. The temple, their old meeting place was no good as a covert meeting area now, Hammer of the Gods insisted on sleeping near it, ready to leap to the defence of her temple, prophet, and gods. Ocade arrived shortly after them, his face shrouded in his hood. You could just see enough to see he was still wearing his maniacal grin that he seemed to have on his face at almost all times.
"I'm here." he announced. Bax stood straight,
"<<Good. I thought you might be interested.>>" he said, switching to his native Goblin. He could recognise another expatriate of the Dark Towers a mile away. Ocade's grin grew by a few teeth,
"<<I thought it...rude to turn down an invitation. When you're new to a place, an invitation from an established citizen is always...interesting.>>" he said, also switching to Goblin. Stas cleared his throat, he didn't know enough Goblin to know what they were saying, and he didn't want the two just speaking between themselves, leaving him out,
"Glad you could make it, Ocade. Let me introduce myself, I am Stas. Bax and I run a...cartel of...shall we say, 'treasure-hunters'." he said smoothly. Ocade grinned at him,
"Thieves?" he asked simply. Bax chuckled,
"Thieves." he nodded. Ocade looked down at the dirt for a few seconds, thinking, then looked up, smiling as ever,
"Tell me more."
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ElsewhereBayar looked up proudly at his little shrine to the Ascended Ones of Kobold legend. There had been a similar shrine back in the Kobold cave he had lived in before - well, shrine was a bit of a strong word, it was a niche with small clay statuettes of the ascended ones. But this time he had made a great cobaltite statue, standing grandly in the centre of the place. He hoped that the ascended ones would shine their power upon he and his new home, they needed the luck what with the world collapsing around them. It was only a small simple shrine, but he could probably make it improve it later, smooth it maybe, make separate recesses for each ascended one, etc.
4th Galena 676"Y'see," said Brosso the bowyer - self-entitled 'The Magnificent' - lighting a pig-tail cigar and taking a puff, "it's in my nature to look out for this community - we all know that the work I do is vital to this place's survival." he blew a cloud of smoke into Ibruk's face, the prophet said nothing, simply fanning it away, "And," Brosso continued, "its come to my attention that we're missing vital infrastructure if we're to survive."
"Infrastructure is but material, the earth will pro-" began Ibruk, Brosso cut him off,
"I'm talking - of course - about a circus. Maybe even a zoo, or opera-house, or a theatre or music-hall! We simply will not survive without such important things, believe me."
"I do not think a...
circus is what Nomekast needs." Ibruk said, raising an eyebrow quizzically,
"Nonsense! Believe you me, without a circus and associated amenities this place will collapse worse than a year-old flan. It's in the blood; a Dwarf needs a circus, the blood cries out for clowns, greenskins doing tricks, magicians, acts! The public is baying, and we have nothing to placate them. How can a fort survive when the public is baying uselessly?" Brosso said grandiosely.
"This is a place of the go-"
"Of the golden art of circus-directing, well-said!" he took Ibruk's hand, shaking it emphatically, "Believe you me, you won't regret this." he waltzed off before Ibruk could say a word, leaving the prophet with a perplexed look on his face, wondering what had just happened.
"Ho! You there!" Brosso called out to Ukrzum, who was hauling stone to the stockpiles, "I need your help; where are the picks?"
Ukrzum looked on the verge of answering, a frown on his face at being bothered by this bombastic bowyer-turned-circus-director, when he suddenly froze, his pupils expanding, he dropped what he was carrying, immediately glancing round before leaving in the directions of the workshops, walking mechanically like a machine.
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Topic: [Community] Nomekast - At War with Nothing (Read 179246 times)