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Dwarf Fortress => DF Community Games & Stories => Topic started by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 08:43:30 pm

Title: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 08:43:30 pm
In the Hall of Legends (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=89305.0)


The Insidious Sons of Steelhold:
Part the Second of "Steelhold (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=132097.0)"


Resources:
- A PDF of the story is now if the works; find it HERE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8275) (currently up to the end of the original thread)
- We now have a wiki for this story (under construction); find it HERE (http://steelhold.wikia.com/wiki/Steelhold_Wiki)
- We also have a TV Tropes page that could use some additions; find it HERE (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LetsPlay/Steelhold)

Prologue:
In the end of the year 250, the growing crime rate in the Dwarven capital flooded the prisons with new inmates. In order to combat this issue, wise Queen Brasswords ordered that a new prison be built a great distance away from the Dwarven mountain halls. Thus began the history of the penal colony "Steelhold," led by Jackal, the former prison guard. Early in its history, the warden held sway over the inmates, and with their labor managed to carve out a worthy complex and create expensive crafts. This minor prosperity, however, could not last, for the warden's will grew weak as he bonded with one of the prisoners, Modi. Taking advantage of the situation, the psychopath Sarrak began to plant the seeds of revolution in the minds of the imprisoned. Tensions rose, and eventually a successful overthrow led by Modi removed Jackal and the guards from active control.

Meanwhile, several forces were working at each other's throats, as the Lenehan, the radical elf-sympathyser, Asmoth, the mad doctor, and Maskdwarf, a mysterious apparition, all sought to use to colony for their own goals. After several encounters with Modi, Lenehan finally managed to depose the dwarf and gain a seat of power himself. Soon afterward, he sent Jackal, Modi, and most of the army to their deaths during the Siege of Steelhold, allowing him to gain full control of the prison as baron of the lands. It was then that the great baron released a alchemical mist into the prison on the Day of Reckoning, and it is said that Asmoth was forced to work together with Maskdwarf to resurrect the fallen Modi, who defeated the baron in a great brawl and stopped his chemical threat. At the end of the year, the baron was found dead, and the fortress was once again without a leader.

The time then came that new leaders would emerge to lead the crumpled outpost. Will they try to bring the prison into a new golden age? Will they, instead, choose to perpetrate further crimes against their fellow dwarves. Only time will tell, but either way the prison is hardly a stronghold. Supplies are short, traps are scarce, and the guards are far and few between. It will take great willpower indeed to save Steelhold from collapse.


Introduction:
The original thread for this succession fort began to stagnate, and the original creator lost interest. Thus, it has been decided by the players who have maintained interest that a new thread be created. Like the original, in this succession fort, everyone is an insidious criminal from the capital. When creating a character or posting a journal entry, play the part. Be as cruel, as psychopathic, and as Dwarven as possible.

Turn List:
Interlude (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4832967#msg4832967)
I. 4maskwolf 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4839155#msg4839155) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4840286#msg4840286) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4841703#msg4841703) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4841894#msg4841894) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4843787#msg4843787) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4846929#msg4846929) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4850753#msg4850753) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4851440#msg4851440) SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8225)
II. Rhaken 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4853194#msg4853194) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4854018#msg4854018) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4856247#msg4856247) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4858326#msg4858326) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4859063#msg4859063) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4861920#msg4861920) 1st SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8239) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4863573#msg4863573) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4865661#msg4865661) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4868384#msg4868384) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4870240#msg4870240) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4873013#msg4873013) 2nd SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8261)
III. Fractalman 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4875449#msg4875449) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4875585#msg4875585) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4875884#msg4875884) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4876861#msg4876861) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4877567#msg4877567) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4878058#msg4878058) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4879742#msg4879742) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4880048#msg4880048) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4880122#msg4880122) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4880885#msg4880885) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4882079#msg4882079) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4882228#msg4882228) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4882533#msg4882533) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4882931#msg4882931) 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4883563#msg4883563) 16 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4883645#msg4883645) 17 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4883891#msg4883891) SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8286)
IV. MDFification 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4884315#msg4884315) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4884413#msg4884413) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4884506#msg4884506) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4885157#msg4885157) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4885271#msg4885271) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4887059#msg4887059) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4887173#msg4887173) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4890298#msg4890298) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4890794#msg4890794) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4893434#msg4893434) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4897533#msg4897533) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4899779#msg4899779) SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8304)
V. Gnorm 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4902546#msg4902546) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4905502#msg4905502) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4910639#msg4910639) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4921162#msg4921162) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4927061#msg4927061) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4933526#msg4933526) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4933801#msg4933801) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4936325#msg4936325) SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8347)
VI. Deus Asmoth 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4944808#msg4944808) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4947519#msg4947519) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4948415#msg4948415) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4950582#msg4950582) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4951947#msg4951947) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4953748#msg4953748) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4954537#msg4954537) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4955908#msg4955908) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4956931#msg4956931) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4959930#msg4959930) SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8372)
VII. Oshha 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4969780#msg4969780) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4976025#msg4976025) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4987283#msg4987283) SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8403)
VIII. MDFification 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4999487#msg4999487)
Ending 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg5016522#msg5016522) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg5016530#msg5016530)
Epilogue 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg5025762#msg5025762) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg5030581#msg5030581)
FINAL SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8416)

The Former Rulers of Steelhold:

Jackal, the righteous
Who brought the original prisoners to their home in the desert sand. Held the position of warden until his death in 254; his position was abolished by Lenehan after his death, thus he has never had a formal successor. Fought bravely against the goblins during the Siege of Steelhold.

Sarrak, the mad
Who seized control of many prisoners under the noses of the guards. Fought against the goblins on several occasions, even at the danger presented to her own life. Dug to the magma sea deep beneath the earth. Died alone in 253.

Modi, the brave
Who maintained an almost brutal sense of order during her reign. Commissioned the construction of the guard tower, and stole many goods from the trade caravans. Fought bravely against the goblins during the Siege of Steelhold; rose again to defeat Lenehan.

Lenehan, the troubled
Who sent the army to defeat Atu, the human leader of the goblins, during the Siege of Steelhold. Commissioned the construction of a hospital, a beekeeping-wing, and a secret complex for himself. Attempted to transform the entire prison population into elves, but was thwarted by Asmoth and Maskdwarf. Baron of the lands until his death at the end of 253.

Maskdwarf, the enigmatic
Who briefly led a secretive cult of worship for the daemons beneath the fortress. Commissioned mining of the rare adamantine, before turning control over to Rhaken.  Mysteriously disappeared from the fortress at the end of 260.

Rhaken, the willful
Who successful seized control of the fortress and quelled the minor gang uprisings. Revamped the external defenses of the fortress and raised a active army. Dealt the killing blow on the forgotten beast Corowa Gifefiva Enaayanu, and fought bravely against many other threats to the fortress. Ruled successfully for one-and-three-quarter years, before losing command to Fractalman by faking his own death.  Killed by demons from Hell in 259.

Fractalman, the unpredictable
Who took over control of the fortress after Rhaken's funeral. Managed to construct a trans-dimensional portal out of raw adamantine to stop the destruction of the multiverse -- and to fix the graphics. Dug out large sections of the fortress for workshops and bedrooms. Other than that, he accomplished very little and succeeded in lowering the overall quality of living in the fortress. Ultimately, he was executed and thrown into his portal, which was torn down afterwards. Since then, the dwarves of Steelhold have been free from his madness -- or so they thought, for he later returned in his regenerated form.

Emdief, the mechanist
Who led a mighty revolution that brought the political party of the Marble Faction into power. Ruled effectively as overseer and began the Steelhold Council. Responsible for the execution of Fractalman and the construction of a mighty monument. Succeeded by Corley as the fort's overseer. Died in combat with a goblin, though briefly haunted the halls of the fortress as a ghost.

Corley, the young
Who used his position as second baron of Steelhold and his place on the Steelhold Council to promote himself to overseer. Began the Steelhold Mint, production of adamantine equipment, and the system of trenches.  Under his command, Hell was breached; he disappeared soon after, only to return under mysterious circumstances.

Asmoth, the surgeon
Who used her research to turn hundreds of dwarves -- including the queen and herself -- into vampires, leading to the deaths of scores. Left active command after completing this project. Fled the fortress after its fall.

Karius Durtis, the crusader
Who fought a personal war against the vampires of Steelhold, killing many in a terrible magma pit. Fled the fortress afterward to pursue the Maskdwarf.

Uristador, the lost
Who courageously attempted to take command of the fortress in its unstable state. Steelhold was, however, beyond rescue...

Notable Deaths:
- Jackal, Warden
- Modi, Cutter
- Rock-Eyes, Silent Enigma
- Shadow, Bandit Assassin
- Sarrak, Psychopathic Brawler
- Ensomden, Amoral Soldier
- Bomber, Drafted Crossbowdwarf
- Lenehan, Elf-Party Baron
- Gob, Dim-Witted Brute
- Somneth, Escape Artist
- Emdief, Mechanic
- Bees, Dwarven Bee
- Moisturizer, Tanner
- Fractalman, the Lonely Slider
- Melek, Intern
- Emdief Twiceborn, Guardian of the Revolution
- Rhaken, Urban Commando
- Lorius Zane, Martial Cleric
- Magni, Guardsdwarf
- Urist McDead, Deserter
- FireCrazy, Mine Saboteur
- Jovus, Socialist Agitator
- Shining, Novelist
- Derroth, Royal Pervert
- Uristador, Marble Factioneer
- Maskdwarf, True Prophet

Known Survivors:
- Asmoth, Vampire Progenitor
- Corley, Noble Heir
- Karius Durtis, Apprentice
- Thikut, Vampire Child
- Shank, Royal Spymaster
- Kivish, Vampire Queen

Status Unknown:
- FractalEntity, Totally not Ex-Overseer

Spoiler: Rules (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Dwarfing Instructions (click to show/hide)

Swell Quotes:
What are you planning Maskdwarf!
My death hell breach assembling a harem Just doing his civic duty to keep the fort running, yep, that's our Maskdwarf.
Steelhold has obtained a vampire baby. A vampire baby who, I suspect, drained his mother of blood when he was a month old. I think he should become our mascot.

Featured Images:
Spoiler: Steelhold is Yours! (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 08:44:00 pm
Reserved (just in case).
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: highmax28 on December 12, 2013, 09:06:50 pm
Posting to watch and possibly join in
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 12, 2013, 10:50:45 pm
*MDFification sketches a picture of a turn*
*MDFification sketches a picture of a dwarf*

Can I have turn 4 or so? I have some serious work to get done over the christmas break, else I'd go earlier.
EDIT: Psychopathic behavior is encouraged? For a second I thought a community game could possible end in anything but complete and utter disaster. By the time it's my turn doubtless there'll be a half-finished superweapon, a serious overpopulation problem, a hospital that receives supplies via minecarts (killing its doctors half the time) and a food supply consisting entirely of longland grass seeds and +cat tallow biscuits+.

Engraved in this post is an inferior picture of a fortress and players. The fortress is surrounded by the players. The fortress is in a fetal position. The players are laughing. This depicts the screwing with the fortress of Steelhold during the Second Succession Game.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 11:00:06 pm
*MDFification sketches a picture of a turn*
*MDFification sketches a picture of a dwarf*

Can I have turn 4 or so? I have some serious work to get done over the christmas break, else I'd go earlier.
Sure, just make sure to have a dwarf request with a nice backstory.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 12, 2013, 11:10:12 pm
*MDFification sketches a picture of a turn*
*MDFification sketches a picture of a dwarf*

Can I have turn 4 or so? I have some serious work to get done over the christmas break, else I'd go earlier.
Sure, just make sure to have a dwarf request with a nice backstory.

Alrighty then. I'd like to be dwarfed as Emdief, an engineer (either gender works fine). Emdief was exiled from the mountainhomes for participating (as a technician) in unethical scientific experiments. The dwarfs running the aforementioned experiments had quite some blood on their hands, and as a result were executed, but Emdief got off scott free - unless you consider being encouraged to move to Steelhold at swordpoint to be some sort of death sentence or anything.
Emdief tends to be a cold, detatched dwarf that simply radiates legitimacy and intellectuality. Although their primary occupation seems to be producing generic mechanisms, and doodling impractical, convoluted plans to otherwise simple problems plaguing the fortress.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: highmax28 on December 12, 2013, 11:17:14 pm
Asmoth is going to love this guy
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 11:24:52 pm
*MDFification sketches a picture of a turn*
*MDFification sketches a picture of a dwarf*

Can I have turn 4 or so? I have some serious work to get done over the christmas break, else I'd go earlier.
Sure, just make sure to have a dwarf request with a nice backstory.

Alrighty then. I'd like to be dwarfed as Emdief, an engineer (either gender works fine). Emdief was exiled from the mountainhomes for participating (as a technician) in unethical scientific experiments. The dwarfs running the aforementioned experiments had quite some blood on their hands, and as a result were executed, but Emdief got off scott free - unless you consider being encouraged to move to Steelhold at swordpoint to be some sort of death sentence or anything.
Emdief tends to be a cold, detatched dwarf that simply radiates legitimacy and intellectuality. Although their primary occupation seems to be producing generic mechanisms, and doodling impractical, convoluted plans to otherwise simple problems plaguing the fortress.
Sounds good, but do you have a custom profession name in mind?

Meanwhile, I have re-downloaded the last save, and just paid the prison a visit.

Interlude:
A Visit to Steelhold

(http://i44.tinypic.com/z36dj.png)

I've finally found the closest thing to civilization is this endless desert. It appears to be a fortress of some sort, and it seems to be maintained by a bunch of dwarves. I'm not sure why they decided to come here, for there's not a drop of drinkable water in miles. Without my powers -- which were so generously granted to me by that noble -- I wouldn't have made it this far; even then, there are few creatures around to draw blood from. Perhaps one of these dwarves will be able to tell me something about this place.

(http://i43.tinypic.com/242tst2.png)

I found a female dwarf calling herself "Shining." She claimed that she was a novelist, and told me that this was a penal colony. That sure explains why any soul would build a fortress here. Desiring some actual conversation, I asked her about her family, to which she responded in a hushed tone after checking over her shoulder.

(http://i40.tinypic.com/2hezxgy.png)

I don't know why she was so nervous about this fact; perhaps this Lenehan fellow obtained a certain amount of infamy before his demise. Whatever the case, I believe that I shall begin to explore the fortress itself.

Strange, the lower levels of the fortress appear to have taken on sea water. Some dwarf must have dug where he shouldn't have, but I should be able to explore these areas, as I don't need to breathe.

Blasted goblins! A couple thieves were hiding in the lower levels, and ambushed me as I was exploring the halls. They managed to disarm me, and have left me in a crippled state. I write this as I am positive that they will catch up with me in order to have me killed. May the dwarves here slaughter all the world's goblins!

(http://i40.tinypic.com/30cow95.png)


I assume it is a glitch, but is it normal for an abandoned fort to flood with sea water?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: highmax28 on December 12, 2013, 11:38:00 pm
Is it "retired"? And I've heard of problems like that. I think oceanbridge had the same problem and had to use pump stacks to let the water out so they can stop the flood
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 11:40:13 pm
Is it "retired"? And I've heard of problems like that. I think oceanbridge had the same problem and had to use pump stacks to let the water out so they can stop the flood
No, I don't use third-party tools to "retire" a fortress, so I simply abandoned it. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be affecting the fortress before I abandoned, so 4maskwolf shouldn't have that problem.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gamerlord on December 12, 2013, 11:45:43 pm
Hm, what happened? Why did it crumble again?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 12, 2013, 11:53:11 pm
Is it "retired"? And I've heard of problems like that. I think oceanbridge had the same problem and had to use pump stacks to let the water out so they can stop the flood
No, I don't use third-party tools to "retire" a fortress, so I simply abandoned it. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be affecting the fortress before I abandoned, so 4maskwolf shouldn't have that problem.

Fun fact: When you abandon a fort it mentions your dwarfs fleeing to surrounding tiles.
Also, can I have the profession "Tinker"?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 12, 2013, 11:55:34 pm
Hm, what happened? Why did it crumble again?
The fortress itself did not crumble, just the thread. Since 4maskwolf will not be able to begin for a couple of days, I simply posted a short adventure to the fort intended to be a "visit" of sorts.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: highmax28 on December 13, 2013, 12:09:10 am
Hm, what happened? Why did it crumble again?
The fortress itself did not crumble, just the thread. Since 4maskwolf will not be able to begin for a couple of days, I simply posted a short adventure to the fort intended to be a "visit" of sorts.
Know what you gotta do as an adventuring goal?

Kill everyone that survived the fall of steelhold. Think of it like a bounty hunter taking down the escaped prisoners
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 13, 2013, 12:22:14 am
Hm, what happened? Why did it crumble again?
The fortress itself did not crumble, just the thread. Since 4maskwolf will not be able to begin for a couple of days, I simply posted a short adventure to the fort intended to be a "visit" of sorts.
Know what you gotta do as an adventuring goal?

Kill everyone that survived the fall of steelhold. Think of it like a bounty hunter taking down the escaped prisoners
I suppose that we can do that once the fortress falls for real. This was supposed to be a sort of interlude between the old thread and this one, thus slaying all of the prisoners and having them reappear in the next turn would not make much sense.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 13, 2013, 12:37:19 am
Just out of curiosity, why do you want me to do my turn on the old thread?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 13, 2013, 12:43:39 am
Just out of curiosity, why do you want me to do my turn on the old thread?
Poor wording on my part. When I said "this thread" meant this thread.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Sarrak on December 13, 2013, 02:23:41 am
Heh. So, Steelhold lives once again. And it's great. Just remember that not even single leader of this bizarre place has survived for a long time. You better not to try and lead former inmates if you want to live a long and healthy life.  ::)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 13, 2013, 12:45:31 pm
I'm fairly sure the only way to survive being an overseer after your turn is to sleep with the next overseer. 100% of Overseers who've survived a full year after taking their turn have done so.

---

This is the Journal of Emdief, located in the Museum of Crime and Punishment. The writing is crisp and neat. There are, remarkable for a dwarf text, no spilled alcohol or blood on the paper. Sections of the journal are speculated to be calculated lies.

Undated

My clients made their first request today. The mechanisms I'm to provide might just be the smallest ever furnished. Demands for beautification of the product implies that at least one of the clients is a noble. Access to large funds for the purchasing of rare resources implies that either the group has access to the treasury or foreign backers.
Will tread with caution. Told them they'd have to find their own mountain gnome - I'm a mechanic, not a zoologist.

Undated

Offered a job by my clients. Their former engineer is implied to be fired, though not explicitly stated as such. Makes sense to me. Why employ a mechanic who can't build the mechanisms their design requires?
Mountain gnome abducted from zoo this week, according to one of the guards. Official sources suspect the Elf Party. It's probably my clients - the Elf Party hasn't been active here for some time.

Undated

The project my clients have undertook is, to say the least, interesting. Nature is a great designer, creating both simple and complex solutions, but has some notable inefficiencies. The need to save energy prevents the usage of many performance-increasing processes. Inefficient levers are used - just look at your arms. Materials that could improve the body's function greatly are discarded due to scarcity.
Uncertain as to the practical application of this project, however. Can't imagine a dwarf  undergoing this surgery and taking these substances of their own violation. It's neither pleasant nor aesthetically pleasing.
Client group disturbed. Apparently, one of their former associates was carted off to some prison out in the provinces. I think I've figured out who specifically amongst the nobility is backing this project - it goes very high up indeed. Must tread carefully.

Undated

Told to alter mechanisms for usage in a dwarven body today. Probably best to go along with it. Must take care to avoid becoming a loose end.
Saw the corpse they were operating on. Looks fresh. Oddly, no report of a dwarf gone missing in the fortress.
Clients are increasingly agitated. Pestering me to make the project more presentable. I doubt that that's possible. Replacing these organs is never not going to involve gore and chronic pain. Nor is it possible for me to completely regulate behavior of the subject with purely mechanical means. Funding appears to be drying up. Not surprised.
Taking the precaution of removing documentation that could indicate criminal behavior on my part.

Undated

Called in to fix broken surgical machinery. Noticed operation was commencing on unconscious dwarf. Assured he was a volunteer, despite never expressing interest in how he wound up on the operating table. Troubling.
Funding has been massively decreased. They've abruptly found new places to conduct their experiments. I have taken the precaution of arming myself. I'll keep providing their mechanisms so long as the money's good.

Undated

The writing is scribbled, as if written very quickly.
Clients appear to be arrested. List of their crimes published. Glad I kept my distance from subject acquisition.
Doubtless guards are aware of my involvement. Mechanisms clearly my handiwork. Confident no evidence of me being involved in the planning of the project or the experimentation will be found. Considering leaving town; don't think the guards will care much that they can't prove I did more than sell them materials.
Backers of the project apparently let off and record of their involvement destroyed. I hope they never find out I know who did it. That kind of blackmail potential could get one killed.

Undated

Informed by captain of the guard that if I don't leave the fortress, I'll suffer an unfortunate accident. Specifically falling down the stairs and into a pile of spears. Not very subtle, our captain.
Only one expedition leaving the fortress within the next month or so. Thankfully, it leaves in a day. Less promising, however, is that it leads to some penal colony in the desert. There's no way out of this "Steelhold" unless you catch a ride on a caravan, and those lead either to foreigners or back to the mountainhome. Possibilty of escape; slim.
Doubtless I cannot take much wealth with me. I can only hope I have a chance to earn it back at Steelhold. No point in living poorly.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 14, 2013, 03:51:41 pm
Are you ready to begin your turn yet, 4maskwolf?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 14, 2013, 03:57:19 pm
Just about.  I'm going to PM Deus Asmoth and Rhaken, see if they are still around.  It should start by tomorrow at the latest.

Edit: checking their profiles, I don't have much hope in Rhaken returning anytime soon, he hasn't been around since Novermber 22.  Deus I have more hope for, it says that he got online on the 6th of December.  If I get any response from either of them, I will be sure to let you all know.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 14, 2013, 04:40:52 pm
Just about.  I'm going to PM Deus Asmoth and Rhaken, see if they are still around.  It should start by tomorrow at the latest.

Edit: checking their profiles, I don't have much hope in Rhaken returning anytime soon, he hasn't been around since Novermber 22.  Deus I have more hope for, it says that he got online on the 6th of December.  If I get any response from either of them, I will be sure to let you all know.
That's unfortunate, though at least you should be able to fulfill your turn.

EDIT: Would you perhaps be able to re-dwarf me as "Corley," Lenehan's eldest son?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 14, 2013, 04:50:07 pm
Okay.  Want to post a backstory for him?  Did he support Lenehan?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 14, 2013, 04:54:21 pm
Okay.  Want to post a backstory for him?  Did he support Lenehan?
Who wouldn't support him? Don't you want to have your culture assimilated by a bunch of cannibalistic, fanatic foreigners? Also have forced plastic surgery to make you look like them?
You'd be a really strange dwarf if you didn't want something like that to happen, right?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 14, 2013, 06:14:59 pm
Okay.  Want to post a backstory for him?  Did he support Lenehan?
As for backstory, he with his mother was sent to Steelhold for simply being a blood relative of Lenehan's. As can be expected from this, he was never too fond of his father, though he never held anything resembling true animosity for him. Lenehan rarely paid much mind too him, as he spent most of his time in Steelhold formulating his nefarious plans for Elven supremacy. Corley began to like his father more when his family joined the nobility, though after his father's villainous attempt at converting the fortress and his untimely death, the people of the fortress were quick to deny Corley and his mother's claims to power. Thus, Corley wanders the fortress mostly alone, hoping to regain the respect of his peers and to have his name be connected to his father's no longer.

As for finding the actual character to dwarf, it would be easiest to find his mother's name through her casket, located right underneath Lenehan's.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 14, 2013, 09:30:25 pm
The inactivity depicted in my account does not directly entail that I haven't been around. I have, and have been checking the old thread nearly every day, waiting patiently, while working on the last few projects of the semester. I only actually stopped checking in a few days ago, due to massive piles of work that needed doing (and to some extent, still do). All of that should be taken care of in the next few days.

Yes I'm still taking my turn.  :D
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 14, 2013, 09:31:47 pm
excellent!  He returns!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 15, 2013, 01:47:33 am
Yes I'm still taking my turn.  :D
Should I give you the second turn of this thread?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 15, 2013, 03:02:34 am
Yes please.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 15, 2013, 03:39:01 pm
I would just like to reiterate that, as this is a new thread, even those who took a turn in the original thread may take a turn here. Let's see if we can get someone for the third position; if no one shows up in time, I will take it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 15, 2013, 03:45:15 pm
Alright, starting later today, just need to update my infernobreak mod.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 15, 2013, 03:56:26 pm
Alright, starting later today, just need to update my infernobreak mod.
Don't forget dwarfing and (preferably) screenshots.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 15, 2013, 05:56:52 pm
Alright, I'm going to have two different kinds of updates for the fortress.  One is going to be the goings-on, the other is going to be narrative.

Narrative initial update:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Edit: 4maskwolf cancels mod: interrupted by Steelhold
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 15, 2013, 08:11:24 pm
Alright, I'm going to have two different kinds of updates for the fortress.  One is going to be the goings-on, the other is going to be narrative.

Narrative initial update:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Edit: 4maskwolf cancels mod: interrupted by Steelhold

(http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120126222225/smuff/images/2/2f/It_begins.jpg)
I look forward to hearing about a cult of demon worshippers arising in Steelhold. Which will then have to be eradicated. And we'll probably never see another overseer survive past their turn again.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 16, 2013, 06:17:39 am
From the diary of Nish Kogantan, Miner:
1 Granite 255
When I was sent to Steelhold for the petty crime of theft, I expected that it would be a fortress teeming with guards, where prisoners were beaten into submission on a regular basis.  Boy was I wrong.  I found that the guard presence was almost nonexistent, that the guards who came with me were ground under the iron heel of the prisoners present.  They are all dead, now, sent out to fight goblin sieges.  I suppose I should be happy: I'm a free dwarf.  But this place makes it hard to be happy in any meaningful way.  And after what Lenehan tried last year... It's not a good situation, however one slices it.
But I digress.  The prisoners have asked me to record what happens in the fort this year, and I have no choice but to oblige.  The miners have begun work on an expanded metalworking area.

A dwarf I didn't even realize was possessed has begun work on a mysterious construction.  Cool, I guess.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 16, 2013, 07:03:12 pm
Diary of Nish Kogantan, Miner:
23 Granite
The artifact was finished: an table.  Great.
And a gremlin was spotted.  Patrols may be needed in the depths to avoid unfortunate occurances.
I have received tell that some of the miners have, without orders, begun mining a vein of adamantine.  This will spell doom for our fortress, but I know not who told them to do this or why they continue doing it.  I am afraid...
One of the planters just went berserk.  Another dwarf thought quickly and locked him in his room.  That is one fewer problems to deal with.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 16, 2013, 07:49:39 pm
You should build a large demon-temple atop the vein, and give Maskdwarf an opulent throne room in the upper point.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 16, 2013, 07:58:54 pm
You should build a large demon-temple atop the vein, and give Maskdwarf an opulent throne room in the upper point.

You should lock him in it when your turn ends and keep the pointless overseer murder tradition alive be careful, nobody wants their dorf to die.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 16, 2013, 08:07:47 pm
Requesting a turn as overseer...




30 diamonds. That's all I need. needed.  I had 29 of them, when the guards seized me and tossed me into the holding cell...10 adamant ore would have worked too, and it would only have been temporary...I could have dissasembled it after I was done, freeing up the gems for other uses...

Tell me, mr guard...why don't you stay and listen to my tale?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

My plan is to create a portal to cancel out the activity of ANOTHER portal,using 10 diamond gem windows, or 10 adamant blocks, or 10 adamant ore; or even a mix; the two substances act just the same as far as my portal shall be concerned. I just need a total of 10...
And a LOT of power.  A LOT of it. 
...
Well, if there's really no diamonds or candy in the game, then I may be able to make do with crystal glass, as long as I also have some sort of red gem and some obsidian.


Oh, and mr. mask and I are immune to eachother's powers. Doesn't mean we can't kill eachother with a cave-in or a zombie army, but direct magical attacks shall mutually fail.  Also: not sure if we should sabatoge eachother, or stay out of eachother's way...I can see either approach making sense.

other:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
alas, though...for though I wield the power of swordthunders...it yet hides the power of checkers form me.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 16, 2013, 08:29:34 pm
Heh.  This is going to be fun.  Should I just dwarf you as anyone, or is there a specific profession you would like to request?  There are so many people in the fort it wouldn't be hard to say that you'd slipped in recently.

Also, there is candy... plenty of it... of course, you'll have to go through me to get it....  BWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

The masked dwarf paced the cramped chamber, seemingly waiting for someone.  Or something.  His hands were clasped behind his back, his mask betraying no emotion.

Shortly, there came the sound of approaching footfalls, and the masked dwarf stopped pacing, back facing the door.

The door opened, and through it came a somewhat short dwarf, most of his features concealed by a cloak he had drawn around him for anonimity.

"So you came," the masked dwarf said, not turning to face the newcomer, "I must admit I thought you would not."

"And why would that be?"

"Most dwarfs cannot find this place.  It is concealed from their sight.  Even the miners who dug it have no recollection of it."
Upon saying this, the masked dwarf turned to face the newcomer, "The fact that you found me here proves that you can resist my powers somehow," he said, a note of grudging respect in his voice, "few dwarfs have the willpower to resist even the least of my powers, but to see through the illusion... you are something unique.  Tell me, what are you here for?  You said you wished to speak with me on an important matter?"

"I did say that.  It has come to my attention that the miners have been mining out an adamantine vein, the ore of which has disappeared from the dig sight."

"You wish me to stop?"

"I would ask for some of the ore."

The masked dwarf straightened, his masked face turning to look straight into the eyes of the newcomer, "And you wish to use it for?"

Beneath the cloak, the newcomer smiled. "I can promise that it will be returned when I am done with it."

"But you understand, the gift of the gods cannot be given for just any task.  I, as the greatest servant of the lords, have a duty to ensure that the adamantine is used for a worthy effort."

"I understand your concern, but it is hardly necessary."

The masked dwarf paused, as if pondering the matter.

"I will consider what you have said.  You will know of my decision soon."

The other dwarf bowed and turned to leave.  This was not the answer he wanted, but the adamantine would be his, one way or another.


If you don't think I characterized your dwarf appropriately, I can modify/delete the scene.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 16, 2013, 09:10:36 pm
I have begun to wonder recently: what exactly does Maskdwarf's mask look like? I have personally imagined it to look like Satan's mask (http://www.desenhoonline.com/site/wp-content/uploads/satan.jpg) in "The Adventures of Mark Twain," albeit with an actual head. What exactly did you picture, 4maskwolf?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 16, 2013, 09:23:30 pm
I pictured a golden mask, covering his entire face, with a hood drawn up over his head so none of his features were visible.  Not like the mask you posted, more form-fitting and less exaggerated, with glowing eyes the only thing that can be seen through them.

That was my image, at least.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 16, 2013, 09:32:50 pm
I pictured a golden mask, covering his entire face, with a hood drawn up over his head so none of his features were visible.  Not like the mask you posted, more form-fitting and less exaggerated, with glowing eyes the only thing that can be seen through them.

That was my image, at least.
So, more like this?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 16, 2013, 09:45:24 pm
Closer yeah. I forgot to mention that the mouth of the mask is a horizontal slash , but pretty close.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 16, 2013, 10:23:23 pm
Closer yeah. I forgot to mention that the mouth of the mask is a horizontal slash , but pretty close.

Unknown Date

Journey through the desert has be arduous. Tales of Steelhold circulate throughout the caravan. None end well.
Hear word of Elf-sympathizers, socialists (why is it the ones who believe society can be planned are never competent enough to do it?), religious fanatics, madmen and petty thugs.
A few notable exiles here, though. Could be of some use to this Asmoth or Lenehan. Provided they fit my objectives to amass enough wealth to live comfortably or regain social mobility.
Worrying signs have emerged though. Thaumometer is going mad as we approach the fortress. Sometimes I wish I'd never built the thing - insisting it worked is what got me expelled from the Royal Engineering Academy. Fools. It's applications are obvious. Still, there is more background thaumaturgical energies here than there should be this far above the underworld. Either massive quantities of adamantine ore are present, or something far worse than I could have imagined is afoot in Steelhold. Must be cautious to remain uninvolved. Those with the will to grasp "magic" are rarely able to do so safely.

Noted wheels acquired much friction while being dragged through the sand. Considered alternatives. Magnetite road could eliminate problems with friction and the ground, but would be prohibitive in cost and could only support limited loads. Similar issues with efficiency and cost exist with plan to cool desert to tolerable temperatures with flooding - digging a channel to the ocean would leave most of this place an inland sea, but locals would object and paying for the project is not feasible.

---

OOC: Tell us when the Great Dorfeningtm occurs. I'd like to get into this fort and mess with things a little bit...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 16, 2013, 11:45:08 pm
edited post:
any random dwarf will do. title=the lonely slider.
(and the thing about wood or stone pickaxes from moods still applies, but yeah, I don't think i've seen one like that either.)
I'm rethinking whether you came close enough. it's close enough, except my character has a bit of trouble understanding the concept of stealth. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 16, 2013, 11:49:06 pm
As far as I know, that's not actually possible to happen, but I'm often mistaken.  I'll check.

Edit: I gave you a legendary bonecrafter, artifact creator.  Just a bin, but I'm sure it has other meaning in the story...

Edit 2: Did I portray him as stealthy in my post? I can change that, but I'm fairly sure I had him walk straight up to my dwarf's quarters.

Edit 3: If you want, I can just scrap it. It wasn't that important at the moment, I was more trying to give you a place to start from.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 17, 2013, 12:38:06 am
The cloak concealing his identity is what struck me as odd: my character is just so used to picking up with whatever dwarf he's possessed, so concealing his appearance is not something he's used to; he's used to jumping dwarves in a pinch; the inability to do so EXCEPT during dimensional shifts is recent.

The rest is fine.


...
uncertain date: very likely, the following occurs at multiple points in time at once.


As was my custom, I opened Zas Ebal to see how much change had happened in swordthunders.
The goblins in the seige had moved all of two meters since the last time I'd checked.
but before I could close Zas Ebal, it burped, and something fell out...
'Great, the guard gave Zas Ebal indigestion.' I thought, as A whole bunch of skeletons from the outside of swordthunders landed in a pile. 

'Really? a bunch of skeletons? Couldn't you at least give me something usefull, like a bin?'
...wait, a bin? now that I looked a second time, the skeletons were lying together in a way that kinda looked like a bin...wouldn't take much to weave them together...maybe a couple more bones from the fortres...
and plus, If anyone touched it and felt a shiver run through them, I could pass it off as just one of those artifacty things...

I snorted.  yeah, artifacty things.  which would technically be the truth, as Zas Ebal WAS an artifact...just, y'know, an entire FORT woven into one artifact...

As long as nobody invented a
thaumometer, I was pretty sure no dwarf would really be able to tell the difference between my bin and any other artifact...
"Achoo!"
"May Armok cleanse your sinuses...Mr...Midfi, i believe?"
"Oh. d'anks. but actually my name is---ACHOO!"
"...may Armok cleanse your sinuses with magma...whatever your name is."
"Thanks."

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 12:45:14 am
Okay, I'll change that when I'm not so tired. It's good to see other people getting into character for this.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 17, 2013, 12:54:35 am
I think we really need to build this one his portal; the dwarf is absolutely insane. On another note, I will begin to update the front page now. 4maskwolf, if there is any dwarf that has not yet been dwarfed, please inform me.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 01:02:32 am
Only your dwarf and Mr. Insane are dwarfed, the others are going to be in the next migrant wave. My FPS sucks with 200 dwarfs.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 17, 2013, 01:16:14 am
Corley paced nervously about the room. It no longer qualified as an office, for there was no one to sit at the desk and study, and the current manager would not set foot in it. Indeed, although his father once used it as his office, but now it was just a room, a room that was but a painful reminder of the events of the recent past.

Corley removed a cigarette from his father's old case, one of the few metal items he owned in his life. He would roll them himself out of whatever plants he could get his hands on, be them valley herbs or ground plump helmets. The case, its contents, and the old cigarette holder were the only objects Corley directly inherited from his father; his forlorn mother obtained what wealth was not expended by the glass machine. Corley drew the smoke through the holder and into his mouth, pondering the state of the fortress. There seemed to be a force emanating from deep beneath the earth, for Steelhold seemed damned as soon as Sarrak the Mad breached the rock leading to the magma sea. There were demon prophets around, according to his father during his last days, and they were living on unholy ground. Corley was not sure what to think of these ramblings, but he was sure of one thing, and that was that something odd was occurring within the halls, and he intended to find out what it was.

Expelling the smoke out his nose, his eyes wandered to the scribbled note lodged into the metal case.

"Know thine enemy!"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 17, 2013, 01:17:13 am
:cackles:
you have no idea.

The ORIGINAL backstory involved the ender-dragon and the tekkit mod. 
as for sword-thunders?
have Some Samples of the insanity of Sword-thunders:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
TAKE THAT, CRICKETS!
...found it.
The curse. Speaking of the curse will eventually get you murdered by Slenderman the next time you go outside.
Or a wereslenderman. Whatever. The only way to break this curse is to read the Zas Ebal.

This is what is had so far.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The book must be continued.

oh, and I corrected the title of the book in my previous posts: it's Zas Ebal not spindlybrooks.


Last thing from me for the day...

I walked into the office; if the masked one refused to lend me the adamant I needed, then perhaps...perhaps I could still compute its location by the...tertiary distortions in the records; places where something was emphasized infinitesimally more than it should have been, or in a shakier hand...things like that. little things. tiny little things...
Just figuring out WHO was behind the missing adamant from the records, however, had resulted in a rather large headache...
but the alternative, hunting for it with a pickaxe, would take too long, and simply wandering the hallways was likely to result in me stepping into vampire blood...or elf transformation serum...or...
My thoughts were drawn out of those musings as I noticed someone else was already in the office; surprising, as I'd thought for sure it was empty. 
perhaps the ambient demonic energy was interfering with my magical senses...perhaps I'd test that later...

"Oh. Hi, mind if I poke my nose into the records?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 17, 2013, 10:00:03 am
I think we really need to build this one his portal; the dwarf is absolutely insane. On another note, I will begin to update the front page now. 4maskwolf, if there is any dwarf that has not yet been dwarfed, please inform me.

Well we certainly should. Not only because YAY ARCHITECTURE, but because unless we write this off as he's just plane nuts, there's a hole in the fabric of reality somewhere. And since when has anything nice ever crawled out of a hole in reality....
Also 4maskwolf, feel free to dorf me as anyone in the migrant wave or any engineer currently located in the fort. I can make it work. ;D

---

Undated

Testing with the Thaumometer concludes that the concentration of thaumaturgical energy is either located at Steelhold or directly between the caravan and the fortress. More certain testing would require extensive travel, which isn't possible in this desert. If I had a choice, I'd give this place a wide berth, but thaumaturgy gone mad is still better than dying slowly of thirst.
Slightly.
It takes an educated man to appreciate the lack of magic in our society, even if most of those denounce the idea of its existence. Causes great discomfort. Thaumaturgical explanations for the creation of werebeasts and necromancers tend to upset the religious, and nobody wants to believe the underworld is real if it gets in the way of adamantine mining.
Proceding with extreme cautions.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 10:24:27 am
Just to accelerate the timetable, I'm dwarf all of the requests as current dwarfs and hand-wave it off as a mgrant wave. After all, it's a penal colony, there isn't a schedule for arrivals
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 17, 2013, 01:27:04 pm
Just to accelerate the timetable, I'm dwarf all of the requests as current dwarfs and hand-wave it off as a mgrant wave. After all, it's a penal colony, there isn't a schedule for arrivals

It begins.

---

Have arrived in fortress. Wondered about accomodations - I'm theoretically here voluntarily. Thankfully I won't have to find myself an empty cell - I can take a room abandoned by the guards.
Well, perhaps not thankfully. Many of the guards are dead. Most of those who remain have shifted their allegiance to the locals. Makes sense, they're as much prisoners of this place as the criminals. The desert is a more efficient guard than a dwarf ever could be.
It seems that the baron was recently killed. It was declared suicide be animal. Cause is irrelevant; fortress is currently in a state of functional anarchy. It has no nominal leader, and the dwarfs seek to fulfill their own objectives.
Order is kept, it seems, by the balance of power between a few gangs. These gangs prevent criminal activity that would be detrimental to the fortress, although it would be foolish to think this is out of altruism. Currently, the most powerful faction in Steelhold appears to be a cult of demon-worshippers lead by some masked prophet. Troubling.
My continued survival would best be served by avoiding gang conflict. One dwarf, Asmoth, seems to be particularly respected here. I must seek to ingratiate myself with her; such an association would allow me to eschew factional politics and sell my services to the highest bidder.
Except the highest bidder must bid some assurance of my continued survival. There's something twisted in one of the furniture stockpiles - I haven't dared investigate, but the Thaumometer doesn't lie. And the Masked Dwarf is mining adamantine at a steady rate - given his/hers/its? stated objectives, we might soon come face to face with the masters of our local prophet. I have no intention of doing so. I prefer my higher powers uninvolved in mortal affairs.

So, I must speak with the masked dwarf. If I can get them to agree to allow me to design a complex in which we will "welcome" their masters to the caverns, I can implement certain defenses. No matter how many I can kill or contain, however, the masked dwarf will have to be removed from power if they continue to seek to unleash the hordes. Hopefully none of this will be necessary, and the masked dwarf won't unleash hell.
In the worst case scenario, however, I need to find another leader who can seize control of the fortress from the cultists and offer them what support I can. I hear stories of a dwarf called Rhaken who led the dwarfs in the caverns during Lenehan's "illness" as they call it here.

And as always, none of these plans can be allowed to become common knowledge. My plans might be uncovered through thaumaturgical means, but there is no avoiding that. I must play politics to the point where my murder would be too great of an inconvenience.
I need a workshop, access to the stockpiles and blackmail material. I must survive, regardless of the cost. They didn't send me here for my moral restraint.

And I wanted to avoid playing politics. I'll need some guarantee of my personal safety here, with so little law and order. I will construct a weapon immediately. And I must collect samples of this alchemical agent lying around here. Something that can alter the structure of a creature will be useful. And applying it will be easy if you don't expect the subject to survive...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 17, 2013, 03:05:40 pm
My thoughts were drawn out of those musings as I noticed someone else was already in the office; surprising, as I'd thought for sure it was empty. 
perhaps the ambient demonic energy was interfering with my magical senses...perhaps I'd test that later...

"Oh. Hi, mind if I poke my nose into the records?"

I am going to assume that you mean Corley.

Corley's eyes rose from his cigarette-case, which he deposited in his pocket, and examined the intruder. Every aspect of him indicated that he was a madman; his beard was dirty and unshaven, his body hunched forward, and his bloodshot eyes darted here and there. Corley thought the dwarf's question over in his head, and responded cautiously.

"I'm sorry sir, but you have been mislead," he said, "My father was not the bookkeeper, but rather the manager. Whatever remains on the chiffonier is probably but the remains of an order for socks."

The intruder seemed surprised.

"But -- but the adamant!" he cried.

"Adamant? What could you mean by --?" Corley began, but the intruder had already absconded.

Corley deposited his tuber root cigarette in the ashtray. If someone was mining adamantine in Steelhold, he felt that such a thing should be stopped. Placing his holder into his coat pocket, he quickly left the office as well.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 17, 2013, 05:06:38 pm
-yep.



Well, that was a bust.

I could speak with the masked leader of a demon-WORHSIPING cult without jumping around in fear, but try and talk with some normal dwarf who's idea of combat was probably to yell and scream and run away in the wrong direction, and I'M the one who turns tail and runs after a mere two sentences. 

Oh, sure, ALL I had to do was stay calm, say "ah, but perhaps there was a genuine misplacement of paperwork into the manager's office instead of the bookkeeper's office", but NO, I blurt out "but, the adamant" and run. 


Perhaps...perhaps all I needed was to have my little room engraved...no. That would have to wait. First...I needed to check on my bin, and figure out *exactly* what it does with my vast array of eldritch knowledge.  It wouldn't do to have it suddenly start walking around right when half the fortress is working on my windmill array at three or more zurists above the ground...


Was that...music?
I peeked around the corner-and facepalmed.
"Really? 'Fossils'? You guys are playing 'fossils' on eachother's rib-cages?"
The skeletons that made up the bin...were currently NOT in bin form.  they continued playing, merely nodding their heads in acknowledgement of my prescence.   
*sigh*"just...if any dwarves other than me or the masked guy approach, you guys turn back into a simple bone bin, alright?
just...don't freak out the locals, ok?
They nodded, a LEEEEEtle bit too quickly for my liking. 
*Sigh* "Do I need to send you back into Das Ebal, or are you going to behave yourselves?"
The skeletons stopped playing, exactly one note away from finishing the song, staring at me in mock horror. (well, mostly mock horror.)

My response? I promptly picked up two bones from the floor, and plonked the deer and tiger in the ribs, finishing the song.

I walked away, my mood very much improved. Time to plan the layout of the windmill farms, and see if I can get some red-cap wood reserved to more efficiently convert mechanical power into red-power. 

Thoughts and preferences:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)



P.S. order up max wood from the dwarven caravans, please. Windmills need three wood EACH, and then there's the axles to connect them together...

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 07:11:23 pm
The masked dwarf walked the corridors of Steelhold, unseen and unheard.  His steps took him far from his usual haunts, up into the bedchambers of the old guards.  There was a new dwarf in the fortress, one which even he could not fathom.  By all appearences, he was just another mechanic sent here for some petty crime, but there was something more to him, something... problematic.  He would have slipped the Masked Dwarf's notice had he not been seen with a bizarre device, the likes of which had not been seen for more than a century.  Even the Masked Dwarf, for all his knowledge, could not recall what the device did.  Communing with the gods, however, had informed him that the device was bad news.

In his room, Emdief twisted the dials on the Thaumometer, attempting to pinpoint the greatest locations of thaumaturgical energy.  He was close, but there was something... some disturbance that was preventing him from getting an accurate reading.  He sighed, placing the thaumometer on his table and stood, turning around.

The masked dwarf approached the open door of the new mechanic's chambers, walking more carefully now that he was closer.  A dwarf had already seen through his wards, and there was no guarantee that this one would not have a similar ability.  As he stepped into the room, he got a good look at the device.
It was a monstrosity of mechanisms and glass, spiraling out from a central hub, a red spinel.  Behind the mask, the masked dwarf frowned.  Seeing the device in person triggered a residual memory from his time of studies, before he discovered the truth of the true gods.  This device...
Realization hit him like a thunderbolt, and he turned to flee.  At that moment, the device went nuts.

The door to the bedroom opened, and out came the mechanic.  He held a crossbow in one hand, looking around wildly for what set the device off.  The masked dwarf froze in place, hoping that his lack of movement would lull the Thaumometer into a state of inactivity.

Emdief frowned.  There was nobody in sight, but something had set the thaumometer off, something close by.  He had set it to a higher sensitivity threshold to prevent it from going off at the massive thaumaturgical energies surrounding the fortress.  But what had set it off now.  He walked to the device and began to search.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw shadows curl up around a region in space, then dissipate.  The thaumometer flared up further, then went silent.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 17, 2013, 07:19:08 pm
What are you planning Maskdwarf!

Anyway, could you, perchance, post some screenshots of new developments in the fort?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 07:49:41 pm
Certainly.  I haven't been able to play in a little while, so I'm contenting myself with narratives for right now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 17, 2013, 08:29:25 pm
What are you planning Maskdwarf!

Anyway, could you, perchance, post some screenshots of new developments in the fort?

My death hell breach assembling a harem Just doing his civic duty to keep the fort running, yep, that's our Maskdwarf.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 08:31:12 pm
What are you planning Maskdwarf!

Anyway, could you, perchance, post some screenshots of new developments in the fort?

My death hell breach assembling a harem Just doing his civic duty to keep the fort running, yep, that's our Maskdwarf.

+1 for going on the quotes list.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 17, 2013, 08:44:40 pm
What are you planning Maskdwarf!

Anyway, could you, perchance, post some screenshots of new developments in the fort?

My death hell breach assembling a harem Just doing his civic duty to keep the fort running, yep, that's our Maskdwarf.

+1 for going on the quotes list.
Granted!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 17, 2013, 09:29:59 pm
Something is wrong in Steelhold.

You'd think that the place would turn to wanton chaos and self-destruction after Lenehan's death. Left without a leader or supervision, the two-hundred-plus residents of Steelhold would band together into various factions, sometimes almost at random, and individually vie for power. I could have used the opportunity to seize control for myself, since I already have my own gaggle of fifty-two misfits, outcasts and dangerous psychos.

But no. Somehow, a form of order has established itself in what should have been a clusterfuck. The farms are tended to. The stills are running. The miners are down in the depths, expanding the ore tunnels. This kind of thing doesn't happen by accident. Somebody is giving orders. But who, if not me?

I have to examine the major players. There's myself, but I haven't ordered shit. My boys are just doing their jobs, same as always, until I call them up. Then there's the doctor, but this isn't her style. She'd be happy with just a closet full of dangerous substances and a bunch of hapless test subjects. Most of the other bigshots are dead or just not that big. That leaves one option.

The masked dwarf.

They say he was responsible for raising Modi from the dead at the height of the Elf Party Crisis. I was down in the caverns, so I couldn't see this myself, but some of the witnesses have joined my ranks since then. By all accounts, it wasn't pretty. Yet for the most part, nobody can see hide nor hair of the masked one. Superstitions ones say that he can embrace the shadows and move amongst them. I'm honestly unsure of what to think. Guess I'll have to keep my eyes on him. All 106 of 'em.




The masked one thinks himself clever. He thinks he can create a cult around here and call it "secret". This is (supposed to be) a prison. Secrets travel faster here than elsewhere. Three among his congregation are my own. Also, my wife. Never would have guessed. Typically, when she calls for the gods, we're trying for Mouth to Feed #5. Couldn't get the particulars of the meeting out of them though. Fortunately, I know where they meet, and I can find out when.

I am also aware of the adamantine digs. You can't run an outfit like mine without a miner or two. Knowing the masked one, he's not planning to use that to arm our nonexistant military.

Time to act. When their next meeting comes around, I'll be there. I'll act interested, and stay behind after the meeting for a peaceful chat. The masked dwarf clearly has some influence in here. I'd like to know how. It may just be that our interests are compatible.

I've also noticed a distinct absence of engineers among my lads. This must be remedied at once. I've heard a relatively recent arrival, Emdief. I'll send two of my more subtle lads to talk to him, maybe bring him to me for recruitment. He is new here, so his mind may be relatively malleable with regards to how shit works in this place.



I believe I shall take this opportunity to thicken the plot, as it were. Hoho!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 17, 2013, 11:15:24 pm
Okay, sorry about the lack of content updates, Steelhold causes my FPS to take a fiery nosedive and modding has been distracting me.  I'll try to post some more actual content updates later.  And then go back to Machiavellian schemes.

Edit: That and the fact that the copy of DF I have that doesn't have DF hack is also my modding copy makes it difficult to play steelhold while generating large 500 year history worlds.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 18, 2013, 02:40:44 am
pardon the poor italization and excess of spelling mistakes.  This one took on a life of its own, and now I'm tired.



Some people breathe complicated plots.
Others...
Others are a sentient spanner in the works. 



I pondered my plans for a power-generator. 
The biggest question wasn't whether I had enough wood; if I could simply lay the framework, then putting up 50 windmills would be trivial.  just 3 or so windmills of power would be enough to slow my slide by yet another year...maybe two...I'd need at least 50 to halt it forever, though. 

No, the biggest question was: would this windmill array even stand?
It was a rather important question: the materials of this world tended to obey gravity, like sand, except in their own way, and I sometimes had trouble with the distinction between "hanging" and "supported"...


Best to have an engineer look over it. now, who did I know...
ahah! that mid-eef (emdief) guy with the allergies was a mechanic!


I grabbed up my drawings, and skipped towards his room, humming fossils. 

I waved to Mr Mask guy ("Hi Masky!") as he zoomed through the fortress (Quasi-planar skimming tied to the prescence of shadows? What a neat trick! Much less destructive than my rip-a-wormhole-in-spacetime-and-jump-through method) but I guess he was in too much of a hurry to answer.   Or maybe he couldn't hear me when he was doing that...no matter.

I knocked on the open door. "hello, anyone ho-"

I ducked, as an arrow [bolt] sped past me...taking my drawings with it, pinning them to the wall.

"WHOA! Mideef, buddy! I just wantedtoshowyousomedrawings and...and..."
I took a deep breath.

"Oh.  just the 'armok clear your sinuses with magma' crazy guy. "
"eheh, yeah."  I took another breath. "so.  mind looking over my project design?"
"...what's in it for me?"
"...would a couple of masterwork bone crafts be enough for a consultation fee?"
Emdief considered the offer.
"For a consultation...I suppose so. slip the plans under my door and I'll get back to you when you have the crafts ready.."
pause.
"Mr mideef, you pinned my plans to the wall. I feel rather disinclined to retreive them."
another pause.
"My name is Emdief, not mideef. "
"Oh.  my mistkae. "
Yet another pause for thought.
I cautiously peeked around the corner...
and fell in love.
"wow...so shiny...what is it?"

"It's a thaumometer."-a strange mix of bitterness and smugness was in his voice.
I cringed.  Ah crap, my xylophonic bin would be found out, wait notifikillandhidethebodyinDasEbaland...and...


I shoved the thought away with another thought: if it were a genuine, working thaumometer, I could use it...and align my portal to the relevant trans-dimensional currents with an unpredicted degree of precision...and I could recalibrate it to compensate for the bin, improving its functionality while simultaneously keeping it from noticing anything suspicious....
the important part was, I could do more than STOP my slide and *maybe* controll it-I'd be able to controll my jumps and reverse the damage to my mind. 

I'd do...almost anything for that.
"If you let me use your thaumometer...I'll see to it you get yourself a royal bedroom.  Do you prefer to hog an entire quarry, or do you prefer to cosy up in an engraved adamant cubby hole?"
"...I prefer mid-sized on top of magnetite veins, actually...I distrust adamant."
"Magnetite it is, then. Assuming this fort has magnetite, of course. Excellent. So, how do I use this thing?"

"...not so fast, Crazy.  Your offer is great and all, but how do I know you can actually...provide me with such a room?"

I looked at him.
"worst case scenario, in...three years, if I haven't gotten you your royal bedroom, I'll take up engraving, smooth over the quarries for two years, then I'll smooth and engrave your magnetite bedroom for you.  deal?"

"...It's just I don't want just anyone touching my thaumometer...I need it."
"What for?"
"To locate the source of all the magic in the fort"-emdief clapped a hand over his mouth, too late.
"...Oh! cool! I bet you're running into difficulty finding it, well that'd be because there'sthere's at least three major sources of power in this fort...make that four, I forgot about the fact my bone bin kinda took on a life of its own..."

Emdief pointed his crossbow at me. "GET OUT! NOW!"
I ran.

----
After the stranger left, and his heart stopped trying to escape from his chest, Emdief pondered this new development.  On the one hand, it was obvious the 'crazy' dwarf was responsible for the horror in the stockpiles...no telling what ELSE he could do...

On the other hand, the crazy dwarf had dropped a very important bit of information...and furthermore, had offered to give him a room fit for a king...and with any luck, the crazy dwarf was NOT the masked man...

What the crazy dwarf had offered...was almost too good to be true: use of the Thaumometer in exchange for a life of luxury, AND valuable information...
Emdief wanted a solid night's sleep to think about it.

---

Would he GET one?
Well, that's between him, Rhaken, and Rhaken's "subtler" minions.

edit:
Oh. Yeah.  Basically, this is the first "recruitment effort" by my character.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 18, 2013, 09:45:07 am
Okay, sorry about the lack of content updates, Steelhold causes my FPS to take a fiery nosedive and modding has been distracting me.  I'll try to post some more actual content updates later.  And then go back to Machiavellian schemes.

Edit: That and the fact that the copy of DF I have that doesn't have DF hack is also my modding copy makes it difficult to play steelhold while generating large 500 year history worlds.

Just download an additional copy of DF and play on that. That's what I do. Anyway, I'd use DFhack with your modding copy unless you can't force yourself to play without it, it's just too useful for testing purposes. Forcing sieges, removing bad thoughts so you don't tantrum spiral while you try to build industries with custom reactions... although I actually can't use my mod without DFhack since I use the plugins for bugfixes.  ::)
Also remember that downtime is your friend. I typically gen my longer history worlds by setting my computer to stay on while I'm AFK. I go do important things, come back and the game has gone to the year 1050. Unless it crashes, which Freehold seems to do 98% of the time now.

... wait, this isn't the modding forum.  :o Back to scheming, gentledwarfs.

EDIT: Gnorm, have you considered marking the dwarfs who've died in the OP somehow? The dead must be memorialized or they'll rise as ghosts to haunt us. I'm pretty certain.

EDIT2: I'd rather die than work with magic, Urist!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 18, 2013, 08:46:26 pm
EDIT: Gnorm, have you considered marking the dwarfs who've died in the OP somehow? The dead must be memorialized or they'll rise as ghosts to haunt us. I'm pretty certain.
I'll update the OP when 4maskwolf finishes his turn and uploads the save.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 19, 2013, 01:33:49 am
HEY-O STEELHOLD PEOPLE!
Update train is back on the rails.

Diary of Nish Kogantan, miner
4 Slate
A group of migrants has arrived!  None of them were particularly unusual, though at this point I'm not sure what would constitute "unusual" in a place like this.

18 Slate
I grow more afraid by the day.  The other miners have gone off in search of more adamantine, as the original dig is entirely... gone.  All of it dissapeared over night.  It must be the masked dwarf's fault.


The writing appears to end here, as if something happened to the keeper of the journal.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 19, 2013, 08:37:18 am
HEY-O STEELHOLD PEOPLE!
Update train is back on the rails.

Diary of Nish Kogantan, miner
4 Slate
A group of migrants has arrived!  None of them were particularly unusual, though at this point I'm not sure what would constitute "unusual" in a place like this.

18 Slate
I grow more afraid by the day.  The other miners have gone off in search of more adamantine, as the original dig is entirely... gone.  All of it dissapeared over night.  It must be the masked dwarf's fault.


The writing appears to end here, as if something happened to the keeper of the journal.

"Disappearing adamantine? Rumors spread fast within the fortress, as evidenced by my visitors so quickly after I arrived. Masked dwarf is foolish, thinking he can keep secrets. Unless it was crushed and ground away by falling bridges, adamantine can't just disappear. I'll ask Rhaken to send one of his goons to check the cloth stockpiles of adamantine threads. Maybe it was processed in a single night, unlikely as that is.
Still, the masked one's objectives remain unclear. Approached by other, who inquired after use of Thaumometer. Refused upon ascertaining their responsibility for one of the thaum emission sources in this fort. Must keep it close. Need to know if they try anything."

Emdief paused in his journal writing and looked up. The thaumometer was acting up again. He quickly slipped the journal into his coffer and drew out a small crossbow. Pulling back the string, he slipped in a single, oddly barbed arrow.
"I know you're trying to pull something. I've presented no threat to you. If you do not cease threatening me, I will have to take drastic action."
A small chuckle was heard from the corner. As Emdief shifted his aim, the thaumometer flared and went silent.
So, he though. They're spying on me. I've seen those reading's before. But why me? What danger do I pose to them, beyond being able to pinpoint their magic's location?
Disturbed, Emdief stepped out into the hallway. He had to find Asmoth. She had supplies he'd need to appropriate.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 19, 2013, 04:48:41 pm
I'd gotten the impression your dwarf was more...morbidly curious about magic rather than 'unknowingly hypocritical' (*cough Thaumometer uses a tiny bit of magic cough*)


Oh, and was that my dwarf, or maskdwarf, you were talking to at the very end? It looks like an amalgamation of the two of us...

To clarify: My dwarf wants you very much alive. He's not yet sure if your thaumometer works because it was designed correctly, or because you're a mech'omancer.  He ALSO wants you (in-character only) to look over his windmill plans to make sure they don't collapse as soon as half the fort is working on them.   (fully ooc: I'll be testing the basic design in my own fort before deploying in Steelhold. the 'haning' trait for windmills does, in fact, have me a bit nervous.)
-oh, sure, he's worried you can spill the beans about the bin, but he wants you to see him as a goose-that-lays-hematite eggs so that you DON'T spill the beans. He doesn't want you to panic, even if he caused you to panic with his terrible timing.


And if it's Mask dwarf...
I think we need to wait for him to drop more clues as to WHAT he sees in your Thaumometer.  Maybe a bomb that will go off if it gets hit by crossbow bolt, taking his precious 'gods' with it? (explains why he doesn't have a minion shoot it with a bolt), or maybe a Magic Annihilator?
:shrugs:

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 19, 2013, 04:52:15 pm
And if it's Mask dwarf...
I think we need to wait for him to drop more clues as to WHAT he sees in your Thaumometer.  Maybe a bomb that will go off if it gets hit by crossbow bolt, taking his precious 'gods' with it? (explains why he doesn't have a minion shoot it with a bolt), or maybe a Magic Annihilator?
:shrugs:


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 19, 2013, 04:56:07 pm
YES! Keep the updates coming, and let our lore grow!

Also, it has come to my attention that our fort has absolutely no patriotic anthem to its name. One thousand adamant to the man or woman who successfully composes one!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 19, 2013, 08:02:37 pm
Okay, just fyi, the Steelhold that I'm going to post on DFFD is NOT the final save.  I'm just switching computers.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 19, 2013, 09:05:59 pm
Unless there are any surprises you intend to keep hidden, I think I'll download the save so that I can update the original post to include a list of the dead.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 19, 2013, 09:18:49 pm
Fine by me. Though if you could avoid checking down by the forges, that would add a surprise.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on December 20, 2013, 02:14:46 pm
Put me down for a turn as overseer please. I must've really not been paying attention to miss the old thread dying :/. If it's ok, could I play from the pov of Asmoth's daughter, possibly renamed Melek? I figure Asmoth's probably gone mad after the whole necromancy issue and realising she helped kill her nephew.

Melek's Log, Page One.

I have started this book in honour of the person my mother once was, before all of this. Not just the events of last year, though they no doubt contributed to her final madness. Before her royal majesty decided to imprison my mother in that deathtrap for years on end, she was a kind person, devoted to her craft. By the time she arrived at Steelhold, that person was gone, replaced by a sadistic lunatic, or perhaps worse, someone who genuinely thought that she was doing good. Then Lenehan's red mist came, and I thought that kind doctor had returned, until she realised what her nephew had become. Now she just sits in her room, sketching circles and muttering about 'The Masked Dwarf', and all I have to remember her by is the golden medallion she gave to me before going to confront Lenehan. In her honour, I shall try to learn her profession, and do my best to keep Steelhold healthy. But perhaps if the queen should ever decide to visit... then perhaps I might be tempted to perform a few of those tests my mother was so fond of...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 20, 2013, 03:11:54 pm
Glad to see that Deus Asmoth has returned; I'll see to it that he gets a turn.

If it's ok, could I play from the pov of Asmoth's daughter, possibly renamed Melek?
I assume you desire the fifteen year-old Kikrost Kolteshkad, and the the five year-old Besmar. What is your preferred custom profession name?
But perhaps if the queen should ever decide to visit... then perhaps I might be tempted to perform a few of those tests my mother was so fond of...
Don't we need a duke for the monarch to visit, or is this no longer so?

EDIT: Through thorough analysis of the genealogies, I have concluded that, should the topic ever arise, Corley and Melek are first cousins once removed.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on December 20, 2013, 04:27:40 pm
I assume you desire the fifteen year-old Kikrost Kolteshkad, and the the five year-old Besmar. What is your preferred custom profession name?
The older would be best, I think. Profession name of Intern until she learns her trade.

Don't we need a duke for the monarch to visit, or is this no longer so?

Entirely possible. I don't think I've gotten a monarch to arrive any time I killed my Baron. I just figured it'd fit the character to dislike the person who imprisoned your mother when you were a child.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 20, 2013, 04:37:39 pm
Alright, Asmoth is back and this is as long as I can stall before being unable to finish my turn, my apologies to anyone who hasn't returned to the thread yet.

I'll post a gameplay update in a little bit, but for now here's a narrative update to tide you over.

"...and so through trickery and deception were the true gods imprisoned, locked away for all eternity.  It is in this prison that they now slumber, waking occasionally to make their presence felt throughout the world."

The masked dwarf looked around the crowd, preparing to deliver the final words of his sermon, when something caught his eye.  Skulking in the corner of the room was Rhaken, who was not a member of his congregation.  The greatest secret of the gods was not something for nonbelievers, so he sighed and said, "It is getting late, brothers and sisters.  I must adjourn for the night, but do not fear.  All will be revealed in time."

Slowly, the congregants filed out of the room, leaving only the masked dwarf and Rhaken.  Rhaken walked out of the shadows towards the masked dwarf.

"Brother Rhaken!  What is it you require?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 20, 2013, 08:35:27 pm
The missive was found in the cell of Dr. Asmoth's daughter, Melek, early in the morning.

Dear Melek,

I write to inform you that it is of the highest moment that you locate and destroy all of the medical records your mother, my grandaunt, kept of me. I believe that I have a way to save this dystopian land in which we reside, but it shall require your utmost cooperation. The papers are likely located within the offices my father commissioned for the medical units, though the doctor's recent behavior may have had them relocated to the tombs.

I do hope that I am not asking to much of my dear cousin (once removed). I apologize whole-heartedly for the damage done to this prison and your mother by my father. I hope to make amends for his actions, but such will be impossible unless the aforesaid records are destroyed. Please write in response.

Sincerely,
Corley
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 20, 2013, 09:12:20 pm
Brother, huh? That's a good one.

"Sure has been a while, hasn't it? Seems the Elf Party Crisis was lifetimes ago," I said, mostly smiles. Not phony ones, either. Potentially omnicidal or not, I had no reason to dislike the guy. Heck, we might all have turned to elves without his mystical know-how.

"I have a proposition for you, my friend. I've noticed what you've been doing. I've no idea why you're doing some of it, but I do like your work. We aren't at risk of starvation or sobriety for now, and for once I had nothing to do with it. And since the doctor went crazy, you and I are basically the only ones who can command any kind of dwarfpower around here."

I paced in front of the masked dwarf, arms behind my back, hands linked, looking for all the world like a military officer. "But our defenses are no better than before. Neither is the situation among the inmates. My folk are doing what they can, and your congregation is mostly doing fine, but there is still unrest." Yeah, kinda what you'd expect from dangerous criminals. "There are occasional fistfights, a seasonal stabbing, and occasional segregation. The booze stocks are at an acceptable level, but a small number among the population are being deprived of alcohol. I'm pretty sure one died of dehydration just recently."

I halted in front of the masked dwarf, turned to look him in the eyes - though all I can see are shadows within those pits.

"I can help fix this. Give me and my boys a few months and access to supplies, and we'll have the place going strong. I know how to keep dwarves in line. More importantly, I know how to keep them working and away from each other's throats. We can provide protection for your congregation as well. I'm not sure if you're aware, but there are rumors going around about your activities. One of the miners spilled the beans in the dining hall, and now it's on everyone's lips. Sooner or later, somebody is going to try and steal the adamantine."

"All I ask in return, my friend, is that you leave me and mine to our own devices. Valuable as it may be, I don't give a rat's ass about the adamantine. It's yours for all I care." More trouble than it's worth. I know the dangers. I'm sure he knows them too. "I have my own sources of profit - which are frozen right now, as keeping ourselves fed is the current priority."

"So. What do you say? Will we cooperate?"

Oh, I'm perfectly willing to cooperate with this masked zealot. But I heard his sermon, and it gave me an inkling of what's going on. If he tries to unleash the horrors below - if those are his 'true gods', as he puts it - then his flock is going to lose its shepherd.

For now, I'll just stay informed. Our factions are not mutually exclusive. Though the few common members won't really tell me anything, I can read them well enough to know when and if the shit will hit the windmill. It should give us time to prepare. Actually setting some men on espionage duty wouldn't end well. I'm sure the masked one would sniff them out in seconds.

Let's see what I can get out of this. For all I know, this could be my chance to seize the place down the line.

Steelhold may yet be mine.




Developments! Also, 4maskwolf, I love the fact that you gave my gang a squad with a barracks hidden in Lenehan's tunnels. :D
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on December 20, 2013, 09:43:56 pm
Melek hunched over the table, scrawling quickly when she thought her family wasn't watching.

Dearest Corley, she scribbled, then paused for a moment to consider her words. She jumped as someone passed her door in the darkness beyond, then leaned over, blurring the ink in haste.

I have found and burned what little was in the notes my mother kept regarding you. They were located in a bloodstained room covered in occult symbols. Another pause, weighing risks. She sighed, deciding to take the gamble.

I think this room has something to do with a masked dwarf my mother sometimes talks about. Any information you could give me about this creature would of course be appreciated. In any case, I assure you that any secrets you wish to entrust me with are safe.

Your cousin,

Melek.


She left the letter hidden in her desk that night. When she went to find it in the morning, it was gone. Stifling a scream, she pushed up her mattress, groping underneath. She sighed in relief after a moment, pulling out a stained envelope. Inside was a thin file marked Corley. She thought for a moment, then placed it back unread. She'd learned enough secrets lately. This one would keep for a while longer.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 20, 2013, 09:51:14 pm
Is this implication supposed to be that Corley took it whilst she slept, or was it whisked away by a more sinister force?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on December 20, 2013, 09:56:03 pm
I would have guessed that Corley did it, but I suppose someone else taking it might make for a more interesting plot.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 20, 2013, 09:59:15 pm
"Brother Rhaken, surely that isn't a fair deal for you," the masked dwarf said, "That you provide protection for all if I stay out of your business.  Surely there is something else I can do for you."

Rhaken frowned, uncertain, "I don't think there is."

The masked dwarf was silent for a moment, then spoke, "ah, brother, do you want me to give you what you do not know how to ask for?  I have seen you and your men: you are the only real force of law in this fortress.  I have no more use for the miner's services, nor for anyone else's.  You have always struck me as a reasonable dwarf, and it would be an honor to pass over day-to-day operations to you.  I will, of course, also keep our agreement to stay out of your business.  And do not worry about the adamantine: It is hidden in a place only one other dwarf can find."


OOC: Well, getting what I needed story wise took significantly less than a year, and I'm running out of time, so with that, I give the turn to Rhaken.  You can have the rest of my turn (most of the year).  My apologies to all, but sign me up for a turn later, for the actual climactic battle against my dwarf.

OOC edit: oh, and Derroth is dwarfed, fyi.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 20, 2013, 10:00:59 pm
I would have guessed that Corley did it, but I suppose someone else taking it might make for a more interesting plot.
That said, considering the contents of the letter, I don't think that anyone would have done more than read it, then return it to the desk. Also, considering the Corley is willing to sneak into Melek's room in the middle of the night and place his letter in there, I think that the former possibility is more likely.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 20, 2013, 10:01:44 pm
I would have guessed that Corley did it, but I suppose someone else taking it might make for a more interesting plot.
That said, considering the contents of the letter, I don't think that anyone would have done more than read it, then return it to the desk. Also, considering the Corley is willing to sneak into Melek's room in the middle of the night and place his letter in there, I think that the former possibility is more likely.
Maskdwarf is hands off on this matter.

Edit: at least for now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 20, 2013, 10:18:37 pm
OOC: Well, getting what I needed story wise took significantly less than a year, and I'm running out of time, so with that, I give the turn to Rhaken.  You can have the rest of my turn (most of the year).  My apologies to all, but sign me up for a turn later, for the actual climactic battle against my dwarf.
This is unfortunate. I'll allow such a thing to happen once, but not again; I don't want to have to void your turn, after all the role-playing that has been done. I think I'll add a new section to the rules for such matters.

Rhaken can now start his turn from the partially completed save by 4maskwolf.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on December 20, 2013, 10:27:06 pm
I would have guessed that Corley did it, but I suppose someone else taking it might make for a more interesting plot.
That said, considering the contents of the letter, I don't think that anyone would have done more than read it, then return it to the desk. Also, considering the Corley is willing to sneak into Melek's room in the middle of the night and place his letter in there, I think that the former possibility is more likely.

Yeah, I'd go with that too. I think Melek would probably be investing in better locks sometime soon though.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 20, 2013, 10:32:12 pm
I would have guessed that Corley did it, but I suppose someone else taking it might make for a more interesting plot.
That said, considering the contents of the letter, I don't think that anyone would have done more than read it, then return it to the desk. Also, considering the Corley is willing to sneak into Melek's room in the middle of the night and place his letter in there, I think that the former possibility is more likely.

Yeah, I'd go with that too. I think Melek would probably be investing in better locks sometime soon though.
Pretty ironic considering she lives in a prison cell.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 21, 2013, 12:45:04 pm
Undated

So. Asmoth has gone mad. One less ally I have in this fort.
Rhaken's gang and I have an arrangement. I sell them mechanisms, they keep me out of trouble. As much as that is possible, in a fort full of criminals and social dissidents.
The balance of power in the fort is secure, for now. Though I might have hoped for a quick and messy end to the demon cult's machinations, the current cordial stalemate is far preferable for keeping my own skin intact.
From Moisturize, one of Asmoth's few associates, I've gleaned some knowledge of what's going on below. It's not pleasant. Hordes of monsters, held back by a thaumaturgy-emitting metal that we're steadily mining away. I of course already new this, but I didn't know that Rhaken and the masked dwarf are actively negotiating over control of the fort. I can only hope he has the sense to prepare for the madness that ensues if the adamantine is dug out.

I swear, someone is watching me. Or multiple someones. Or something. Developing hefty paranoia. Have to stay focused and rational. Thamaturgy is poorly understood, but it surely follows some laws. With enough study, it can be predicted. While I'd rather not experiment with it myself - it's unquestionably dangerous unless you've made a pact with some power that knows what it's doing, which is in itself dangerous - there should be a chance to observe it's affect on the fort. If only Asmoth was still coherent! I'm an engineer, not a scientist. I solve problems. Practical problems. For practical money.

Asmoth's notes may have information I'll need in them. I'll need them stolen, or if that fails purchased - tipping my hand would be unwise. Normally I'd go to Rhaken's boys, but I can't tell what they're telling our local demon prophet.
Moisturizer seems eager to please his friends. Maybe I can use him...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 21, 2013, 02:52:52 pm
Dear Das Ebal...

Hard to believe I'm writing in you as if you were a diary. Incidentally, are you sentient? I can't seem to tell with you.   

The pets you sent me are fine.  They're back in bin form, inside of a wheelbarrow. I brought enough supplies thanks to them.  I'm mining around, taking some of the gem clusters I find, and hiding the entrances to my tunnels with baked stone; hopefully, the SEP (somebody else's problem) field I set up will keep the dwarves from looking too closely for long. 

Yeah.  See, mask dwarf has taken too long to get back to me.  I need that adamant.  Emdieef cut off contact with me, so I can't use his thaumometer to detect the adamant.

Hmph. from what I hear, he's curious about magic, but too afraid to actually expiriment with it. I'd tell him what I know if he let me use his thaumometer...

I may be able to see through maskdwarf's illusions, but I can't seem to sense them unless I'm right next to them.  Magical sensing was never my strong suit. I'm better at flinging spacial rifts around. 

Built a crude thaumometer based on what I'd seen. By crude, I mean CRUDE-I have to replace the central gem about once an hour or so. 
well, back to mining...




Dear Das Ebal...
Going to give another try at getting mask dwarf to tell me where he put the adamant.
Finally recruited a decentish engraver. can't remember his name...or was it a she? No matter. I need to take controll of the fort soon.  Easiest way to do that is with promosises of royal bedrooms.
Hope Rhaken is sensible enough to order up the wood I need.

Hey! I just had an idea! why don't I leave a NORMAL diary out in such a way as to ensure that another dwarf reads it and gossips about it?
....




Dear diary.
We need some power.  I'm thinking 50 windmills ought to be enough.  We need a lot of wood for that, though.

What could we do with such power? Anything. We could set up fans in the tunnels below to ensure a nice cool breeze.  Even our tunnels are pretty warm during the summer, after all.  We could pump and filter water in from the ocean, then pump it back out to prevent flooding, without wasting half the fort on boring pump duty. (And what's more, we won't have problems with the dwarf on top falling asleep and flooding the rest of the pump stack!)  We could avoid ever having to operate a quern again. I HATE quern duty!

point is, there are so many things we could do with power...
We just need wood...like...lots of it...shouldn't be too hard to bribe the traders to bring extra wood with a couple of masterwork bone figurines...
We. need. WOOOOOOOD!




Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 21, 2013, 06:32:50 pm
...I did not see this coming. Good thing I've been poking around 4maskwolf's save.

I will commence playing soon. Hope you fine folks don't mind if I switch to Phoebus for my turn. I will switch back to default ASCII when I upload. Damned thing gives me migraines. If you'd like me to do my turn in ASCII, I can give it a shot.

For now, EVENTS!



Six hours after the passing over of the control of Steelhold...

I don't like it. This was entirely too easy.

The masked dwarf handed me control of the place. Just like that. There is no chance in hell he did it as a show of goodwill. He's plotting something. Here's hoping it has nothing to do with the adamantine. But that's wishful thinking.

Either way, Steelhold is mine. I've had the lads prepare everything. They broke into Lenehan's old cell and dislodged the hidden pannel in the back. This leads to his old office, where reside the levers that control his diabolical contraption. I'm not sure it's been dismantled yet. More importantly, it contains something else. The mouth of Lenehan's tunnels, which envelop and connect the fortress like a massive spider's web. He used it to spread the Elf Plague. I will now use it to spread the news.

I avoid the lever in the center of the room, and make my way to the back. Statues throughout the chamber, all facing inwards, line my path. There are even some statues of Jackal, the old warden. I reach the mouth of the tunnels, long since closed, and await the signal. Minutes tick by. Sigun and Tirist, two of my axedwarves, await at the entrance. I can almost feel the long-gone thrum of the abandoned machinery overhead.

Afer contemplating getting Emdief to take a look at this place for the umpteenth time, the signal arrives. Morul, the most nervous troublemaker I have at my disposal, runs down the stairs. I assigned her to this to keep her out of trouble. I hope she did nothing stupid.


"They're all in place, chief," she says, flustered.

"Good work, Morul. Rest here a while." I turn to the slab blocking the tunnel, grip the edges, and pull. It falls away, hitting the smooth stone floor with a roaring thump, resounding throughout the fortress thanks to the tunnel network.

"Attention, residents of Steelhold!", I bellow into the tunnel mouth. "From this day forward, I'm calling the shots here. Steelhold is now officially under the control of Rhaken's Gang. Remain calm and assemble in Cell Block A within two hours. Do not try to escape. Do not miss assembly. That is all."



The effects of the announcement were in no way unexpected. The numerous tiny gangs of inmates were attempting a revolt, each trying to seize control from me. However, they are predictable. They never once considered joining forces. The several skirmishes throughout the fort consisted of three to five malnourished dwarves armed with shanks against my armored, well-fed cronies and their military hardware.

The results were predictable. At assembly time, there I stood, ringed by my most loyal dwarves, overlooking the crowded room. Several troublemakers were locked in the various cells, bruised but otherwise unharmed. All others not of my faction stood around where they could, stealing nervous glances at me, at my dwarves, at one another.

Tirist reported the headcount to me. Everyone was here. Even the masked dwarf had been counted going in, though I couldn't see him. Time to get this ball rolling.

I raise my hand to quell the whispering around the room.


TO BE CONTINUED
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 21, 2013, 06:52:25 pm
I will commence playing soon. Hope you fine folks don't mind if I switch to Phoebus for my turn. I will switch back to default ASCII when I upload. Damned thing gives me migraines. If you'd like me to do my turn in ASCII, I can give it a shot.
I would prefer that you play in ASCII if you plan to post screenshots, simply because graphics actually give me a headache, though I cannot force you to use it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 21, 2013, 07:00:55 pm
I can reach a compromise. Play in graphics, take screenshots in ASCII. Not exactly a lot of trouble, but it does mean I won't be posting many. Lots of juggling involved.

Uhh, guys?

Kikrost is dead. As in, Kikrost-who-was-supposed-to-be-dorfed-as-Melek is dead. Was already dead in the save. She's a ghostly planter.

What do?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 21, 2013, 11:11:29 pm
Friggin' doublepost for no friggin' reason at 4 in the friggin' morning grumble grumble.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 21, 2013, 11:19:17 pm
Didn't die on my watch.  Only person who died on my watch was a berserk butcher.

Edit: And rather then let the whole plot untangle choose some other dwarf, probably.  Unless Asmoth had another daughter.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 22, 2013, 12:29:40 am
Technically, both of Asmoth's daughters are dead. However, we are running a story, not a fully-accurate Dwarven genealogy. I'd say just dwarf a young female and train her to be a doctor.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 22, 2013, 01:38:23 am
Rhaken's speech began...

"work with me, blah blah blah, and you will be treated well, blah blah blah, any quesions?"
-I just HAD to raise my hand (dropping the diary at the same time)...
"...what?"
...and open my big mouth.
"by 'treated well', I expect royal quality bedrooms and epic flour roasts."
"..."
"You...IDIOT" hissed maskdwarf into my ear.

In an instant of insight, I realized that if I were LUCKY, I'd get laughed at.  Unlucky, and I'd have to open a spatial rift to get out of the resultant SNAFU alive...

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 22, 2013, 01:54:14 am
I'll wait 24 hours for Asmoth to decide what to do there. In the meantime...



"Everyone settle down!" My commanding roar silences all but the most persistent of criminals. I needed their full attention.

"Listen up, you mugs. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but things are getting mighty fucking bad down here. There are fights over food and booze, and many of us have resorted to drinking and washing in the caverns. There are also a couple of ghosts wandering around-" Hell, I could see one from here, having a seizure on the ceiling- "And we are producing nothing of value to boot."

A loud murmur of discontent from my audience. "Here's the deal. It's Hematite right now. That means that the caravan from the mountainhomes will be coming around in a few short months. With the caravan comes the inspector. And if that inspector sees this place as it is now, one of two things will happen. Either he will send the entire might of the mountainhomes down on our heads..." I could see it in their eyes already, the damnfool notion that we could avoid that if we kill the inspector. "Or we'll kill him, and the mountainhomes will send their forces once they realize he's dead, which won't take long.

"Some of you might think we can take them. Well, newsflash, folks. There's two hundred of us, of which some ninety are children. There are two thousand in the Queen's First Army alone. They'd wipe the floor with our asses in a matter of minutes."

More discontented simmering. I call for order again. "However! What if the inspector comes by and sees what he is meant to see - a penal colony, with dangerous dwarves under guard, and doing gruntwork in sweatshops to sell back home? What if he sees exactly what he wants to see?"

I can tell some of them are getting my drift. Really, it's so simple I'm surprised none of my predecessors tried it. Then again, they were all batshit insane.

"Here's what we'll do. We'll get our foodstocks back up. We'll carve out a well. We'll start producing trade goods and utilities to sell. And as long as the caravans are around, we'll behave like a penal colony should - grumbling prisoners and grumbling guards. And they will leave us to our own devices, for the most part."

It seems my audience has a heckler. That crazy bastard who made the bone bin. "That would be too suspicious. If we aren't all living in cells and acting like subdued crooks, they'll figure something is up. We need to keep it subtle. The cells have to stay. As it stands, they are already better than the slums of the mountainhomes. Only difference to a normal room is bars instead of a door." Was that the masked one beside the heckler? I thought I saw that familiar hood at the corner of my eye, but when I looked at it, there was nobody there.

A whole lot of whispering. I let it continue for a short moment, just enough that the idea settles into their brains. Then I call for order again.


"We will fool them. We will grow in power, and in numbers, all right under their self-righteous noses. And years from now, when we are strong enough, we will begin to relocate. We will found our own colonies, or take over the other penal colonies. We will emancipate. And we will be free."

I stop again, giving them time to think. Not a whole lot of it though.

"What say you?"

Stunned silence. Were I less of an amazing actor, I would have grinned.

"What say you?"

Uncertainty. Fearful gazes. Then someone in the middle of the crowd - they have no way of knowing that he's actually one of my own - starts chanting my name.

I suddenly remember an expression from back home, when I hunted yetis. 'From snowballs to avalanches'. That's what was happening in the cell block. Another dwarf picked up the chant, then a few others. Soon, damn near everyone was chanting my name. That was it then. Steelhold was mine.




The hours that followed my speech were filled with gruelling work. My lads rounded everyone up for physical evaluation and skill assessment. One of Asmoth's daughters, Melek, volunteered to help with the physicals, since her mother had gone wacko. I think I'll recruit her into my non-military forces later.

Major restructuring was in order. I assigned several dedicated stoneworkers, and sent them off to build blocks. We upped the number of planters, and told them all to handle most farmwork tasks, including building another farm. We needed some way to turn a profit with the caravans other than selling discarded crap from dead caravans, so I assigned a couple jewelers, as well as a glassmaker. Also, I found out that dozens of locals had taken up fishing in the caverns. That nonsense has been halted.

The dead were interred, or memorialized if the bodies couldn't be found. The ghosts are now gone. We have a well with fresh water in the food storage, and a new furniture storage area. The mason teams are working themselves ragged, churning out blocks for defensive structures. The depot has been relocated within our walls, and a defense system is under construction.

With Melek's help, I found some healthy dwarves to throw into my gang of armed bastards, and some less-fit dwarves to begin training with crossbows. These will act as "prison guard" during caravan season. I assigned Deler, one of my first followers, to lead them. He chose to call them The Mighty Cudgel-Roads. Whatever floats your boat, mate.

At the end of it all, I was exhausted and in desperate need of a drink. I gave a couple of miners the instructions necessary to begin digging an execution chamber, then made a beeline for the booze stocks.

I swear I didn't see the masked dwarf all day.




I took off Emdief's blindfold. The lad looked around, confusion in his eyes. Clearly, he had no idea where we were. I'm not sure he was even around when this thing was put to use.

"Sorry about the blindfold, lad. This isn't the sort of place I want everyone to know about."

I followed his gaze, knowing exactly what he was looking at. The center of the room. The lever. The massive system of tubes, valves and other mechanical doodads I couldn't identify, stretching upwards into darkness even the dwarven eye could not pierce, and thicker pipes snaking along the ground, some sinking into it, others entering the tunnels at the far end of the room. None of it had been dismantled. All of it gathering dust and cobwebs.

Now that I looked at it, it struck me that the whole thing kind of resembled a massive tree. Must have been Lenehan's idea of a sick joke.


"So, what do you make of this, lad? Do you know what this is?"

Almost three months had passed since my takeover. Progress was slow, but it was happening. We had trade goods now, as well as vast piles of food and booze. The human caravan had come, and we'd sold them vast piles of crap - some of it stolen - for supplies, wood and assorted bars of metal. The mayor even negotiated a sweet deal to get us some valley herbs. Those make pretty good contraband once processed, and the law regarding its consumption had been lifted at the mountainhomes just a few years ago. We just needed some vials.

I had spent that time training our newfound defenders - though there weren't a whole lot of them. Most of the labor force was busy keeping us afloat and fed. We didn't even have clothiers yet, and most clothing around the place was falling apart. I think I had gained some of Emdief's trust in the meantime, but it still took plenty of assurance to get him to come here, and even more assurance that we had nothing to do with the masked dwarf other than keeping his followers safe. He could cover his own hide quite admirably. Most of us hadn't seen him in weeks.

Footsteps outside, approaching fast. Tirist and I unslung our weapons, turned toward the entrance.

It was Morul, and by damn she looked flushed.


"There's a problem, chief," she told me. She sounded scared, which isn't something that happens often. Girl might be troublesome, but she  has nerves of steel.

"What is it, lass?"

"The kid, chief," she says, voice quivering. "The one what went missing."

(http://i.imgur.com/BTxIW6G.png)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 22, 2013, 02:29:49 am
Corley's Log:
Apparently some one told that brute Rhaken that he was in charge. I was just on my way back into the family chambers when I found him and his gang breaking into it. Startled, I absconded into one of the vacant cells in the lower cellblock. Later, he ordered the entire population of the fortress to congregate for a speech of his. Naturally, there was resistance to his demands, but his thugs were able to put them in line quickly. I stood out of sight, for I feared he might use me as a scapegoat for the prison's issues, considering what my father did. His speech was brief, he pointed out that the charade of being an actual penal colony must be kept and suddenly the whole prison is dancing in the palm of his hand. Even Melek, my dear kin, volunteered to join his effort.

I'll need to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand. I've read the papers my father kept on the prisoners; Rhaken's a damn crook, but he's got a militia, so he's the bloody king of Steelhold! By the time the annual inspection is over, he'll have the entire prison under his control, and this place will become his royal palace. I'll have to lay low and try to find a way to take down his gang quietly. I'm moving to the lowest and darkest cells of the prison. Perhaps I'll volunteer for magma forge duty.



Melek found the following missive on her operating table.

Dearest cousin,

I must heavily advise against continuing with your participation in Rhaken's schemes. The thug wants nothing more than to reign over this prison as a king. As soon as you've completed all of the duties he needs you for, he'll have you locked away in a harem for the rest of your life. I write only out of care for my cousin, and I'd hate to see such terrible things happen to you. Destroy this letter once you have read it, and seek shelter in the lower cellblocks. Do not search for me.

Sincerely,
Corley
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 22, 2013, 03:10:39 am
VARIOUS OBSERVATIONS

#1: As this place has 207 dwarves, I'm not sure we'll be getting another migrant wave. As such, if no migrants show up in the next 3 months, I will dorf all pending dorfs from the existing population. If it happens, I'll figure out if I should call it a "migration wave" or not.

#2: Irrelevant dwarf Dumat Telingrisen has been chosen to stand in for Asmoth's daughter. Not dorfed yet, as I'm still waiting for Asmoth's reply.

#3: As I'm starting the turn from early summer, should I play until the end of this year, or the end of next year?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 22, 2013, 03:16:44 am
OOC: you can play at least a year, and up to the start of spring after that. Cut it short at one year if it takes too long.
IC:

"hey Rhaken, I hear der's a vampire around!"
Rhaken lifted his gaze from some reports and glared at me.
"what do you want, you crazy heckler?"
I grinned.
"Well.  like I said: there's a vampire.  Easiest way to catch a vampire is to have every bed watched 24/7.  And I still want a legendary bedroom. I don't mind sharing. "
rhaken sighed, irritation obvious in his expression.
"your point is?"
"Make a quarry. stick all the beds in the quarry and move everyone in. smooth and engrave, the noise isn't that big a deal once the masterwork grafiti is in place. If someone acts up, THEN you move them to solitary confinement and the risk of vampire attacks."
Rhaken pondered. "it does have merit."
I grinned. "Are you kidding? I've done it dozens of times in dozens of forts. And the BEST part is, we now have a proper excuse for having a nice bedroom for everyone. Just think about it, mkay?"
"...there's more to you than a crazy craftsdwarf, isn't there."
I nodded.  "oh, and you were SUPPOSED to find this diary of mine after your speech.  We should requisition more wood from the traders, unless you feel like sending half the fort down into the caravans to chop wood.  "
When I left, Rhaken's face was still oscilating between at least three different emotions. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 22, 2013, 03:40:20 am
#3: As I'm starting the turn from early summer, should I play until the end of this year, or the end of next year?
Finish the year, and if you wish to complete another, I'd say it's your right.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 22, 2013, 09:55:34 am
I have no problem with Rhaken having my year and his own.  That was my intent, and given the way that the fort is progressing I say that would make sense.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 22, 2013, 12:24:33 pm
Levers, tubes and pressurized compartments. Lenehan's device was impressive. Far too impressive for a lone madman obsessed with elvishness to have produced. This was the first thing to enter Emdief's mind, before they were interrupted, last time he studied the device. That, he thought, is something for Rhaken to deal with. Although I probably should integrate myself in the running of this fortress, in some fashion. Safer to be in Rhaken's inner circle than outside it. I'm a free dwarf, after all. That can't be popular with the dwarfs forced to play prisoner.
Magic, madness and now vampires. Someone had to clean up this fort. Emdief hoped Rhaken was the dwarf for the job. He was a brute, but a dependable brute with sensible priorities.
Rhaken. Where did Lenehan get his alchemical compounds for this machine? I don't see any means for producing it here. At this, Rhaken paused. I figured the bastard bought it off the elves. Emdief frowned. Elves can't make this stuff. It's too sophisticated, and it doesn't travel well. Too volatile. It has to have been produced here, in the fort. But who produced it? The only person I can think of that had the know-how would be Asmoth - Rhaken silenced the tinker with an intimidating look. Asmoth saved this Armok-be-damned fort from Lenehan. If not for her, we'd all be Elves now. Why would she help him?
Emdief, taking a more subservient tone, continued. I have no idea why. But I think I can find out more if I have her notes, if you'll get them for me. Because I think this goes deeper than previously thought. Lenehan couldn't have built this machine alone. Someone helped him. And that someone is using the entire fort for their own ends. Until we figure out what those are... I think we better disable this device. See that gear? Pop it out of the device and replace it with a larger one. The whole thing won't work without it, and you'll need a damn fine engineer to figure out what's wrong with it. If someone tries to start it, we'll have precious hours to stop them.

Without warning, the blindfold came back on, and Emdief was frog-marched out of the room. Inwardly, he sighed. He was trusted around a device that could easily kill or transform every living thing in the fort, but not to know where the door was? Rhaken must know anyone who bothered to explore the ventilation shafts would eventually stumble on the device. He'd have to remember to tell him to block those up.
Was the masked dwarf behind this? More information was needed. Hopefully Rhaken would provide it. If not, Moisturizer would take some convincing to steal from "lab-coat dwarf".
Now, finding this vampire. That was a practical problem, with practical solutions. Emdief had already devised serveral schemes to try and find the vampire before it killed again - hopefully Rhaken would consider them. And once they caught the vampire, Emdief wanted it alive. Many potential uses for vampires. They weren't a resource to be squandered, no sir...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 22, 2013, 01:56:44 pm
some time after Rhaken's speech but before my trip to the ventilation shafts...
A mediocre chef, mediocre engraver, and a couple of haulers stood in a room around me. I grinned.

"Alright.  Rhaken is all well and sensible...for now.  but he's not a good commander in the long run.  here's the plan: we let him rule for about a year and a half...but we influence him.  We leave sensible hints for how to make the fortress both more practical and more luxurious.  But we be SURE to claim credit for the ideas.  By the end of next year, he'll be eating out of our hands, unable to stop us from simply assuming controll...no bloodshed, nobody gets hurt. I've already proposed the idea for an epic community dormitory...no doubt he'll forget to have it smoothed and engraved, but that's something we can do when it's OUR turn to rule.  "
heads nodded.
"now, I understand some of you have...other dreams?"
the engraver was first: "I want water dripping from every roof in the fort! this place is HOT!"
I pondered.
"Every roof might be problematic. not all dwarves like rain, no matter how hot it gets...so lets stick to a simple summer bedroom with a dripping ceiling, and a cool-down room near the magma forges.  "
the chef went next: "one day, I want to slip a halucinagen into EVERY meal in the fort!"
I stroked my beard.  dwarven beards are very strokable.
"if you're hoping for a bloodbath, go take up butchery. if you think it'd just be hilarious to see dwarves acting like cats...instead of slipping something into ALL the meals, slip something into 10% of the meals, and put them on a special shelf, declaring it 'reserved for a special occasion'.  watch as greedy schmucks take the bait for the entertainment of the rest of the fort. got any halucinagens in mind?"
the chef grinned. "Incorrectly processed valley herbs, of course!"
"I like your thinking.  Any other strange dreams?"

Heads shook, though one timid hand raised. "um, I kinda want to get turned into an elf?"
disbelieving and shocked dwarves turned to stare at the dwarf in question.

"*cough* Well, I'm sure there's some of the elf-serum around somewhere. We'll want to find the relevant notes on dosage before we attempt that. Just DON'T go trying to turn anyone else into an elf, mkay?"
The hauler gave a sheepish grin "oh...ok."
"Well. We're certainly a motley bunch...but that doesn't matter.  Royal dormitories and flour roasts...are in the future for everyone!"
A round of cheering, and we went to our respective tasks. 




In a darkened part of the ventilation shafts...

"I suggest, vampire, that you take your payment of masterwork figurines and leave the fort now.  I hear marshtowers is looking for a vampiric lever operator."

The vampire, who's name I didn't know, simply shrugged.

"I shall take my chances on this fort. I think I'd rather be caught and killed quickly than endure endless thirsts as a lever operator. "
"...suicide by proxy, eh?"
The vampire shrugged again. "perhaps."

"And don't squeal on me.  Do that and I'll drag your soul with me the next time I jump. i'm quite sure you don't want to have your soul ripped into a million tiny pieces, and if you DO want that to happen you should join maskdwarf's cult!"

The vampire softly chuckled at that.
"Ah yes, the group with a vore fetish.  Foolish of them, they could just-"
"Don't go there. T!M!I!"

The vampire snorted before departing.
Then I realized something.  maskdwarf and his cult were going to feed themselves to the demons, of course, but...

Oh.  crap. They weren't necessarily going to lock their room up, where they?
...
This was going to require some planning. 

now, where did I set my bone decorated adamant pickaxe (the only adamant Das Ebal was willing to release from swordthunders)...
Ah. left it in my...room...oops. 
So. which way was the nearest exit from these ventilation shafts?
...I was going to totally wind up in the control room for these things, wasn't I.



-don't think this means my dwarf is behind the vampiric attack.  He merely payed the vampire to leave the corpse behind rather than take it to an atomsmasher.   

He REALLY wants that shared room as part of his plan to brainwash the fort with luxury.  His modus operandi is to keep the dwarves unquestioning via high-quality living conditions. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 22, 2013, 02:34:30 pm
"It's scheming time!"
"No, Steelhold! No!"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 22, 2013, 04:17:53 pm
Back on the topic of how long the turn should last, if you plan to take another full year after you finish the current one, be sure that you have the time and the will to do it, for any more incomplete turns shall be voided. If you are Christian, I'd recommend just finishing the year, so that you'll have more time to spend with your family.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 23, 2013, 04:36:05 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Right. This bullshit has gone on long enough.

The reinforced double doors to my office swing inward, and in come Tirist and Sigun, dragging a dwarf in chains between them. They throw him down at the foot of my desk. The dwarf looks up at me, amusement dancing in his eyes.


"So you're the one that's been downing dwarven cocktails," I tell him, my tone perfectly neutral, as if musing aloud.


"Why, I've no idea what you're talking about," the vampire feigns. "I demand to be released at once."

"Don't insult my intelligence. I have twenty-two witnesses who saw you wander into Zefon's cell, and come back out with bloodstains all over your beard. Zefon had been asleep for mere hours, alive and well. By the time you left, he was dead."

"Well, what can I say? A dwarf needs his liquor. It just so happens I get mine from other dwarves."

"Yes, like a common prostitute." It took no small amount of self-control not to laugh at the offended look on his mug.

"Well, what now? Do you expect me to confess? Go quietly?"

I chuckle. "Honestly, I just expect you to cooperate. Unnatural abomination or no, you still serve an important function in Steelhold. A function you can't performed if you're dressed in chains from head to toe."

The vampire looks confused. Guess he wasn't expecting to get out of a meeting with the hammerer without getting, well, a hammering. "So you're letting me go? Just like that?"

"Not quite," I say, staring him right in the eye. "You will be confined to your office. Not your quarters. Your office. You'll do your job, same as always. I'm sure your vampiric gifts will be of great help to you there. And you'll not sink your fangs into another dwarf's flesh ever again."

"Or else what, oh mighty warlord? You'll kill me?" Here comes the mandatory display of arrogance. It's fine, I was counting on it. "You think I fear death? I have lived more lifetimes than your entire bloodline. I have seen the rise and fall of nations, the coming and going of faiths old and new. I fear no death."

I chuckle. "Death? Oh, no. Nothing so merciful." I walk around the desk, hunker down in front of him, eyes slightly above level with his. "If you disobey my instructions, I won't kill you. I'll have you on crossed pikes, going in under the ribs, like we did back home. Ah, I see it in your eyes. You know that old tradition from up north, don't you? The victim stays alive for days, incapable of movement, eventually succumbing to starvation or infection. But you don't suffer from that like us common mortals, oh no. You'd be there until I ordered the lads to bring you down. Which I won't."

"So, do I have your cooperation, or should I call for the pikes? Mister mayor."

Like candy from a baby.



The dwarven caravan is here, and with it comes the inspector. Once the mayor is done conning the merchants out of all their food, booze, wood and metal, the inspection begins. We had arranged the whole affair like master playwrights. Prisoners "chained" to workshops, overseen by "guardsdwarves". Idlers in their cells, or in the "exercise yard". The inspector didn't even bat an eyelash at the vent shafts, since he'd seen them the year before.

No suspicious behaviors. No riots. Not even health code violations, such as they were. Even the loonies were acceptable - it's a prison. As far as they know. After some final arrangements with the mayor, the inspector returned to the caravan, report in hand, utterly pleased with himself. I'm sure a healthy dose of vampiric suggestion helped that as well.

The inspector is even pleased with the series of arches that line the approach to the prison. If only he knew what they were really for.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)



It's been a few days since the inspection. I'm minding my own business, watching The Mighty Cudgel-Roads execute another goblin POW by firing squad, when the missus comes up to me.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

She is dead set on joining the second melee squad, the Constructive Fed Daggers. I'd try to dissuade her, but you don't keep a marriage together for over a century without knowing your spouse. I'd be wasting my time. So now I have this to worry about too.

The goblin on the platform spazzes out and falls into the hole, a bolt lodged in his brain. I sigh and call for the next prisoner. Onul, my dear wife, links her arm with mine and watches intently as two of the lads drag in a bound goblin archer and slap him in irons on the platform. The sargeant calls for the next volley. She's trying to figure out my thoughts again. Nothing too difficult. I'm sure she's thinking the exact same thing.

Goddamn, I feel old.




My boots click against the smooth floor as I make my way to Lenehan's secret chamber again. For the millionth time this year, I gaze upon the monstrous machinery. It has since been rendered completely useless thanks to Emdief's advice, but I still can't help but feel its former danger. Worse yet, the lad's expert opinion had confirmed my suspicions. Lenehan couldn't have built this thing himself. And none of his former elf party supporters had the mechanical know-how for a device of this complexity - and elves don't know shit about mechanics or engineering.

That left very few people who could have aided in building the damned thing. I had identified the mechanics months ago, but Lenehan had been clever - each was given only a small piece of the schematic, and each assembled a different component. They had no idea what any of it was for at the time. Most just figured it was just another eccntricity of the infamous baron. But even then, it didn't account for everything. From various conversations with Emdief, I'd concluded that the device itself was merely a sort of complex gas pump, designed to spread any substance it received in the central canister. It didn't account for the substance that caused the Elf Plague.

I thought of Lenehan's son. A report from my observers had told me that the lad did not support my cause in the slightest. A pity. He might have information I could use. Maybe even Lenehan's entire archives, presumed lost in the aftermath of the Crisis. I had asked Melek what she could do about finding Asmoth's research logs, but I'm no fool. I know the lass maintains correspondence with Corley. I'll know if she brings me the real files or not. Though I'm not sure I could hold it against her if she lies. She reminds me of my daughter when she was younger.

Then there's the matter of the vampire. He'd been caught red-handed before the killings got out of control, and made subservient. But I was not satisfied. Somebody had known the mayor's secret and locked him up in a cell in solitary confinement. Somebody had also released him in time to attend his brokering duties, and they did it without alerting my sentries. And I aim to I know whom.

I pace to the back of the chamber, where I'd had the lads install the controls for the entrance arches. I gaze into the tunnel mouth where I'd proclaimed my rule for all to hear, then turn back to face the central machinery. I lower myself slowly to my knees and slow my breathing.

I think back on my training as a tracker. I'd spent years tracking down yetis and polar bears through snow and blizzards. I'd found them most of the time, too. You just had to know what to look for. Just study the pattern until you found the irregularity that broke it, and there you would find your trail. I've known all this for so long, it's almost second nature. But I'd never done it like this.

I gaze at the shadows in the nearest corner of the room. I take in their hue, their shape, the source of the light that projects them. I take a moment to know this shadow as one would know an old friend. I observe until the shadows hold no secrets from me. Then I let my eyes and ears wander, looking for the irregularity.

There, in the far corner. This shadow holds a secret. I knew it would. I know he's been watching.


"I know you're there, masked one. Come on out. I need information."

He steps out from the shadows, as casual as if he'd been walking down a corridor. If he's surprised that I could detect him, he doesn't show it.

"Spill it. The Elf Plague. Asmoth's involvement. Lenehan's fate. The vampire. The fractaldwarf. We've got some catching up to do."



OOC
Pending dorfs have been dorfed. No migration wave ocurred. Magni is infiltrating and working as a strand extractor. Melek is learning how to be a doctor. Bees is bees is bees is bees.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 23, 2013, 04:37:21 am
Goddamned internet...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on December 23, 2013, 06:14:01 am
Kikrost is dead. As in, Kikrost-who-was-supposed-to-be-dorfed-as-Melek is dead. Was already dead in the save. She's a ghostly planter.

What do?
Huh. Well that's unfortunate. Let's say she's a clone of Asmoth, because that seems like the kind of thing she'd do. Also, I will likely not be participating much for the next week or so, due to being interrupted by Christmas.

Melek's Log.

So far, I can identify at the very least three factions in this prison, all vying for power. Each of them also seems to want something of my mother, which likely explains how quickly I was accepted as a doctor. I've hidden all of her research and notes that I could find in a place not even she would guess, and I'm considering taking Corley's advice and disappearing along with it, but for two things. First, I cannot believe that anyone in this fortress is selfless enough to try help someone out of the goodness of their heart (or, indeed, out of the goodness of a piece of brain associated with empathy which mother has a nice sample of preserved in vinegar). Secondly, I don't know Rhaken's aims yet, but becoming a major power and possibly rebelling certainly suits my desire to kill the Queen. On the other hand, there's something... off... about Rhaken. I cannot put my finger on it. He plays his part perfectly, but it feels as if he just does that, play a part while waiting to show his true face.

In any case, I've been looking through my mother's files, and was surprised to find one with my name on it, since I can't remember being sick a day in my life. What I found in that file... well, I can't exactly write it in my diary, knowing that at least one dwarf in this fortress is fully capable of breaking into my room and robbing me. Let's just say that I'm... adopted. There's no one I can talk to about this, with my sisters dead, my mother insane and the only other person I know of with any experience in this kind of thing killed by a giant louse or something ridiculous like that. The only thing I can do is continue reading these records and see if there's anyone else like me. In the meantime, I'll have to keep my mind clear. My goal is to stay alive. In relation to this, I shall aid Rhaken, as he is currently the most powerful force in Steelhold. According to Corley, the worst case outcome is becoming a member of his harem afterwards, and considering my knowledge of poisons and Rhaken's advanced age, this doesn't seem like a prospect that would pose much trouble. I may need to seek out Moisturizer and see if my mother confided anything in him. Corley shall have to be avoided until I have decided what to do, but this shouldn't be a problem, since he seems to be in hiding. And suddenly, I feel a strong urge to find some test subjects...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 23, 2013, 11:31:11 am

Undated

Well, it has come to this. Rhaken has refused to assist me, preferring his own methods of finding the truth. As if the masked one would give away anything that would hurt his own objectives. I support Rhaken, aye, but he'll get himself in trouble soon. I can feel it in my water.
I can tell without asking that Moisturizer too will not help me get Asmoth's research notes. I would merely loose his loyalty by asking. This leaves me with two options. I could steal the research myself, exposing myself to undo risk and potentially forfeiting my position. Or I can ask. I hate to give away my plans, but if others must know I seek the notes, so be it. I must have them all the same.
But how to convince Asmoth's daughter? The girl surely holds no affection for me. I could offer her my talents, but what problem does she need solved? I once dreamed of becoming rich in this fort, before I realized that this fort works on a bizarre, barter/reputation based economy. I lack the charisma to get what I need.

Sometimes I wonder why I stay involved. I have several plans going to escape the fort - the time, however, is not yet ripe. I must wait a few years until the guards on the caravan change. Once none remember my exact person, I can convince them to take me away from this accursed place and back to civilization. Still, while I must keep myself alive until then, I cannot do this if the fort is allowed to fall.
What Melek will not give me out of the goodness of her heart, I must earn. I remember still the outcome of the project that caused my exile. While it disgusts me to do this, that is what I have to barter. I must try.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 01:35:21 pm
"Ah, friend, such knowledge you seek," the masked dwarf mused, "some I can give you, others... I am bound not to."

"Don't tell me this has anything to do with your little demon cult."

"Oh no, nothing that simple.  But please, it's no more of a cult then your little band of followers."

Rhaken's mouth twitched, but otherwise showed no reaction, "get to the point."

"Very well, brother.  You see, Asmoth and I have known each other a lot longer then anyone realizes.  Even her.  I know all of her weaknesses, all that she desires, and I simply used that to get her to cooperate with my plan for Lenehan's defeat."

Rhaken frowned, "what do you mean?  I thought she helped of her own accord."

"She was never very... fond of my plan."

"And your plan was..."

Rhaken could swear that beneath the golden mask, he caught a flash of a smile, "I simply used Modi's hatred of Lenehan, combined with a small amount of magic, to imbue her corpse with enough life to fight Lenehan one last time."

Rhaken's eyes widened, but his face quickly became impassive, "and yet Lenehan lived?"

"Oh yes.  He was no use to me dead, now was he?"

A chill ran up Rhaken's spine, which was odd.  Despite all that the masked dwarf had done, something about the way he said it sounded far more sinister then it seemed.

"What..."

"I gave to him an honor only bestowed on a handful of dwarves every age, an honor I have only bestowed on one other dwarf."

"Meaning?"

"He became a host."

Rhaken's eyes widened once more as understanding hit him.

"Then why..?"

The masked dwarf made a disgusted sound, as if this was a sore point.

"As to your other two points: yes, I knew we had a vampire.  I could sense the darkness inside of him.  I could of course purge his curse, but he has not deigned to lower himself to ask.  As for the fractaldwarf..."


I'll post the rest of the conversation later.  Sorry if I portrayed Rhaken as a bit too skiddish.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 23, 2013, 03:56:13 pm
Corley dressed himself well for the occasion. Once his family became nobility, he began to regularly don a double-breasted jacket with a nice hat. Once his family lost influence, however, he ceased to wear it, as it had become such a recognizable outfit on the young dwarf. Today was different, though; today he was going to hold a meeting with Rhaken, Steelhold's king. He needed to be as persuasive and nonchalant as possible, he could not betray even the slightest hint of nervousness. If he did his request would not be granted.

As he walked down the winding passageway leading to Rhaken's offices, he overheard two voices coming from the inside the room. Normally, this would call for some investigation on his part, but he had a particular request this day, and he feared being caught as an eavesdropper would harm his chances this day. Corley could also sense, from the tones he could make out, that it was a serious conversation indeed. Thus, he left a reasonable distance between the door and him, and amused himself by reading one of his grandaunt's propaganda booklets whilst he waited.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 23, 2013, 04:21:18 pm
Cautiously, I lowered myself inch by inch along the shaft, my legs pushed against one side, my back against the other. I was getting a tad bit thirsty, but...
Voices.

Wait a minute, was that the vampire?
...
Oh, futz, he'd just HAD to go and get himself caught by being obvious, hadn't he?
That was a spanner in the works, we were supposed to have everyone go into a dorm for mutual protection...
...what a Scammer! he was going to get himself caught without my figurines and charged me 10 figurines anyways! Oh, I'd have words with him...maybe carve a fortification and shoot a bolt at his kneecap...

hm. maskdwarf was talking with Rhaken....



Here's a funny little omake/comedic resolution to the whole thing.  I'll make another post when I'm sure I'm done.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 04:24:29 pm
Let's go with that.  Some comic relief in this dark fortress.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 23, 2013, 05:07:30 pm
And...there. Comedic resolution to Rhaken's turn, at Rhaken-the-dwarf's expense.  Original plan was to find the control room, say 'that's obviously the wrong gear size!', fix the machine while nobody was there, and maybe get caught by guards on the way out.
But when 4maskwolf ended his post like that, well...


There is, however, still a dark side to my dwarf.
......
I added a drop of blood to the circle-inspired by something i'd seen in Maskdwarf's hidey-hole-activating it to summon a demon from the depths. 
Which...I promptly ate with Das Ebal. 

I was having to do this more and more often lately, each demon extending my stay in this realm by a smaller and smaller amount.
Even though, in a stroke of genius, I'd added an xpig-tailshirtx (the cloth is red with redroot dye) to the center of the circle, it was only a matter of time before the demons noticed my activities...

And if the damage Maskdwarf did to wolfy was any indication, eating HIM might not be an option...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 23, 2013, 05:31:09 pm
Welp, that poses a problem. It's still autumn. I ain't done yet. :P

I can throw in an update today, probably rounding out the year. I still intend to take the next one, provided you agree with giving me a time extension. I love you fine folks and all, but Fishmas is family time. Where's my deadline at anyways? It may require squeezing in a little less narrative. Not sure if I've been going overboard with that.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 05:36:01 pm
I like the narrative.  And given the fact that I dumped most of a year on him AND it's Christmas time, I say that a time extension is in order.  And for that matter, nobody has brought up plans to depose "King Rhaken".
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 23, 2013, 05:39:13 pm
Welp, that poses a problem. It's still autumn. I ain't done yet. :P

I can throw in an update today, probably rounding out the year. I still intend to take the next one, provided you agree with giving me a time extension. I love you fine folks and all, but Fishmas is family time. Where's my deadline at anyways? It may require squeezing in a little less narrative. Not sure if I've been going overboard with that.
This is something of a tough situation. I perfectly understand you needing to spend time with your family, though I also feel that there is only so far that the rules should b bent. As of now, you have until December 27th, PST. Exactly how much more time would you need?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 23, 2013, 05:39:48 pm
>Magic Users
>In MY fort
Why can't we just have a simple, ruthless power play among violent criminals without dragging alchemy/demons/alternate dimensions into the mix, I tell'ya what.
It was better in the days or rampant ex-overseer murder. You knew where you stood, in those days. Mostly on the other side of a locked door, with rapidly dwindling supplies and/or goblins locked in with you.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 23, 2013, 06:10:43 pm
I should have the whole thing wrapped up by December 30th. I have two very different yet not mutually exclusive storylines planned. They require minimal engineering however.

I'm honestly not sure what to do about the comedy resolution. Ya'll could turn it serious if you're so inclined, but I intend to move forward within the next few hours.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 23, 2013, 06:14:15 pm
I should have the whole thing wrapped up by December 30th. I have two very different yet not mutually exclusive storylines planned. They require minimal engineering however.

I'm honestly not sure what to do about the comedy resolution. Ya'll could turn it serious if you're so inclined, but I intend to move forward within the next few hours.

Pretty sure comedy in Steelhold involves death. Many deaths.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 23, 2013, 06:15:41 pm
I should have the whole thing wrapped up by December 30th. I have two very different yet not mutually exclusive storylines planned. They require minimal engineering however.

I'm honestly not sure what to do about the comedy resolution. Ya'll could turn it serious if you're so inclined, but I intend to move forward within the next few hours.
Until the thirtieth seems to be a reasonable extension. As for the comedic resolution, that will remain non-canon. If anyone wants to animate it or put it into comic strip form, though, that would be pretty cool.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 06:38:42 pm
I should have the whole thing wrapped up by December 30th. I have two very different yet not mutually exclusive storylines planned. They require minimal engineering however.

I'm honestly not sure what to do about the comedy resolution. Ya'll could turn it serious if you're so inclined, but I intend to move forward within the next few hours.
Until the thirtieth seems to be a reasonable extension. As for the comedic resolution, that will remain non-canon. If anyone wants to animate it or put it into comic strip form, though, that would be pretty cool.
The comic resolution to what?  The scene I was doing?  It was in character for him to do that, I guess.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 23, 2013, 06:51:43 pm
I should have the whole thing wrapped up by December 30th. I have two very different yet not mutually exclusive storylines planned. They require minimal engineering however.

I'm honestly not sure what to do about the comedy resolution. Ya'll could turn it serious if you're so inclined, but I intend to move forward within the next few hours.
Until the thirtieth seems to be a reasonable extension. As for the comedic resolution, that will remain non-canon. If anyone wants to animate it or put it into comic strip form, though, that would be pretty cool.
The comic resolution to what?  The scene I was doing?  It was in character for him to do that, I guess.
This comic resolution:
Here's a funny little omake/comedic resolution to the whole thing.  I'll make another post when I'm sure I'm done.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
It's non-canon as it involves control of the fort being given to Fractal.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 06:57:23 pm
Oh!  He changed it!

I saw only the first part of it...  when he first posted it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 23, 2013, 07:02:09 pm
I Kept thinking up new ideas, and I thought Rhaken was just about done with his turn.

Anyways...we *could* just keep the part where I tumble in and ask for some adamant. Not sure what would happen after that for the serious approach.
if not, I'd like to hear the rest of the speech mask was planning.

p.s. I don't particularly care what date Rhaken ends his turn on. I completed an entire year in  swordthunders. This place *cannot* be as laggy as that armok-forsaken place.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 07:15:39 pm
Honestly, I'd just as well go for the adamant idea.  I actually have a scene planned that takes place directly after that.

I'll post it when I'm done finishing my silvergoose writeup.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 23, 2013, 07:22:34 pm
Honestly, I'd just as well go for the adamant idea.  I actually have a scene planned that takes place directly after that.

I'll post it when I'm done finishing my silvergoose writeup.

I have absolutely no idea what's going on. This is what happens when you so much story being posted by people who aren't playing. It's best to just react to events that go on the in the fort, methinks. Or just other people's posts. Don't get carried away if you want to keep a semblance of canon.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 23, 2013, 08:53:04 pm
What's going on, in a nutshell:

Rhaken has been smoothing things out, stabilizing the fort's food and booze levels, and maintaining order.
Me and my crazies are whispering promises of luxury to all who will listen.  There are at least 5 lesser plots woven into the very structure of my faction, and I'm hoping to see a chance for a hilarious (bloody?) gambit-pileup. 

I got lost in the vent shafts after talking with the vampire, who promptly got himself caught despite my warning to flee to another fort. (The vampire's plots are unknown, but they can't possibly end well...)

I wind up listening in on the conversation with the vampire, as well as the conversation with maskwolf.

Maskwolf mentioned my name, and I popped out and asked for the adamant.   (The omake is non-cannon after that point.)


One last thing: This fortress stands out to me because the players are doing so much plotting, conniving, and story-writing when it's not their turn. 

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 23, 2013, 09:03:46 pm
I'm going to agree with Fractalman on this.  This is one of my favorite fortresses for that very reason.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 23, 2013, 09:06:59 pm
It certainly is a fun aspect of this thread, even more so than with the original thread. Also, I feel it is best to ignore most of what Fractal says, -- in character -- as most of it seems to be insane rambling.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 23, 2013, 09:53:16 pm
One last thing: This fortress stands out to me because the players are doing so much plotting, conniving, and story-writing when it's not their turn.

Not complaining 'bout that. Just saying that preempting the current player in terms of what's going on in the fort isn't great. Inter-character stuff is fine, but for stuff that affects the condition of the entire fort it's probably best to wait till the player posts and react to that.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 24, 2013, 02:04:26 am
The heckler again. He'd be getting on my nerves if I wasn't aware of what he's doing. What puzzles me to no end is his motives. Why does he want the adamantine? He knows nothing of smithing. It is good to know, however, that he fell into my trap. I expect one of my hidden eyes will give me a report when I get back to my office. His little 'conspiracy' is beginning to annoy me.

I would have probed the masked one then. Demanded my answers. I might even have made a threat, if I wasn't sure the bastard didn't care. All of that was cut short, however, before I could open my gob to speak.

From the tunnel mouth behind me came a roar. A heavy, unnatural sound of such volume and power that you could feel it deep in your chest, like a stab wound. It went on for some twenty seconds, until the entire room seemed to oscillate in its passing. Then it ceased, quick as it came.

I'm pretty sure I know what caused it.


"This isn't over," I snarl, dashing for the exit, morningstar in hand. "In my office when I get back. You have more answers to give."

Tirist meets me at the exit from the tunnel network. He looks shaken.

"Report," I demand, not even breaking my stride. He falls into step beside me.

"Down in the caverns, chief," he tells me, doing an admirable job of maintaining his composure. "One of the scouts saw it. He doesn't know what it is, but it is fucking huge."

"How huge are we talking?"

"Elephant. Maybe larger."

I curse beneath my breath.

I bellow the order to scramble to the caverns when I pass by the barracks. Games of cards and bottles of booze are quickly abandoned in favor of weaponry as I break into a run. Tirist overtakes me in moments. I guess I'm not as spry as I was fifty years ago.

Again, that hideous roar.




I barrel through the two sets of doors that separate the caverns from the fortress proper. Tirist went ahead of me almost a minute ago. I can hear the crunch of boots several stories up. The rest of the lads. They're falling behind.

Off to my left, I spot our quarry.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It is facing away from me, intent on something else - Tirist. The dwarf has his back to the cavern wall, breathing hard, but he looks unscathed. The beast prepares to lunge at him.

I don't think I've ever moved so fast. I cover the distance in record time and swing the morningstar into one of the creature's back legs, feel it bite bone. It hisses and turns to me, mandibles dripping blood and venom. Some part of my mind idly registers that it must have gotten to some other dwarf before we made it here. Tirist takes the opportunity to bury his axe in the creature's other hind leg. It appears unfazed.

It charges.

I pull back, barely evading the deadly fangs. It keeps advancing, and I keep retreating, until the wall is at my back. It tries to lunge again. I dive sideways, and the creature's head collides with the wall, cracking it. It doesn't seem to care. And continues playing cat and mouse with me until a crossbow bolt lodges itself in the monster's ribs.

Took them long enough.

We fought for hours. Though there are twenty-six of us, only seven made it down here. The creature was intelligent enough to notice where we were coming from, and kicked the doors just hard enough to cave one of them inwards, the rubble acting as a massive doorstop. Then it turned to marksdwarf - Etur, I think - and lashed its claws through his head. At least he died quickly.

The monster was as cruel as it was clever. Instead of striking one of our recruits and barely denting her armor, it chose to lash at the woman's defenseless baby. The results were predictable. Poor girl fell to her knees, cursing and bellowing, lost in shock and horror, cradling a dead child, staring into a crushed head, desperately wishing against all logic that her baby was alive. If her squaddies hadn't been there to cover her, she would have died as well.

Our weapons seemed grossly ineffective. The beast felt no pain, refused to acknowledge its own shattered organs and spraying arteries, and continued to move fine despite severed tendons and multiple oozing fractures in its skull and limbs. I had never faced anything like it. The fucking thing just wouldn't die.

Until my final swing.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Now we wait for the mining crew to dig us out.

For the longest time, we could hear nothing but the fading sobs of a mother who has lost a child. She was still on her knees, clutching what was left of her baby's body. The front of her breastplate was a mess of blood and brains. None of the others knew what to do, so they steered clear. I did the same, for now. Nothing I could possibly do would set things right.

Even when the miners had dug us an exit, she wouldn't budge. Her squaddies tried to pick her up, but she shoved them violently away. I walked up to her, got into a crouch.


"Dakost. Dakost, listen to me. We have to go, alright? You can't just stay here."

"Leave me alone," she groaned between tears. "I don't want to live anymore."

"But we want you to live. Come on." I try to put a hand on her shoulder. She violently shrugs me off.

"I don't care. My baby is dead. My baby is dead!" The flow of tears comes on stronger than ever.

"Look, Dakost," I tell her, "I know what you're going through. But right now, your husband is going to need you more than ever-"

"Fuck you!" If this were the Queen's army, that remark alone could have gotten her hammered. "You don't know what it's like! You don't know what I'm going through!"

I stand up, gaze hard into her puffy golden eyes.

"Yes I do."



I throw back the door to my office, slump into my chair. I ignore the heap of reports in front of me and pour myself a cup of wine from my personal stash. I chug it, then pour another. A dull ache creeps into my bones, letting me know that I'm getting too old for this shit.

"Don't waste my time," I say into the shadows by the door, and out steps the masked one. I pour him a drink too. If he doesn't want it, I'll see to it that it doesn't go to waste.

"The plague. Lenehan. The fractaldwarf. Out with it."

At this point, I'm too weary to be frightened by his revelations. Too burned out to make the connections immediately. The events of the day had dug up memories I would rather not revisit. I've still got a meeting with Corley, and I intend to slip back into my guise of diligent overseer in time for that.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 24, 2013, 02:15:44 am
I can tell by the screenshots that you forgot to switch back to ASCII. Congratulations, your turn is voided!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 24, 2013, 02:20:39 am
Curses. Foiled again.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 24, 2013, 02:24:21 am
Oh well. In the spirit of Christian charity, I'll allow you to continue.

By the by, could Corley enter the office now, or is it a bad time?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 24, 2013, 02:32:21 am
Sure, send the lad in. I'd assume maskdwarf will simply fade into the shadows before the lad opens the door anyways.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 24, 2013, 02:55:11 am
Corley knocked twice on the door before entering. He could see Rhaken, his enemy, sitting on his throne with a half empty bottle of wine. Corley thought he could almost make out a hint of sorrow in his eyes, though he couldn't be sure. Corley respectfully removed his hat, letting it rest against his chest, and took his cigarettes and holder out of his jacket pocket.

"Do you mind if I smoke in here," he asked. Rhaken motioned in the affirmative, and Corley picked up a small pebble from the floor to use as a flint.

"I have come," he spoke, "to request a job transfer."

"A job transfer?" enquired the overseer, surprised by the words.

"You seem shocked, as if you expected something else."

Rhaken smiled slightly. "Go on," he said.

"I feel that my current work does little service to this fortress. I wish to better join the cause of this fort's restoration and work in the magma forges deep beneath the the earth."

"The noble-boy wants to work in the magma forges and get his suit dirty, eh?"

"Yes sir. I request a formal degree with your signature to give to the foreman. I promise to work hard every day, and I am not afraid of getting my palms dirty and my clothing soaked with sweat. So, have I your support?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 24, 2013, 03:06:31 am
This takes place earlier, while the battle with the forgotten beast was occurring.

As Rhaken ran off to confront the unnatural horror of the depths, the masked dwarf picked Fractalman bodily off the ground with ease, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  As fractalman started to protest, he felt as if his whole body was melting, rushing off to some unknown location.  And then they appeared, in the shadows of the masked dwarfs room.

"Was that entirely necessary."

"No."

"Then why..."

"We have more important matters to discuss.  I have a proposition to offer you, an exchange for the adamantine you desire"

"And what is this proposition.  I won't sell my soul, if that's what you mean."

"No, no, nothing that dramatic."

The masked dwarf leaned forward, fingers clasped, "I need you to take down Rhaken."


I'll post my interaction with Rhaken when I wake up again.  Note that Rhaken does not know about this: it was a private conversation in a magically concealed room.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 24, 2013, 01:05:24 pm
Down in the forges? Doesn't fool me. I'm sure the kid is up to something. Still, no harm in letting him do it. There isn't a single pair of eyes down there that doesn't report to me.

"Alright then," I tell him, smiling. I quickly write up the permit, sign it and hand it to him. "Take this to Tun Madushdeler. He'll give you the grand tour and get you started with the furnaces. After that, whether you move up in your career is at his discretion."

He seemed pleased with that. Once he left the office, I slumped back down in the chair. Maskdwarf slipped back out of the shadows.

"Start talking."



I wake up with a start, heart hammering in my chest. I sigh and stare down at the sheets, only to find Onul wide awake, looking at me, concern written all over her face.

"What's the matter?"

"I had the dream again," I say, rubbing my temples.

"Me too."

I turn to embrace her. It's been weeks since the forgotten beast attacked. Since Dakost's baby was killed. We've been having the same dream almost every night since. A long-buried memory, surfacing again and again. And I thought we were over it. I guess that's just not how it works.

The year will die down soon. The usual rumors are circulating already. That I will be killed on new year's eve. Or maskdwarf will die, since he was running things at the start of the year. I could not care less. Most of the ones who do not approve of my rule are under watch in one way or another.

I've had a month to mull over the masked one's revelations. They have left a sour taste in my mouth. Things have been escaping my notice, and I don't think any of my lads could have spotted them if they tried. Far too much mystical nonsense goes on in this place.




Shouts of alarm echo through the fortress. Dwarves scramble for supplies, some of them almost giving in to their criminal nature. They'd be at each other's throats if not for my peacekeepers.

Morul accompanies me on my way to the battlements. She was the first to get the message from the hunters.


"What are we looking at here?"

"Large force, chief. One squad pike. One squad hammers. One squad crossbows. One squad bows. Could be a contingent of trolls as well."

"Activity?"

"Just harassing the pet population. The owners will not be pleased. Everyone is inside."

"Good. Get the lever operators in place and lock them in. Keep our marksdwarves on standby until their elites are down. Nobody is to come topside until I say so."

"Got it, chief."

The rest of the squad assembles behind me on the stairs from the depot. The gate is shut. We can hear their savage cries outside, as they busy themselves with slaughtering pigs and guineafowl. We just have to wait until they notice the ramp leading up to the archway.

Once again, Steelhold is under siege.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 24, 2013, 02:20:50 pm
I pondered what had happened once I was recovered enough to sit up.
The maskdwarf's teleportation spell had worked on me. Did that mean...
No. For as I gazed around, I saw it: a crack in time.  (This kind of crack: http://scyfilove.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/crack-who.jpg) A small one, much smaller than usual when I teleported myself....but it was there.  It would probably be gone in a couple of days it was so small.

I concluded that maskdwarf's teleportation trick hadn't quite worked on me, and I had instinctively boosted his spell with my own spell.  surprising that our spells hadn't cancelled out, but maybe...maybe it was just as simple as "same intent: get out".
I'd think more about the implications for our magical interactions later.

Get rid of Rhaken, get the adamant I needed.
I giggled.  I was going to oust rhaken anyways.  Rhaken, who was not MEANT to be an overseer at all...fate was not as strong in this fort as it was in other forts, and could be overwhelmed by a sufficiently crafty player...but it was there. To be honest, if it weren't for my knowledge of fate-magic, I would never be able to controll a fort, now that my ability to possess the hive-mind directly had been lost. 
But...I could manage well enough.

If Rhaken tried to have me and my crazies killed in a futile effort to prolong his stay in power...
Well, we'd have the chef feed him some mis-processed valley herbs, shove him in the office, and have Emdief pull the lever to a goblin cage in his room.


Ah, yes, Emdief.  Someone overheard him wishing for the days when you "knew which side you were on: usually the wrong side of a locked door, along with an uncaged goblin." Or something like that. 

I know he doesn't like me. He doesn't like magic, no matter how curious he is.
but he is a BRILLIANT engineer. 
See, I found out what he got in trouble for a little while ago: designing synthetic body parts. which, frankly, was a stupid thing to get in trouble for...THINK about it! No more will dwarves with missing limbs necessarily need to remain limbless! lost a leg? Talk to Emdief! lost an arm? talk to Emdief! lost a head? Well...talk to me or Maskdwarf about forcibly reattaching your soul to your body.


I giggled at that. 

Yes.  Emdief would be the cheif engineer in charge of the mechanisms for my project.  Didn't matter if he didn't like me. Didn't matter he'd take advantage of his newfound power to oust me in turn.  as long as I got power for my portal, and Emdief kept the fort safe...
it would be fine. 
If i could convince him to let me use his Thaumometer...
Then everything...would not be fine.  it would be perfect.

Now, what's next on my agenda?
Ah, yes.  Drink, food, sleep. I'd been lost in the ventilation shafts for a while, after all, and magic was 'thirstying' work. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 24, 2013, 02:42:58 pm
"Start talking."

The masked dwarf pondered the demand for a moment,

"Lenehan first.  I already told you what happened to him, and what we did to stop him.  His machine, however, was completely scientific in nature, or as completely scientific as something of that grade can be.  There gets to a point where the line between magic and science is so blurred even I cannot see it."

"As for the Fractalman..."

At this, the masked dwarf paused, as if considering what to say.

"Spill all of it.  I've had enough of the delays."

Beneath the mask, the dwarfs eyes seemed to glow brighter for a minute, but then he spoke in his usual, cheery tone.

"He is a magic user as well.  The source of his power is well shielded, but I am better with magical detection then he is.  He seems to be drawing power from a fortress long since vanished, pulled into a void from which it should have never returned.  The strangest part is that I have never heard its name in all of my studies into the mystical and arcane."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that it doesn't come from our world."

Rhaken paused for a minute, letting this sink in.

"And what does he want the adamantine for?"

"That, I do not know."

Rhaken's eyes narrowed, "Then guess."

"Very well,brother.  I am guessing he wishes to free this fortress from its eternal prison, using whatever means possible.  Adamantine is a source of tremendous mystical power, after all, and I believe he requires that in order to release it."

"And you are telling me that all of this went on behind my back?"

"The eyes of the untrained find it difficult to see the arcane.  I am impressed that you saw through my darkness shield, though I suppose for a tracker like you that is only natural."

Something about that statement bothered Rhaken, but he was too tired to figure out what.

"Very well.  Is that all."

"That is all that I know.  Should I find out more, you will hear about it, either from me or from one of your men in my congregation."

At that, the masked dwarf once again became a shadow, drifting out of sight.  Rhaken sighed, turning to head for his bedchambers.

At that moment, it hit him.  He had never told the masked dwarf that he had been a tracker.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 24, 2013, 04:32:09 pm
Let the misinformation and misunderstandings take flight, causing 50-gambit traffic jams in the hallways! :giggles:

-Rhaken's death-by-goblin is looking more and more likely.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 25, 2013, 11:15:34 pm
I stare out through my viewport on the battlements, trying to get some perspective. A few hours ago, I would have told myself that this was the last thing I needed. Now that I think about it, I'm glad we're under siege. It gives me something else to think about. I've spent far too much time in the past these days.

Everyone made it inside in time for the gates to shut. Moisturizer lingered on just outside the gates for a while, heaving sand into a large sack, until a passing hauler took him by the arms and dragged his mumbling ass inside. Some goblins came within shooting distance of the gatehouse, but they were too busy harassing a pig to take notice of the open gate. It took far longer to close than it should have. I'll have the engineering crew put in a redundant lever in the dining room for rapid response. This also meant that the lever operating team was in place - or at least one of them. They had their orders, and no way out thanks to the locked hatch. Time to see if my harebrained scheme still works.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The goblins begin ascending the ramp onto the archways. If not for their elite archers, our own marksdwarves would be making pincushions out of them. As it stands, we were going to have to do this the long way.

Good thing the long way is much funnier.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I count the steps in my head. This must be timed perfectly for maximum effect. The goblins, in their blind hatred, are moving along the winding archway, paying no mind to the vast array of mechanisms in plain sight, gears poking out from the sides of the arches. It's like they either choose to be idiots, or just to be mindlessly aggressive. Either one is fine with me.

Just as the first one rounds the bend toward the last long arch, I bellow a command into the long pipe beside me. A few seconds of frantic whirring and grinding later, the goblins realize they made a terrible mistake.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I can hear their cursing from here. Some of the goblins are just shocked. Others landed on something important, by the sound of it. Another word from me, and the bridges snap back into place. I can almost hear the greenskins think. If they mill around, or back away, they will be disgraced. If they try to enter through the only route they have available, they will be ridiculed. I kind of wish they just called off the siege at this point, but some part of me - and not a small part either - needs to vent.

And nothing helps me vent like a good comedy act.




The siege has gone on for days. It is almost midnight now. The goblins continue to ascend that ramp, only to get hurled back down. They've been at it for days. Some of the lads are antsy about getting to whack the greenskins, but others are too busy laughing their hairy asses off to care about their share of the whacking.

Trolls ascend the ramp. I give the order into the pipe that leads down into the machine room, but no gears turn. I give the order again, louder this time. All this command business is doing a number on my vocal cords. Still nothing. Did those two fall asleep? They were supposed to monitor each other's sleep schedules to prevent this kind of shit from happening.

The trolls reach the ceiling hatch. Their fists hammer into it, trying to break through. It's only a matter of time until the hatch gives in and they gain access. And if those two idiots down there don't wake up in time, that means the entire goblin army coming in through the back door for some late night fun. Sounds like my sex life about a hundred years ago.

I call the lads up to my side, and tell them to park their asses on the depot, along all the discarded crap we bring to trade but never manage to sell off to the caravans. Weapons are raised, crossbows strung. As we prepare to head back outside, it occurs to me what time it is.


"Oy, lads?"

They turn their heads to look at me. I give them a shit-eating grin.

"Happy fucking new year." (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8239)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 26, 2013, 01:24:45 am
edit:whoops. 

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 26, 2013, 07:56:37 am
You do realize I have one year left, right? :P
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 26, 2013, 08:23:57 am
:facepalm:
-don't worry, I didn't get myself up extra early soley to play dwarf fortress.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 26, 2013, 03:04:02 pm
Undated

Melek has refused my offer. I am now out of options to acquire Asmoth's research notes, should Rhaken not intervene on my behalf. I doubt he will - he tires of this scheming.
The defensive mechanisms at the gate are, while effective, a most inefficient means to deal with invaders. I've drawn up plans for a trap virtually impenetrable, but it's implementation is not required at this time, so I feel no need to propose it to Rhaken. He'd probably dismiss it as cowardly due to its extreme effectiveness, anyway. I know his type. Soldiers don't like to be made obsolete.

My desk appeared to have been rummaged through today. Simple thievery, or have the magic users been spying on me? Either way, all details I can't remember will now be carried with my person at all times. It's probably futile, but I cannot let them seize an advantage over me uncontested. At least my real plans are never written down.  They won't be again until I'm confident we have no thaumaturgists among us, or am in a position they can't do anything about anyway.

Fractaldwarf and his band of dissenters continue to gain in number. If you ever want to loose faith in the rationality of the common dwarf, you may do so at this point. Rhaken keeps this fort secure, arbitrates disputes between the gangs, and ensures the mountainhomes don't take away Steelhold's autonomy. In short, he is doing his utmost to ensure this colony continues its "prosperity" and stability. Yet dwarfs can still be made to oppose him with promises of creature comforts provided by an obvious lunatic.
I hate to get involved in politics, but I've ingratiated myself to Rhaken. There's no good alternative for an Overseer in this fort. The commoners won't listen to a dwarf utterly lacking in charisma like myself, but I'll do my utmost to ensure his regime's survival. I don't want to get into open conflict with the magic users, but they continue to force my hand.

The source of the Fractaldwarf's thaumaturgical energy appears to be a book he carries with him. I know not how to destroy it and would rather not risk an attempt. I have other alternatives, however. I've made... modifications to Lenehan's machine. Ones that Rhaken never asked for, but might save his regime should the device be used against him.
I'll survive this. If they threaten my survival, I'll make them regret it. Very briefly, if I'm lucky enough to kill them first. Or longer, although that will be more akin to minor frustration when they learn the extent of my sabotage.

I need training in arms. I'll ask Rhaken to enlist me in the Marksdwarfs, if possible. If not, well... if your bolts are poisoned, it doesn't matter if you missed a vital area.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 26, 2013, 04:18:26 pm

note to self: double check that all time-cracks are sealed before attempting any sort of magic-based fate manipulations. (if you don't know...it never happened. )

...

While Emdief was busy, I hunted through his desk for operating instructions for the thaumometer.  Didnt' find any, but I did find a doodle...I think someone else has rifled through this drawer. hard to be sure

I think it's either a cheese grater or a plan for new fortress defenses.   Emdief probably doesn't remember making it in the first place. 

Need to ask emdief about simple and quick improvements to make to the fortress defense grid. He'll hopefully be happy to find a listening ear.  Now, how to do it without getting shot at? AHAH! I'll send someone ELSE to ask him! That way he'll be a lot calmer!
...I can't remember if I stuck my windmill array plans into his desk or not...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 26, 2013, 08:13:51 pm
The trolls have broken through. They clamber down the stairs, roaring in triumph, until one of them eats a bolt right in the eye. It takes barely a minute for our forces to overwhelm them without so much as a scratch, their thick hides no match for our iron. But something leaves me uneasy. There were only four of them. I've seen goblin armies before. A contingent of trolls always comes in groups of ten or more, and I only saw a small handful getting caught in the cage traps. Where are the rest of them?

Plenty of time to worry about that later. For now, I return to my viewport. Seems the lads downstairs have woken up. The bridges are down, with a veritable heap of cursing goblins nursing bruises or exposed fractures. Crisis averted, I suppose. But I'm still having a word with those two once the siege is lifted and I've had a drink.

Some of the goblins are having themselves a heated argument. It goes on for some time, with voices getting louder and hands moving to weapon hilts, before some of the greenskins - the majority, in fact - turn away from their army and make a break for the desert. The siege is not yet lifted, however. One squad of goblins remains, and as soon as the bridges come back on, they ascend the ramp again. The whole ordeal kind of makes me wonder about dwarven stubbornness.

Since there are no archers left among them, I tell the marksdwarves to hit the turrets. The goblins come under heavy fire immediately. Some get injured, others dodge off the bridges, other still break into a dead run, trying to reach the end of the archways as quickly as they can. Before they are even at the final bend, the bridges go down again, and down they plummet. They stare at each other, nod in silent agreement. Then they run off. I order the gatehouse bridge to lower.

That didn't go well. One of the lads, antsy to spill goblin blood, went running after the axegoblins. Grumbling, I tell the rest of the squad to move up and protect their idiot friend. Didn't do him much good. The goblin he was chasing decided that he wasn't a complete coward after all and turned to fight. By the time the lads could get to him and rip him to shreds, their hasty idiot friend was dead, skull split by an axe. His own damnfool fault. Two of the lads took injuries of their own in avenging him, thus preventing the enemy from getting any idea of regrouping at great cost to themselves.

But that was the end of it. The siege was lifted. But where were the trolls?

I take a moment to think on it. Trolls don't rout. They carry on or they die. But a number of them had gone missing. That meant either they'd found a fortress pet to harass, or found something to break. But the goblin attack had begun after the pets had been slain, and there wasn't anything for them to demolish outside the fortress. Except....

Oh dear gods.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)



Our search party doesn't make in time to prevent the break-in. We arrive to find the wooden doors shattered to splinters, Lenehan's desiccated corpse splayed on the ground, the trolls hammering away at Chancebraid the Late Hero, the artifact weapon rack that the elf party leader had tucked into his resting place. They bellow in fury, striking the marble to no effect. Dwarven artifacts do not break easily.

We dispatch them without a hassle, but end up painting Lenehan's tomb a lovely shade of cyan in the process. On our way back to the gatehouse, a scout informs me that the invaders are all either gone or caught in cages. That should give us a plentiful supply of live targets for the marksdwarves.

Corley is waiting for me on the depot, rubbing soot from his hands, an unlit cigarette caught between his lips. I had called for him before we left to dispatch the trolls. He needed to know what happened. Lying or hiding the truth wouldn't do me any good.


"I'm sorry lad. The trolls broke into your father's tomb and dug up his body." I was never one for formalities. "I'm willing to repair the damage done and lay him to rest properly again, but as the executor of his estate, it's up to you to decide what to do."

"Don't look so surprised. I may have not particularly liked your father or his ways, but that doesn't mean he deserves this. Come see me in my office when you decide how to proceed."



Emdief walks at my side as I make my way to the barracks. We take a detour through the armory. I hand him a mongoose leather quiver with glass decoration, a glass flask,  and a stack of copper bolts. The backpack will have to wait until our leatherworker gets off his lazy ass and makes some.

"Try to understand, lad," I tell him. "Signing you up for the marksdwarves would be a mistake. Those lads train year round, leaving no time for civilian work. It would be a waste of your formidable mind."

"However, it did give me an idea. Way back when I was on active duty - far before you were born - we had this thing in the army called an engineering corps. It was basically a squad of engineers with armor and crossbow training. The idea was that we could carry around engineers on campaign without having to devote too much dwarfpower to keeping them safe. They would do their jobs, and open fire on anything that got in the way of them doing it.

"During peace time, the old general died and got himself replaced by some duke's son who thought he knew the business end of a hammer." It just bloody well had to be nobles. "At some point in the ensuing logistics clusterfuck, we lost the engineering corps and nobody bothered reinstating them.

"Until now."

We pass the cramped drill yard and go through the door to the archery range. I turn to Emdief.

"As of now, the engineering corps is reinstated. For now, it's just Steelholds engineers, serving under Unib Eshtanakmesh. She proved to have a decent mind for military discipline, so I got her learning basic military strategy under Captain Deler of the Mighty Cudgel-Roads. She decided to name the squad the Decisions of Creation. Fitting, wouldn't you say?"

I lead him toward the open passageway at the far end of the range. "However, there is one thing you must understand. You in particular, lad, because I'm certain you've a better head on your shoulders than the rest of the squad." My face hardens, as does my tone. "If you're going to be in a squad, you have to be capable of killing, and of following orders. Without that, the moment you enter a dangerous situation, you will freeze up or take a stupid risk, endangering yourself and your brothers in arms. We are not yet at a point where machinery can replace soldiers, and there are precious few of us as it is, so we have to cover each other's asses. If you're not willing, I can't sign you up. Your brilliance would be best put to use elsewhere."

Emdief follows me through the passage, into a chamber he has never seen in action. A pit takes up the entire center of the room, with a single pillar jutting out from its center, ending at floor level. Atop the pillar, bound and manacled, is a goblin. A pikeman from the previous siege, who had been left to rot in her cage for over a year. She hissed at me, then at Emdief. She spat vile curses in the hideous language of goblins, struggling in futility against the heft of the iron chains holding her down. If she did manage to dislodge the chain, she would just tumble into the pit anyways.

I turn to Emdief.
"Kill her. Kill her, and you're in. I understand if you're not particularly willing. It's coward's work," I sigh, "but wars are won on wits and discipline first, courage second.

"So kill."



Melek lifts her head from her suturing work when I enter the hospital. She looks tired. The dwarf she's working on is one of the marksdwarves, who decided to venture up to the battlements at the wrong time and got turned into a pincushion for his troubles. He is conscious, groaning into a pile of cloth stuffed into his mouth to keep him from biting his own tongue. Two other beds are taken by militia dwarves, still armored. Asmoth stands at the corner of the room, head tilted to one side, a tray of medical supplies in her hands. She nods in approval as her daughter goes back to work with excellent precision, but I can tell from her eyes that the 'good' doctor's mind is somewhere far from here.

"Consider yourself lucky, Ilral", I tell the soldier. "If those goblins had any kind of training, you'd be in a coffin."

I turn to the young doctor, in a far gentler tone. "What's the damage?"

"Several puncture wounds, "she tells me, businesslike, "including one in the intestines. I'm doing what I can, and Moisturizer is making more soap. He'll get better, but he won't walk right again." This doesn't seem to faze Ilral that much. I guess he already heard the news.

"Thank you for the hard work, lass. I won't distract you any longer. Come meet me in my office when you're done."

I excuse myself and walk away, back toward the barracks. Her being a clever dwarf, she probably suspects what I'm calling the meeting for. I was going to ask about her mother's notes. I'd be gentle about it, certainly, but I needed the information now more than ever. Her mother's sick experiments aside, the woman had been brilliant in her time. I needed to figure out if she had anything to do with the Elf Plague, and if there was still some of it laying around. She will probably lie about it. But if she does, I'll know it.

My thoughts turn back to Lenehan, Melek's first cousin and Corley's father. The masked dwarf had said something about him becoming a - what was the word he used? A host? I can't help but wonder what that means, more so now that the tomb has been desecrated. And I doubt the masked one will tell me. He has his own agenda, and it's important enough that he handed control of Steelhold to me in order to focus on it. Then there's the fractaldwarf. Another mystery. He likes to act like an ineffectual basket case, but there is far more to this dwarf than meets the eye.

Isn't there anybody in this Armok-forsaken place that can tell me shit about magic?




OOC

I discovered some fun things today. For example. Melek is married, and has two kids. She's carrying one around right now.

Also. Emdief is married. To Derroth. As in, Derroth the Royal Pervert. They have two kids.

Make of this what you will, both of you. You don't have to let it become part of their lives. :)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 26, 2013, 09:38:05 pm
Eh, Emdief probably just shoots it. A bit of a sociopath, that one.
No idea what to make of the Derroth thing. Witchcraft. Eh, I'd explain it off as their marriage was strained, she got deported before he did, and seeing as he's a greedy heartless S.O.B he hasn't bothered to see either her or the kids. For the same reason, they're none to happy to see him.

EDIT: Let me tell you about magic...

---

One goblin dead. Emdief wasn't sure what Rhaken had been going on about. Pulling a trigger wasn't hard. Could have used the goblin, sure, but it wasn't like they were hard to obtain. They show up every year.
What was harder, however, was keeping Rhaken in power. Within a scarcely used tunnel, deep within the bowels of the fort, Emdief cleared his throat.

"We don't know how why thaumatu- magic accomplishes anything. All we know is that it does. It's a force like any other. It can be detected. Every confirmed instance of divine intervention uses magic. Adamantine naturally radiates magic. There's magic radiated from underneath the magma sea - that's why you get all those strange creatures down there. But mortal minds aren't able to grasp magic's functions. Well, most of them, anyway.
Rhaken scowled impatiently. "Get to the point, lad. I don't have all day. Some of us like to talk to their wives."
Emdief didn't bother to respond to that. "My point is, magic is dangerous. A few think they can use it, but really something is using them. We can't use magic. Gods or worse can. Terrible things happen to magic users. I'd steer clear of it if I were you."
"I'm not looking to use magic, lad. I just want to know what in the name of Armok's left testicle is going on in this fort."
Emdief fingered his thaumometer uneasily. So far as I can tell, there's more magic in this fort than a typical area. We've got two anomalies. One appears to be a large amount of magic drawn from deep beneath the Earth - I think that one's Maskdwarf, receiving power from his so-called gods. The other seems to be magic just appearing as if from nowhere out of an artifact. That source is some book Fractaldwarf carries around with him. I'd have that one killed, if I was you. Remind the other dwarfs who's in charge here.
"If I wanted your advice as to how to run this hellhole," Rhaken growled, "I'd wring it out of that fat noggin of yours. Got it?" Emdief dropped his eyes, but he wasn't concerned. Rhaken was smart enough not to smack down a subordinate who talked sense. "So you know where it comes from. Can you tell me what they're doing with it?"
Emdief chuckled humorlessly. "I'm afraid I can't help you there. All I know is that it can't be good. I feel it in my beard. Both of them are patently insane, and wield powers we can neither understand nor counter. I'd say kill them and forget this all ever happened... but just killing someone rarely goes off without serious repercussions. And these dwarfs, we can't go through with it. I'm fairly certain they spy on me, and I'm scarcely important. They probably know exactly what we're planning. Remember, this fort was eating out of the Masked Dwarf's hand before he agreed to your takeover. I'm afraid all we can do is wait for them to make a mistake, and pounce on it."
And with that, the moment of privacy was gone as a dwarf rushed through the corridor, hauling something somewhere. Rhaken and Emdief went their separate ways.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 26, 2013, 11:50:47 pm
The masked dwarf stepped out of the shadows in Emdief's room, expecting to see its occupant standing there waiting for him.  Instead, he stepped into a room that was deathly quiet, even the thaumometer wasn't going off.  The masked dwarf frowned.  It wasn't like Emdief to deactivate his defenses.  This was... ahah.  The thaumometer wasn't in the room.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound from outside the room.  The thaumometer going off.  Smiling behind his mask, the masked dwarf opened the door.

"Come in, Emdief.  There is much to discuss."

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

Once Emdief had seated herself, the masked dwarf spoke,
"You know of the fractaldwarf, do you not."
"I do know who that is.  What about him," Emdief replied guardedly.
"I was wondering if you could shed any insight into how his magic works."
Emdief frowned, "Can't you figure that out without my help?"
The masked dwarf sighed, "I know you don't like me, Emdief.  But I didn't come here for a fight.  I came here for a discussion, intellectual to intellectual."

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

"What mortals call magic is really anything but.  With two notable exceptions, magic itself is merely an extension of will into the physical world."

"You see, the laws of the world, while firm, are not entirely immutable.  With enough effort, one can cause minor changes in the way that the world works, at least on a small scale and temporarily.  Even normal mortals can occasionally use small amounts of magic, though not anything that would show up on a thaumometer."
Seeing Emdief's frown, the masked dwarf clarified, "it usually happens when someone passionately believes something and verbalizes it.  Their belief, if it holds true to the core of their being, can actually cause others to come around to their point of view, not necessarily through logic but through sheer force of belief.  While it would not show up on a Thaumometer, they are actually generating a small amount of magical energy, warping slightly the minds of their listeners."
"Some mortals are better than others at resisting magic.  A rare few can resist magic on a scale larger then the minor energies that most people can generate.  You are one of those, though you may not know it.  I have tried to do what most would call mind reading on you, but you innately resist my influence."
"Even the greatest willpower, however, can only generate so much mystical force.  That is why most magic users have to make pacts with other entities to get their power.  What they are actually doing is making a deal that the entity will put their willpower behind their efforts, massively increasing the effects.  As you have guessed, that is how I get my power: I made a deal with the true gods."
"The two exceptions are adamantine and the fractaldwarf.  Adamantine has been around as long as anyone can remember, and nobody truly knows where it came from.  Not even the true gods have any idea: when they were banished, the adamantine was already there."

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

"Now, I've enlightened you as to the nature of magic.  So, tell me what you know about the fractaldwarf, and I'll share what I know."[\i]
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 27, 2013, 01:44:19 am
FYI, I nominated Steelhold for the hall of legends.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 27, 2013, 02:04:45 am
FYI, I nominated Steelhold for the hall of legends.
To arms everyone! Vote for this fortress in the Hall!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 27, 2013, 02:44:57 am
Corley's Log:

The gobs have packed up and gone home, though they have left quite a bit of damage behind. Their trolls managed to break into my father's tomb and tear it to pieces. His mutilated remains lie across the bloodstained floor, and the entire room smells of rotten troll. The very sight of it nearly brought me to tears, and memories of my father began to resurface. Even though he was a madman, he was my father, and he never did me any wrong.

Rhaken was surprisingly sympathetic; I suppose that even he understands what is due to the dead. He told me that whatever is to proceed regarding the reconstruction of the tomb is up to me. I suppose that I'll tell him to reconstruct it as it was before, albeit with some disk traps in the antechamber. As a token of gratitude, I've made a jar of pipe tobacco formed of valley herbs and bloated tubers to give to Rhaken during our meeting. I didn't even poison it; not this time.

Lastly, I've dug up some newly-found paper scraps of my father's. It seems as if he kept a watchful eye on his extended family, as I've discovered a shocking secret about cousin Melek. I hesitate to even write it in this log. I am heavily debating as to whether or not I should confront her about this. Until I have an answer, this information must remain in my mind alone.


By the way Rhaken, Lenehan was Melek's first-cousin, not her uncle.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 27, 2013, 07:06:43 am
Overnight...practically the entire fortress was asking about me and my magic.
This...was not a forseen contigency, and would require some thought. on the one hand, I could pass off the truth as just pandering to those asking me questions; those with enough wisdom to see it as truth would hopefully be ones with the desire to let me patch the portal up.   Reveal things in the wrong order, and I'd risk a riot on my hands. "I built a portal. It tore holes in reality."-if I misjudged and too many dwarves believed me, I wouldn't get the chance to say "and I have a plan to patch it up. " 


While thinking about how my speech would go, however, I decided to talk with someone who wasn't talking about me.

Namely, Corley.



"I hear your fathers tomb got desecrated. "
Corley snorted. "What do you want?"
"Many things.  But one of them is something you want as well: to fix up your father's tomb once we have the chance."

corley shrugged. "Rhaken's planning to fix it up as well, So I don't really care.  Your point was?"
I smiled softly.  "I don't know much about him...but if what little I know is true, then he wouldn't mind sharing his tomb with some memorials to trees.  And I think I have the perfect inscription for some trees."
"And that would be?"
"To: tree. We never knew ye, never really wanted to know ye, but here's to ye anyways, rest in pieces. "
corley looked at me, eye twitching.
"...the elves love it for some weird reason.  I'll tell you how I found that out some other time.  lets just say it involved four humans, an unholy mix of dwarvish, human, and elvish brews, and an elf, and that was just to name the horse dragon....oh wait, that was different elf civ, one that had a bizzare sense of humor even for elves."
"...whut?"
"...on second thought, I'll just have 10 slabs ingraved with "tree: RIP" and have them set up by your fathers tomb.  That sound great?"

Corley nodded, not yet sure if he was nodding to get rid of the dwarf, or because he liked the idea.  Possibly both.




-I think I'll leave the IC emdief, maskdwarf, and Rhaken to figuring me out.  It would be a fun-stopping record-scratch to add "and fractaldwarf, with his absurd sense of timing, walked in and blurted out 'oh, yeah, I kinda ripped a hole in reality with one portal, and need to reverse the polarity to fix the hole.' "
And yes, I spent too much time on TVtropes a while back. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 27, 2013, 01:05:24 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Emdief's face remained passive, despite the massive urge to grin. So, the masked dwarf didn't know as much as it thought. Or it was trying to give that impression. You can't take anything about magic at face value; experimentation to confirm things tends to end disastrously.
"Well then. Good to know magic is countered by doubt. I'll tell you what you need to know."
Although it was impossible to tell beneath the mask, Emdief new the prophet was smiling. With how much arrogance, it was impossible to know.
"The first thing you need to know is his source of magic. He carries with him a book. I haven't examined it closely, but it's a massive thaumaturgical anomaly. It radiates power directly to him, but it's more strange than that. Its emissions vary wildly. If a consciousness is required to generate magic, I'd be uncertain of this book's sanity. If it isn't a conscious entity, it's drawing power through it from somewhere I can't detect. Something that's not part of our mundane reality."
Emdief looked the masked prophet straight in the eyes - or at least straight in the eye-holes.
"I don't know what your planning to do with this information, and I assume it won't end well. But I've said my piece. The only other thing I could tell you that you haven't mentioned in that your 'true gods' aren't the only ones. I've seen a dwarf get cursed before. Some entity, or entities, protects the gods' temples. But I assume your masters would have told you that, and you know full well what you risk by blaspheming against our more traditional deities."
"Now it's your turn. I need to know what you're planning with the adamantine. Because believe you me, I have no intention of meeting your gods. And if it's possible for me to do so, I think I can arrange for them not wanting to meet me, either. You might not have known, but my progeny are here. My safety, and that of my legacy, is non-negotiable."
At first Emdief didn't know what the noise was, and no alarm showed on his face upon realizing what it was. The masked dwarf was laughing.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 27, 2013, 10:09:48 pm
The lad has done me proud.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I've since told that lazy bum of a leatherworker to get cracking with the backpacks and leather armor. He'll get right on it, he says. After this month-long break. Asshole. Armok forbid we get some prisoners with some work ethic. I went through my files and checked what he's in for. Dereliction of duty and massive procrastination. Yep. Sounds about right.

The lads have been getting antsy, flinging around entirely too many insults during drills in the barracks. I gave them a few months off duty, at least until early autumn. Should help keep them off each other's throats. In some bygone age, when I was young and in the actual army, we'd just carry on training and deal with it. But these aren't civilian conscripts fulfilling their civic duty. These are hardened criminals with a callous disregard for anyone but themselves who didn't know what 'cooperation' meant until I started beating them over the head with it. Hopefully the break will improve their sour moods. If it doesn't, it's more drills for everyone.




The filthy cannibals have come to trade. We old-timers all know what this means. The idiots have probably been trailed by an entire army of goblins and didn't notice a thing. That they didn't notice that they were being followed through this barren waste either speaks highly of goblin camouflage, or poorly of elven eyesight. If the elves bothered to guard their caravans like everybody else, they might not get butchered so easily.

At least they came at a good time. We're running out of lumber. We are also in desperate need of bins, beds, and soap. It was just this morning, when I went through the pile of reports on my desk, that it came to my attention that many of the inmates don't have a cell to rest in. The miners are now busy digging out a new cell block below the catacomb levels. It should have plenty of space for digging downwards in case we need to expand. There were also complaints about the lack of space for chairs and dining tables, so the miners went and dug that up too. They stumbled into part of the tunnel system in the process, but they patched that up with a makeshift wall.

This bin shortage is killing efficiency. Rather than haul a bin full of goods up to the depot, everyone is clutching a single bone figurine or glass goblet and hauling it to the depot. It's taking forever. By the time they are halfway done, I give up and tell the lads to unlock the vampire's office and drag his ass out here. He begins negotiations almost immediately. All of their lumber, animals, hooch and some of their food for a pile of bone figurines and some other crap.

Something is wrong though. After some time negotiating, the conversation turns sour, and the elves begin packing. I guess the idiot vampire tried to sell them something made of wood by mistake, and now they refuse to trade. Oh well. I walk up to the caravan master, ready to play the role of the peacekeeper.


"Is there a problem, sir?"

The elf scowls at me, arms crossed. He gazes down at me, smug as a nobleman. "You have tried to sell us the mangled remains of a beautiful tree. We did not trek across this harsh desert, far from our homes, to be... to be insulted thus! I demand to speak to the dwarf in charge."

"That would be me." The elf seems taken aback by this. What did he expect, a dwarf with a leaf robe and garlands in his hair?

"Fine then. On behalf of the elven race, I hereby demand you apologize for your crimes against nature and insults against elven culture."

"Very well." All this formality is giving me the urge to throw up. "On behalf of dwarvenkind and by the authority vested in me by the people of Steelhold, I hereby apologize for the errors of my broker. Now, if you would be so kind as to cease packing so we may continue to trade-"

"I think not," the elf spits, staring daggers at me. "Apology or no, we do not deal with savages such as yourselves. Better luck next year."

It takes most of my self-control not to burst out laughing. Instead, I resort to the age old deadpan comedy trick: the thick scowl. "You seem quite fond of making demands. Very well. I have a demand of my own." I close the distance to the long-eared prick, staring him down. "You will cease unpacking and continue trading immediately. Or we can do this the hard way. Your choice."

"Absolutely not." He looks unshaken, but his voice betrays his thoughts. He fears for his life now. If only he knew how to hide it.

"So be it."

I signal for my lads to surround the depot. "Seize the goods." The elves protest, try to protect the merchandise. I stare down their leader again, hand hovering near the grip of my morningstar. "Dont make this harder than it already is."

His shoulders slump in defeat. He gives a command in elvish, and the rest of the caravan settles down, dejected, and let us take what we want.

"All this could have been avoided if you were a bit more forgiving," I tell the elf, who glares daggers at me. "Better luck next year."



Morul runs up to me with a scouting report. Another situation down in the caverns. As if the occasional troglodyte tribe wasn't annoying enough. Let's hope it's not as bad as that giant cave spider from last month that ate one of the hunters.

Oh wait. It's not.

It's much fucking worse.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The military scrambles downward, taking up positions by the cavern entrance. They argue in hushed tones.

"You think it'll come flying down on us?"

"Probably, but if it does, we'll hear it."

"But owls are silent fliers."

"Even giant ones?"

"Quiet, the lot of you," I command. They have enough discipline to shut up and nod.

For a while, nothing happens. All we can hear are the natural dripping of the stalactites and the overhead scuttling of bats. The calm of it all begins to unnerve the lads. Not that I blame them. This is like hunting yetis, except the yetis are the ones hunting you. And flying.

Tirist is the first to spot it. He points toward the ceiling of the cavern. I can't make it out at first, but then the massive thing moves into sight, bearing down on one of the recruits holding up the front line.

Good thing the recruit is a speardwarf. The beast impales itself on his weapon, and the rest of us are upon it in an instant. It is not as resilient as the previous beast, and eventually falls to a crossbow bolt through the eye and into the brain.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)



I stare at the jar of tobacco that Corley gave me. It sits on my desk, its contents untouched, inviting me to take up the habit. I almost feel tempted to give in, but I know it's a bad idea. A doctor from the mountainhomes proved the correlation between smoking and lung disease decades ago. Not much use shortening what little time I have left.

I can feel it in my bones. I am old now, even by dwarven standards. Asmoth's husband died of old age just last year, and he was younger than me. I have reached the ripe old age of one-hundred fifty-eight. I should count my blessings and try to live a good life. It's part of what I'm trying to do here. Steelhold was a miserable hole in the ground full of dwarves who, in one way or another, broke the sometimes ridiculous laws of the mountainhomes. I tried to bring it order. Hope. Something they could hold on to, something to help them break free and become independent from the corrupt bastards back home.

Lately, I've been asking myself the same question over and over: why do I do this? Why do I put my neck out for these ungrateful lunatics? Is it some misguided sense of justice? I stopped believing in justice when Kivish Brasswords took the throne. When the cyclopes... bah, nevermind that now. I took this place over, for better or for worse. I guess a part of it is still me being a selfish manipulative bastard with a thirst for power.

A knock on the door. Sighing, I haul my ass out of the chair. Bones creak as I rise. It hasn't become painful, not yet. But it will soon. I've been sleeping longer and breathing harder too. All signs of my own mortality sneaking up on me. I guess dying of old age would be pretty good for a dwarf like me.

The door swings open, and in comes Datan, one of my squaddies and possibly the first dwarf in Steelhold to call me 'chief'. He brings me reports from my unseen eyes around the fort. I thank him, send him on his way, and start reading.

And as I read, the pieces all fall into place. And I discover why, sometimes, it sucks to be right.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 27, 2013, 10:43:35 pm
Corley's Log:

The king accepted my blend of tobacco, though I could see it in his eyes that he had no intention of consuming it. Had I'd known he was a strict non-smoker, I would have given him snuff; I succeeded only in wasting perfectly good tobacco. He is aging quickly, I can see it in the way that he acts -- the way that he speaks. I noticed similar things in my father during his last days; the characteristics of a dwarf whose life is going to come to an end soon are always the same. Perhaps, even with his impressive militaristic record, he will not be an optimal choice for my project. I should not lose faith completely though, he may very well last a while longer.

I suppose that I should request an audience with him, just to be certain as to whether or not I should focus on a new dwarf. He
is old, after all, so he might be easy to manipulate if done properly. A "nice tea" might appeal to him, if the rumors that spread amongst the hardy workers down in the forges are to be believed. If not, "booze" is the weakness of even the noblest of dwarves. I'll send my request to his secretary forthwith.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 28, 2013, 02:23:58 am
It has been drawn to my attention that there are, in fact, inspections that need to be dealt with...and far too many dwarves who have a bad habit of sleep-stabbing other dwarves. 
I have redrawn my bedroom plans to account for this, with the inclusion of a chain, and a chair+table in each room. hopefully most dwarves will continue to use the 'official' dining room.   although...heheh!


But now...to deal with rhaken.  The end of his reign approacheth...



*knock knock*
"Come in."
I opened the door to Rhaken's office.

"Ah, Fractal. What is your buisiness here?"

I helped myself to a chair. "I need the adamant."

Rhaken gazed at me, his face kept neutral. "And just why are you asking me for it? surely you must know I'm not the one who knows where it is."
"True.  However, the masked dwarf has offered it to me on the condition...that I get rid of you."
Rhaken's face darkened.  "And so you would kill me."-it was just barely a question.
"On the contrary. I need you alive just as much as I need the adamant."
"..."
"I want to fake your death.  Once I have the adamant, you will be revealed as still alive."

"And I suppose you'd be willing to just let me retake power once you woke me up?"-sarcasm, of course. 

I laughed sheepishly. "Well...not quite.  I propose a triumvirate of sorts: you, in charge of military matters, while I take charge of luxury matters like bedrooms."
Rhaken raised an eyebrow. "Alternatively, I could carry on as overseer."

I shook my head. "Lets not play that game.  Maskdwarf wants you out of the way for some reason or other.  I have enough dwarves on my side to overwhelm your boys through sheer numbers, albeit at great cost.  You simply can't remain as overseer for much longer no matter what you do...but my way, you can retain a fair amount of power, possibly untill you die of old age."
Rhaken considered this. 
"all well and good...but who would be the third member?"
"Isn't it obvious? you'd be millitary, I'd be luxury, and that leaves Mechanics."
"Emdief?"
I nodded. "oh. and I think we'll have corley make up the fake-death drug."
"...do I want to know?"
"Oh. well, he's one of the fort's best chemists...er, poison experts."
"ah. is that all?"
I nodded.
As I left, rhaken muttered, "this either changes everything or nothing..."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 28, 2013, 10:51:24 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Emdief's face remained passive, despite the massive urge to grin. So, the masked dwarf didn't know as much as it thought. Or it was trying to give that impression. You can't take anything about magic at face value; experimentation to confirm things tends to end disastrously.
"Well then. Good to know magic is countered by doubt. I'll tell you what you need to know."
Although it was impossible to tell beneath the mask, Emdief new the prophet was smiling. With how much arrogance, it was impossible to know.
"The first thing you need to know is his source of magic. He carries with him a book. I haven't examined it closely, but it's a massive thaumaturgical anomaly. It radiates power directly to him, but it's more strange than that. Its emissions vary wildly. If a consciousness is required to generate magic, I'd be uncertain of this book's sanity. If it isn't a conscious entity, it's drawing power through it from somewhere I can't detect. Something that's not part of our mundane reality."
Emdief looked the masked prophet straight in the eyes - or at least straight in the eye-holes.
"I don't know what your planning to do with this information, and I assume it won't end well. But I've said my piece. The only other thing I could tell you that you haven't mentioned in that your 'true gods' aren't the only ones. I've seen a dwarf get cursed before. Some entity, or entities, protects the gods' temples. But I assume your masters would have told you that, and you know full well what you risk by blaspheming against our more traditional deities."
"Now it's your turn. I need to know what you're planning with the adamantine. Because believe you me, I have no intention of meeting your gods. And if it's possible for me to do so, I think I can arrange for them not wanting to meet me, either. You might not have known, but my progeny are here. My safety, and that of my legacy, is non-negotiable."
At first Emdief didn't know what the noise was, and no alarm showed on his face upon realizing what it was. The masked dwarf was laughing.
The masked dwarf chuckled, staring at the ignorant dwarf in front of him.   They were all ignorant, ignorant to the true extent of what was going on.  They were posturing like rats in front of lions, pretending to be in charge.
"Worry you not, Emdief, the adamantine is not here for any summonings.  My gods are perfectly content where they are, the little you know about them."
"Then what is it for?"
The masked dwarf sighed.  The ignorance of these dwarves.
"Study"/i]
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 28, 2013, 10:28:59 pm
O.o
...
The die has been cast.  Either rhaken will accept my offer...or try to have me killed in a misguided effort to maintain power yet another year.   All that remained was to wait.
well.  I suppose I could start planning where to put the portal...


AHAH! I shall hide it in plain sight, and rotate it 90 degrees so that caravans can pass through it on their way to the depot!

-but I'll definitely need Emdief's thaumometer.  If I lay it on the side, it will increase the trans-dimensional stress due to crossing gravity field-lines unless I get it positioned precisely. . 

-oh, no, I won't be sending caravans on a trans-dimensional journey.  Once I zip back to the first portal, I can reprogram it to only let me through. 

OOC: Once my turn starts, I may or may not have the time to post seasonal updates...my current plans call for 6k dig designation squares, about 1k construced flooring tiles, and over 300 wood just for the windmill array-oh, obviously I won't have all that wood during my turn, but I think I can free up enough cages and bins to allow future overseers to finish the array without feeling like they're drawing wood away from 'important' tasks. Anyone want more details?

Also: MDFI, do you want any materials ordered up for your turn? How much space is your defense going to require? (In particular: how many z-levels tall is it going to be? )
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 29, 2013, 01:27:00 am
O.o
PLOT TWIST!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 29, 2013, 01:56:49 am
Yeah, lol, both our characters think the other is planning to open up a Can Of Eviltm.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 29, 2013, 03:12:40 am
If this persists, it may even go nicely with a pre-planned plot twist that I've planned.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 29, 2013, 06:37:11 am
The meeting with the fractaldwarf, along with my recent discovery, has left a sour taste in my mouth. The wheel is turning far faster than I would like. Yet if it was slower, I might not live to see a conclusion to this whole clusterfuck. Ah, the shit you think of in your old age.

I need to clear my head, get some work done. Seeing that my reports heap is completely empty,  I walk to the execution chamber and approach the far wall. Behind a basalt door, I can hear the rattling of chains, the vile cursing of greenskins. I enter, and stare down the captives. Chained to the wall ahead of me are eight emaciated goblins, barely capable of movement. Heavy chains of iron and lead wrap around their arms, legs, torsos and necks. They can writhe on the floor, and barely at that. They turn to face me as best they can, screaming at me, struggling to break free and attack.


"Rut, obsto og," I snarl at them in their native tongue - what little I know of it. I walk past them to the lead door at the end of the room, into the 'guest bedrooms'. Another lead door leads me to my entertainment: the goblin axemaster, leader of the last siege. I heft my morningstar. She looks up at me, defiant but terrified. I pull the heavy weapon over my head.

This is gonna be fun.




The humans have come to trade. After loading up, the lads let the vampire broker out - turns out he lost the last election - but the asshole heads off to the cell blocks. Morul gives chase and hauls his ass back to his cell. Seems he doesn't feel like cooperating. I'll let it slide, just this once. Melek volunteers to handle the trading, and does a pretty neat job of it. No fuss, no muss, and we suddenly have a lumber supply again. A shame they didn't bring as many valley herbs this year. That stuff is too valuable to pass up.

Once Melek is done trading and making her way back to the hospital, I approach one of the traders, a wizened old wagon driver with a sun-weathered face and rheumy eyes. Much to his surprise, I greet him in his native tongue. We engage in conversation, sharing a plump helmet from my pack, looking for all the world like two old friends. The old man proves himself to be quite affable.

After an hour of conversation, I help him pack and prepare the wagon. Now is the time to strike. I ask him to tell me about a certain part of the history of their civilization. One he probably isn't old enough to remember, but I'm sure he's old enough to know the tale.

I whisper a single word in the human language.
Koromsos.

Orderumbral.

The old man's face darkens. And he tells me all I need to know.




Stoneworkers run about the recently excavated hall, tools in hand, smoothing the rough stone walls. Haulers bring in statues, some made of stone, others lead, and a single one made of gold. It depicts Bobrur Fragranceglitter the Bodices of Romancing, goddess of children, pregnancy and marriage, head bowed. The centerpiece of this chamber. My mausoleum.

I had wanted something far simpler at first. Just a small, private place where Onul and I could be laid to rest once our time is up. But now that the fractaldwarf had come forward with his plan, that had to change. This would probably be my last great work as overseer of Steelhold. A memorial hall to my squad, my faithful soldiers, lining the entrance to my crypt. Inside, a platinum sarcophagus for myself, and another for my wife. A beautiful place, to be admired by all.

And under my sarcophagus, beneath a false floor, the hidden chamber where I would hide until it was time to announce my survival. A small bunker, with a bed, training equipment, food and booze.

I realize now that the fractaldwarf was right. If I deny him his plan, there will be too much bloodshed. I would end up either dead, or ruling a handful of dwarves who would be forever shaped by the ordeal. If I ally myself with the masked one, I will become a puppet to powers I do not care to serve. So the only wise option is death. Albeit a fake one.

Of course, if they try anything stupid, they will that this old dwarf is a crafty sonuvabitch. I may agree with the plan, but that doesn't mean I trust them to hold up their end of the bargain.

One thing is certain. I will tell none of this to Onul. I may love my wife more than anything in the world, but she is still in the maskdwarf's congregation. Oh yes, she gives me the rundown of all the sermons. But she could be under the influence of some spell of his. As much as it pains me to keep her in the dark, it will have to be done. It is the only way.




On my recent walks to the surface, I've noticed that the days are getting shorter. Autumn will end in a few weeks. Work on the mausoleum is almost complete. Lenehan's own beachside tomb has been restored, and the entranceway is in the process of being boobytrapped. I have a feeling Corley will be a bit more amiable next time we meet.

A scout barges into the office, interrupting me in the middle of the week's reports. From the looks of him, he sprinted down here all the way from the surface.


"Calm yourself, lad. What is it?"

"To the south, sir," he says, breathless. "A cyclops has entered the territory from the south."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I freeze in place. For a brief second, the blood turns to ice in my veins, before it comes boiling back with a vengeance. I start gritting my teeth, hand crushing the grip of my morningstar. I tell the scout he can go, then storm out of the office, heading topside, barking orders without breaking stride.

"All of you, with me. Now, godsdammit! We've got a cyclops in the area. Haul ass."

I don't think I've ever walked so fast, even my youth. My squad follows me to the surface, then toward the southern beach. We find the massive beast pounding at the door of Lenehan's tomb. I'd say something about no rest for the wicked, but that would be hypocritical of me.

We close with the cyclops. The monster roars and bears its teeth. For a brief moment, a long-lost, blood-spattered image returns to my mind. It almost breaks me, like it did all those years ago. But not this time. The time for grief is past. The time for vengeance is now.

I sound the charge. We move to topple the hideous creature, striking at its legs, dodging the swings of its massive arms. An axe to the leg manages to hobble it slightly. The cyclops decides now would be a good time to run like hell, and it makes a break for it, trying to escape us. Its injuries don't seem to impede it at all.

Not on my watch, motherfucker.


"Chase it down and kill it!" I want that cyclops dead. I want its children dead. I want its parents dead. And if the lads don't, I'll do it myself.

We give it chase through the beach and onto the higher ground of the desert. Without the injured leg, the cyclops would be moving faster than any of us. As it stands, we are keeping up, but just barely. The monster leads us on a merry chase across the sand, nine dwarves sprinting to keep up with a limping cyclops. Some of the lads are running out of wind when I notice where the beast is heading. It trips the mechanism, and a massive cage slams down over it.

Normally, I would be grinning. I would have found this whole thing terribly amusing. Not this time. I walk up to the cage, grim-faced. I can see the hate in the cyclops's eye. The feeling is mutual. I spit in its face.


"Lock the fucker up. It's mine now."

The lads look confused. They've never seen their commander this furious before. If only they knew why.



The dwarven caravan came while we hunted the cyclops. I manage to calm myself in time approach one of the merchants - a merchant I knew would be coming. I paid him for it, after all. I make a subtle show of inspecting his wares for a while. Once the inspector is gone, I take the agent aside and start talking.

From within his midnight-blue cloak, he pulls a long, thin canister. Within is a bundle of scrolls, many of them sealed with the royal crest, others heavily worn, others still partially burned, as if someone had tried to dispose of them but had been interrupted. I give him my thanks, and hand him a masterful green glass vial, filled to the brim with golden salve. What he uses it for, I could not care less.

He has brought me the information I need. With this, I should finally have the evidence to confirm my suspicions. I quickly head down to my office, to prepare for a night of revelations. I tell the lads that I am not to be disturbed until the next day, and sit down behind my desk. I open the case of scrolls, pull them out one at a time, laying them on the desk. I pick up one of the worn scrolls. I know I've seen it before. But it was in much better repair back then. I quickly do the math in my head, and realize I haven't seen it in one hundred and thirty eight years. By the gods, I was only twenty then. I unroll it, gentle as a feather, and begin to read.

Several hours into my studies, Onul returns home, surprised to see me still awake. She walks around the desk, moving in close to see what I'm reading. I put my arm around her waist. I'm not sure if it's the look on my face or the contents of the scrolls, but she figures out what's going on in no time. She sighs. I make no effort to hide anything. This whole mess concerns her as well.

Under different circumstances, we could have used this in court against the queen herself. And changed the course of history. If only we weren't prisoners. If only the courts in Chainbell and Sprinkledlabor weren't so corrupt. Things might have been very different then. But now, I wasn't sure I'd live long enough to see this matter settled.

Ah, the shit you think of in your old age.




I awaken in my bed with my arms around Onul, exactly how I fell asleep after our lovemaking. From the sounds of activity outside, I'd have to guess it's just before lunch time. I get up and get myself in armor as quietly as I can. She rises from bed when I'm strapping on my weapon harness. We hold each other again for a while, and she leaves after a fashion. I pour myself a mug of ale from my desk drawers and grab a piece of plump helmet roast. I eat in morose silence, pondering. I've already decided what I'm going to do. But I still can't stop thinking of the implications.

Once I'm done eating, I call Urvad, of the Constructive Fed Daggers, my wife's squad.


"Urvad, go fetch me Corley, Emdief and the fractaldwarf. Tell them to bring the stuff. They'll know what I mean. Corley should be down in the forges. Emdief is probably either assembling machinery or at the shooting range."

"What about the fractaldwarf?" He takes me for a fool.

"You know where to find him," I tell him, my tone heavy with reproach. "Bring them here at once."

His shoulders slump. "How long have you known?"

"The whole time. Now get moving."

"Yes, chief."



The dwarves I called for have assembled in my office. Emdief fidgets with his crossbow. Corley dabs at his soot-stained hands with a rope reed hankerchief that had once been white. The fractaldwarf just smiles, sitting sideways in his chair. I've no doubt the fractaldwarf has informed the other two of the plan. I have witnesses to confirm it. The maskdwarf isn't here. Emdief's device would be going off if he was.

I stand behind my desk, gauntleted hands on the basalt surface, holding down a small stack of papers I'd prepared during the night. I set my eyes on each of them in turn, ensuring they are all paying attention before I speak.


"You all know the plan. I have agreed to go along with it. We will stage the incident on new year's eve, during a party I will organize to inaugurate the sculpture garden and my mausoleum. My lads will be informed of some of the situation, details omitted, so they can maintain order but still allow the takeover. However..."

I settle my glare on the fractaldwarf. "None of this will happen if you fail to hold up your end of the bargain. I have taken precautions to ensure it. Starting with the drug.

"You will perform a live demonstration of the drug in action. Right now. On Corley, and someone else. Then you will leave it with me, to ensure it doesn't get swapped or spiked. If it doesn't work as advertised, my lads have instructions to barge in here and handle matters with extreme prejudice." I neglect to mention that Emdief is technically one of my lads, and is in on this. I also neglect to mention that the training complex is on lockdown until I give the order, so they can't exactly escape.

I can see the unspoken question in their eyes. Demonstrate on who? But I thought of that in advance as well. I call for Urvad. The two-timer walks into the office, looking uneasy. The lads outside shut the door behind him, startling him. He starts sweating.


"Demonstrate on him. Urvad, I suggest you cooperate before you piss me off." I can smell the lad's fear, like a wolf smells a lamb. His thoughts are crystal clear, reflected in his eyes. He thinks for a second that he can just charge over the desk and take me out himself. Except he has seen me fight. His skull would be crushed into a fine paste before he could reach me, and he knows it.

I stare at each dwarf in turn once more.


"Do this right, and today I will reveal to you the darkest secrets of the realm. Fail, and the truth dies with me."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 29, 2013, 07:36:11 am
OOC: Once my turn starts, I may or may not have the time to post seasonal updates...my current plans call for 6k dig designation squares, about 1k construced flooring tiles, and over 300 wood just for the windmill array-oh, obviously I won't have all that wood during my turn, but I think I can free up enough cages and bins to allow future overseers to finish the array without feeling like they're drawing wood away from 'important' tasks. Anyone want more details?

Also: MDFI, do you want any materials ordered up for your turn? How much space is your defense going to require? (In particular: how many z-levels tall is it going to be? )

I'm not actually going to build that due to turtling being something that's not done in succession games. You can build however a combination drowning/dodge-me trap with materials available from the first year and make your fort entrance pretty much impenetrable to non-flyer assault. It takes 2 z-levels at least, but you could easily build it above ground.

Also you stole my thaumometer. Magic users.

EDIT: So the Thaumometer got stolen. Wonder when I should notice that. Probably after the transition of power.
EDIT2: Reading closer, I notice that the Thaumometer hasn't actually been stolen. Probably Moisturizer is playing with it, or something. Time to explore the wonderful world of paranoia and false accusations. No dwarf is infallible, after all.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 29, 2013, 03:34:51 pm
I'll just add a few weapon traps to the current defense...and fix the cage stockpiles.

p.s. one usually tests the non-lethals on both the creator AND a random victim.  If creator survives, at least you know there is an antidote somewhere.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 29, 2013, 03:43:52 pm
I'll just add a few weapon traps to the current defense...and fix the cage stockpiles.

p.s. one usually tests the non-lethals on both the creator AND a random victim.  If creator survives, at least you know there is an antidote somewhere.


....Brb, retconning that. Dammit. This is what I get for writing until six in the morning. At least I got a fair part of the next update done in advance.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 29, 2013, 05:14:35 pm
Corley took one last drag of his cigarette, then removed the old holder from his mouth and stamped it against the basalt desk, effectively putting it out and leaving a permanent mark on the piece of furniture. Rhaken glared at the young dwarf, but he did not even return the glance. Instead, he reached into his coat, depositing the wooden holder and removing a pewter flask and two phials made of crystal glass -- a valued material amongst the dwarves.

"Golden salve," Corley began as he poured a sickly red liquid into the phials, "is not the only substance that valley herbs can make."

The viscous liquid took some time to settle in the phials. Corley re-sealed the flask, and placed it on the desk in front of Rhaken.

"In fact," he continued, "it is not the healing properties of the salve that makes it such a valued item on the black market, but rather the natural properties of the original herb's extracts as a powerful depressant. I have become -- in my experience with rolling various types of cigarettes -- quite familiar with such properties of the valley herb, and I believe that I have found a means to use it to feign death."

Corley began to walk towards Urvad, who by this point was shaking uncontrollably. Corley handed him one of the phials, and began to twirl his own tentatively between his sooty fingers.

"Drink it," Rhaken commanded. The dwarf shoved the phial into his mouth and leaned his head backwards, allowing the thick substance to slowly drip down his throat. Once the phial was empty, he let it drop to the ground and shatter, and began to moan painfully of the horrible taste.

"The extract from the valley herbs, combined with the relaxing qualities of wine, have created a substance that will slowly cause the systems of the body to shut down," explained Corley to the small group.

"Shut down?" asked Urvad nervously, whilst clutching at his stomach.

"Indeed. Over the hour or two, you should find your body to be numb, your dexterity extremely limited, and careful thought processes to be difficult. In about another hour, your body will probably stop regulating its heat -- essentially becoming cold-blooded -- and your muscles will be completely relaxed and not functional. Quickly following that, your heart-rate and breathing will become so slow and shallow that even the greatest doctor would assume you dead until the potion wears off in thirty hours. Unfortunately, there is a flaw with the substance"

"What sort of flaw?" enquired Rhaken and Urvad simultaneously.

"My potion will not cause you to lose consciousness, so you'll be at least semi-aware for the full thirty hours. Certain feelings, such as boredom, anxiety, or fear, also cannot be blocked."

Corley finished there, and removed his cigarette-case once more.

"I ask that you all smoke to the health of Urvad, Rhaken, and I," said he as he began to pass out his cigarettes to the dwarves in the room. When he had finished he set the case back in its ordinary pocket, and raised his open phial into the air. Slumping back into his seat, he proposed a toast: "To Steelhold! and its mighty king Rhaken!"

With that, he downed the contents of his phial.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 29, 2013, 05:42:35 pm
Emdief watched the two dwarves fall to the ground. After a few minutes, and after making sure Corley's eyes were closed, the phial of the potion was quickly scooped up and a generous portion of the serum stored in a bottle brought just for this occasion. Rhaken noticed, of course, but didn't say anything. Taking samples for study or future use was sensible. Emdief was sure that by the end of the night, a sample would have found its way to Melek's possession, should Rhaken imagine she could be trusted.
There surely would be work to do, waiting for the dwarves to wake up. Testing to see if they respond to noise, smell, light shone in the eyes, pain... that, no doubt, was why he had been summoned here.
As his mind wandered, Emdief reached into his pocket to finger his Thaumometer. Checking it was almost second nature, in Steelhold.

It wasn't there.

Emdief's face remained passive, as always. He was known for it. But nonetheless, a feeling of panic welled up inside the engineer. It couldn't have left his possession on its own. Someone took it. As far as he knew, only three dwarves knew about the device; the masked dwarf, Rhaken and Fractaldwarf. Rhaken had no reason to take the device from him - he knew their contract would be honored. The Masked Dwarf had no reason Emdief could fathom, as he'd already told it where the magic in the fort originated. That left the least mentally stable dwarf in the room.

Emdief shot the Fractaldwarf a glare. Reflexively, his grip on his crossbow tightened.


"I don't know what you're plotting, sir. But if I don't hear a detailed explanation of how you appropriated my property and for what purpose you thought this was a good idea, that book of yours is going into the fireplace. I won't be touching it, mind you. You'll do that if you value your life."

The masked dwarf could be watching them right now. Damn. At least he'd be getting a good show.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 30, 2013, 12:55:47 am
I tuck away the cigarette Corley gave me. I am not comfortable with the idea of smoking something made by the same dwarf who had devised a fake death potion. I don't like being called king either, but show no sign of it. Minutes later, Corley and Urvad seem to become more sluggish.

"I suppose now we wait for thirty hours then. No problem. I have food and drink for all of us here. The inspector will be busy going through the cell blocks and sweatshops, which will take days anyway. If he comes here to ask, he'll hear something about a search for apparently stolen property on the premises, no one allowed in or out, the works."

"Now. Let's discuss the future."

Best to do this while Corley is still conscious. Over the next two hours, while the lad is still awake, we discuss the terms of this alliance. I hear the fractaldwarf's plans, as well as Emdief's ideas for the defenses. No doubt about it, the lad is a genius.

When the two dwarves, noble's son and doublecrosser, both lose their senses and begin to fall, I'm there to keep Corley from banging his head. Urvad is not so lucky. His helmet will protect that empty melon. I catch Emdief taking a sample of the drug, but give no indication of it.

A sign of trouble. Seems like the fractaldwarf stole something of Emdief's. The lad starts making threats. I move to defuse the situation before it gets ugly.


The engineer is agitated. "Maskdwarf could be watching us right now. And we have no way of knowing," he says, perhaps a bit louder than he intended.

"He's not watching us." The two dwarves raise inquisitive eyebrows. "Even he can't hide from my gaze."

Through a careful combination of orders and common sense, I manage to get Emdief to stand down long enough for the fractaldwarf to explain himself. The two speak at length until the matter of this thaumometer, as the lad calls it, is settled. Then I turn to Emdief again.

"Feel free to start testing. Just no injuring or drawing blood. From either of them."

The lad goes about his business meticulously, testing the two dwarves for response to any and all kinds of stimuli, taking notes along the way. For all intents and purposes, they seem to be dead. Neither dwarf responds to anything. Not even the nutstomp, though the lad was gentle enough that it wouldn't hurt by the time they recovered from the potion's effects.

After testing is done, I quickly clean my desk. From a drawer, I pull out three mugs and a bottle of wine, still sealed. I uncork it with a buckle on my armor, and fill the three cups, taking a swig from my own to show that it's safe. From another drawer, a platter of plump helmets.


"Take your seats, have a meal. There is still much to discuss."



The drug works as advertised. After lengthy discussions on the logistics and future of Steelhold, wild speculation as to the maskdwarf's intentions, six redos of Emdief's stimuli tests, and unterminable rounds of charades (at the fractaldwarf's insistence), Corley and Urvad finally wake up. They are groggy and exhausted. Emdief and I get them to their feet, direct them to the food and booze on the desk. Neither of them bothers to consider that it might be poisoned before digging in with gusto. Once they are sated, I forcibly boot Urvad from my office, and gather the three dwarves around.

"You held up your end of the bargain. Now I'll hold mine. But before the three of you leave, remember that I promised to reveal secrets. I intend to keep that promise as well."

From a cabinet, I retrieve several papers. Most are recent, not yet aged or mildewed. All but one. I settle them down on the desk and direct their eyes to the first paper, which I unfold and turn so they can read it. On it is a timeline, drawn by me during the night, beginning with a marker for the year 28 and going all the way up to the present day.

"First, the order of events." I point to each date as I mention it. "Year 28, still in the Age of Myth. Asmel Pulleyclenches, the first queen of The Gloves of Admiring, our civilization, is killed in deadly combat against a one-eyed horror mate Alath Citymoral the Tenebrous Phantom of Twilight in the mountainhomes, Sprinkledlabor, in the dead of winter. Months earlier, a similar creature had slain Shem Bravepainted, her son, whom she was grooming to become king."

"Year 29, early in the spring. Finding that most of her siblings were either dead or unwilling, Zasit Lashedtrusses, the queen's fifth daughter, takes it upon herself to rule from her mother's throne. She quickly becomes a favorite of the people."

"Year 36, very first day of spring. The colony of Chainbell is founded. The Gloves of Admiring grows in power, influence, and population."

"Year 76, midsummer. Likot Lockedgears profanes The Tenebrous Abbey, a sacred temple in Chainbell where he served as high priest. For his sacrilege, the gods curse him to prowl the night in search of blood."

"Year 92, early summer. Obok Wealthsbanners is born. Her father, Tun Cryptscribed, mayor of Chainbell, fears he will lose the next election, leaving him with no way to support his family. He goes to the Tenebrous Abbey to pray. Finding his prayers unanswered, he defiles a sacred idol and is cursed with the bloodthirst for his sins."

"Year 98, middle of autumn. I am born in Paddleunion."

"Year 109, early winter. Two strange dwarves arrive in the human town of Orderumbral in the dead of night. They run into the sewer system, saying something about needing to be underground. Thus began what the humans now refer to as the Tyranny of Orderumbral, when the vampires Likot Lockedgears and Tun Cryptscribed ruled the settlement from the shadows, taking thousands of lives over a number of years to sate their bloodlust."

"Year 110. I marry Onul, and begin hunting in the Persuasive Blizzards to support us."

"Year 112. Caught in a blizzard while out hunting, I take refuge in what appears to be an abandoned cave. Inside, I find Olon Daggerfinger, the queen's elder brother and spymaster. He presses me into service and begins teaching me the arts of espionage and military strategy that very night." They look mildly suprised at that. Wonder how they'll react when the big stuff rolls around.

"Year 118. Dobar Theaterurges, the one surviving son queen Zasit, is slain by a cyclops. Zasit is left with no surviving children, and thus no heir."

"Year 133. After twenty years of service, I am finally permitted to tell my wife what I'm really doing. I am also given my own network of spies and become spymaster for the Queen's Third Army."

"Year 150. The vampire Tun Cryptscribed is slain Oku Constructcudgel, a human woman. She frees a dwarf woman whom the vampire had taken captive - Obok Wealthsbanners, the vampire's own daughter."

"Year 152. Olon Daggerfinger dies of old age. I inherit the position of royal spymaster."

"Year 167. Queen Zasit Lashedtrusses dies of old age. The royal line is extinguished. From the chaos emerges a charismatic dwarf woman - Obok Wealthsbanners of Chainbell. She gains the support of the people in a handful of months, and is crowned queen later that same year. My spies investigate her, and find that she was missing from Chainbel for years."

"Year 170. Obok begins purging her precedessor's advisors one by one. As you might expect, she starts with the royal spymaster - me. I am branded as a deserter and common criminal, and forced to flee in the night with my wife before they can arrest us. We return to the Persuasive Blizzards, change our names. I stay in touch with my agents, and find out that the queen has been making arrests left and right, rooting out the old regime. She doesn't seem to pay much mind to the ones that escaped. Investigation into her life continues, but at a crawl."

"Year 183. My daughter is born. Many of my agents have gone off the grid, but the realm is more calm now. If you discout the rising corruption throughout the kingdom. Onul and I are too far from the major cities to really be bothered with it."

"Year 185. Midsummer." My face and tone turn to frozen steel. "I return home from hunting to find my door smashed in, and a trail of gigantic footprints leading into the nearby woods. I follow them, and find my daughter's broken body in the hands of a cyclops. The cyclops escapes before I can regain my composure."

A short pause as I shake the memory from my head. Then I resume.

"Year 194. Queen Obok gives birth to Kol Ivyattic. One year later, my own son Udil is born. My spy network has been slowly recovering, but is still much smaller than when I was royal spymaster."

"Year 206. The queen gives birth to Rith Ochreblotted, her first daughter. News reach my ears of numerous deaths in Chainbell Penitentiary. An entire wing of the prison collapses into a sinkhole. A wing made up almost entirely of political prisoners of Zasit's reign."

"Year 214. Kol Ivyattic, the queen's firstborn, dies in a cyclops attack. Year 215. Kivish Brasswords, our current queen, is born. By the time she can walk, her mother has begun to groom her as heiress to the throne. My spies finally discover where Obok was during her absence from Chainbell. She was in Orderumbral."

"Year 225. Rith Ochreblotted, eldest of the queen's children, is killed by a cyclops while on a hunting trip. This leaves Kivish as the oldest surviving child."

"Year 233. A patrol from the mountainhomes arrives at my home to find it empty. I had already fled with Onul and our baby Stinthad, deep into the frozen wastes. Months later, when I emerge and establish contact with my spies again, I find that my son Udil has been killed in Chainbell. By a cyclops."

"Year 235. My family is still being hunted, and we are running out of money, food and safehouses. I leave my wife with the boy at a relative's place, recruit some thugs and take up organized crime. If they want me to be a terrorist, then I'll be a terrorist. My investigations continue, but the network has shrunk again."

"Year 240. Kivish, heiress to the crown, disappears. The queen makes a grand show of appearing distraught, but my sources tell me she doesn't even send out a search party."

"Year 243. Queen Obok dies of old age. Within weeks, Kivish has returned to claim the throne for herself. During winter of that same year, my gang gets ambushed by guardsmen in Sprinkledlabor during a robbery gone wrong. My entire crew is killed. I alone am taken prisoner. Since I had changed my name and aged considerably, no dwarf could recognize me as Queen Zasit's royal spymaster. I am sent to a common prison in the mountainhomes. Upon hearing the news, my wife gets herself arrested as well. I pull some strings, and we end up on the same cell block. My agents continue their work, but no reliable way of getting their intel back to me."

I fold the timeline away. "We all know the rest. Steelhold is founded. We get transferred. And so on. I was almost willing to give up on my old life and start again as a heartless, iron-fisted criminal warlord. Until I saw that raccoon-thing kill a child in front of me."

"Until last year, I'd had very little word from my agents. But it turns out that one of the merchants in the caravan from the mountainhomes was one of my spies. He gave me the results of his search, and I gave him new assignments to hand out. It's thanks to their work that I have all of this information now."

I unfold another piece of paper, lay it down on the desk. A list of names, accompanied by date of birth and, if applicable, date of death. A small genealogy of the royal lines of The Gloves of Admiring, along with several others. Including a particular family of cyclopes.

"The pieces finally clicked into place when I put them together like this. Central to this mess are The Tenebrous Abbey in Chainbell, the vampires Tun and Likot, the cyclops tribe and Orderumbral." Laid out on paper like this, it was impossible not to see. The current royal line descended from the vampire Tun. Tun, who had been dead for over a century.

"My agents couldn't investigate the Abbey. It is patrolled around the clock by a dedicated company of guardsdwarves. We also lost all trail of the vampire Likot after his partner Tun was killed. All we know is that he's not in Orderumbral anymore. But we did manage to investigate the cyclops tribe."

"It turns out that the monsters are linked to Linkot. We don't know how. We do know that they are being controlled, and had contact with the vampire mere months before he moved to Orderumbral. Somehow, they are either under Likot's control, or at the beck and call of the royal family. Some of the family, anyway."

"And now for the big one." I took the last paper I had prepared. It was a scroll, too large for a dwarf to handle comfortably. Its rim was frayed and edged in rot, but it still didn't look its full age. I unroll it to the best of my ability, keeping the inside turned to me.

"When the human Oku killed Tun, she took the opportunity to raid his treasure vault. It was filled with gold, jewels, statues and forbidden tomes. And at the back of the vault, in a small alcove concealed by a fake wall section, she found this."I turn the scroll toward them. They gape.

Drawn on the scroll was a perfect likeness of the maskdwarf's mask.




OOC: Final update and save coming today!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: highmax28 on December 30, 2013, 01:05:45 am
I've been busy with other things... I guess its high time i got myself caught up to speed...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 30, 2013, 01:34:32 am
I've been busy with other things... I guess its high time i got myself caught up to speed...
Indeed! You have a character running about the fort and we haven't heard anything from him. This must change.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 30, 2013, 01:42:51 am
The vampire paced the room, counting his steps as he went.  One, two three...
A sudden movement in the shadows of the room caught his attention, and from the shadows stepped the masked dwarf.  The vampire sighed,
"So, slayer of my kin, you have deigned to confront me?"
"Not confront you.  I have become wiser since my youth, more focused.  I know my true objective now"
"Then why have you come, walker in darkness?"
"I come to deliver a warning."
"A warning of what?"
"Rhaken knows who you are.  It is only a matter of time."
The vampire snorted, "as if I didn't know that.  What's your point?"
"My point, cursed one, is that you will soon have a choice to make.  Choose wisely."
With that, the shadows whirled around the masked dwarf, and he was gone.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: highmax28 on December 30, 2013, 01:53:58 am
I've been busy with other things... I guess its high time i got myself caught up to speed...
Indeed! You have a character running about the fort and we haven't heard anything from him. This must change.
He's been... Biding his time...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 30, 2013, 05:41:09 am
What follows are the musings of a being who's either dangerously sane or dangerously insane; it doesn't really matter which. keh heh.


Normally, Das Ebal would be quite fireproof, and maybe even magma proof. 
Even in it's current condition, you'd have to leave it in a fire for quite some time to destroy it...
Not that I was about to tell Emdief that.
I did, however, mention that destroying Das Ebal would probably unseal an entire fortress in the middle of steel hold.

Then Rhaken stepped in to calm us down.
That's probably the biggest reason I need Rhaken around: I need Emdief's help with the thaumometer (assuming maskdwarf hasn't gone and destroyed it, in which case only Emdief can hope to build an adequate replacement)-and I need Rhaken to keep Emdiefcalm enough not to shoot poison bolts at me.

If fate weren't on my side, it'd probably make it go wrong.
As it was, this whole house of cards would probably come crashing down when my year was up. 
It would probably involve valley herbs, a 10 poison-drinkswap pileup as part of a general 50-gambit pileup, and a naked mole rat.

Or just 50 goblins in the hallways. That works too.
for remember: the other option is the destruction of reality!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 31, 2013, 12:38:47 am
How's the big reveal going, Rhaken?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on December 31, 2013, 01:06:08 am
The cyclops struggles against its bindings. A valiant effort, but useless. It has been hogtied with a leaden chain, a position where it cannot exert the full extent of its prodigious strength. The single eye turns to me, the beast squirming, snarling, baring its jagged, rotting teeth. I stare the cyclops in its eye, spit into it. I am not impressed. Once again, I spit in its eye. The creature bellows and tries to break free. No success.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I pace around the creature, ancient memories surfacing. For a brief second, it all comes back to me. The puddle of blood. The shattered body. Holding the mangled, broken thing that had been my daughter, laying her to rest in a coffin, never to see her again. I was younger then. I had screamed at the gods, demanding to know why they had let it happen. It was only years later that I had figured out why. We were too small in the eyes of gods for them to give a damn.

Teeth grinding, I draw my morningstar. Normally, I would interrogate first, see what other information I can glean before fulfilling my duty as hammerer. Not this time. Cyclops are far too stupid to comprehend languages like dwarven. I was okay with that this time. Just this once, I was willing to communicate through the universal language of hate.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I wipe bits of skull from my morningstar, my breath ragged. Looking at the shattered corpse in front of me, I feel no elation. No sense of victory. This was not the cyclops that had murdered my daughter, or my son. A numbness washes over me, burying the anger somewhere deep. Sunken-eyed, I head back to the office, knowing full well that I have accomplished nothing.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)



I spend the rest of winter putting my acting skills to the test. As fas as anyone around the fortress can tell, I'm looking brighter than ever. My mausoleum is complete, and its scupture garden will be inaugurated during the turn of the year. We passed annual inspection with flying colors. The goblins seem to be avoiding our lands like the plague, we are producing valuable crafts and goods, and we have food and booze to last us years. The new mayor has even taken it upon himself to sew clothes for the entire prison. Seems like they are quite content with having me in charge of things.

I just smile, and do nothing to show that my reign is at an end.

It's harder around Onul. She and I have been married our entire adult lives. I spend the entirety of the cold season being just a tad more romantic than usual, rekindling our passion of over one hundred years. She doesn't know the plan. She will not know until I reemerge. If I reemerge. She will call me selfish for this. She will be angry. But in the end, she will understand. She always does. She is wife to the former royal spymaster, after all.




Everyone has gathered in the meeting hall. It is new year's eve, a few hours after the sun went down over the surface world. The grand feast I have called for is coming to an end. The dwarves are just about done gorging themselves, and now turn to alcohol to pass the rest of the evening. I give them some time, waiting for the final hour of the final day of the year, and then stand up. My commanding voice calls turns every head in the room in my direction.

"Denizens of Steelhold! Hear me!" Hushed silence descends upon the dining room.

"Two years ago," I begin, "we faced dire times. Supplies were running low, we had no way to defend ourselves, and many were recovering from the elf plague. Some of us were at the brink of despair."

I give them a moment to take it in before continuing. "Yet look at us now! We have enough food and booze to throw a feast. We have established trade, and beaten back the goblin scourge. We have come back stronger than ever!"

A round of applause follows my words. I raise a hand to slow it down. My face hardens.

"But we are not yet done. Not while the mountainhomes call our home a prison. Not while the goblins harass us, believing us to be easy prey. Not while the corrupt courts of Chainbell and Sprinkledlabor determine who enters and who leaves." Murmurs of agreement. Many of the inmates were sentenced at one of those two courts.

"We are not done while our own so-called "sovereigns" plot against us. We are not done while we are not treated equal. We are not done while Queen Kivish holds the shadow of her disdainful rule over our heads!" Their murmurs intensify. I don't give them time to become a roar.

"Though it may take years, we will fight this oppression from the shadows. We will lie to them, year after year, our power growing until we can become free. Until we can establish colonies of our own. And on that day, when our children run free, when we can reside in bedrooms and not cells, when we are independent from the laws of this Queen and her kin, then, my friends, then I can truly say: this day, we are done!"

Roaring applause erupts throughout the room. I haven't seen dwarves this enflamed since my days in the army. I let the roar continue for a moment.

I raise my flagon.

"So drink with me, my friends! To emancipation! To freedom! To Steelhold!"

'To Steelhold', they shout, and we drink. To them, within two hours, I will be dead.

The new year has begun. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8261)




Boredom. Solitude. Longing for my wife. Discontent. These things simmer in my head for a bleeding eternity as Corley's drug takes its effect.

I have been interred for hours. They buried me as befits a leader, armor, weapon and all. The funeral procession would have torn my heart, if I were lucid. Onul wasn't the only dwarf who was devastated by my 'death'. Many seem dejected, as if their only hope had been snuffed out like a candle in a blizzard.

I believe I shall be waking soon. I'll just have to slide open the fake bottom of my sarcophagus and enter the chamber below. Within are provisions, training space, and a manual screw pump to keep me fit. The food and alcohol should last me quite some time. If they run out before Emdief or the fractaldwarf come around to free me, I'll head out myself.

Most of my mental faculties seem to be returning now that the drug is wearing off. I find myself thinking of the secrets I unearthed, as if to pass the time. It occurs to me that I never did find out what happened to the vampire Likot. Tun was slain, yes, but my spies found no further mention of Likot for quite some time. Most of the other dwarven vampires were dead, I knew. I had seen the reports myself. I started counting them off in my head.

Then, just as movement and wakefulness returned to me, the realization hit. And with it, came shock. Cold sweat started to flow down my back.

Only one dwarven vampire remained in the world. Likot Lockedgears.

And he was right here in Steelhold the whole time.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 31, 2013, 06:23:47 pm
OOC: Well then. We appear to have not killed a former Overseer. Congratulations, Steelhold. I'm so proud of you. 



Emdief grasped the thaumometer tightly. It was embarrassing that he'd just forgot it, and not just because he'd looked like a fool in front of Rhaken. It was very bad that he'd forgotten it. Anyone could have nabbed it. This was a fort full of thieves, after all.
26 hours. Four more until Rhaken could be let out. Nobody would notice Emdief was gone until tomorrow morning, with any luck. Crossbow at the ready, he squinted down the hallway. Did the Fractaldwarf really think him so foolish as to believe that he'd simply trust him to keep Rhaken alive? Or did he think he could be bought with being put at the head of Steelhold's engineers? Probably the later, although Emdief suspected there was more sanity in that dwarf than he let on. No, he wouldn't trust anyone to let Rhaken out but him.
So he'd trapped the hallway. Somewhere in the darkness were several tripwires at varying heights. When he heard someone crash through them, he'd be ready to off them. Just grazing them should be enough. This Lenehan was smart, even if he was insane. An alchemical agent that could transform one creature to another? Emdief had diluted it with sheep's blood. Wouldn't be a pleasant way to go, botching your transformation into an elf.
Now, Lenehan. That dwarf's family was interesting. Asmoth, Melek, and Corley. Those ones fascinated him. They were all involved in whatever it was that was going on in the fort. Emdief was sure there was more going on that what he knew. Fractaldwarf was building some sort of magical structure. The Masked Dwarf was studying adamantine, probably so that he could tell his gods how to break through it. Rhaken had something in his past involving the queen. There had to be more going on then that, right? In stark contrast with the outside world, paranoia is a sign of sanity in Steelhold.
Corley... why had he gone along with this plan? Emdief was a talented actor, never letting on what he felt (that what he didn't feel - dwarves didn't consider the logic behind things) if it would put him in a bad position. Living your life like that, you could recognize when someone was acting. Corley was good, but Emdief knew there was some resentment for Rhaken buried down there somewhere. Oh, he respected Rhaken, maybe even liked him a bit. But he wasn't devoted to him like he put on. Was he plotting against him, or just smart enough to be wary of dwarves of power? Kid was probably smart enough to know that the Fractaldwarf wasn't the kind of person you want running your city. He needed to be appeased now, since his supporters were so numerous. But after a year with him at the helm? The dwarves would forget their grievances against Rhaken; even if their leaders had them beaten daily, a dwarf would eventually look on that as "the good old days". Short memories, this race had. Maybe it was all that booze.
Looking at his watch, Emdief noted the passing of another 15 minutes and sighed. It was going to be a long watch. It'd already been a long watch. Next time a stunt like this was pulled, there had to be more than one person Rhaken could trust. They could take shifts.
What a year this would be. Emdief didn't know when the Fractaldwarf would make his mistake, but when he did, he'd be ready. Rhaken couldn't afford the consequences of having the magic-users plans foiled, but if they ran the fort into the ground, the dwarves would be on his side. Then maybe all this could stop. Emdief couldn't leave until it did. When did anyone escape magic? No, he couldn't leave yet. He'd be ready.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gamerlord on December 31, 2013, 06:27:25 pm
Hey, did I pop up? I can't really remember...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on December 31, 2013, 06:48:49 pm
Yep, Derroth is in.

The masked dwarf picked up the rock, examining it.  Within, he could see the thin strands of adamantine, the greatest of all metals.  Precious little of it existed, and its magical properties were as yet unknown.
With a slight twitch of his fingers, all of the adamantine flew out of the rock, burrowing into his skin.  The masked dwarf tensed up momentarily, then sighed.  9 more to go.

Emdief checked the time.  Another 15 minutes.  Only... 6 more to go.  6 more 15 minutes.  He sighed.
A voice from behind him said, "Interesting trap layout you have here."
Emdief whirled, crossbow in hand, but before he could fire he was pinned up against the wall by his assailant.
"Now now, Emdief, is that any way to treat an old friend?" The masked dwarf said, the golden mask staring deep into his eyes.
"I don't believe we ever were friendly to one another."
"Fair is fair, Emdief.  Now, I'll let you up in just a second."
The masked dwarf plucked the crossbow from his hand with impossible ease.  There was an intense flare of light and heat from his hands, and the crossbow melted into slag.
"Now.  Since neither of us has a weapon, we can discuss."
The masked dwarf released his grip on Emdief, stepping back to allow him room to sit.
"Discuss what," Emdief asked, struggling to keep his face impassive.
"There's no need to lie.  I know why you are down here.  The real question is: Why are you so loyal to Rhaken that you decide that nobody else can let him out?"
Emdief's eyes narrowed momentarily, then his face became impassive again, "How did you manage to sneak up on me?  The thaumometer should have detected you."
The mask remained stationary, but Emdief swore the masked dwarf was smiling, "Changing the subject now are we.  So inquisitive you are.  How I do what I do... well, that's for me to know and you to find out.  Now answer the question."
Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over Emdief.  The thaumometer began blaring, but somehow, that was alright.  Why shouldn't he answer the question, the masked dwarf was his friend.
"I don't trust the Fractaldwarf, or you, for that matter.  Magic is not something I wish to dabble in, and..."
A flash, somehow brighter than the fire the masked dwarf had conjured, emanated from the thaumometer.  The feeling was gone, replaced with a sensation of pain.  His head pounded, as if he had just woken up after drinking far too much booze.  The masked dwarf stumbled backwards, growing taller, less broad, until in front of him stood what could only be a masked human women, wearing full bronze combat armor.  Then the flash faded, leaving Emdief unable to see.  Suddenly, he fell backwards, unconscious.

Emdief awoke, checking the time.  He swore.  Whatever dream or nightmare or whatever had happened, Rhaken was about to wake up.  He had to go, now.  He reached for his crossbow...

It wasn't there.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 31, 2013, 07:57:49 pm
Yep, Derroth is in.

The masked dwarf picked up the rock, examining it.  Within, he could see the thin strands of adamantine, the greatest of all metals.  Precious little of it existed, and its magical properties were as yet unknown.
With a slight twitch of his fingers, all of the adamantine flew out of the rock, burrowing into his skin.  The masked dwarf tensed up momentarily, then sighed.  9 more to go.

Emdief checked the time.  Another 15 minutes.  Only... 6 more to go.  6 more 15 minutes.  He sighed.
A voice from behind him said, "Interesting trap layout you have here."
Emdief whirled, crossbow in hand, but before he could fire he was pinned up against the wall by his assailant.
"Now now, Emdief, is that any way to treat an old friend?" The masked dwarf said, the golden mask staring deep into his eyes.
"I don't believe we ever were friendly to one another."
"Fair is fair, Emdief.  Now, I'll let you up in just a second."
The masked dwarf plucked the crossbow from his hand with impossible ease.  There was an intense flare of light and heat from his hands, and the crossbow melted into slag.
"Now.  Since neither of us has a weapon, we can discuss."
The masked dwarf released his grip on Emdief, stepping back to allow him room to sit.
"Discuss what," Emdief asked, struggling to keep his face impassive.
"There's no need to lie.  I know why you are down here.  The real question is: Why are you so loyal to Rhaken that you decide that nobody else can let him out?"
Emdief's eyes narrowed momentarily, then his face became impassive again, "How did you manage to sneak up on me?  The thaumometer should have detected you."
The mask remained stationary, but Emdief swore the masked dwarf was smiling, "Changing the subject now are we.  So inquisitive you are.  How I do what I do... well, that's for me to know and you to find out.  Now answer the question."
Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over Emdief.  The thaumometer began blaring, but somehow, that was alright.  Why shouldn't he answer the question, the masked dwarf was his friend.
"I don't trust the Fractaldwarf, or you, for that matter.  Magic is not something I wish to dabble in, and..."
A flash, somehow brighter than the fire the masked dwarf had conjured, emanated from the thaumometer.  The feeling was gone, replaced with a sensation of pain.  His head pounded, as if he had just woken up after drinking far too much booze.  The masked dwarf stumbled backwards, growing taller, less broad, until in front of him stood what could only be a masked human women, wearing full bronze combat armor.  Then the flash faded, leaving Emdief unable to see.  Suddenly, he fell backwards, unconscious.

Emdief awoke, checking the time.  He swore.  Whatever dream or nightmare or whatever had happened, Rhaken was about to wake up.  He had to go, now.  He reached for his crossbow...

It wasn't there.


Spoiler (click to show/hide)
>Magic Users
Good to see all that paranoia is completely justified, yep. Also Maskdwarf, please. We need that candy to kill your friends. Don't eat it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on December 31, 2013, 08:31:50 pm
The masked dwarf stumbled backwards, growing taller, less broad, until in front of him stood what could only be a masked human women, wearing full bronze combat armor.
So, is the implication supposed to be that the Maskdwarf is actually a lady in disguise?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on December 31, 2013, 09:25:32 pm
The masked dwarf stumbled backwards, growing taller, less broad, until in front of him stood what could only be a masked human women, wearing full bronze combat armor.
So, is the implication supposed to be that the Maskdwarf is actually a lady in disguise?

Maskdwarf isn't a woman. It's the unholy offspring of the Eye of Sauron and Darth Vader.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on December 31, 2013, 11:15:47 pm
:cracks knuckles:
downloading now. 
"Alright you dwarves, listen up. there are a few things that need to change.  Starting with...unless I tell you otherwise, the stockpiles are to be considered full.  Exception # 1 is the food stockpile.   dwarves who do not mind sharing a bedroom, please come see me for assignment to an ore vein or something.
"Any dwarf who knows where all the dump zones are, please see me IMMEDIATELY!"
...
"Nobody?...sigh...dump these cages. I'll find where the dump zones are that way. 
....



"So. maskdwarf.  Where is the adamant?"
"...the deal was you would get rid of Rhaken. Not keep him around like...like one of your skeletal pets."
"...I have to find that adamant, Maskdwarf.  The fate of...oh so much...is at stake.  I don't want to kill. I regret even the deaths of mere goblins. Of mere chickens...But with your death, your illusions will fall; ironic, though, that I who can pierce your illusions without effort cannot even detect them...now TAKE THIS!"
I gesture towards maskdwarf, and a bolt of terrible light shoots forth, piercing Maskdwarf...
And causing absolutely no damage whatsoever, as his body simply flows around it. 

The crack in spacetime lingered in the air, a danger to any who would linger nearby too long.

The maskdwarf snarled at me, launching his own blast of magical energy towards me...
It shattered on impact, disintigrating into harmless pieces.  Barely noticed by either of us was that the crack sealed up where shards of maskdwarf's spell struck it.
We stared at eachother for a while.

"It seems...we are at an impasse. But mark my words...I will find that adamant."
...




Of all the ways to find maskdwarf's adamant...
I would never have expected to find it when I went to hunt down a spot for new magma furnaces. sometimes it's true, you find something when you start looking for something else...
at any rate, the current setup is TERRIBLE.  The workshops aren't positioned properly, a magma crab could come crawling up through the floor!
Well, unless there's somethign in the magma channel to stop that, but the records don't indicate any sort of floodgate or anything...
At any rate, by designating channeling 1-zlevel over the intended magma workshops...
I don't have to put up with months of dwarves complaining about digging in warm stone. 

That's right: I CAN DESIGNATE A HUGE AREA FOR MAGMA WORKSHOPS IN ONE GO!.
...Did I say that outloud?
Move along, my dwarves, you've got some mining to do.

OOC:
-is Emdief's thaumometer intact?
-in case it's not clear, my plan was to get the addy, then reaveal Rhaken was alive. but since maskdwarf knows, well...
-what's up with the textures?
-could someone remind me how to take screenies of *just* dwarf fortress and not the rest of my monitor?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 01, 2014, 12:08:42 am
"You ask my how come I ordered everyone else to stop butchering, and became the fort's sole butcher?
"Well..."
:slam:
"See these cracks? I can repair them, but, ah...to make a long story short, I need fresh blood to repair it. Now, what's the status of the new kitchens? still building? hmph.  Well, lets cancel the glass making, except for the serrated disks. Those are usefull.  "
"...ok, so the ritual requires these green orbs that only I get when I kill an animal, some leather and paper, and finally some iron.  the green orbs and iron are non-negotiable, the other two materials depend on what I'm repairing."
"...yes, that wolf skeleton is moving, no, it's not going to hurt you, yes, you may take your leave."
*sigh*...
What was I forgetting...
Ah.  Rhaken.



but...guys?
We have a problem.
...They're onto us!
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

...
I don't DARE promote myself.
The dwarf who I possesed...has a preference for BINS.
I can't be sure I can override that.  a mandate: export of bins: prohibited..
is the LAST thing ANY fortress needs.  bins are for making trade and stockpiling easier, pure and simple.  the last thing you want is the traders either going insane or leaving junk behind just 'cause they can't pack up quickly enough...
Rhaken isn't much better, it seems. three or four different preferences that can result in a mandate?

I withdraw my contact with the hive mind for a moment to ease away the headache..



Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 01, 2014, 02:14:34 am
and...lo and behold, a cyclops interrupting everything!

...
WHEW!
...
Hey diddle diddle, the MOOn in the fiddle...
The cat jumped off of the wall.
The annoying cyclops..
pathed onto the tile...
of a hatchcover he wanted to destroy!
HAHA!

-lever puller was a TEENSY bit too slow. BUT.  The cyclops spotted a cat.  It chased the cat around the outside of the bee-keeping area. The cat jumped off of a corner, and the cyclops is now stuck one tile away from the hatch cover, unable to get a good grip on it to destroy it.
will upload the picture...later.

Ooc: thought I'd hit edit instead of post...oh well. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 01, 2014, 05:45:20 am
-what's up with the textures?
I think it is a result of Rhaken's messing with the graphics, though it could result from Fractal's portal slowly ripping apart the fabric of all dimensions.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 01, 2014, 10:49:42 am
-what's up with the textures?
I think it is a result of Rhaken's messing with the graphics, though it could result from Fractal's portal slowly ripping apart the fabric of all dimensions.

Second option, definitely. Also we're getting a chance to get a new baron? I thought they only gave you that chance once?
As far as I know the Thaumometer's intact, and Emdief is now holed up somewhere with his back against the wall, trying desperately to not be relevant until people forget about him. Magic users.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 01, 2014, 03:14:46 pm
oh, yeah, definitely the fabric of reality becoming frayed. 

The menu to actually select a baron never came up for me, so....:shrugs:

Still gonna promote someone new to mayor, since I spent much time hunting down a good candidate via therapist.


-well, we unsealed rhaken's tomb.  well, techincally, a random child went and tried to steel the silver floor material.

rhakens gang...
As best as I can tell, they're partying in rhaken's "tomb".  Hopefully they're also training, but you never know.


..

journal entry: mid-spring.

Roast situation stabalized.  We've got enough rock pots with prepared meals to trade with the elves-I learned my lesson long ago; never trade anything else to the elves, or sawdust WILL get into the goods.
Digging out the new workshop and stockpile space has begun.  magma furnace area is ready, just need to decide how many to make.
mass-engraving begun. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 01, 2014, 05:08:39 pm
I forgot to mention I designated the armor stand as a barracks so our dear former overseer could train while in isolation. Also, the dump zone is down in his tomb too. It was the quickest way to get the dwarves to haul food and booze down there. I forgot to remove it. And to unforbid the barrels. Glarbl.

As for the textures, I think I figured out how to fix them. Just download vanilla dwarf fortress, and replace the raws folder inside the save with the raws folder from the vanilla game. At least it turned the goblins in the gaol back into g's.

...What? Long dramatic narrative entry? Can't it wait until I sleep?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 01, 2014, 05:37:31 pm
Still gonna promote someone new to mayor, since I spent much time hunting down a good candidate via therapist.
May I direct you to rule number five in the original post for this thread, stating that such implements are prohibited?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 01, 2014, 07:11:24 pm
Still gonna promote someone new to mayor, since I spent much time hunting down a good candidate via therapist.
May I direct you to rule number five in the original post for this thread, stating that such implements are prohibited?

Yep. We're saddled with the original UI, as annoying as that may seem. Anyway, fairly sure you can't choose who your mayor is, they get elected by the dwarves.

I'm considering sitting down and figuring out how to assemble a PDF so people can read the entirety of the fort's history after my turn, in case anyone's interested in that. It'll be grammar and canon-corrected. So, in case anyone's planning to take screencaps bigger than conveniently displayable in a PDF, please don't.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 01, 2014, 07:13:39 pm
That sounds good. Don't forget original Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 01, 2014, 07:24:04 pm
I'm considering sitting down and figuring out how to assemble a PDF so people can read the entirety of the fort's history after my turn, in case anyone's interested in that. It'll be grammar and canon-corrected. So, in case anyone's planning to take screencaps bigger than conveniently displayable in a PDF, please don't.
That would be quite a task, as in order to properly enjoy this fort, one needs to read the overseer logs and all the posts in between; the character prologues are also important. Nevertheless, if done correctly it would be an easy way to read the histories of such a fort as this.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 01, 2014, 07:51:20 pm
:blinks:
I could have sworn I'd checked those rules and not seen anything of the sort...
Just as well I didn't turn child-labor on.

As for mayor...the player *Can*choose a mayor. It just doesn't negate any mandates from the previous mayor. The dwarves may also, eventually, elect a mayor of their own.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 01, 2014, 08:10:49 pm
That sounds good. Don't forget original Steelhold.

Don't worry, that's where I started. Also man, this is going to be a huge project. I've only just started Sarrak's turn, and we're at 12 pages/7000 words!

I'll do a very brief summary of each dwarf's backstory at some point, and what happened to them if it's recorded. It'll probably take forever, but it'll be a lot easier to read than just putting in everyone's backstory post and letting the reader figure out when they die.

@Gnorm: I'm putting the journals players have been posting in. If they don't interlock with a overseer's turn (like what we've been doing) they're placed inbetween turns. Otherwise, they're placed where it makes the most sense for them to be placed, with little dividers so you can tell you're switching authors for a bit.

EDIT: Partway through Gnorm's turn. 29 pages/17,000 words. That's enough for one night.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 01, 2014, 09:28:47 pm
summary: 3-5 ambushes. Just as I thought  I'd got them all, another one was sprung.  couldn't tell if elves survived or not.  should've seized somethign from them just to get them on the road...
The scattered thoughts, as they occured, may be found below.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

____________________________
"This...has been a tragic month.  But we...are the dwarves of steelhold.  We will continue.  we will prosper.  I have heard the whispers; that the goblins were a sign from Armok that we must leave lenehan's tomb as it is; bloody with the blood of trolls.  On the off chance this is so, we shall delay repairs another season while the more spiritually inclined attempt to contact Armok directly.
 
"...in other news, all but the following hauling tasks will cease untill further notice: stone hauling, food hauling, refuse hauling, metal hauling.  Thank you. "


_________

After the speech, I looked over my prize: something one of the dead dwarves had been carrying.  I think it was bees.  no matter...
At first glance, it was a blank book.  but as I rubbed some graphite over the pages, something became clear...

year 254:spring: adamant mined. adamant mined...
year 254:summer: adamant mined. adamant mined...
Counted them up.  115 or so? something like that.
Gazed at maskdwarf's stash of adamant [strange, that he [if the masked dwarf even had a gender at all] had not done anything other than recast his illusions over the adamant, to keep the casual worker out]
9...by 10..no, wait, 9...by 11...

99. less, there were a few stone in the pile.

...
The book fell from my hands.  Had someone else been stealing or mining adamant?  If what Emdief had muttered was true, maskdwarf merely wanted to study the adamant.  Allegedly, the demons did not even want to break through the adamant!

This...was disturbing on more than one level.  The possibility that the clown car was never an invasion force, but a defense force...

If it were true...then the maskeddwarf would be the first-perhaps only-chance of bringing about some sort of truce between the demons and the dwarves.
AND if true...AND if someone else were mining adamant...

I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought, though.  As terrible as the release of demons into the fort would be, my portal took priority.  I had delayed dangerously long...


My vision swam.  doubling.  tripling. I couldn't tell if that was obsidian or elf I was looking at...
My vision snapped back into place, even as dwarves began chattering about adamant.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

OOC: once the portal is built, I'll switch back to the vanilla texture pack for my screenies. i'll upload those after I finish my turn. 

"dwarves...if you see iden ablelken the soap maker...back away....slowly...he is throwing a tantrum. while practicing archery.  so back away slowly but be ready to dodge at any moment. "

____________________________
"hello, Emdief."
He frowned.
"What happened? I thought I was..."
"Dead? You were. except that time rearranged itself so you never actually died.  It's a side effect of being the next chosen overseer."
"..."
"...I advise against thinking about it too much. even I get a headache when thinking about temporal mechanics.  ...HEY! get back here! I still need your thaumometer!"
Somewhat later:
"FINE! you can use it!" (mutter grumble mutter)
-This is what happens when I forget that a named player is the only member in a squad.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 02, 2014, 12:45:01 am
"I really wish you'd stop breaking my wards."
Fractaldwarf jumped.  He'd been so busy counting the adamantine he had collected that he hadn't noticed the masked dwarf's approach.
"It's getting to be a real pain to put them back up again every time you feel like poking around."
"I was just looking for the adamant"
"You mean the missing adamant?"
The Fractaldwarf froze.  This was not something he had taken into account.
"What do you know of it?"
The masked dwarf slowly raised (his?) hand, and something beneath the skin began to glow.  A soft, light blue radiance.  The masked dwarf smiled, and with a flash, was gone.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 02, 2014, 01:21:50 am
So many things going down.  I guess I shouldn't have counted on fate so much, given that fate wasn't as strong in this world...

While everything else had been going on-the new workshop space, emdief's office, emdief's reincarnation (I, uh, may have renamed one of our already named characters?), the goblin ambushes...
The vampire had been running around, unchecked. 
As it is, dwarves are tantrumming left and right in some parts of the fort.  we are easily one dwarf away from a true tantrum spiral. 
It wasn't ME who let the vampire out.


"RHAKEN!"
It was rhaken's turn to jump now.

"I thought you said you'd locked up the vampire back up after the trading was over! I had to trick him into joining the elf squad, and then trick him into stationing himself in an unused workshop space!"
Rhaken blinked.
"...I thought I did lock him up!"
We stared at eachother for a while.
"...er...the vampire was the broker, right?"
Rhaken shifted uneasily.
"erm..."
I sighed. "I was hoping to keep a vampiric lever puller around, but at this rate, we'll just have to execute any we find once the tantrums die down...IF the tantrums die down.  "
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 02, 2014, 03:16:34 am
While everything else had been going on-the new workshop space, emdief's office, emdief's reincarnation (I, uh, may have renamed one of our already named characters?), the goblin ambushes...
I didn't really think that I needed to make a rule against this. Congratulations Fractalman, you have helped make this thread a better place by providing more order. I thank you!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 09:10:35 am
Ahahaha what. Magic
I'll do a writeup about how I'm plotting your death(s) later.
EDIT: From now on can I just have an innate magic resistance due to spending time outside this mortal plane?



So. I live.
I'm not sure whose body it is I now inhabit. Armok, it's frightening. I knew I wasn't the most emotional dwarf before, but this body seems barely in control of itself all the time. Is this how your average dwarf experiences emotions? Was I an atypical specimen?
One of the things this body feels is rage. Thankfully I've kept my intelligence, else I fear I'd be trying to kill both of these magic users with my bare hands. This is a disturbing development. I must learn to control this new body, or I'll end up doing something I regret. Probably briefly.

Fractaldwarf has my thaumometer. What he doesn't need to know is that I don't need it anymore. I can scarcely remember my time in the other place. But I'm sure I was given a gift there. I can sense the thaumic energy without technological assistance now. I can see it even now. The energy seems to move away whenever I approach it. Do I now repel it? I can only hope so.
Sometimes, they talk to me. The dead, that is. So far most of what I've heard appears to be Lenehan cursing while he cleans Armok's halls.

I'm not entirely sure what's been done to me. What I do know is that I've been given another chance. The magic users got me killed once; they can't be allowed to get me killed again. They made me into something I'd never have wanted. I'll avenge myself, one day.
Until that day, let them suspect nothing. Let them marvel at my impassiveness and my resistance to their spells. I'll be ready to take this fort back from them soon. Already, discontent is rising. I just need a plan...




EDIT: Guess who finished compiling a PDF of the last thread! It doesn't list the dwarves and their backstories, but that can be added in a later version. I'll post it sometime today.
This fort is so complicated and its characters so detailed we could have a armok-be-damned wiki.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 02, 2014, 02:19:23 pm
Corley's Log:
Rhaken's Requiem
--
My formula took command of Rhaken's systems today; his distraught wife and soldiers found him cold, unmoving in his bed. A makeshift requiem service was quickly put together in his mausoleum, and almost the entire population of the fortress attended. In the fascist, militaristic style of his regime, they saw him interred in his officer's uniform, along with his morning star. A twenty-one crossbow salute was performed as soon as the body was placed in the sarcophagus, an honor usually reserved for the reigning monarch himself; to the dwarves of Steelhold, he was more than a king. I could see pain and fear in the eyes of the congregation, I recognized the tentative voices of those delivering improvised eulogies; with Rhaken, the fortress seemed to have a future, but now the morale is gone. There were tears in my eyes, not out of mourning, but merely because there was sorrow in the room, and sorrow has the tendency to spread.

After the requiem, I retired to my cell. I smoked one of my valley herb cigarettes -- a personal favorite of mine. I began to fear that, in such an elder dwarf as Rhaken, my drug actually
would kill him, and I began to fear for my future project. Quickly, though, relief came to me, for I knew that a dwarf such as Rhaken would die so easily; it would take a much more potent poison to rid this fortress of him forever. I relaxed, and took a sip from my flask -- my problems can wait for another day.

I have begun to think about Melek, and whether or not the papers on her were truthful. Such a terrible crime against nature could not possibly be perpetrated by one from my family, not even from Asmoth. I think I must investigate this issue forthwith.


Corley's Log:
Fractalman's Leadership
--
I honestly have no idea what is going on these days. Ever since Rhaken had the wise idea to let the lunatic with the book have control of Steelhold, the entire prison has been out of control. We were honestly better off with the old fascist; under Fractal's leadership, this place is about as organized as it was immediately before Rhaken took command. In addition, I don't know what is going on with my vision, but the entire place -- including the colors, items, and creatures -- seems to be distorted in some way. I think someone needs to put a knife in the madman, and quickly. He seems to spend most of his time counting the "adamant;" what could he possibly be planning?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 02:57:53 pm
Corley heard the door to his cell open. One of the inmates stepped into his office. The nerve! Did he really think he could just walk into his home and do whatever he pleases? He gave him his best haughty stare. "Do you have an appointment?" "Do I need one?" the newcommer growled. Corley's jaw, against the protestations of his dignity, dropped. He knew that voice. But it didn't belong to that face. "Emdief? But you died! At least that's what our overseer told us. Why do you look so different?"
Emdief grinned, which did nothing to decrease Corley's growing discomfort. That silent bastard never smiled. Or frowned, now that he thought about it. "The rumors of my death were... not exaggerated at all. You'll have to suspend your disbelief, young noble. I'll have one hell of a tale to tell you. Listen well, though - there's a proposition at the end I think you'll be most interested in."
Corley, no seeing any way to get this dwarf out of his cell quicker, nodded his assent.
"Firstly, I know you've never been a friend of Rhaken. An ally, maybe. A friend, no. Don't protest - I could see it in your eyes. You might have fooled the others, but you never fooled me. Don't get all flustered now - I'm not simply Rhaken's lackey myself. We were, shall I say, associates. He was the best dwarf available to run the fortress, and I ensured his plans were implemented as smoothly as possible.
You'll notice that Rhaken doesn't seem quiet the leader he used to be. It's not your drug that did that - it was one of our local mages. I tried to stop it, but I failed.
You see, they can influence people. Get them to do as they say. Make you loyal to them without good reason. They've apparently done it to Rhaken, but before they managed to get to him, they had to go through me. So they did it to me first. But apparently, that wasn't enough for them. The Fractaldwarf had to have me killed. I'd assume through incompetence, but with magic users it's safer to assume malice."
"This story's most fascinating," Corley began, "but I don't see why you waste my time with your fiction. If you died, you couldn't be here." He froze as anger flashed across Emdief's face. An emotional tinker was going to take a lot of getting used to.
"Use your head, your excellency. You remember how your father died, don't you? How Modi came back from the dead to get her vengeance? That was no rumor. You'll have access to Asmoth's papers - read them and see for yourself. There's things going on in this fort that should not be. Magic, mad science, and scheming. I never wanted to be part of this, but my hand is forced.
They decided to bring me back. They put me to work on some of their projects. They think me an obedient servant, content to sell my labour for another chance at life. They're mistaken - I won't sit idly by while all of our souls are put at risk, and our bodies too in the case of our Overseer."
"What is it you want?" Corley's voice rose louder than he'd intended as he struggled to maintain his demeanor. Emdief grinned.
"Their heads, your excellency. This fortress will be ready to rise up against the Fractaldwarf if his rule continues like this. If you work to accelerate this process, and turn the dwarves away from that damned cult of Maskdwarf's, I'll see to it that your family's noble status is respected. And in a single stroke, we'll rid this fort of magic for good, and return to stability and reason."

"Think about it, and get back to me. Your family's legacy is in your hands."



At this point, I should probably ask a question. We've seen a lot of murder of previous overseers in our scheming, although mostly this has just been accidents. How you feel if it was a little more deliberate?
Not that I want all former overseer's executed, it's just that I could write one hell of a violent takeover/assassination plot when the time comes.

EDIT: here (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8275) is the PDF. It currently extends up to the death of Lenehand. To do: reach the current date + add all character bios.
If nobody minds, I'll use DFhack to show the causes of death for the various dead dorf'd persons in the fort for writeup purposes.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 02, 2014, 03:06:58 pm
Deliberate overthrow of the current leader would be most welcome, and not only because his overseer logs are somewhat… hard to grasp. By the way, I think you portrayed Corley as a tad more conceited than I had personally intended to present the character. Sure, his status as a nobleman's son has him have a bit more class in his tastes, but I wouldn't have him go berserk for being in the presence of a "commoner." That said, I can do nothing about how other characters see him, so I do not object to Emdief's insults.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 03:24:19 pm
Deliberate overthrow of the current leader would be most welcome, and not only because his overseer logs are somewhat… hard to grasp. By the way, I think you portrayed Corley as a tad more conceited than I had personally intended to present the character. Sure, his status as a nobleman's son has him have a bit more class in his tastes, but I wouldn't have him go berserk for being in the presence of a "commoner." That said, I can do nothing about how other characters see him, so I do not object to Emdief's insults.

Not exactly berserk - I imagined he just objects to random, unwashed criminals (of which the fort is mostly made up of) barging into his room, which is completely understandable. Corley's one of the few actually innocent denizens of the fort; it's not elitist if they're actually all murderers or thieves!

I can edit it a bit if you want. Emdief's kind of just jumped from sociopath to non-sociopath, so he isn't controlling his emotions right now in all probability.  ;D I just assumed Corley want's his family's nobility status respected, so that's what Emdief's trying to give him.

EDIT: First line better now? Changed commoner to inmate, and explained why Corley's less than thrilled to see him just barge into his cell.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 02, 2014, 03:26:37 pm
I understand your intentions, though the first line does sound a tad harsh to me.

EDIT:
EDIT: First line better now? Changed commoner to inmate, and explained why Corley's less than thrilled to see him just barge into his cell.
Much better, thank you.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 02, 2014, 05:53:58 pm
emdief's reincarnation
I didn't really think that I needed to make a rule against this.
Emdief's the next overseer, and therefore has accident immunity. I'll provide a more detailed list of the dead...once i've got them all buried in the new coffins, I can get the list....

IC:
“You oaf, I JUST replaced my wards!”
I winced, but pressed on.
“Look, at first I thought I’d found all but a handfull of the adamant when I found that huge stockpile of adamant.  But then I found bee’s book-turns out he’d stuck a bee on every. Single. Dwarf.  Neither of us has or had a method for detecting bee pheremones, which is how they communicated with him.
“I found only one other pile thus far." (I pointed.)
"but that has only about 15 adamant within.  That's 105 adamant.  As many as 10 additional adamant boulders may have been torn to pieces by greedy dwarves during the mining.  115.  that still leaves as many as 35 adamant in a pile somewhere...
"I don't care where it is.  As long as I get 10 to 20 adamant, I'm good to go.  I don't really even care who else has been mining it...
"what I want...is for all additional adamant mining to cease for the remainder of the year.  this INCLUDES The adamant in the magma sea. Don’t crystalize it out.  In exchange…I shall NEVER unseal sword thunders.”
Mask dwarf considered this for a moment.
“Before I decide whether to accept or decline your…suspicious and irritating offer…tell me: what makes you think there is adamant in the magma sea? Aside from the pillars themselves, I detect no adamantine within.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Adamantine still has magical properties as a liquid, but it doesn’t passively give off magic.  If you’ve really been studying adamant, you should have known that.  So.  What do you say to my offer?”
The Masked dwarf shifted ever so slightly…in what I desperately hoped was the beginning of a nod.

[insert maskdwarf's reply]
_________

Corley must've drugged Rhaken just before the crises.  It would explain why the military was so disorganized when the ambushes occured. 

It did NOT explain why the vampire had been running about...
...
Emdief's accumulating fate magic at an obscene rate, pushing all other magics away from his body.
All the more reason to have him build the mechanisms to power my portal.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 07:28:07 pm
Fractal: Can I be reinstated in the marksdwarves (and retrained... sigh)? I notice there's an artifact crossbow lying around the fort that I think would go nicely, too. And a vacant captain of the guard position if you haven't filled it yet.  8)
EDIT: Also a artifact pig leather quiver! Is there no end to my hubris? Emdief's going to enjoy life more, this time around.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 02, 2014, 07:39:04 pm
I believe that one of the original rules was no captains of the guard.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 02, 2014, 07:41:40 pm
You'll be a military commander, not captain of the guard. you can promote yourself later if you want. you're not in full controll of the fort...yet. Despite your rising popularity with the population (mayor *cough your dwarf has no mandate preferences*, manager...)

I'll stick the dwarf back into a squad after I upload the most important screenshots of them all. 
edit:xxxxxx
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 07:51:53 pm
I believe that one of the original rules was no captains of the guard.

Nope, not in the original rules that you can't have one. Modi was captain of the guard at some point. Seeing as the duties consist mainly of giving beatings when someone commits murder/vandalism, it kind of makes sense to have one though in a fort that's basically under mob rule. It's a one-man lynch mob!

Only guiding principle I've noticed in terms of how the fort should "feel" are that we should treat the inmates like the dirty criminal scum they are.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 02, 2014, 07:58:06 pm
Oh, sorry, I was thinking of Chamberdrums for a second there.  Continue.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 02, 2014, 08:01:07 pm
The last lump of adamantine fell into place.

I’d made sure not to touch it myself. Some of the Masked dwarf’s power clung to the pieces, and would-in theory-work well enough for now…

The effect wasn’t immediate….
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

But then, in the blink of an eye…
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A wave of relief swept through me.   the hole in meta-reality was still there, there was still a lot of strain...but the worst of it was gone.  All that was left was to get enough power to my portal so I could traverse it in the other direction, and turn down the power on the other end. 
perhaps Maskdwarf's demons would use it to conquer every universe i'd been to, but...a sword can kill a demon.  swords generally can't kill holes in reality. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 08:07:13 pm
The portal getting stabilized fixes the graphics.

... but is that an adamantine trade depot? Also why are there stairs there?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 02, 2014, 08:21:38 pm
OOC:
Yes, it's an adamantine trade depot. 
The point is that common dwarves don't see anything other than a really, really fancy trade-depot entrance.  hide-in-plain-sight, remember?

IC, but out of order:[Ah, hello inspector. Yes, that's an adamantine entrance. We're putting the adamant there so that if anyone steals it, we can tell it's stolen right away. no sense risking the prisoners making adamantine weapons in their spare time, is there?]

-I'll get the pics of the rest of the portal next. the stairs were to build the rest of the portal.

and here they are:
base:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
middle sections:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


11th galena, 257.
Whatdy'a know, I actually looked at the calendar this time.
The new bedrooms are coming along.  They are a work of utter brilliance, if I do say so myself. 
they aren't ready to be lived in yet. the temporary bedrooms on the workshop floor will need to be removed before the inspector arrives.  Emdief seems content with having a hematite-containing bedroom, though.  He-well, techincally she now, but he still prefers to be referred to as a he-is still a little unsure with being mayor.  the urge to issue mandates caught him o
They're not ready to be lived in yet, which is why I've opened up a bunch of bedrooms smack-dab in the middle of the new workshop zone to give to the unhappiest dwarves I can find. 
We just have to get rid of those before the inspector shows up. 

I'm guiltily relieved that one of my original crazies died during either the gob attacks or tantrum spiral-he was the one who wanted the water-cooled bedrooms. 




top:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
-except I'll be removing two adamant blocks, replacing them with gem windows.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 02, 2014, 09:04:55 pm
Excellent work! You have saved our universe from destruction -- for now, at least -- and have stabilized the graphics, preventing headaches. You might want the wall off all access points, just to keep traders and trolls away from it.

Corley's Log:
Fractalman's Portal
--
I don't know how that gobshite managed it, but whatever he did appears to have stopped the distortions and anomalies in the area. As soon as he constructed that peculiar structure made of his precious "adamant," everything went back to normal. Perhaps, our friend is saner than I had thought -- slightly saner, anyway. Nevertheless, this makes him even more dangerous to my plans. I have thought over what Emdief said to me, and I think he might be right. That certainly isn't to say that Emdief has no ulterior motive of his own; I've never considered him a true ally of mine, and he'll have to be dealt with eventually as well.

Now that I think about it though, he might be a decent candidate should Rhaken's health fail.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 02, 2014, 09:43:57 pm
Well, the humans traders arrived.
New broker went on strike the moment he was done with his drink.
Dwarves. go figure. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 02, 2014, 10:08:53 pm
What I can't believe is that we've had adamantine for 3 years now and all we've used it for is building a goddamn trade depot.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 12:25:11 am
-and saved the universe, along with a good chunk of the multiverse.


-new workshop space.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


-There are multiple bedroom floors in the new wing of the fortress. This is merely the best floor of the lot.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


the list of those buried near the new workshops:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


-well, that's all for today.  have fun-or even !!fun!!-puzzling out the method behind the bedroom design!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 02:32:28 pm
Sometime after the human traders have arrived:

I glared at corley, who was putting on his very best "innocent" face.  It didn't fool me in the least. probably didn't fool other dwarves, either.

"Granted, we have plump helmet wine to waste.  You still wasted 7 whole pots of it.  "
"And how did I waste so much wine?"
"Three children running in the halls, two random rocks falling from the ceiling and into the mouth of the pot, and two cases of my pets pouncing me.  As long as the fate is strong with me, all poisoning attempts by you shall fail.   Doesn't mean I'm immune to disaster, but poisoned wine won't cut it."
corley sniffed. "It was a harmless mood enhancer."
I rolled my eyes. " 'catsalve' processed valley herbs are harmless to dwarves. Embarrassing, but harmless.  You were shoving a full-strength narcotic into the barrels. Oh, and for your little stunt with poisoning Rhaken, due to which he has lost the very military brilliance I needed from him..."
I lean into corleys face.
"We pulled some of the wood out of lenehans tomb to wash it up.  But because you poisoned Rhaken during a crises, dwarves were lost...usefull dwarves I needed desperately to finish all of my mega projects in one year.  You and Lenehan can BOTH endure the shame for another year or two.  The wood we pulled up shall be used in other projects.  The slabs to trees...shall remain in the masonry workshops. Unless you feel like personally hauling them to his tomb, of course."


"er..."
"Did I mention: rhaken is awake, but he's lost the spark of military genius he once had.  If he survives 5 years or so, he'll probably recover it, but...with old age creeping up on him..."
I shrug, and then skip away.
"Just siiiiiiinging in the rain.  Just siiiiiiiiinging in the rain."
I ignore the cries of "What rain?"

___________
13th limestone (early autumn)
I didn't bother to rig the mayorial election this time. I simply declared Erush Olono'r the new mayor. Told Emdief that being the mayor was not compatible with spending time picking up equipment.  He grumbled, but, well, nothing he could do about it. yet. 
I sent a message to maskdwarf via Rhaken's wife: "kindly repair your wards for the inspection. I'll stay out of the addy. "
Corley's going behind my back, drumming up support for reinstating Emdief as mayor...
All according to plan.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 03:04:55 pm
Undated

Ever since I died, it's been a lot easier to scheme. Things just fall into place. I'd say the universe feels like it owes me, but that's superstitious drivel.
If Fractal keeps up the way he's been going, I'll have my rebellion ready by next spring. I'm fairly certain now that he blames Corley for Rhaken's current condition. Of course, it's not that his senses truly have been dulled - he's just taking instructions from the masked dwarf now, without realizing.
Fracal doesn't realize that antagonizing Corley means getting on the badside of our most prominent family. Asmoth might not be quite what she used to be, but only a fool would antagonize our resident mother-daughter malpractice team. And the clan goes farther than you'd think - Lenehan's family is all over the fortress. I wonder if criminality is an inheritable trait; that would explain why there's so many of them in Steelhold.
Rhaken's status as alive is common knowledge now, but so is knowledge of his, ah, absent-mindedness. His orginization is almost wholly disbanded by now. Smart of Maskdwarf, making his move like that. He assumes this will leave his cult as the strongest of our local factions. He didn't factor, however, on me.

While Rhaken's wife has won over many of Rhaken's lower-level lackies, most of the military dwarves turned to me. It's far from subtle now, the affect magic's had on the fort. Spreading fear and suspicion is easy. Especially when magic's made you an abomination, like myself. Nobody here wants to wake up as another dwarf.
Every day, more believe that all of our misfortunes since Lenehan have been the fault of the magic users. Lenehan's plot to turn everyone into elves? Magic. Modi coming back from the grave to stop him? Most don't believe it, but if they did they'd see it as unholy, a desecration of her memory. The anarchy after Lenehan let the cult do whatever it pleases, and then suddenly Rhaken takes ill. And if his "illness" is not the final nail in the coffin, there's the matter of the adamantine.

The dwarves are already furious about the adamantine spent decorating the entryway; it could have been made into enough wealth or arms to keep Steelhold secure for the next hundred years. I know of course that the portal serves a purpose, but believe you me, we wouldn't need to patch reality if we just removed the dimensional interloper that is our Overseer.
If I tell them that large quantities of adamantine have gone missing, suspected stolen by the cult, there will be a riot. But we're not ready yet. There are too many cultists right now to risk civil war. Their numbers will continue to fall, however. And eventually we shall take back this fortress for our father's gods, and restore some semblance of sanity and stability to Steelhold.
Conservative revolution is difficult to foment among convicts, but these have seen their gods desecrated, their reality twisted, and their fellows killed on the mad whims of their overseers. When the time is right, I'll deliver the news of the missing adamantine, and take the reins of this counter-revolution my associates have been fermenting.

After the purge, I'll have to find someone to rule Steelhold. I have no wish to; as soon as the fort is secure and a successor whose competence I trust is found, I'll step down. But there's so much to do. The entryway is decently secure, but could be improved. It's the defenses below that worry me. The masked dwarf's (if it is a dwarf) gods might not react to well to their cult being dismantled. I'll trust my protection from the magic for now, but we must be ready in case they try anything.

If anyone reads this, don't worry, I'm probably mad! This place would certainly drive you to it. I've been having evening chats with the ghost of a sadistic butcher who once ran this fort, and she runs messages from the previous overseers to me. Strong evidence of madness, in my books. If I weren't currently inhabiting the body of some random convict, I'd ignore it all.

And if the magic users should read this? Well, that's why I wrote this. You've received your warning. I didn't want this to happen, but your scheming has forced my hand. Order will be restored to Steelhold and it's associated expanse of desert, or we'll meet in Armok's Halls. Not for long, of course, since you'll have appointments with the hellspawn, but long enough for me to gloat. This body seems to like gloating.



The PDF is comming along. The next release will come after my turn. It'll include all character's backstories, and if applicable the circumstances of their death. That will take some snooping - I'll use DFhack to tell me the explicit death cause, peer into the legends file, and extrapolate from people's turns.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 03:32:59 pm
sorry, I forgot to mention: the entryway is NOT secure. tantrumers tore it apart.  I'll have the new entrance reasonably secure before seige season, though. 

back in character:
3rd sandstone (mid-autumn)
Found Emdief's journal entry. 
A pity he doesn't understand that getting rid of me would not solve the problem in the long run. Oh well.  he's wise enough to understand the portal "serves a purpose". 

as for the rest of the adamant...
EVERYONE knows there's a huge pile of adamant, gaurded by masked dwarf, his wards, and his cult. Nobody, however, wants to talk about it for fear of causing panic.


Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 03, 2014, 03:52:25 pm
Emdief glanced around his room out of habit, scanning for any signs of magic.  While there was none in his room, he could sense, while not see, a large magical aura approaching.  He tensed up briefly, then sighed.  Swinging open his door, he found the masked dwarf standing on the other side.
"Emdief," the masked dwarf said in a jovial tone.
Emdief was too disoriented to respond.  The sheer magical power radiating off of the masked dwarf was overwhelming, and not all of it felt like demonic magic.  The only time he had sensed that style of magic was... but that wasn't possible.  The masked dwarf couldn't have smelted any adamantine without his notice.
"Emdief, are you paying attention?"
Emdief snapped back into focus, "What?"
"I must say, you are doing a good job planning your rebellion."
Emdief grinned, "So you read my diary entry?"
"No.  You forget that I have sources all over the fortress, and that you do not know all of them."
"I see..." Emdief once again became distracted by a new phenomenon.  There was a sheet of magic over the masked dwarf, concealing his true form, some kind of transformation effect.
"What are you hiding."
The masked dwarf started, "What?"
"Your form is transfigured."
The masked dwarf settled slightly, "and why do you say that?"
"Because I can see it."
"I see.  A side effect of your body switch, in all likelyhood.  What that spell is for, you will never know."
Emdief took a step forward, "Probably, probably," another step.
The masked dwarf made a slashing motion with his right arm, and before Emdief could react he was flung across the room, slamming into the wall.  He tried to stand, but felt incredibly dizzy and slumped back down again.  The masked dwarf walked slowly up to him, kneeling down and looking him in the eyes.
"Just remember that you aren't immune to all magic, Emdief.  Divine and temporal, yes.  But there are other sources."
The shadows whipped out and engulfed the masked dwarf, and he was gone.  A grin slowly crept onto Emdief's face.  He had seen through the transformation.

The masked dwarf wasn't a dwarf at all.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 04:03:09 pm
OOC Talk time!
In case it isn't clear, btw, Emdief isn't the same dwarf he once was. He's at most semi-sane, twisted by paranoia and hate. But still, smart.
If possible, I'd like to make him at least invulnerable to mental manipulation for now, seeing the position he's in. I like to imagine that he wasn't sent back just because Fractal summomed his soul - that was merely a convenient way to loose the instrument the old dwarven gods aim to use to purify Steelhold before it's too late.
Or maybe not, and he's just nuts. Dying will do that to someone. Still, it'd be nice to a dwarf who's not wrapped around Maskdwarf or Fractal's fingers for once, even if that means they're nuts, aye?

Anyway I was suspicious of the fort's security when I saw the new stairs. Have you torn down the old entrance? I hope you haven't, and you can just link the new for section with our fortifications. Sieges and titans have a nasty habit of popping up just when you think you're safe, and from your posts it already seems pretty tantrum-y. I'm sure Steelhold can hold together from pure machiavellian willpower alone, but it would be best if we didn't have any disasters.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 03, 2014, 04:28:57 pm
Oh, I'm intending him to be immune to my mental attacks, and pretty much everything I can do.  My dwarf was channeling the power of the adamantine into that attack, which Emdief couldn't absorb in its entirety.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 03, 2014, 05:02:41 pm
Corley's Log:
Bedrooms
--
As a long-time citizen of Steelhold, I know very well that this isn't actually a penal colony anymore. That said, if that gobshite Fractal had any plans whatsoever of maintaining the charade, he's essentially ruined them. How exactly has he done such a stupid thing? He's done little more than commission an entire wing a luxury bedrooms! Unless he plans to drug every single liaison that comes to this fortress, we might as well surrender to the Queen's royal army right here and now. Enough is enough; I'm poisoning his wine tomorrow evening.

Corley's Log:
Toxicology
--
Either Providence is with him, or Fractal has enough of a grip on this fortress that he managed to evade my seven poisoning attempts. Granted, the poison wouldn't have done more than give him stomach troubles for a week, but even that would have allowed someone more worthy to take command of this place. I'm keeping this logbook on me at all times, even during forge-work; I can't afford to have any leaked information jeopardize my plans. Melek might be able to provide me with a more potent poison, though I do not want to repeat past failures, especially considering Fractal seems fine with desecrating my father's tomb as retribution. Perhaps, it will take a more direct attempt to take down this fool, though it would be best to wait until the timing is right.

According to Fractal, my solution actually did cause some mental impairment to Rhaken. This certainly wasn't my intention, though I suppose we have his age to blame for this. I am fearing more and more that I will have to switch my subject to Emdief; I wonder what he thinks of elves.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 05:20:10 pm
It was tantrummy for a while...but they've calmed down. 
Turns out moisturizer is also dead-we're being haunted by his ghost. No biggy, just gotta dump an item from top of his corpse.


1st timber (late autumn)
The tantrums have finally gone away.  Although...Moisturizer is haunting us.  Didn't even realize he was dead.  perhaps its just as well his body was not noticed; one more death noticed during spring could have doomed the fort.
The megaproject room is in place.  Final preparations for the windmill farm have begun. 

Corley's been ranting about how there's no possible way to say this is still a prison.
I draw his attention to the restraints in every. Single. Bedroom. 

Besides. We can always ask maskdwarf to put a mild glamour across all the graffiti, making it look like mere smoothed-wall.
I'll just have to be carefull not to walk into the new bedrooms during inspection...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 03, 2014, 05:51:36 pm
Corley's Log:
Fractalman's Book
--
Today, Fractalman overheard me complaining to my fellow furnace operator that this fortress could never pass as a prison. Naturally, the thick-headed fool wandered over and began to lecture me about how any liaison would be fooled by his "masterful placement of restraints." Personally, I would be a bit suspicious about the lack of prisoners in the chains, as well as the size and quality of the cells. That said, if Fractal can sell it to the inspectors as if he was a used-crossbow salesman, so be it.

Honestly. with such a bizarre character as Fractal in this fort, I have begun to doubt that he is even real. Every dwarf in Steelhold knows about him, but I've never heard of such a gobshite in my life. My thoughts turn to that book that he carries with him. Could he be a part of the book -- an extension of sorts? I think that the book will have to be destroyed. Best case scenario is he is destroyed with it; worst case is he goes even more insane than he already is. Whatever happens, I know what I will be planning for these next months.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 06:35:53 pm
This -pamphlet- appears to be a piece of political demagoguery issued in Steelhold by an anonymous author during the the reign of the Overseer Fractalman. The writing is crisp, has a hint of viciousness to it. On the pamphlet is the image of of a crossed hammer and pickaxe, the symbol of what would later be termed the Marble Faction within Steelhold.



What, dwarves of Steelhold, do we stand for?
This place was founded by the mountainhomes as a penal colony, as you scarcely need to be reminded. By being here, we are condemned. By what right, you ask? Why are our spouses and children condemned with us? Why must our descendents live in the shame of bondage for our crimes?
A dwarf may claim we are free now. Is this Freedom? Look, prisoner, to your cells. In each of them, a restraint is placed. Each year we must cower, pretending to be submissive and without a will of our own. Our labour built this city. Did you build Steelhold to be your prison?
This was a jail at first, but not long after Jackal laid our foundations the people have ruled this fort. Soon, the guards and we became one and the same, for were we not both fated to live in this desert until our deaths?
In Jackal, we found opportunity. In Sarrak, we found freedom. In Modi, we found strength. In Lenehan, while his vision was mad, our fortress was recognized a barony, a true peer of the realm. After that, there was only anarchy as citizen fought citizen over the scraps of Steelhold. In Rhaken, we regained security and purpose. But then, we were betrayed.
Rhaken is not the dwarf he once was. His reign, which promised to bring us our freedom we had so long failed to grasp, was cut short by the scheming of magicians. Even now, he is not the dwarf he once was. Many among us openly turn their backs on Armok and the gods of our sires, worshiping ruinous demons in the hope of receiving their own magic. Our lack of firmness with these dangerous elements has led to much suffering in this fort. How many have died on the whims of some half-mad mystics, for naught but promises of hedonism or salvation in the maws of monsters?
Our home could be great. Our industry makes our "betters" green with envy. All that stands in our way is our refusal to commit to the glorious future that's been our destiny all along.
Here now, the rights of Steelhold's dwarves!

-All Dwarves have the right to their possessions, to acquire, maintain or sell as they see fit!
-All Dwarves have the right to live as they choose, with the pride befitting our race!
-All Dwarves have the right to security in the face of enemies of our kind inside and out, provided by a government chosen by the dwarves, for the dwarves!
-All Dwarves have a right to defend themselves against those who would deny their rights, be they sympathizers of Elves, Goblin, Man or Demon!

If you have the beard, refuse your brethren who spit upon your rights as a free dwarf of Steelhold! Consort not with the cultist. Work for the fortress, not it's Overseer. We are of stone, not wood. Break, dwarf, before you bend! You have nothing to gain but chains by standing against your fellows.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 07:49:18 pm
12 of timber. 

Metal stockpiles near the surface? Breweries 50 blocks away from the farms? an average distance of 50 from workshop to stockpile? such is the legacy of previous overseers.
With the strain on my mind reduced so much, I can oficially say:
I am the only sane being in the entire fortress, with the plausible exception of maskdwarf, who may simply be alien. 

I can understand the lack of overlapping bedrooms I've had to deal with, this :is: a prison after all. But how to explain the high quality of bedrooms to the inspector...


"We transfer dwarves first to the calming room." Nah.
"You may fear that dwarves will commit crimes to be assigned these rooms.  Not so, actually-" Nah.
"We're using these as a reward for relatively good behavior. They're still cells, as you can see by the placement of a rope.  they double up as a shock-treatment ward, for when dwarves loose their...."-getting closer, but that wouldn't quite fit either...
ahah!
"See, I TOLD you guys it was just a strange mood on a slightly larger scale than normal.  As for my, er, relative sanity, well...turns out that the bigger the strange mood, the more time the dwarf has to complete the mood."
eh, that should at least explain the adamantine portal and trade depot, if not the bedrooms...
"These are an expirimental cell design to subtly warp the mind of the dwarf into obedience to the queen. If the results prove successfull, we shall expand to the remaining obsidian layers. If the result is a disaster, we shall switch to using them as a reward for loyalty to the queen and general good behavior. Either way, the queen wins."
Yes, that might work. Provided the overseer didn't realize that by "queen", I actually meant "overseer."
_________________________

1st of winter:

Emdief has been angering the fortress against me.  Very little I can do about it. I need to make a speech to delay it to the first of spring, but I can't hope to stop it. Well. I could switch everyone into an overlapping bedroom and rip out all the ropes...but I would doom the fortress that way.  The mountainhome will not be fooled if the ropes aren't there, no matter how many wards mask casts, and no matter how many substances corley pumps into the inspector.
We do not, yet, have the resources to stand on our own.  not yet.  not quite.
Worst of all, thwarting emdief would distract me from the most important project of them all: powering the portal.

One thing puzzles me, though:
"A gilded cage is still a cage" is a human saying.  the dwarven equivalent? "a gilded cage is still gilded: I prefer pure gold, tyvm."
So why are the dwarves responding to the former, rather than the latter? It can't be the fate magic alone...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 03, 2014, 08:43:52 pm
Corley's Log:
Wintertime 257
--
Well, here I am at the start of the two hundred fifty-seventh winter since the Creation, and Fractalman is still spending most of his time working alone on his blasted "project." Someone has been spreading political tracts around; my suspicions turn toward my grandaunt Shining, though the message does not seem to her usual subject. Whosoever the author is, he seems to be doing a good job, as the prisons -- however inappropriate that term may be now -- have begun to don the "hammer and pickaxe;" I have even seen this symbol on small metal pins worn by the furnace operators. Perhaps it will not be necessary to destroy Fractal just yet, and my plans will be easier to manage should this regime gain supremacy.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 10:07:11 pm
Well then. Looks like my turn's coming up soon. Just a warning - I'll be taking my sweet time with this turn. I have a lot of stuff on the go IRL. Also, I'll try to do a lot of writeups, screenshots and micromanagement to see if I can return to the fort to its "former glory" or at least establish some semblance of stability.
Here, have a teaser of things to come;
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Legendary thread right here. Much dorf. Very convict. Such machiavellian. Wow.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 03, 2014, 10:30:21 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
This image is quite impressive; did you draw it yourself? Also, may I pin it to the original post?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 10:39:20 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
This image is quite impressive; did you draw it yourself? Also, may I pin it to the original post?

Go right ahead! As for the drawing, I stole that; it's a recolored dwarf with an added hammer and pickaxe tattoo cut from a DnD manual.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 03, 2014, 10:44:20 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
This image is quite impressive; did you draw it yourself? Also, may I pin it to the original post?

Go right ahead! As for the drawing, I stole that; it's a recolored dwarf with an added hammer and pickaxe tattoo cut from a DnD manual.
Ah, whatever the case. I'm no artist myself, as you have probably seen by now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 11:10:00 pm
Oh, the tantrums finished up around late august. 
as for semblance of order...well, I'd like to think that steelhold 2.0 is much, much more organize than the old one, though the defenses are still a bit shoddy. 
I grabbed the shift+f keys for it.

journal entry:
early winter.
Lost about three dwarves to goblin ambushes.  At least the trader's guards helped us out. found out what happened to moisturizer: one of the levers in the lever room locks up the lever room.  Oops. 

One of the trader's wagons deconstructed, so we now have...a "wagon wood".    go figure! it has been incorporated into one of the windmills.
Roughly half the fort is helping to build my windmill array.  Emdief thinks I could do with much less flooring, but oh well. should be able to just barely get them finished before he takes over.

I may need to pop emdief in as mayor to get the mandate to expire...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 11:15:38 pm
Oh, the tantrums finished up around late august. 
as for semblance of order...well, I'd like to think that steelhold 2.0 is much, much more organize than the old one.
I grabbed the shift+f keys for it.

But... how can the fort be stable without propaganda posters? Do you have any idea how much crimethink is going on as we speak?
... wait, I'm fairly sure crimethink is the only think Steelhold has.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 03, 2014, 11:32:02 pm
Oh, the tantrums finished up around late august. 
as for semblance of order...well, I'd like to think that steelhold 2.0 is much, much more organize than the old one, though the defenses are still a bit shoddy. 
I grabbed the shift+f keys for it.
Perhaps, though -- after Jackal's turn -- the original "Steelhold" game was probably most stable during Modi's reign, as the prisoners were too scared of her to do anything.

EDIT: Once Fractal achieves his goal of powering the portal, will he travel to another dimension, thus ceasing his presence in this world?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 03, 2014, 11:37:33 pm
Perhaps, though -- after Jackal's turn -- the original "Steelhold" game was probably most stable during Modi's reign, as the prisoners were too scared of her to do anything.

Jackal, Modi and Rhaken were all stable, with few deaths and little to no tantruming. Jackal doesn't really count though, because if you get tantrums and deaths on the first year you've really goof'd.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 03, 2014, 11:40:46 pm
Oh, there's plotting going on...but the dwarves still take orders from me. even maskdwarf is lending a hand-he/it realized that helping me was very much in the best interest of both him and his "true gods"


2nd opal: midwinter.

I'm running short on time.
However, the windmill array is....roughly half done. There's enough supplies sitting around I can cut way back on farming, cooking, and brewing. Found a bunch of dwarves hauling wood to the wrong stockpile, probably a result of Emdief's plotting. Either that, or it's just an old stockpiling order I missed.
My speech went as follows: "dwarves: bear with my insanity for just two more months."
It went over well enough. 
Emdief's political movement grows stronger.
All according to plan.  For it does not grow stronger too quickly. 
Only question is whether I should make myself a raw-adamantine coffin or not...
_______



EDIT: Once Fractal achieves his goal of powering the portal, will he travel to another dimension, thus ceasing his presence in this world?
I *could* just open up an (raw) adamantine tomb for myself on top of the portal to represent that...


________________

12 opal, midwinter:
Roughly 1/4th of the actual windmills are in place now. Power is begining to flow into the portal, though it's not yet enough to begin repairing the damage to other dimensions.  Wonder if I'll get the chance to make myself a nice adamant coffin before it's all over...
24th opal: midwinter:
discovered that petrified wood makes an acceptable mechanism.  Or perhaps rediscovered; there are a few gaps in my memory that refuse to repair themselves.
24th opal: entry 2.
The elves are not going to like this...We ran out of wood, so I ordered what little is left of the forest...to be chopped down.
________
1st obsidian: late winter.
we might just make it. if I have time left, I'll have an adamantine coffin made up for me. tehe!

9th obsidian:
It....it is done.
The elves are NOT going to like this one bit:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
All that remains is to try and convince emdief that, with my most important goals accomplished, I could care less what he does...or, well, that I'd work for him like any other dwarf. with his magic-phobia, that may prove difficult.
I must rest for a long, long time before I feel like jumping through dimensions again.  That will happen faster if I have a body.

17th obsidian:
goblin ambushes.
However, this time, we had cage traps up all over the place. casualties were minimal:only one dwarf died.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 04, 2014, 01:53:45 am
well THis is a hoot.
Emdief, you've claimed a mechanics workshop. HEH HEH HEH!
19th obsidian: emdief claimed a mech workshop. he's not talking. 
21st obsidian: I've gone back to making bone crafts...and slaughtering animals.  Das Ebal still has cracks in it, and it'd be better to repair them than to not repair them.  they're not a threat to the fort or anything, as I am no longer drawing upon it. 

Emdief's begun his construction. a mechanism, some stone, a gem, and a bit of iron...
could he be making a new thaumometer?
odd. i thought he didn't need a thaumometer anymore...

25th obsidian:
workshops are done.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Regretably, most of the bedrooms are at best half finished.  ah well.

No doubt emdief's going to claim a lot of the credit for stabalizing the fort.
can't be helped.



1st of granite:
Your move, Emdief...
As soon as you're done building...whatever it is you're building.
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8286
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 07:40:29 am
Your move, Emdief...
As soon as you're done building...whatever it is you're building.
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8286

It's an artifact revolution. It menaces with spikes of people's tribunals. It's decorated with hanging rings of the will of the people and is studded with rhetoric. On the revolution is an image of the old order and Emdief Twiceborn in dwarf leather. The old order is in in a fetal position. Emdief is bestriding the world like a colossus. This relates to the seizing control of the fortress Steelhold by the Marble Revolution in whatever-year-this-is.



Introduction: Les Miserable Dwarfs

So. It begins.
Fractal seems to have realized his days in command are numbered. His overtures of peace, however, come too late. Already things are in motion. The people have be ready and eager to rise for the past few months - they never needed much prodding in the first place. All they needed was a leader. And even if he refuses to leave his workshop for a while, they'll follow Emdief Twiceborn to hell itself at this point.

Throughout the night the yells and chants of the revolutionaries resounds throughout the fort. I hardly notice when they drag the Overseer before me. He's thrown in a cell, one that's actually locked, for now. They managed to take his book from him in the scuffle. I'd rather not touch it. I order it thrown in that portal of his. Enjoy the void between worlds, Swordthunders!

His fate will be decided eventually. There are more pressing matters at hand before I resume my work. I call upon Corley, Melek, Jovus, Rhaken and the various commanders of the military.
The first meeting of the Steelhold Council begins. It mainly consists of appointing the members of that aforementioned council. Rhaken takes over as manager - there's only one more qualified, and none dearer to the seperatists. Corley becomes our mayor - a popular choice amongst the younger members of our revolution. Jovus gets a seat to appease the (very few) socialists he leads within the fort. The militia commanders obviously get their own votes - we need our military. Finally, in lieu of Asmoth, Melek shall be the representative of our Chief Medical Dwarf on the council.

And so my reign begins. Let the magic users beware. Their days are numbered.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 08:56:14 am
State of the Colony - Clusterf*ck and a Half

1st Granite

Well then. Time to survey my new domain. And by Armok, we've got problems.
The new entrance is defended only by cave traps. It can't even be sealed with a bridge at this point. There's also many, many cage traps placed seemingly at random around it, but in places intruders are not likely to go. The windmill platform and the new entrance in general allow the the fort to be accessed by anything that flies, be it dragon, titan or buzzard. I hear elves occasionally ride giant eagles into battle - I'd rather let those in the fort.
The old entrance has been "sealed" by removing one of the bridges that allowed access to the trapped corridor. However, the main gate is still wide open, with only two doors stopping the invaders from comming straight into the fort, pausing to kill our marksdwarves along the way! Speaking of which, the archery towers are utterly insufficient for the purposes of pincushoning our foes. That will have to be worked on.
In the meantime, I've set Corley up in his father's office. It was being used by random dwarves to throw wild parties. Thankfully they didn't touch any levers or nothing, or we'd all probably have died. I've dismantled Lenehan's machine for good - no point in letting it be used against me.
Also, today I met my husband! Which is the first I've heard of my new status as a woman. Damn magic users couldn't bring me back in a body with a winkie, could they? I hadn't noticed since this body is enormously fat. This merely reaffirms my desire for vengeance. Fractal's fate will be decided later.

In summary, in case another leader needs to finish what I start - our defenses are more full of holes than +purring maggot cheese+. Both of our entryways provide access to the fort from the air, neither have simple drawbridges to allow the fort to be sealed in case of emergency, and both will need to be renovated. Once the problem of Fractaldwarf is solved, of course.
I noticed he'd prepared an adamantine coffin for himself. Seeing as he desecrated a previous overseer's tomb for his project, I decided he won't be needing it. If I can find my old body and stuff it in there, it will be victory enough for me.

It has come to my attention that not only are our defenses wholly inadequate - we have a gaping hole in them in our magma forges! Seriously, and creature of the magma sea can just waltz right into to our fortress and kill our smiths. Unacceptable. I'll have the holes plugged as soon as I can find the dwarves to haul the buckets of water down - we don't seem to have any idlers at the moment. Securing this fort is a huge engineering feat that really can't wait, but everyone's busy doing armok only knows. I suspect attending seances with the masked dwarf.
A new propaganda poster was issued on the commands of Jovus. We already have enough booze (Fractal managed the stocks well, although you won't find anyone on the council who'll admit that) so I don't understand why it's necessary, but why not?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Er... all of our valuable, egg laying animals are pastured outside where the goblins can get at them. Someone explain this to me. Go ahead. Make my day.
I've decided to establish priorities. They are as follows;

1. Secure our main entryway (and seal off our new entryway from the ground). Rebuild the old trade depot.
2. Secure the magma forges.
3. Reform the military. Build a better archery tower system.
4. Get all valuable assets outside, inside.
5. Secure the new entrance/above ground farms (OOC: A mini-megaproject in its own right. I might not have the dwarfpower to see it through)
6. Deal with the dwarves responsible for this nightmare.
7. Train the military on the hundreds of prisoners we have in the fort, and strip them of valuable materials.

The revolutionaries cry out for blood. I'm appeased them so far by having Fractal imprisoned, but I don't think that will be enough. I know that he puts our reality at risk. I think I can fix it. The portal anchors him here - it can send him back to whatever hellhole he came from. A crowd-pleasing execution device and saving the space-time continuum. Don't say Fractal didn't do anything right. Unluckily for him, he's part of the old order that needs to be swept away.

One day of Overseership and I'm already afraid of imminent death. Again. I thought if we got rid of the magic users, the for would be fixed - it turns out years of mismanagement means this colony will be lucky to survive the year. Any plans I had of turning over power to another member of the council are now gone.
I'll bring Steelhold to security and independence, or (likely) die in this desert.



OOC: Seriously guys, we could crumble if any flying megabeast/titan comes along or we get an infestation of magma crabs. Everyone's wandering around in old cloths, too, so they're perfectly ready to tantrum. I'll try to get a cloths industry running to try to relieve that pressure, and fix up our defenses, but damn. I have no idea how we've survived this long - we've had unclosed holes in our defenses since at least Lenehan, at most Sarrak.
I'm tempted to just wall off Fractal's megaproject to seal the holes there, but I'd like to renovate it an use it as a surface farm. (Fun fact: If a tile has seen the light once, it can grow surface plants even in total darkness. DORFS!) It's also a huge FPS drain at the moment, with tons of power being used to... well power his portal, but other than that nothing useful that I can tell.
I haven't found the vampire yet, but I think that's because he's currently one of our militia captains. Speaking of which, our army is a mess. Most of our positions are empty, our equipment follows no logical pattern, there's valuable ammunition scattered around the map, and we haven't managed to produce any adamantine gear yet.
Tl;dr : We are doomed.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 04, 2014, 09:17:15 am
Days have been bleeding through my fingers. It takes me great effort to keep track of time. What seemed like yesterday turns out to have been last month, the inbetween a muddled haze punctuated by brief passages of clarity. Thus passed the first several months of the year after I feigned my death. I do not recall how the fortress inmates took the news. I do not recall how my wife took the news. I recall my burial, and my exhumation, and they feel like memories of a long-gone youth.

What am I doing now? I think I'm in my office. I see the top of my desk and little else. Sounds of military activity, though feint, as if my ears are filled with rope reed. It takes me tremendous effort to move my own gauntleted hand into view, even more to clench it into a fist. It seems to take an hour. Could this be a rare lucid moment?

I recall... reading a report my lads copied from Asmoth's notes. Corley was clever, but he hadn't figured out all of this on his own. But why was I reading this? Ah yes, the fake death serum. Looking for side effects. Wasn't much other than what Corley had said. I think? Yes, that was it. And none of it explained my current condition.

Onul walks in. I muster the will to look up at her. She cups my chin in her hand, asks me something. I have a hard time comprehending my own birth language, but I think she asked how I'm feeling. I try to say 'better'. A groan escapes my lips. I try to say 'I love you'. Another groan. My head sinkks into her lap before it can hit the desk. Groan groan groan.

She hugs me, whispers a melody. I remember this. We used to sing it to our kids. We sang it to Sibrek every night because she was scared of the dark. My warped mind takes this in, and a single tear falls from my eye. I try to thank Onul for putting up with me. Another groan.




Emdief is shaking me by the shoulder. Did he always look like this? I don't remember, but I think not.

"Rhaken, are you listening? Come on, dammit, you're in there somewhere! I'm going to need you on the Council!"

I don't know how long it has been. I thought the fractaldwarf was in charge after my death. I just know that the sounds clashing metal outside my office have been getting dimmer and dimmer over the - what was it? Days? Months? Years? I don't remember.

Emdief - it's him, I know it is, even if he's not the same dwarf - calls for Melek, who takes some time to examine me. I try to move in any way that can help her, but fail. It's just not a good day.


"I don't get it," Melek says, brow furrowed. "I've studied the effects of valley herb products on the dwarven mind, and nothing like this ever came up. Not even the drugs are known to do this, much less the fake death serum. Maybe it's an undocumented side effect."

"What if it wasn't the serum?"

Melek turns to eye the engineer. "You heard Onul. He hasn't taken anything else that she hasn't tested for poison."

"What if it's not something he took? What if it was one of the magic users, like Fractal or the Maskdwarf?"

Maskdwarf...

Anger. Betrayal. Revelation. In that very instant, I am struck once again with the last truly clear thought I've had in a year - I know it's been a year.

Ilral Inkeyfierce is Ilral Lockedgears, the vampire responsible for all of this. He lives in Steelhold.

And the masked one is his partner's slayer.

Melek turns back to me to found me clenching my fists, teeth gritting. She begins to ask something, but I don't give her time. I stand up, and she takes step back. Emdief reaches for his crossbow. I lift my gaze from the floor, staring him dead in the eye.


"I need a situation report. I've been out of it for a year. What happened to your face?"

I'm back.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 09:59:43 am
Beware the Ides of Granite

2nd Granite

A thieve rushed into our gaping open entrance, grabbed something from the pile of valuable goods that marks where the old trade depot was, and ran off before anyone could respond. This is the first of many security breaches, I fear.
Rhaken seems to have recovered his former vigor and mental faculties. I brushed him off at the time, telling him he has a lot to catch up on. Someone else will have to bring him up to speed - I don't have the time. Between running this fortress and my personal project, I really can't do politics. Hopefully he'll realize what remains of his organization is mine now, and cooperating with the new regime is the best way to achieve his objectives. Hopefully I'll find someone I can trust in him. I can't save this fort alone.

Here's the current state of the fort's supplies:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

3rd Granite

Supporters of Fractal let him out of his cell today. He was promptly put right back in. I'm allowing him to do labour, under heavy supervision. The dwarves constantly yell and throw things at him, but he doesn't seem to notice. Just keeps grinning manicly. You could hardly tell that he'd almost led a revolution like this himself a year ago.
I've given up securing his expansion of the fort for now, because it simply can't be done in the near future. After I've dealt with him and his blasted portal can be safely shut down, I'll fix it. Hopefully.
I say, there's a lot of cripples in this fort. Asmoth isn't the miracle worker she's chalked up to be, I guess. Well, she does things that aren't possible to a dwarf of regular skill, but miracles are traditionally benevolent.
I honestly can't find any workshops in this mess, so I'm having new craftsdwarf workshops built. I need nest boxes. We're also going to butcher a lot of the uneccessary animals before they eat the remainder of our pasture. The leather will be used to cloth dwarves who currently wear tatters and the bones will be made into sub-standard ammunition for target practice.

4th Granite

The entrance trap was repaired today. Also, the cage traps caught a new goblin snatcher. The cage traps inside our fort, that is. Which just goes to show that a single siege right now could probably wipe us out.
Today, we finally executed Fractal. The crowd went wild as they flung him into his portal, which we then proceeded to tear down to prevent him from accessing this world again. If the path to security and propserity for Steelhold is paved with bodies, so be it.

5th Granite

I've finished my project - a mechanism more beautiful than any I've ever seen. Hardly knew what I was making, actually. Just needed to keep my hands busy.
The dwarves have dug an area in a gold vein this they say will be my tomb. I didn't order it, but I'll accept it graciously - better to reward their enthusiasm than risk losing the mob. Once you've harness the power of revolution, you have to keep moving forward or it turns on you.
Work has also commenced on a tree farm. I hope to massively increase our tree production and grazing area by hollowing out a large space under the dunes. Some of the wood, hopefully, can be used to repair Lenehan's tomb. Using cavern wood is rather symbolic of his rehabilitation into a symbol of Steelhold's independence, anyway.

8th Granite

A new area is dug for the future egg production facility. The gates at the old entrance (soon to be only entrance, if I have my way) are finished. They'll be hooked up with a lever in the mayoral office.
I notice that we have a few very unhappy dwarves running about. Namely, our champion, a planter, and shining, who lost a child to tragedy during Fractal's reign. They'll be placed on watch - if one of them throws a tantrum, it could spread. The discontent in the fortress with the current state of affairs could result in total anarchy and, by extension, all of our deaths.

11th Granite

The entrance has been secured, and is in the process of being linked to the mayor's office. In addition to this, the surface farms are no longer open to the outside world. In 10 days, we've brought ourselves to the point that we can survive a siege, got Rhaken back, and rid ourselves of 50% of this fort's magic users. This calls for a drink. Hail to the marble revolution! I wish I knew why it is we've decided to call it that.

And, since this calls for a drink, there's a party going on. Good thing - we could all use something to cheer us up. In the meantime, we've begun to secure the magma forges. I'm ordering dwarves to pour water down the unnecessary/dangerous entrances to the magma sea. Hopefully, this will create a barrier of obsidian through which the denizens of the magma sea cannot penetrate.
Do we really only have 179 dwarves remaining? We've taken quite a beating since the start of Rhaken's reign. Hopefully the mountainhomes will send us more settlers.

14th Granite

The plan to secure the magma forges has failed, and we may have damaged them in the process. It turns out the magma sea is deeper than I'd suspected, and those gaping open holes were actually the only power sources for the forges any way. Conclusion: Magma forges poorly design. They'll have to be rebuilt, this time drawing their power sources through secure channels.
I'm not sure when these were built, but I'm fairly sure it was during Sarrak's reign. Figures - her ghost tells me she's a bloody butcher (hah) not an engineer.

This is when I notice something appalling in our stocks:
(http://i.imgur.com/Qykjpmy.png)
WE HAD BLOODY JABBERERS, ONE OF THE MOST FEARSOME WARBEASTS AROUND, A RAPIDLY REPLENISHING RESOURCE DUE TO THEIR FAST MATURATION, AND WE USED THEM AS A FOOD SUPPLY?!

(OOC:MDFification cancels play dwarf fortress: Throwing tantrum)



OOC: Whoever wasted those jabberers, you're a bloody fool. They're an insanely valuable and productive source of meat, lay 2 eggs a year, mature rapidly, are war trainable and are more dangerous than a bloody elephant in battle. All I can see in the caverns now are pond grabbers.
 :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 04, 2014, 11:28:48 am
Wouldn't have done us any good. It was a goblin mount - therefore, untameable. Untameable and delicious. :D
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 04, 2014, 12:47:13 pm
Hopefully, you will be able to achieve order in the fortress before handing it off to me. Also, how exactly was Fractalman disposed of?

Corley's Log:
Steelhold Council
--
Apparently, the clever dwarf leading the whole "revolutionary" business was Emdief this whole time. More so, he -- I say this out of habit, even though Fractal seems to have made him a lass -- has taken the entire fortress under his command and has ousted Fractal out of power. Smart dwarf, I say. It seems that he wants to achieve great order, hence the propaganda posters about the fortress. Also, he wants to actually have a council, and has a seat prepared for me. How could I refuse such an offer; this only aids me in the grand scheme of things. Apparently, my seat also comes with the position of mayor! Father would most certainly be proud of me.

As for the actual council, I'll attend the meetings when they occur, but I'll tell Emdief that he should probably commission a council's chamber or something like that for us to meet in. We can't have our private discussions be heard throughout a dining hall, that's for certain.


Corley's Log:
Mayor of Steelhold
--
Well, I'm now the mayor of Steelhold. My father held such a position at one point of his career, and he worked in this very office. This room is dark, and it doesn't let much light in. The eerie coincidence I just outlined makes it even spookier. I suppose I'll need a few cigarettes and a flask of fisher berry wine in order to get through the first day or two. Hopefully, the job will get easier as I get used to my surroundings.

To take my mind off the office, I have begun to think about my clothing. I have nothing particularly clean or mayoral to wear during my working day; all I have to put over my dirty forge clothes is my old jacket. I suppose this will have to do for now, I just wish that I didn't have to wear the symbol of Emdief's regime on my lapel.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 03:51:47 pm
Wouldn't have done us any good. It was a goblin mount - therefore, untameable. Untameable and delicious. :D

Well ok then why jabberers why



Urist and Catten's Excellent Adventure

19th Granite

The time has come for our military to get reorganized. I see we have two marksdwarf squads. I assume the original idea was to have one of the two training at all times. However, the first squad's appears to have been decimated at some point (it's positions are filled seemingly at random, and it has no commander) and morale is low enough that I'd prefer both kept off active duty for now. We have just enough marksdwarves for a full squad under my command - which promptly takes to calling itself the revolutionary guard.
Speaking of that squad, there's no reason for them to be decked out in only leather when we have metal armor available. Anything that helps stop a bolt is useful.
Rhaken being back to normal means his gang will continue on as they currently stand, although they're 3 members short of a full squad.
Our remaining melee squad has 4 soldiers but no commander. Our champion also has no underlings - he appears to hold the position of champion and militia commander. I'd put them under his command, but perhaps later - the confusion might hurt morale worse than it already has been.
Also, I'm ordering the ammunition scattered around the map collected. We can use that ammunition. At the very least, it can be melted down and used to train our weaponsmiths before we start smelting adamantine gear.

I'm also starting to plan upgrading the military to steel armor first. This will provide valuable training for the armorsmith. Other than that, no new jobs! We have too many jobs. There are mass engraving projects that likely won't end till my reign if over. Unneccessary smoothing is canceled until further notice.

20th Granite

Is it just me, or are our medical facilities far too small? I appreciate that Asmoth's work has taken place in what is also her office, but I don't see how this design is efficient. A new hospital will have to be built, one that can both meet higher numbers of patients (ours can currently only house 3, put 1 in traction and do surgery on 1) and has more efficient means of storage.
(OOC: This is also a good way to prevent the hospital form using adamantine threads in suturing, which is really annoying when you start adamantine production, let me tell you)

21st Granite

I've ceased production of rope, because armok-be-damned we have a lot of ropes already. More ropes than we could ever use for practical matters. All for the sole purpose of decorating our cells.
I have a plan, you see. The moutainhomes doesn't care about the conditions in Steelhold. It's a penal colony, not a dungeon. Being sent here is a life sentence. The desert is our jailer - after all, even if we tried to escape how long would we last? We have no domesticated wagons here, and without such mighty beasts of burden we'd never make it back to civilization. So I say, once you enter Steelhold, you're a free citizen - unless you commit further crimes against the colony or try to leave. From now on, no more fooling the inspection. I figure they can't really punish us if they want to, anyway. Bringing an entire army across the desert just to deal with a few convicts you're never going to have to deal with again if you leave alone doesn't seem like something that would be popular back in the mountainhomes.
So, all those restraints could be taken our of our cells bedrooms and put in a stockpile where they can be used in various projects. Although we'd probably never run through out supply. Anyway, the dwarves seem to like them (I never stop hearing about how they admire the fine craftsmanship on the ropes) and it's almost a matter of civic pride at this point. No more will be installed, but none will be removed yet.

22nd Granite

A kidnapper has made off with one of our children! Disaster! I don't know why I haven't chained up one of these animals to stop the enemy from just waltzing into our fort. The parents will be upset. Probably nobody else though, because if there's anything this fort produces in surplus it's children.
I've decided also that the construction of the new fortifications can be worked into a partial solution for this. If the pillbox is large enough, then my marksdwarves can train in it; training will double as being on watch. Efficient.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'm also informed the party really isn't worth attending, serious man, just go hit up a bar instead.
(http://i.imgur.com/GJhpg5R.png)

24th Granite

Migrants! The first migrant wave in years! I'm informed they arrived "despite the danger" which basically just means the queen doesn't care what happens to there poor murderers and thieves.
With this wave, we get many much needed haulers. We also get four pre-trained marksdwarves, which is rather convenient. Deserters and poachers, most likely, but trained in dodging, ambushing, archery and armor use. They'll make fine additions to the second marksdwarf squad, which has just been reinstated! We also get two competent soldiers (wielding swords and axes, respectively) who are promptly drafted into Rhaken's gang. I'd rather field one full-strength squad and let the soldiers watch eachothers backs than field two smaller squads.
This brings our population up to 200.
Corley gets in on the martial spirit of things and mandates the construction of 3 bucklers. Good thinking, Corley! Bucklers are lighter than shields and pretty much as effective in terms of blocking.

27th Granite

A werelizard has come! Judging by the lenght of the name, a pretty famous one too. Fortunately, even lizards twisted into humanoid form have a natural aversion to crossbow bolts.
However, before we can kill the beast, it savages a metalcrafter to death, transforms into a cave fish man, and runs away. I'm glad to see it gone, and glad it didn't kill anyone too valuable - like a smith - but it's still a tragedy.



As with other posts, this one will grow more as I play. Let me tell you about our military. It's insanely disorganized. It's also small and could use a lot more training! I'd expect better by year 8, but of course we lost almost all our old military on year 4 and our numbers have fallen considerably from what they were in Rhaken's day.
Once the magma forges have run out of things to do, I'll redesign it. We could use more than on forge, for starters, although I like the number of smelters. Also, they should be powered by placing an impassable building tile over the magma - that way nothing can path into our fort. Currently anything in the magma sea can. Also we've dropped a lot of ore down those shafts by accident, I seen it.

Some random musing; we seem to get a lot of job cancellations from dwarves far away from the food stockpiles deciding to go get a drink. Maybe that can be fixed with smaller food/booze stockpiles in strategic positions? We could certainly do with one down at the forge level...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 04, 2014, 03:59:47 pm
Ah, yes.

The magma workshop area was partially my design, and the areas you are referring to my fault.  We had a lot of ore that needed smelting, so I set up a shitton of smelters to get the job done.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 04:39:04 pm
Ah, yes.

The magma workshop area was partially my design, and the areas you are referring to my fault.  We had a lot of ore that needed smelting, so I set up a shitton of smelters to get the job done.

It isn't really bad, but the power-holes are under empty spaces instead of impenetrable workshop tiles, and I'm scared the imps are going to path into the fort and take out our smiths.
I'm just being really anal about everything, but this is a succession game; things happen.
Random thoughts: Should I try to get live training up? Morale in the army could be improved by taking some joy in slaughter, and I need to start training again soon, regardless of morale. We have a lot of prisoners that aren't being put to any good use.



The 5 Year At Least A Month Plan

5th Slate

The death-screams of the goblin prisoners resounds throughout the fortress. Rhaken has decided his new gang members need to make their bones, it seems. Useful way to dispose of the mass of prisoners we've accumulated.
My only regret is that they killed them so quickly. Next time, I'll tell Rhaken, he should use training weapons. A far better exercise that would be, and we wouldn't run through our prisoners so quickly. I'm sure he already knows this, though. He was out for blood. Well good for him - I'd be stressed as hell if I'd lost a year of my life. Of course, I am stressed as hell, but that's because I had a non-consensual sex change.

11th Slate

Agricultural reform. The stable of revolutionary regimes. I didn't think it was necessary, but I guess I thought wrong.
While we have enough supplies currently, we don't have enough to maintain a proper clothing industry indefinately. Most of our farm plots are unproductive for the majority of the year. Anyway, if we end up overstocked, prepared foods are an excellent trade good. I'll have to reorganize the farms immediately.
Speaking of our clothing industry, a lot of worn clothing is just discarded in the halls. This is unsanitary and besmirchs the pride of our fortress. I'll have to build some means of disposal - perhaps a shaft to drop them into the magma sea? Now that I think about it, that would be a good way to dispose of the fort's internal enemies. External enemies I'll leave to Rhaken's training regimens.

15th Slate

The new hospital has been excavated, as has what will become the council chambers and Overseer's (not mayor's) office. The later will truly be fit for a king; the former, sterile, efficient and well-equipped. A cistern underneath the new hospital is being dug - now I just need to find some means to fill it with clear, fresh water.

I notice many standing production orders have been left, ordering dwarves to produce doors, tables, chairs and whatnot. While I've appreciated our vast stocks of these, we already have tons. The masons can take a break to help haul or engrave for a bit. I'd like to give the food producers a break from hauling at least.

18th Slate

The miners keep striking anomalous damp stone. We're not digging above or beneath any known bodies of water, so this is puzzeling to me. Is there an aquifer on this site? In any case, I won't disturb it for now in case it pollutes what is to be our cistern.
(OOC: Is there?)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 04, 2014, 05:01:38 pm
Random thoughts: Should I try to get live training up? Morale in the army could be improved by taking some joy in slaughter, and I need to start training again soon, regardless of morale. We have a lot of prisoners that aren't being put to any good use.

That's what the gulag is for. Though I don't think I ever got around to disarming the chained goblins. The larger room with the pit was made for marksdwarf executions.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 05:09:17 pm
Random thoughts: Should I try to get live training up? Morale in the army could be improved by taking some joy in slaughter, and I need to start training again soon, regardless of morale. We have a lot of prisoners that aren't being put to any good use.

That's what the gulag is for. Though I don't think I ever got around to disarming the chained goblins. The larger room with the pit was made for marksdwarf executions.

I don't really use live training much in my typical gameplay.
I wonder if we could find an alternate use for prisoners - like, for example, not disarming them and causing the clown car to path into them. Hilarity (and weakening of the clowns) ensues. We have enough of them for it to be feasible.
EDIT: Not that we're sending in the clowns yet. I'd like a large, well trained military before that point. Also a lot of defenses; trapped corridors and marksdwarf positions. If I could get a giant cave spider they'd be really good - if not, well, it's basically just a mass grinder. Remember: It's not turtling if they're clowns!

Also this is as good a time to mention as any that one of our best soldiers is in the hospital. Bad luck, Fractal. If only a mook could have gotten in the way.  :-\

Also this is basically sums up Steelhold:
(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWUWFAMmQBqXbE1YxHwOk_J_2_GjWW1r5hZ1-8qjju7uINW42h)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 04, 2014, 06:42:16 pm
:wakes up:
*cackles*
-dunno if there's an aquifer.  I didn't run into one while carving out steelhold2.0, but I :thought: I ran into one while trying to make an emergency set of kitchens near the food stockpile-turned out to just be the ocean. There's also a stagnant pool on the surface, it's easy to miss.
...I think I forgot to mention a few things during my turn.  This post is all OOC. 

Everything beneath the windmill farm was created during my turn. :P
Animal zoning: Early warning system, and a way to get animals-especially grazers-OUT of the depot before they starve.  Works best if zone is near depot, and the corner the dwarves take the animals to is at least somewhat protected by cage traps. plus it frees up those cages for more cage traps.


Just south of the addy stockpile: That's where I had hoped to put new forges in place.  But doing so would also have required rearranging the bar stockpiles, and I didn't have dwarfpower to spare thanks to the spring amushes.  But...I guess it'd be a great place to process adamantine...

How I do the bedrooms:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The cage traps were NOT random, simply incomplete:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ok, so I didn't quite get it set up that way.  But I've learned my lesson: though shalt attempt no more than two or three big projects per year in an inefficient community fort.

I would have expected a lot of dwarves to become freed up after about a week once the handfull of bins I alloted for finished goods got filled up.  I recommend you take any military dwarves off of mining/woodcutting, that'll stop them from wasting time switching uniforms...oh...and you can probably halt the in-fort cloth production.  I bought plenty of leather and cloth from all three caravans. 

At least even your character has to (privately) admit my stockpiling skills are pretty good.  :D

The vampire has been sealed up with walls rather than just a door and burrow.
Why U put up a mayor with mandates...oh. right. story.   (but the old mayor never gave mandates. keh. )

There are actually...three or so hospital zones scattered acrossthe fort. I think I built the sole traction bench as well.  Note: traction bench quality is determined by the quality of the table used, and nothing else.  Use cheap mechanisms and ropes for them. 

As for military...it was all I could do to stop the "enraged by long patroll duty" thoughts from leading to a military tantrum spiral.  Those are NASTY.  Military is not my strong-suit. I blame haunted biomes for teaching me that military=bad.



As for your status as a woman....
TROLLFACE.JPG!

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 07:40:22 pm
Welp. Played to the 1st of Felsite. Think I'm going to call it a night.
Archery tower progesses smoothly. Other projects (hospital, tomb, council room) also progress smoothly. Fort continues to be increasingly secure. While it wasn't poorly stocked before, it is now overflowing with foodstuffs. Casualties this year: 2 (one child kidnapped, one person ate by a were-lizard) although we've been lucky, particularly with the forges and lack of any nasty forgotten beast/titan attacks. Cavern's have a single door for security; we're boned if something attacks us through there.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 04, 2014, 08:40:00 pm
I thought I walled it off all the way with a construction...the last thing I needed was a forgotton beast versus crippled millitary.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 04, 2014, 10:11:38 pm
I thought I walled it off all the way with a construction...the last thing I needed was a forgotton beast versus crippled millitary.

Nah, it's actually just a door. Not that I'm complaining, mind you - that's the only currently secure source of fresh water in the fort, and making a new one is going to be a pain.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 04, 2014, 10:40:06 pm
ah well.
IC epilogue to my turn:

I flicked a lever to off, cutting power by roughly a half.  Then another, and another.  In the end, I reduced the power by a factor of roughly 100. 

I could controll the rift from here, now that I knew how much power was needed to sustain it without making it bigger.  Perhaps Emdief and the Masked Entity could lock me out of their world forever if they worked together, but I doubted it.  well, I could probably bash through any defense they put up, but I wasn't about to tear up another dozen worlds just to get back to steelhold, even IF it had some of the most intelligent beings I'd dealt with in ages.

something became clear to me as I modified the power flow to the diamond portal to hold the rift in a steady state: if the common dwarf received +20 plotting, then vampires may also receive +20 plotting.

If the vampire had realized that I could cut the power levels of the rift so quickly...he might have kept himself hidden from my knowledge instead of manipulating both me and the fort like the most subtle chess and puppetmaster to ever exist, and seized controll of the adamantine portal at a crucial moment, rather than waiting for a subtle blip when Emdief knocked the adamantine portal down.  Even MaskedEntity could not perceive the vampire's subtle plots...the irony: all his moves and counter moves, and if he'd simply waited he could have accomplished his goal. 

Well.  The least I could do was to double check that the vampire was still sealed up nice and tight...
....

I slipped back into the fort with a convenient migrant wave, staying as far away from Emdief and MaskedEntity as possible. Seems like Emdief is claiming credit for the new clothing being churned out.  Would it be so hard for him to give me a little credit? y'know, the classic "Previous_overseer, for all his/her insanity/cruelty, gave us something stable upon which to build. And build we shall!"

Really.  The bedrooms took forever to design.  the least he could do...
Funny.  I suddenly have a sneaking suspicion that Emdief did and does appreciate the infrastructure I'd set up, but felt afraid to let the rest of the fort know he appreciated it.  well...I can live with that. 

I check the vampire: still sealed away.  I slip away from the fort before the dwarves are done recording the numbers and names of immigrants.  But perhaps, just perhaps, I shall slip back in with the next wave.  I don't know if I'll do anything like try to take over the fort again, but it could be nice to actually talk with someone without worrying so much about the fate of the universe.  or, who knows, maybe take over and improve the fort...
Or even just take up gemcrafting.  maybe now that my powers were stable, I could imbue gems with power and set them up as automatic turrets to defend the fort against all manner of mobs...and maybe stick some of them into the soil for short-range but faster attacks...
I slip back through the rift. I have an appointment with a nice bed made of three wool and three planks.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 08:45:58 am
Could I join?

Name: Lorius Zane
Gender: Male
Profession: A Cleric of the Old Dwarven Gods.
Backstory: Lorius Zane was an important figure amongst the old Dwarven Royal Family. When Obok Wealthsbanners  became Queen, Lorius new loyalties were not to her, but to his gods. As result of his minor following and lack loyalty to her, Obok attempted to have him killed. Unbeknown to all, but a few, Lorius was a devoted member of the old Royal spy network. As of such, Lorius when underground when the new Queen tried to have the old spymaster killed. Through a mixture of his own skills, his followers and friends and the favour of the old gods, Lorius escaped and remained connected with what was left of the old spy network. Having recently discovered the old spymaster is still live at Steelhold under the name Rhaken, Lorius has made a journey there as a war-cleric to aid his old boss and to purge the unatural magic there in the name of the old Dwarven Gods.
Personality: Lorius Zane is a calm person with a cool smooth voice. He never broke under stress or pressure, especially in the last several years. His calmness and muscular and broad shouldered figure allows him to win over the fearful and scared with his unwavering faith. He hates magics like the gods he serves, but enjoys science, seeing as a sign of dwarven progression.

OOC: Could he arrived in the next migrant wave or caravan? 

 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 05, 2014, 09:39:25 am
The Wills of the People

2nd Felsite

Work progresses smoothly on the archery tower. I plan to secure the fort above and below before the year is out; after the fort has been secured, there will be other matters to address. For example, building a secure source of purified water indoors for usage in the hospital. If one exists, I haven't found it; Steelhold is a sprawling mess, with "ventilation" shafters everywhere, following no consistent plan. Probably a tribute to its volatile poltics.

Speaking of volatile politics, oh boy, don't get fooled into thinking we've succeeded in making a stable fort. Already there's dwarves muttering that I don't go far enough, and that I should exterminate Maskdwarf's cultists. Really! Murder a large, productive segment of the fort! I've tried to pacify them by encouraging shunning of Maskdwarf's congregation in pretty much all social matters, which wins us a few more converts every so often. Maskdwarf's congregation, in turn, gives me hateful stares whenever we meet. They better not openly defy me; I wouldn't like what I'd have to do to maintain power, and the revolution hasn't provided a capable successor yet.

12th Felsite

Increased numbers in the military has led to an armor shortage. I'm having more produced.
I've also begun restoring Lenehan's tomb. Who knows when we'll next have the chance? While nobody genuinely supports Lenehan, many express relief that we're treating the office of Overseer with the respect it deserves. Mainly Corley's supporters, that is. Jovus' supporters still claim I'm not going far enough to ensure the future of the revolution. Bloody Jovus.

14th Felsite

An elfish caravan has arrived and begun unloading their goods! I don't know why nobody warned me they were coming. Most watch the caravan greedily. This is a fort of ex-cons, after all.
I'll see if they have anything valuable they're willing to trade for our garbage. They're a good source of wood, although I'd also be happy if we got us some good war animals or sunberries.

15th Felsite

They didn't bring us any wood! Bloody arrogant elves told me that "we couldn't be trusted even with ethically gathered cellulose". Oh, I'll buy their dyes and raw cloth, but they're only getting worn clothes in return. Don't know why everyone thinks robbing the caravan is a good idea - there's nothing worth stealing on it.

18th Felsite

Another kobold thief. We don't reach him in time to stop him escaping. We'll look weak in front of the kobolds, not killing them like this. Could encourage them enough to send a few squads our way, even. Very bad.

19th Felsite

Someone offers the elves wood, and they leave in a huff. Whoops. I can't bring myself to be too upset though - bring use something useful next time you self-righteous pointy-ears. Honestly, how Lenehan was able to deal with them, let alone idolize such haughty, unreasonable creatures I have no idea.

1st Hetmatite

Spring is finally over. So much was done. So much remains to be done.
Our archery tower is almost completed; however, roofing it and other upgrades to the fortifications could take some time. I planned to rebuild our forces - unfortunately, they've been in near-constant use.
Some musings - we could use more wheelbarrows and bins. We really, really could. I've designated a lot of new stockpiles to handle our chronic over-stocking (better than chronic under-stocking) but hauling is slow and we're taking up more space than needs to be taken up.
My tomb has been built. It's incredibly fancy - I really don't deserve it. We've also built us a nifty hall for the council to meet in and a new hospital, although that's still being furnished and the cistern isn't finished.

Overall, a successful season. Now, I just need to build on this success and keep cultist-revolutionary tensions from exploding. The masked dwarf isn't helping in that respect. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid.

7th Hetmatite

At last, the main floor of the new fortifications is complete!
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Atop the archery tower another barracks will be constructed, in the sunlight. The melee squads can train there - this means they can respond rapidly to a siege and won't get so accustomed to the dark that vomit whenever they exit the fortress proper.



OOC: I'll get to dorfing in the next migrant wave, or if one doesn't come just rename a suitable new member of Rhaken's Gang.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 10:13:44 am
Thanks. I would  prefer it if Lorius could be part of the military, but not a marksdwarf if possible.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 05, 2014, 10:34:33 am
Thanks. I would  prefer it if Lorius could be part of the military, but not a marksdwarf if possible.

Don't worry about that. 50% of our military is marksdwarves already. It should be around 25% ideally, but I haven't found competent melee fighters in a while and I've been resisting drafting random mooks.
Still, we don't seem to be getting attacked this summer, so hopefully that will last.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 05, 2014, 10:44:29 am
Want to see my one-eyed monster?

2nd Malachite

The scouts have reported another cyclops, Asas, has come to attack the fort. With the news, Rhaken's eyes flash with anger. I've heard now much he hates these things, but I've never seen it with my own eyes before.
Rhaken's gang rushes out to fell the beast. I try to bring my marksdwarves up to provide support.
The cyclops is quickly felled by Rhaken's gang, which systematically takes it to pieces. and Rhaken once again lands the killing blow. My troops arrive just in time to hear it's death-rattle.
The cyclops apparently was a mere child by their standards. Still, it's huge. I'm glad I haven't got a chance to meet a live one. I realize we still have a cyclops prisoner, but I've never bothered to purposefully put myself in a room with something that could break me in half.

14th Malachite

I've been wondering if one could construct a secure pier to allow us to fish from the ocean. Probably won't get around to it, but future overseers could make use of nature's bounty, eh? Alternatively one could channel out a canal and bring the ocean to the interior of the fort, although that strikes me as much more difficult to secure.
On to more relevant matters. This fort's labour needs to be reorganized into a more efficient form. Many of our most skilled workers are hauling rather than doing the tasks they would most benefit the fortress with. I'm not sure why we have 14 miners - other than the most efficient, they'll double as haulers when not otherwise required. I also don't know why Asmoth was mining - she's our bloody head medical dwarf! She's sent back to the hospital, much to Melek's chagrin.

Cleanup of the fort's exterior is also under way. A huge amount of munitions, mechanisms and cages have been just left outside. That will change.

18th Malachite

'Migrants' have arrived yet again! Must be some serious unrest in the mountainhomes if we're receiving this many new prisoners. One was immediately drafted to the Marksdwaves; another sought out Rhaken's gang and enlisted on his own initiative. Funny dwarf, that one. Sensible opinion about demon-worshipping though.
Our population is up to 217. Steelhold is widely considered a metropolis in its own right. Were we any other fort, the monarch herself would be visiting. Of course, we're a cobbled-together mass of criminals in an inhospitable desert, so I applaud her good sense in staying as far away as possible. I would have too, had I the choice.

21st Malachite

The finishing touches are being put on the new melee-dwarf barracks. Equipping the military is also comming along nicely. Although I have yet to replace all iron armor with steel (and likely won't by the year's end), I'm confident that all of our forces will be armored and ready for battle by the time the next siege rolls around.
I'm starting to think of who can be my successor. The cultists are increasingly hostile towards me - they've been banned from holding their little gatherings - and I fear they could make an attempt on my life soon. The Masked Dwarf seems to be avoiding me, for whatever reason. It cannot be allowed to choose the next leader of this fortress.
Rhaken could regain power - I fear however him eliminating me as a political rival. Jovus clearly has no idea how to run a city, so he's out. The various military commanders can't be trusted to relinquish power once they take it up. I'll think more on this.



Post will continue to be updated as I play more, as per usual.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 01:45:01 pm
MDFification, I think you misread my previous post as I was asking for Lorius to be a melee dwarf, not a marksdwarf ( It was me misreading your post.  :-[) as Lorius prefers to fight his foes up close and personal like a proper dwarven warrior.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 02:18:05 pm
OOC: Not sure what weapon I'm using, but Lorius likes to carry a dagger at all times in roleplay.
I march down the worn and crumpling hallway. No dwarf in their right man would willing come here to live here. I, however, came to here to aid my old spymaster. Rhaken as he calls himself now. I would have never thought I forgotten his old name, yet here I am, heading to my old friend yet I forgotten his old name. I sigh. This place is worse than people lead me to believe. Of course it seems that was all just a show to trick the visitors from the Queen. Still I am sure serving under Rhaken will make this worth again. In fact, the only thing I disliked about him was his cursing. A cleric of the gods, I spend much of my time in their temples, where if I swore, I would be cursed by the gods for my profanity. This place is awful. Criminals running the place and roaming wild, magic users unchecked, most of the overseers dying horrible deaths, a demonic cult with significant control over the penal colony if you still call this place that. I clearly could use some order to it and if I can, I'll be the one to give it to this place. But first I have to report to my master. With my robes wrapped around me and my cloak on my back, I bow before Rhaken. I savour the look of surprise on his face at seeing one of his old followers. "I have come here to serve you my spymaster," I declare, looking down at the ground. A genuine smile breaks out on Rhaken's face as he has one of his old friends from better days working for him again.

OOC: Hope I set the tone for my character. Lorius is loyal to Rhaken, has the alignment of what would be called Lawful Good. I think of him as sort of like this http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BaldBlackLeaderGuy , but with a grey beard and more of a second in command to Rhaken than a leader. If nobody minds, I would like Lorius to be made captain of the guard as it would be like him wanting to put the criminal scum in their place. Lorius is also very faithful to the old dwarven gods and does profane due to often working their temples. He also hates magic users, he hates cults of other gods, he hates demons and he will hate Maskdwarf most of all once he knows about him. Also, if again people don't mind, that he could have immunity to magic, granted to him by his gods for being a faithful servant to him.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 05, 2014, 02:46:23 pm
I had already planned on him being immune to my magic.  Request granted.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 05, 2014, 03:42:39 pm
Oh, come on!  Disorganized? Oh sure, 1.0 is a mess, but my new extension is quite organized! It's simply...not complete...:huffs indignantly:

OOC I'm not actually all that experienced with community fort management. 
I think I'll keep playing steelhold as a personal fort. If anyone wants to see the finished workshop, stockpile, and cagetrap layout...PM me in three weeks, I guess?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 04:18:59 pm
I march down the corridor, hand in my robe on the hilt of my dagger, as I look for Maskdwarf to have a hostile chat with im. This place is worse than I thought. This Maskdwarf is a follower of the demons and his own personal cult. Once ruled Steelhold for a bit. He even worse than what most people here think from what Rhaken has told me. Not only is he a servant of the demons and a heretic, he's a possible ally of our past foes. Maskdwarf was able to muck up Rhaken's mind for a year, though he recovered by the time I got here. He is also the woman that slew Iral's partner. In fact that vampire scum is living here. So far I been trying to help Emdief deal with these magic users until Rhaken thinks of something for me for him. I've already broken up two forbidden cultist meetings. At least Emdief, our current overseer and his followers have the right feelings towards that filth Maskdwarf and his demonic cult. Perhaps I can get Rhaken to mutually work with Emdief until the magic threat has been dealt with. Given Maskdwarf past and current actions, I doubt Rhaken won't be looking for some payback.

OOC: When Lorius meets with Maskdwarf (I would like 4maskwolf to write that meeting), he won't lost his cool or panic or fluster given his past experiences and the knowledge Rhaken shared with him. He'll be rude without profaning and be very hostile to him given that they are loyal and important servants of opposing gods. The Old Gods vs the New Gods. Especially since those gods are the demons. I would also like Lorius to assemble this own following of clerics who are loyal to the old gods and oppose magic users and Maskdwarf with his cult and demonic gods. Of course, this band of followers will be loyal to Rhaken to varying degrees due to their leader working for Rhaken. Rhaken is Lorius' mortal master and old friend while Armok and the old Dwarven Gods are his immortal masters.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 05, 2014, 04:30:37 pm
Glad to see such activity on this thread. Also, welcome to the thread Oshha. Would you care for a turn as an overseer?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 04:42:15 pm
Lorius and his clerics verse Maskdwarf and cultist will end up being a religious war. The Old Dwarven Gods, which are pro-dwarven science and anti-magic verse the Demons/True Gods, which are pro-magic. And of course it the current politics might affect what they will do since I doubt either side wants the destruction of Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 05, 2014, 04:43:33 pm
I had already planned on him being immune to my magic.  Request granted.

Okay. By the way, I won't be good at writing in for other characters. That's partially why I made Lorius work for Rhaken.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 05, 2014, 05:49:03 pm
Lorius and his clerics verse Maskdwarf and cultist will end up being a religious war. The Old Dwarven Gods, which are pro-dwarven science and anti-magic verse the Demons/True Gods, which are pro-magic. And of course it the current politics might affect what they will do since I doubt either side wants the destruction of Steelhold.

Okay.  It would help if you established a few things about your character:

1. Does he have a following?  If so, how large, and where do they meet?
2. Where did this following come from in a fortress of criminals?
3. What actions are they able/willing to take against the cult?
4. How are they going to protect themselves if the cult retaliates?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 05, 2014, 09:07:36 pm
Oh, come on!  Disorganized? Oh sure, 1.0 is a mess, but my new extension is quite organized! It's simply...not complete...:huffs indignantly:

OOC I'm not actually all that experienced with community fort management. 
I think I'll keep playing steelhold as a personal fort. If anyone wants to see the finished workshop, stockpile, and cagetrap layout...PM me in three weeks, I guess?

It really isn't disorganized. The fort in general is disorganized and is basically doomed to disorganization by being a succession fort. For example, while you dug out a workshop space, there are workshops scattered around the fort in no real pattern. Also, the labour is just messed up a little bit; our elite smiths were hauling, an so on.
Another example would be our having 2.5 dining halls scattered about the place. For some reason, both are closer to manufacturing areas than living quarters. And everything's just bizzare architecture due to having multiple builders; multiple z-levels are used when they really don't need to be, random ventillation shafts, etc.

Anyway I'm not playing any more tonight so if you got plot to insert into the narrative, insert it now. I consent to you inserting it. You know exactly what I mean.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 05, 2014, 11:05:48 pm
I slip in with the next set of migrants, caring only to make sure I've changed my gender to male. 

I needed that rest.  I've been doing a lot of thinking-especially about how the inhabitants in and around steelhold are much more intelligent than in many of the worlds I've visited.  It's a lot easier now that the rift is stable, and my "soul", as it were, is all in one place.  well...most of it.  There's still a few memory gaps, worlds I cannot remember, but I'm not losing track of which world I'm in any more. 

I think I'd like to stay in Steelhold for a while.  There may be irritating 5-gambit pileups around every corner, but I can't recall any other fortress where I could call someone else an equal in intelligence...ok, not equal (I am, after all, a genius), but Steelhold had the closest thing in recent memory. 

Emdief's behavior concerns me somewhat.  I think he's tipsy with power...I won't say mad with power; his defenses are proof enough he's at least competent.

Perhaps...perhaps I can call this place...Home.
Speaking of home...
________________
I contact the Masked Entity via one of his followers; now that I can exert a much finer controll over the trans-dimensional rift, I could probably get through his wards without destroying them...but I was trying to be polite. 

In one of the unsmoothed bedrooms, we talk.

"I was wondering when you'd show your new face."
I shrug.
"The evidence is very, very sketchy, but I think your 'true gods' came from the same dimension I came from."
The MaskedEntity looked at me.
"Explain."
"One: it's easier to create a trans-dimensional rift from my world than the other way around. Two: you and your true gods are still curious about the magical properties of adamant, indicating they haven't had the chance to study it very thoroughly, indicating they haven't been here all that long.  Three: there are structures in that world which held evidence of a blown-up portal...I didn't recognize it at the time, of course.  I think they made a portal, had it blow up on them, and then they couldn't find a way back."
There was a silence, as if millions of tiny, unnoticed whispers had ceased.
"lets say this is correct.  What then?"
"I offer them a chance...to return home.  There's no sentient life in my world anymore, except for me.  there are some...conditions.  Like no trying to controll the rift itself, no trying to break out and go on a dwarf-killing rampage.  I'll come up with a complete list by next week.  Break it and I'll sic Swordthunders on the perpetrators. so...what do you say?"


OOC: redwarf as a clothier, leatherworker, and/or dyer. Male. FractalEntity or Fractalman will work.
There's a lot of leather in that stockpile...for making, say, a disguise...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 05, 2014, 11:16:50 pm
Redwarf under the same name, or do you have an alias in mind? Giving the dwarf the same name would probably cause... problems.
Also if killing the magic users doesn't result in them staying dead, we might just have to do it again. Also the portal was torn down very shortly after my turn began, so an explanation as to why the rift still exists might be a good idea to maintain canon.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 05, 2014, 11:20:46 pm
Brilliant! Fractal's back in business! Has he retrieved his tome, or did he leave it back in his world? By the way, what exactly is his world?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 05, 2014, 11:54:22 pm
Use either Fractal-Entity or Fractal2 to declare it seperate. [in-disguise] as a title would work. 

In case I didn't make it clear from my original story: the origninal rift was created by a DIAMOND portal in my world, with LOTS of power-more than can probably fit on a single dwarven embark square.   The adamantine portal was merely a way to stabalize the whole thing: a device, not to make it stronger, but to shrink it and stop it from growing. the same can be accomplished from the other end, but getting TO the other end BEFORE stabalization required the adamantine portal.
-am I making sense?

-tl: dr: raw-adamantine portal with puny windmill farm was a crude portal used to get to the controls for a bigger better portal.

Your story declared me "tossed through the portal".  The in-game execution of my dwarf is, thus, a technicality. Now, if you'd destroyed it, THEN had me killed...that would probably have set me adrift to the next fortress.  It could have taken me years to find another fort with the resources to build and power a portal in the one-year time limit. 

The tome of Das Ebal is still with me.  I'm trying not to draw from it; no sense in accidentally letting a forgotten beast or bundle of angry kittens out of swordthunders...but i'm keeping it around in case Maskdwarf tries to sic a demon on me. 

what is "my" world?
Minecraft.  :D
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 06, 2014, 12:18:15 am
Well, I'm sure that Corley will get along with the new Fractalman just as much as he did with the old.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 02:19:31 am
Glad to see such activity on this thread. Also, welcome to the thread Oshha. Would you care for a turn as an overseer?
I'll take a turn.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 02:36:03 am
Lorius and his clerics verse Maskdwarf and cultist will end up being a religious war. The Old Dwarven Gods, which are pro-dwarven science and anti-magic verse the Demons/True Gods, which are pro-magic. And of course it the current politics might affect what they will do since I doubt either side wants the destruction of Steelhold.

Okay.  It would help if you established a few things about your character:

1. Does he have a following?  If so, how large, and where do they meet?
2. Where did this following come from in a fortress of criminals?
3. What actions are they able/willing to take against the cult?
4. How are they going to protect themselves if the cult retaliates?
1 and 2) Basically any magic fearing dwarves that are enticed by the a cool and collected leader who offers a return to the old gods and the old ways without this scary magic which is beyond their control (Scared people will follow someone who looks like they'll protect them). Where they'll meet? In a reasonable large room with pillars and engravings, like the temples in adventure modes.
3) Generally whatever major actions the current leader Emdief allows, but whatever major actions Rhaken (Lorius' boss) allows in the future. Will always resort to insults and aggressive behaviour. The more devoted members of the clerics may get into fist fights with the more devoted members of the cult. Won't endanger the fortress unless the cultist are already endangering it, in which case, they'll just go all out on the cult.
4) If the cult retaliates, its war. Probably a crusade by the clerics to purge Steelhold of the heretics.

In short, a sort of following of scared and magic fearing dwarves who see Lorius as a way out of fearing these magic users and the cult. They'll gather in a temple. They'll generally act like a rival gang, but won't back down as some of the members will be generally devoted. If the cult retaliates other than insults or shunning, they'll blow it out of proportion and go to war with the Maskdwarf and his cult.
Hopes that answers your questions.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 06, 2014, 07:56:40 am
I'll probably post more turns later today, got things to do in the meantime. So, MORE LORE. Plot for the plot god! Skulls for the skull throne! Wait...
EDIT: Nevermind, posting.



I'm Running out of Titles, Also FPS

2nd Galena
Garbage fills the halls. Dropped worn clothing is everywhere. This is unacceptable.
Fortunately, garbage makes an excellent trade good. It's not very valuable, but you can trade worthless items for worth, or just use caravans as a free garbage disposal system! I hope the mountainhomes enjoy our "craftsdwarfship".
We've finished our upper barracks. From now on, all melee squads will train there. When they're not engaged in live training, that is. Or sleeping. Or eating, although I've designated a food stockpile up there. It's a good thing they're not sleeping so close to the eventual battles, though.

11th Galena

The enemy is upon us! To arms!
Alarms sound throughout the fort, ordering all dwarves inside to shelter. As far as I am aware, a single dwarf was outside the walls when the attack came. I'm not sure if they'll make it, but I doubt it; there's a large contingent of enemy archers between them and the gates.
Curse this lever plan! It's down in the mayor's office, where it takes forever to seal the main gate! I blame myself for this. I should have reorganized the levers. In future, I will order one man to always been in the mayoral office.
We manage to seal the fort, but a child foolishly runs outside just in the nick of time. Guess your parent's won't be missing you much then, kid.
Or regular line of defenses holds. Marksdwarves rain bolts upon the enemy, although with less efficiency than I'd like. Goblins and trolls are launched flying by bridges.
We have captured many goblins in cage traps I placed in the depressions by the road. This is pleasing to me.
Less pleasing is the loss of one of my men. He stupidly engages the foe from outside the fortification and is killed.

19th Galena

The siege continues. Only 19 invaders remain uncaged or unslain. Many have simply fled rather than face the might of Steelhold. I order Rhaken and his gang to assemble at the main gate. We can end this struggle now!
Sure, his gang may be outnumbered by the goblins 2-1, but they kill cyclops for fun. I think they can handle this.
We suffer no fatalities in the sortie, which finishes off the last of the invaders. We do however suffer several injuries. One of these is Rhaken - a lasher broke his foot and ankle. One of my rangers takes a bolt to the spine - I know not if he'll recover. One of Rhaken's gang took a bolt to the ribs, but if he avoids infection he should survive.
One particular member of Rhaken's squad distinguished himself in the battle - a martial cleric named Lorius Zane or something along those lines. He only managed to kill two of his foes, but he successfully maimed them thoroughly before finishing them, which is exactly the kind of moxy the military needs.
The alarms cease, and the dwarves exit the fort to retreive loot (cloths! huzzah!) and our wounded. In that order, unfortunately. Greedy bastards even start hauling goblin corpses to the refuse heap rather than take our wounded warriors to the hospital.  Our population is now 215 - we lost a grand total of 3 dwarves in that siege. Hopefully the medical system can save the others. I'll ask Melek to  keep an eye on her mother - I suspect her skills are not what they used to be.

25th Galena

Both Rhaken and his wounded soldier are brought to the hospital. My ranger is left in the sands to wither. Unacceptable.
Autumn is about to begin, our best soldier is in the hospital, and I've got even more garbage to clean up.
I suppose I should consider myself lucky that so few casualties were had. There have been occasions in the history of the fort where much greater losses have been sustained. At least our medical system managed to act quickly.

9th Limestone

Since neither Asmoth or Melek is competent in setting broken bones (according to Melek, that is) I've assigned them an assistant who is.
Medical treatment continues to be an arduous process. We're still in the diagnosing stage.
Two dwarves (a non-military dwarf apparently took a bolt. Unlucky.) have simply dragged themselves back to their rooms and are resting there rather than go to the hospital. I order them moved.

19th Limestone

As I ponder the fate of our dwarves receiving medical treatment, I realize there is still work to be done. The War on Litter must be fought. I order vast amounts of old, torn clothing to be dumped by the trade depot for easy disposal exchange with the mountainhomes.
I have yet to fix the forges, but I still need them running to meet Corley's insatiable demand for bucklers. I imagine he's just giving himself something to do since he spends most of his time down in the forges rather than performing his mayoral duties anyway.
Rhaken's wife is very unhappy. Very unhappy. I fear she may snap. She's not the only one. One of her squadmates is also close to the brink, as is a random cook. One common reason they're upset: They're unable to find someone in charge to yell at. I guess that explains why Corley's down in the forges so often. I'm going to have to order him to come back up and do his job.
Ironically, her husband is completely ecstatic, the happiest I've seen him. Says sitting in the hospital not getting treated by Asmoth and Melek is the closest he's had to a vacation since he arrived.

25th Limestone

The War on Litter continues. I'm restoring the dignity of these dwarves, whether or not they're content to live in mounds of garbage. It seems to be a rather popular move, regardless. We're always making popular moves. If we don't, who knows what these dwarves will do?
I still haven't decided who my successor will be, but I'm rapidly tiring of my position. I've started to receive anonymous death threats, presumably from the cultists. Although who knows, in Steelhold it could be anyone.



OOC: That could have gone better. At least we're only guaranteed one death from this; if we loose Rhaken though I'm going to throw a hissy fit. He's our only truly elite soldier.
Also Fractal, just noticed, you designated a graveyard a hospital zone. I don't understand. I really don't.
Also there's a hospital zone in the old bedrooms? I don't know who put that there, but it causes patients to be taken to the wrong place. We have zoning issues I take it, Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 06, 2014, 09:03:33 am
I can totally envision lorius overhearing my character slipping and referring to the demons as clowns.
"oh, yeah...clowns...I think they're funny to watch, but wouldn't want them running around the fort...yeah..."
-if MDFI/Emdief moves everyone to the new bedrooms, you could probably meet in the old bedrooms. they're pretty much what you're describing.

EDIT:

The graveyard+hospital? You mean the one in the middle of the workshop halls?


Believe you me, that was an accident, not intentional.  I thought I'd kept it south of the graveyard. also: both of those were hastily set up out of convenience/necessity, NOT elegance/aestetics/longterm efficiency.


Zoning problems? I agree. 

I left the old hospital zones in place because...well...usually I wind up with one or two dwarves wounded for every dwarf killed in my forts, so I didn't want to short-change my hospital capacity by moving precious beds at the worst possible moment. 

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 06, 2014, 11:39:51 am
Corley's Log:
Quiet in the Depths
--
I have begun to realize why Emdief assigned me to the position of mayor; it's simply something that he does't want to do himself. Quite a few of the more -- how should I put it? -- insane denizens of the fort seem to find it stress-relieving to yell at administrators, and it's my job to meet with disgruntled workers. I've been avoiding my office as much as possible for this reason alone; I have been using my authority to mandate production of bucklers, giving me an excuse to run down to the forges. Down in the forges it's nice and quiet, and hard work can help a dwarf think at times.

I have not been shirking my duties, though. I have dedicated much of my time to drafting my
"Steelhold Charter," which will finally bring order to this blasted place. I'll present it at the council meeting once it's finished.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 11:44:26 am
Rhaken went to the hospital today. I hope dearly it gets better. If he, doesn't I might do something stupid in a fit of rage. Like kill a cultist. Speaking of the cultists, I managed to get a few of their foes to become my followers. Having spent a few years here and what it has entailed a quite alot of the inmates are willing to follow some offering a return the old gods. None the less, I will keep a watch over Rhaken when I can as I don't want a magic user doing anything to him again like they did before. Yet it has not all been bad as I slew two goblins in battle.

OOC: What weapon does Lorius use?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 11:46:14 am
I heard that many of the unhappy dwarves here have been unable to complain to the Mayor. Perhaps these miserable souls will be willing to join my following if I listen to them?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 06, 2014, 12:41:10 pm
OOC: lorius is impolite without using swear-words, and loyal to Rhaken, right?
edit: oh, he's also supposed to be calm and collected...
IC:

As I carried a pile of xclothesx to the quantum stockpile, I bump into Lorius.
"HEY! watch where you're going!"
"Oh. Whoops." I need a conversation starter here, something much less controversial than the subject of demons...something that sounds like it stems from two rumors fused together..."Say, is it true the masked one locked up the vampire in a wood-encrusted adamantine coffin so he couldn't hypnotize anyone ever again, while fractal fixed up the problems he caused?"
"Ah, no.  There was an adamantine coffin, yes, but they didn't put the vampire in it, and I don't think the masked dwarf had anything to do with that."
"Oh...so is there still a vampire running around ready to suck blood from sleeping dwarves?"
"Idiot, no, they sealed it away with a pair of constructions."
"Ah. well. Then...did Rhaken have an epic battle where he beat up a cyclops with a hatch-cover?"-another 'rumor' based on fact. The hatch had distracted the cyclops, who'd stepped too close to get a proper grip on it.
"HMPH! Rhaken would never be so incompetent as to wield a mere hatch cover instead of a  proper weapon!...well, except maybe when the Maskdwarf was influencing him... now move it!" (italicized part is quieter, but still heard)
I smile and nod politely.  "Thanks! Hey, watch out for the undead pets! I got pounced by one of them a few days ago.  Undead wolf slobber is GROSS!"
As I turn the corner, I hear a yell.
"...undead PETS! WHAT is WRONG with you people! Oh, I'll tell you what's wrong, those magic users keep messing things up and-"
I hurry out of earshot. I've heard enough.
I need to warn my pets NOT to pounce this guy. 
______

POV: lorius. (you said you wanted others to do most of the writing for him, right?)

Un. dead. pets.
I have officially heard everything. 
That dwarf who bumped into me.  I hadn't even gotten his name! Well. Whoever he is, he seems to be a clumsy idiot, but at least he's polite.  He doesn't seem afraid of what's going on, but he does seem confused...I can work with that. Where he heard such distorted versions of fortress events, I may never know.   Could be usefull as a distributor of misinformation, though.  gotta agree with his attitude towards vampires: seal them away so they can endure the full brunt of the curse assigned to them by the Gods.  at least he views Maskdwarf with curiosity rather than fondness...as for his attitudes about the Fractaldwarf...well, those will have to be corrected.  fractal was not THE enemy, and he may have given us that beautifull, mechanical windmill farm, but...he was still a *magic* user


OOC: My character starts to chill with the new migrants, and makes a subtle(ish) attempt to get Lorius to think that not all magic is bad. 
 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 06, 2014, 12:53:15 pm
Well then. Corley's writing a constitution, Lorius Zane's building a conservative faction, within Rhaken's faction, which is generally part of the wider revolutionary faction Emdief leads. Fractal's back, though he isn't doing much. Nobody knows what Maskdwarf and his cultists are doing. Meanwhile, Melek and Asmoth fail to provide medical treatment in a timely fashion (seriously, Asmoth was initially set to be a miner, a mason, a hauler... she hasn't been in the hospital for so long that her skills are rusting).

I wonder how this will all add up to Emdief's downfall? Although who knows, a peaceful transition of power is possible < ignore this, this is Steelhold.



Now is the Autumn of our Surprising Content

10th Sandstone
Two babies born on a single day. As if we needed more children.
I notice our farmers are spectacularly lazy, but I let is slide since we already have enough food. It'll do them good to have some off time. They can spending it carrying garbage to the depot.
I've started beautifying the fortress a bit as it's cleaned. Smoothing the stone, that sort of thing. Again, a popular measure. I figure so long as I can give these dwarves back their dignity, they'll be willing to forget that I'm both patently insane and the wrong gender.
I'm told now that my mechanisms are truly masterful, and that I am legendary among engineers. Beyond the obvious flattery, I've finally manged to get this body's fat hands to build good mechanisms again. It makes me happy. Few things do these days.

28th Sandstone

Only Rhaken remains in the infirmary; Asmoth and Melek do know their trade well, even if they sense of urgency could be improved. I suspect he's orchestrated events to give him as much time away from politics as possible.
The vampire continues to bellow from his prison for us to let him out. We don't. He serves no purpose at the moment. I suppose I could make him our primary lever puller, but would you trust a vampire with the keys to the fortress?

2nd Timber

Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger. After another round of birthing, that brings our population up to 231. That's a net increase of 50 dwarves since the last overseer. I have rooms to assign.
And with that, we're out of rooms. While every adult has a room of their own, many of the children do not. This is an issue we should bring up at the next seasonal council meeting. I'm ordering a dormitory dug simply on the basis that it would be a good thing to have, but we have the furniture to make more bedrooms. Fractal carved out a lot of spaces before he was sent back from whence he came.
For the first time in recent memory, probably in years, the number of idlers has reached 40 dwarves. This is in itself a cause for celebration; we can afford to have persons not working. It's also a cause for celebration because I can put them to work cleaning up the fort.

More stockpiles will be designated in available space. More space will be made available. More garbage will be dumped. Steelhold will actually be fit to live in! Huzzah! Morale is greatly improving as worn-out clothes are removed from the living quarters and dwarves are able to wear new garb.
Will they remember how I secured the outside of the fort? How I set in motion to recovery of our population and the rebuilding of our military? My additions to our defenses? No, they'll probably just remember me for my litter collection service.

9th Timber

The inspection is late this year. I wonder how the mountainhomes will react? I've declared the dwarves of Steelhold free within Steelhold. Will they take the effort to crush our rebellion? I think not - it'd be a lot more trouble than it's worth.
I really should convene a meeting of the council before hand. It'd be a good idea anyway. We have much to discuss. Steelhold is more secure, more prosperous, and more dignified - what remains to be done?

Sarrak's ghost keeps bringing me demands from Modi to kill the Masked Dwarf. I haven't agreed to it - I must think of the fortress - and her demand for vengeance only grows with time.
I can only pray it makes her move soon. I've studied the records carefully - most of the known cultists are the same dwarves with the most reported unhappiness, like Rhaken's wife. Everyone else is much happier since the revolution. It seems our harassment is working. I wonder how many cultists it has left?
In any case, I revealed to the fort the missing adamantine today. I've been busting open its caches and stealing the adamantine back for some time now. The fort has no idea that the cultists are behind it, but they're quick to assume. If it's smart, it will attempt to negotiate with me before this fort is so poisoned against the cult that it's purpose will become impossible.
I'll need my most loyal allies if the fort is going to be taken back. But Corley's up to something - he gives me these looks when he thinks I'm not watching. As for Rhaken, I've never been sure that he's happy being a subordinate. I've tried to run this fort with as much delegation as possible, but he may resent me for taking over his organization.
And I still have no chosen successor. What to do?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 01:57:43 pm
OOC: lorius is impolite without using swear-words, and loyal to Rhaken, right?
edit: oh, he's also supposed to be calm and collected...
IC:

As I carried a pile of xclothesx to the quantum stockpile, I bump into Lorius.
"HEY! watch where you're going!"
"Oh. Whoops." I need a conversation starter here, something much less controversial than the subject of demons...something that sounds like it stems from two rumors fused together..."Say, is it true the masked one locked up the vampire in a wood-encrusted adamantine coffin so he couldn't hypnotize anyone ever again, while fractal fixed up the problems he caused?"
"Ah, no.  There was an adamantine coffin, yes, but they didn't put the vampire in it, and I don't think the masked dwarf had anything to do with that."
"Oh...so is there still a vampire running around ready to suck blood from sleeping dwarves?"
"Idiot, no, they sealed it away with a pair of constructions."
"Ah. well. Then...did Rhaken have an epic battle where he beat up a cyclops with a hatch-cover?"-another 'rumor' based on fact. The hatch had distracted the cyclops, who'd stepped too close to get a proper grip on it.
"HMPH! Rhaken would never be so incompetent as to wield a mere hatch cover instead of a  proper weapon!...well, except maybe when the Maskdwarf was influencing him... now move it!" (italicized part is quieter, but still heard)
I smile and nod politely.  "Thanks! Hey, watch out for the undead pets! I got pounced by one of them a few days ago.  Undead wolf slobber is GROSS!"
As I turn the corner, I hear a yell.
"...undead PETS! WHAT is WRONG with you people! Oh, I'll tell you what's wrong, those magic users keep messing things up and-"
I hurry out of earshot. I've heard enough.
I need to warn my pets NOT to pounce this guy. 
______

POV: lorius. (you said you wanted others to do most of the writing for him, right?)

Un. dead. pets.
I have officially heard everything. 
That dwarf who bumped into me.  I hadn't even gotten his name! Well. Whoever he is, he seems to be a clumsy idiot, but at least he's polite.  He doesn't seem afraid of what's going on, but he does seem confused...I can work with that. Where he heard such distorted versions of fortress events, I may never know.   Could be usefull as a distributor of misinformation, though.  gotta agree with his attitude towards vampires: seal them away so they can endure the full brunt of the curse assigned to them by the Gods.  at least he views Maskdwarf with curiosity rather than fondness...as for his attitudes about the Fractaldwarf...well, those will have to be corrected.  fractal was not THE enemy, and he may have given us that beautifull, mechanical windmill farm, but...he was still a *magic* user


OOC: My character starts to chill with the new migrants, and makes a subtle(ish) attempt to get Lorius to think that not all magic is bad.

Lorius is impolite only to those who aren't followers of either Rhaken or the Old Dwarven Gods.
Also I don't have a problem writing for Lorius, I just struggle to write for other characters. Talking about Lorius, he's going to try and get Emdief to start having a temple to the old gods built before someone less anti-magic gets in charge. Probably going to persuade him by going on about turning to the old and proper dwarven ways. I think Emdief would like the idea of returning to the old and proper dwarven ways.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 02:40:14 pm
Well then. Corley's writing a constitution, Lorius Zane's building a conservative faction, within Rhaken's faction, which is generally part of the wider revolutionary faction Emdief leads. Fractal's back, though he isn't doing much. Nobody knows what Maskdwarf and his cultists are doing. Meanwhile, Melek and Asmoth fail to provide medical treatment in a timely fashion (seriously, Asmoth was initially set to be a miner, a mason, a hauler... she hasn't been in the hospital for so long that her skills are rusting).

I wonder how this will all add up to Emdief's downfall? Although who knows, a peaceful transition of power is possible < ignore this, this is Steelhold.



Well Lorius will be supporting Rhaken in any upheaval, but won't want magic users to gain more control or power over Steelhold. I'll also want Emdief's survival as an anti-magic ally.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 06, 2014, 05:14:19 pm
[snip]

-I'll just assume that was an accident on your part.

________
IC:

Emdief runs the fort better than I could, at least on the surface.
Under the surface, though, steelhold is sick, and my magic is not of the sort that can help heal it.

Lorius, with a fear of magic, preference for mechanisms, a view of demonworship as heresy, and the worship of the old gods...
And the Masked entity, with a preference for magic, a fear of mechanisms, worship of the demons, and views the worship of the old gods as heresy...
One fort-dwarf. One caravan guard. One face slap.  That's all it would take at this point.

It gets worse.
Many of the adults are fearful of magic, especially my pets. The children, instead of picking up the adult's fear like you might expect, have been repeatedly caught spending hours just petting the deer on the ribcage, or riding the tiger around. 
the children are already splitting themselves into factions: the tattle-tails and the shutmouths.

I haven't seen the fourth of them in a while.  I hope he's ok...whatever he is.  At least the other three are happy.
_________________________________

I scatter ideas; little ideas, scattered on the wind along with obfuscation.  9 tiny ideas, 7 small ideas, 3 big ideas...
but one idea to rule them all.    One idea to bind them. One idea to save them. one idea to bring them all and in the...*cough* ah forget it.   I'll do what I can to calm people down and encourage rational thought.  it won't be easy. 

but one idea burns, like a bright warm campfire in a dark cold night: Sufficiently advanced/dwarven mechanisms are indistinguishable from magic. 

Was I too late? Had I spent too long napping on my comfortable wool bed? *sigh*.  I had to try.  I owed these dwarves. they'd helped me save reality...the least I could do is give them a hope to wrok out their misunderstandings. 
___________________________


The following, highly cryptic message is soon found in the middle of the old bedrooms. You didn't need an expert to see that whoever wrote it had gone to great lengths to keep their handwriting from being identified, like painstakingly copying someone else's handwriting: 
"White king starts on black square.  Black king starts on white square. Cat starts off of board.
dwarf to move: argue about who moves first.
cat to move: meow.
dwarf to move: white moves first.  But White king moves first, or king on white square to move first?
cat to move: Cat to board. 
dwarf to move: cancel play, creature occupying site. 
Cat offers draw. do dwarves accept?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 06, 2014, 05:27:27 pm
"Maskdwarf," I said as I sense someone watching me from the shadows in an old, rarely used section of Steelhold, "I know you're listening. I spent seventy years suffering the Queen's wrath and attempts to kill me. I am not eager for it again. Lets not either do anything to ruin the inspection. Once the caravan is gone, it's back to normal."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 06, 2014, 06:32:26 pm
This is the first time they met:

Lorius barged into a room, searching the demon worshiper.  Rumor had it that this was where the cult met. Some secret hideout, if everyone knew about it.

It never occurred to him to check for signs of traps. Suddenly, his feet flew out from beneath him, the ground rushing up too quickly to react to. His head hit the ground with a sickening crack.

Lorius awoke in a room he had never seen before. He found himself sitting in a chair facing an obsidian desk, in which sat what could only be the masked dwarf. After all that he had heard, he had to admit that the masked dwarf was less frightening then the tales said.

"You have intruded."

The voice, while not harsh, was obviously irritated, as if it had not been expecting guests.

"How I did not see you coming, I know not. I see everything I need to see. Until today. How did you sneak up on me?"
Lorius attempted to straighten himself in he chair, "So you are the masked liar."
The mask betrayed no expression, but the voice bespoke of anger, "You are the betrayer. You serve the false ones, bring their worship into these halls.  I was willing to leave you and your followers in peace, Lorius. I have taken no action so far because I do not wish to intrude on your beliefs. But you stepped over the line. You attempted to intrude upon our meeting chambers. For this, there can be no forgiveness."
"None was expected, traitor."
"Good. Then get out. I know you are blessed by your false gods, but I have abilities beyond your wildest imaginations. Begone."
With that, the world swirrled around Lorius, and he found himself in his quarters.


In response to your most recent post,

"The cave air howled around Lorius's ears, bringing the masked dwarfs response, "very well. A truce."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 06, 2014, 07:36:15 pm
Amazing. All it took to get me a few days of relaxation was a serious foot injury. I haven't felt so well rested in decades. However, this does not mean that everything is fine. Far from it.

Onul hasn't been too happy lately. While I approve of Emdief's policy of discrimination - easiest way to turn the maskdwarf's followers against him - I'm not happy with what it's doing to my wife. I know the masked bitch has been using her against me, just as I've been using her against the bitch. I don't hold it against her - Onul is a victim here, an unwitting pawn in my machinations for well over a century now. That she takes it all in stride and still manages to love me is something I'll admire until the end of my days.

I have specifically instructed Melek to treat my injury herself, but to mind the others first. They have more time to live, and I need the rest. The lass does an admirable job in the hospital, even while monitoring her mother's mental health. It's like when we had Asmoth in her prime, minus the 'mysterious disappearances'. Come to think of it, the resemblance between mother and daughter is striking.

Lorius , one of my old spies, has come to visit. He drops by every now and again to check up on me. He hasn't changed much in the years since I've seen him - as little as a spymaster sees his agents. Still pious, still efficient. I haven't told him about the conspiracy yet. He sent me some of the many relevant reports, but only I ever got to see the full picture. For now, I just tell the lad to meet in my office when I'm discharged.

As a matter of fact, I haven't spilled the beans to Emdief either. He of all people deserves to know. I'd be more reluctant to tell Corley, or the fractaldwarf if he hadn't been executed, but Emdief should know the truth about our resident bloodsucking menace.

So when I'm out of here, it's back to the good old days. A meeting in my office.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 06, 2014, 08:03:30 pm
Corley's Log:
The Perfect Candidate
--
It is only now that I realize what a fool I've been recently. For the longest time I thought that Rhaken would be the prime candidate, and that Emdief would only be useful as a back-up. It only just dawned upon me that -- despite his lower military experience -- Emdief is the perfect candidate for my project. Every trait of him is perfect, from the insanity to the hatred of all things magic. And to think, I thought that elves would be a necessity in this project; daemons and magicians will do just fine.

All I have to do is encourage him to hone in his military skills. I understand that he serves in a marksdwarf squad; perhaps he'd be willing to undertake more serious training. Nothing else will even need any influence from me, for his insanity and anger is growing on its own. My plans to take command of this fort are also in their later stages; all I must do is sit back, and Emdief will bury himself.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 06, 2014, 09:00:02 pm
Corley's Log:
The Perfect Candidate
--
It is only now that I realize what a fool I've been recently. For the longest time I thought that Rhaken would be the prime candidate, and that Emdief would only be useful as a back-up. It only just dawned upon me that -- despite his lack of military experience -- Emdief is the perfect candidate for my project. Every trait of him is perfect, from the insanity to the hatred of all things magic. And to think, I thought that elves would be a necessity in this project; daemons and magicians will do just fine.

All I have to do is encourage him to take up a career in the military. I understand that he once served in a marksdwarf squad; perhaps he'd be willing to join in. Nothing else will even need any influence from me, for his insanity and anger is growing on its own. My plans to take command of this fort are also in their later stages; all I must do is sit back, and Emdief will bury himself.


Might want to ammend that to maintaining a career in the military; Emdief was drafted during Rhaken's reign as the head of a marksdwarf/engineer squad (not sure how the engineering came into it) and was apparently returned to the position post-reincarnation by Fractal.
Anyway probably finishing up my turn tomorrow, so if anyone wants to insert suggestions for how that should go down, go ahead. Declaration of independence inbound, stepping down from power inbound, etc.

EDIT: Emdief is intended to be pretty popular with the dwarves atm, since he is kind of generalissimo-father-to-his-country and they haven't had enough time with him/her to realize the growing insanity and excess of power. So another popular revolution would be questionable. Thankfully, Emdief is going to just suddenly leave a power vacuum if left his/her own devices, so there'll be plenty of opportunity for infighting, coup plotting, and general politicking.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 06, 2014, 09:04:14 pm
Might want to ammend that to maintaining a career in the military; Emdief was drafted during Rhaken's reign as the head of a marksdwarf/engineer squad (not sure how the engineering came into it) and was apparently returned to the position post-reincarnation by Fractal.
Anyway probably finishing up my turn tomorrow, so if anyone wants to insert suggestions for how that should go down, go ahead. Declaration of independence inbound, stepping down from power inbound, etc.

Technically, it was a squad of nothing but mechanics who just took up marksdwarfship when they weren't reloading cage traps. It's how I typically ensure that they don't just die helplessly if caught outside in an ambush.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 06, 2014, 09:41:58 pm
Might want to ammend that to maintaining a career in the military; Emdief was drafted during Rhaken's reign as the head of a marksdwarf/engineer squad (not sure how the engineering came into it) and was apparently returned to the position post-reincarnation by Fractal.
Anyway probably finishing up my turn tomorrow, so if anyone wants to insert suggestions for how that should go down, go ahead. Declaration of independence inbound, stepping down from power inbound, etc.

Technically, it was a squad of nothing but mechanics who just took up marksdwarfship when they weren't reloading cage traps. It's how I typically ensure that they don't just die helplessly if caught outside in an ambush.

Ah, I see. Well, they became a force that can be drafted during sieges, with their own tower and numerical superiority and everythin' through merger of the marksdwarf squads.
Also; I'm kind of scared to call up the military again since Rhaken's wife will probably definitely snap. I also can't remove her, because then she will snap. I don't even know why she's so upset, so I guess we'll just have to wait until she recovers. It would be useful to train some dwarves up to hero-level to get around our terrible fatality record and training woes.
Question for the thread: We consider danger-rooms exploity, right? I generally don't play with them, but a subsequent overseer could find them very useful.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 06, 2014, 09:44:05 pm
I also gave you an office that included the mechanics and masonry workshops, and reserved two mechanics workshops for you.  that's what I meant by "in charge of the engineers", at least.
Guess I didn't make that quite clear.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 07, 2014, 03:07:57 am
I march towards Emdief's office. The Gods have told me that his rule is coming to the end and now is a time to ask for a temple. I was also recently by captured my filthy foe, the Maskdwarf. I'm going to ask for Rhaken to tell what he knows about him. At least I saw the room and know to be careful for any traps. And I now know to place some my own. I enter the room. "Emdief," I say to the dwarf behind the desk, "I need a temple."

OOC: The Temple would be a large room with pillars plus a side room near the other side of the entrance to be Lorius' bedroom. Hopefully Emdief will grant this request and Corley will honour it when he becomes Overseer.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 07, 2014, 09:34:10 am
Might want to ammend that to maintaining a career in the military; Emdief was drafted during Rhaken's reign as the head of a marksdwarf/engineer squad (not sure how the engineering came into it) and was apparently returned to the position post-reincarnation by Fractal.
Anyway probably finishing up my turn tomorrow, so if anyone wants to insert suggestions for how that should go down, go ahead. Declaration of independence inbound, stepping down from power inbound, etc.

Technically, it was a squad of nothing but mechanics who just took up marksdwarfship when they weren't reloading cage traps. It's how I typically ensure that they don't just die helplessly if caught outside in an ambush.

Ah, I see. Well, they became a force that can be drafted during sieges, with their own tower and numerical superiority and everythin' through merger of the marksdwarf squads.
Also; I'm kind of scared to call up the military again since Rhaken's wife will probably definitely snap. I also can't remove her, because then she will snap. I don't even know why she's so upset, so I guess we'll just have to wait until she recovers. It would be useful to train some dwarves up to hero-level to get around our terrible fatality record and training woes.
Question for the thread: We consider danger-rooms exploity, right? I generally don't play with them, but a subsequent overseer could find them very useful.

A look at her thoughts screen could help. Maybe she's down because of lots of small bad thoughts. It happens. If she does snap, it could lead to a tantrum spiral. With the deadliest dwarves in the fort right at the fulcrum.

As for danger rooms, they are a bit exploity, though certainly not as bad as the Shaft of Enlightenment. Live target practice is my typical training supplement. On that note, send Onul to torture an unarmed prisoner. That might help. MIGHT. I'd suggest trying it with another dwarf and comparing thoughts before and after the experience.

I believe this is one time in the history of this clusterfuck fortress where the players (not the dwarves) must put their heads together for the sake of the plot, such that we end this turn in style and still let Gnorm take over in his own way. I'm curious as to his plot twist. Still, we have plenty of space for interesting developments even before his turn. We have a genocidal vampire conspirator, a mysterious shapeshifting magic user, a hardass spymaster, a mad doctor, a revolutionary, and as many plotters and minor gang leaders as we could possibly want. It's just a matter of putting our heads together.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 07, 2014, 10:57:39 am
I'm getting too Dwarf for this Carp

10th Timber

Today as I supervised the cleaning of the fort, Lorius Zane approached me, claiming to have captured the Masked Dwarf and asking for the construction of a temple.
I'll speak plainly; he doesn't hold the masked prophet. Our friendly neighbourhood demon worshipper can walk through walls, command the minds of dwarves, and honestly believe that demons have its best interests at heart, a most remarkable power. I suspect that when he next looks upon the cell of the cult leader, it'll have gotten bored and wandered off with some dangerous idea in its head.
As for the temple? Well, why not?
The unhappiest dwarves, including Onul, have renounced the cult of the masked one. Their happiness as a result has started to rebound. Morale is increasing across the board with our rooms cleaned, our cloths new, and our freedom secured.

11th Timber

The dwarves report with great alarm that a human has come!
Why they're so scared of it I don't know. I wish they'd brought a caravan with them. It promptly falls into a cage trap. I guess we'll leave it in there.
Rhaken only needs to have his ankle immobilized for his healing to be complete. This is a good reminder to our dwarves. We must attempt to stockpile as many castes, crutches and splints as possible to allow our fallen warriors to get back to the field. The new hospital is almost complete; as soon as its resevoir is filled, and Rhaken has been cared for, I will designate it the new hospital.

14th Timber

The space for our new temple has been dug! I now wait only for statues of our gods to be produced to adorn the central sanctum.

15 Timber

The inspector has arrived. It begins.
His guards languish in the depot as he is led into the fort. Expecting to begin the inspection straight way, he is instead led to the mayor's office. Fortunately Corley isn't here, seeing as he's 'too busy' to perform his mayoral duties. I served my term as mayor with worse morale than this. But I digress.
It was time the mountainhomes learned the truth. The whole truth. The liaison's jaw dropped as I told him how long Steelhold has been without a warden. How the prisoners had seized control of the fort during the first year. How our baron, appointed by order of the queen, had been an insane political dissident. How the fort had been slipped into anarchy, and how it had been saved by Rhaken. Finally, I told him of my uprising.
He truly was shaken, I'm afraid. He protested that the prisoners must be recaptured, assuming that I, a free dwarf, would naturally take his side. I informed him that the mountainhomes were mistaken in the terms of of our arrangement. Dwarves serve in Steelhold for life, I told him, but they are free within its walls. If the queen has a problem with how the fort is run, she should make arrangements to have it done herself. Shaken, he departed to inform the government of our disobediance.

Later, to the caravan guards, I let loose at last the secret that had led to my exile; precisely who had purchased my services for that 'heretical' research project. Let's see her majesty weasal her way out of that. If she doesn't keep a firm grip on things at home, she could end up here herself. Might be a good idea, that; we could use her elite guards.

19th Timber

Another siege arrives as the merchants unload their goods! I immediately order the fortress sealed.
With Rhaken in the hospital, I doubt his gang's willingness to fight. And against such a large siege, the caravan guards are no match. I lead the marksdwarves to the fortifications. There is one crossbowman among the goblin forces who looks unusually competent, but we cannot be left completely defenceless!
Suddenly I hear a strange gurgling noise. One of my dwarves takes a bolt to the throat through the foritications, and is now drowning in his own blood. Though it tears me appart to leave him to die, I must save the others from what is apparently a legendary goblin archer. I lead the troops down from the tower to safety.
Above ground, a bolt plucks the baby of my fallen soldier from it's mother corpse.
They will die. THEY WILL ALL DIE. I order the dwarves back downstairs in disgust, and leave the goblins to their fate on our traps.

21st Timber

We trade away most of our old tattered clothing and crafts for vast amounts of wood, dye and gypsum plaster. Rhaken will get his cast. The mountainhomes were apparently impressed with our 'craftsdwarfship'.
(http://i.imgur.com/83RWwEE.png)
We have more idle dwarves than ever. I'll take the opportunity to clean this fort even further! NEATNESS FOR THE NEATNESS GOD!
I... I'm not sure if I'm in control of myself anymore. I used to be so rational. I'm not now. Sarrak agrees. Say's I'm 'going Asmoth'. Well I'm not randomly shirking my duties to go mining, so I'd dispute that claim, but it's increasingly important to find a successor.

2nd Moonstone

The traders are getting eager to be gone. I'm half tempted to lower the gate and tear the greenskins apart. However, over 40 invaders remain free, some of them exceptionally dangerous. Our forces outnumbered 2:1 suffered 3 casualties. Our weakened forces outnumbered 4:1 will likely be wiped out, even with the support of the caravan guards.
The goblin archer, however, is unable to stomach the pain when he breaks his hand. I order the marksdwarves to return to their positions. Bolts rain on the invaders, killing many. Our entrance is painted with blood and vomit. I cannot understand why this does not bring feelings of revulsion to me.

I'm afraid Rhaken's lost his ability to stand, but he is rapidly gaining skill with a crutch.

12 Moonstone

The siege is broken! The gates are lowered, and the remaining wounded goblins finished off. Many wounded goblins escaped us, regrettably. Maybe they'll TELL THEIR FRIENDS.



Onul's getting better. I looked at her thoughts, and her main complaint was long patrol duty, so no return to active duty for Rhaken's gang for a while.
Rhaken uses a crutch now, but I think he'll be able to resume his position in the army. Because he's still the most skilled dwarf we have.
If anyone has requests for the end of my turn (i.e. what's going to happen) they should probably let me know so I can incorporate it. Otherwise I'll just step down leaving the fort's politics as-is. I won't end the turn for the next 24 hours (longer if there's enough plot developments) though, so you have time!

We have one full season of gameplay left, so if you've got plot, go wild. Also, have a plot justification for the monarch showing up if any future overseer decides to do that. 'cause those guards would be really, really useful for building our military, especially with this slow-ass training process that we can't actually start because dwarves will berserk if returned to duty or removed from their squad.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 07, 2014, 11:40:12 am
I met with Emdief. He agreed with the temple, but appeared to misheard me when I told him how I was captured my the Maskdwarf. Seem to think I had captured him! At least he agreed to have the temple built. However, something about him revealed, he going mad. Its subtle, but after being a spy for so long and being on the run from my enemies for so long, its hard for me to miss those of signs. I best tell Rhaken.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 07, 2014, 11:53:54 am
I met with Emdief. He agreed with the temple, but appeared to misheard me when I told him how I was captured my the Maskdwarf. Seem to think I had captured him! At least he agreed to have the temple built. However, something about him revealed, he going mad. Its subtle, but after being a spy for so long and being on the run from my enemies for so long, its hard for me to miss those of signs. I best tell Rhaken.

Well, you did write that you had captured him.  :-\

EDIT: Got bored. Opened a copy of Rhaken's save I kept around. Unleashed the HFS into Steelhold. My marksdwarves were surpisingly effective. In your face, Maskdwarf. Your gods, killed by a bunch of amateur engineers with crossbows.
If we ever actually breach pray we get the same ones.
EDIT2: It said so here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=134238.msg4892946#msg4892946).
EDIT3: Click the link Osha.
EDIT4: Click the link.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 07, 2014, 01:09:25 pm
I met with Emdief. He agreed with the temple, but appeared to misheard me when I told him how I was captured my the Maskdwarf. Seem to think I had captured him! At least he agreed to have the temple built. However, something about him revealed, he going mad. Its subtle, but after being a spy for so long and being on the run from my enemies for so long, its hard for me to miss those of signs. I best tell Rhaken.

Well, you did write that you had captured him.  :-\

Where I? I need to edit that mistake.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 07, 2014, 01:53:32 pm
Followed the link. Let's keep the mishearing by Emdief, makes it seem like if he going crazy if he mishearing people.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 07, 2014, 04:08:08 pm
Journal entry:
Observations:
1. Emdief is suffering from early symptoms of insanity.
2. hypothesis: fate magic overdose.
test: bribe child to flip a coin I made 50 times in emdief's prescence.  Expected result: coin will come up edge 10 times before something happens to it.
Actual result: coin came up 36 heads to 14 tails.  This is about what would be expected from the amount of fate magic I imbued into the coin, plus the amount that typically surrounds an overseer to ensure their turn ends on the turn of the year. 
Query: where's the missing fate-magic?
Hypothesis: he dumped all of it into the mechanism, rather than half of it as I'd previously thought.
test: send different child to flip coin near mechanism.
result: coin came up 25 heads to 25 tails.
analysis: This is a result one would expect to get reasonably often with a perfectly normal coin from naive probability. this needs to be tested again.
Second test: three different children, three different coins, 50 flips per coin.
Results: one child absconded with coin without reporting results.  one child reported 27 heads to 23 tails, the other 23 heads to 27 tails.
Analysis: in laymans terms, the mechanism is more intensely anti-magical and anti-luck than Emdief herself.  to me, of course, there is no difference between magic and a sufficiently advanced mechanism...but I digress...
....
Expiriment: while Emdief was asleep, MaskedEntity and I decided to test how resistant Emdief's mechanism was.
observation: the mechanism remained unscratched after exposure to a 2-inch crack in reality, plus 3 darkness bolts, and one adamant-empowered shot from mask.  The last attempt caused the mechanism to move a bit.

Observation 2: Mask kept complaining about how childish the whole thing was. 

Observation 3: Mask stopped complaining and launched his magic bolts after I pointed out to him that there was a chance it could extend its magical properties to anything it was linked too, and that if someone :did: start linking it to every door in the fort, that would mean time to evacuate anybody who liked to use magic. 
Addendum: We kept the amount of power we chucked at the thing minimal, and did not attempt a simultaneous attack. we had no desire to risk a collision of three different types of magic at once, or worse, leave a residue of magic for emdief to detect.


Entry conclusion: Emdief is merely going mad with power: thankfully, she is passing power off to corley smoothly enough.
question for next entry: doors are mechanisms. humans call the dwarven trick with linking mechanisms across the map magic, though it's perfectly normal to dwarves.  Why can't these folks understand that?

Question for next entry: what, exactly, is maskdwarf up to now that I've lifted the ban on adamant mining?

__________________

Emdief has revealed our true status to the mountain home.  He -well, I suppose 'she' now that she's asking to be referred to as such-revealed a bit more than I was hoping.  She tossed a lot of dice by revealing so much at once, and there's no telling whether the mountain home will remain stable or not...since she lacks my bizzare brand of luck, I'm hard pressed to say whether this is a good move or a bad move. 

We can't afford to have the queen come over here just yet, though…well, actually, we could afford it, and the guards would be nice, but…

_______________________

Another slip of paper is found in the old bedrooms.  As before, multiple handwriting styles have been copied to keep the author's identity obscured. 

Cat see wood crises solved, but general wood+ bin shortage persist.
Cat to move: cat asks dwarves leave queen uncaught for 2, may' 3 more years. Matter convenience only.
Dwarf to move.


Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 07, 2014, 05:03:15 pm
Journal entry:
Observations:
1. Emdief is suffering from the early symptoms of a fate-magic overdose.

Can you not. Emdief is intended to be magic-resistant, not magic-utilizing. His ever-increasing paranoia and bloodlust is just a product of being trapped in a fortress full of constantly-scheming criminals, two of which wielding dangerous powers beyond ordinary comprehension.

I originally intended to kill off Fractal permanently (or at least remove his influence), but decided against it for morale/not being a jerk purposes. But the end goal of purging the fort of all magic/magic users is still in effect, so a little restraint might be a good idea. It really all depends on if 4maskwolf decides to advance the cultist plotline further.

I'm a big fan of overseer ruthlessness rearing it's ugly head once every couple turns.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 07, 2014, 05:43:42 pm
There. That should make it clear that emdief only manipulated magic as part of a strange mood, which everybody knows can only happen once in the lifetime of a dwarf.

As Emdief's turn draws to an end...a piece of paper is found, in the same style as the others. It is intended to be understood fully by emdief too late during the turn to eliminate the writer...but there is no telling for sure.   

cat came back, the very next day.
But if cat forced off board, cat promise not come back again
Cat agree with truce of black and white.  Cat reminds that White king sits on black square, and black king sits on white square.  king is bound to board whether black or white.
But cat offer third choice: if kings agree, cat leaves forever, takes black pieces with it. 
Interested?
Circle one: yes/no


An almost identical copy is found just outside of Maskdwar'fs wards, as if it had been left on his 'doorstep'. 



OOC: What I ACTUALLY expect/want this to end up as is: the Dwarves don't trust me enough, and put a military squad somewhere they're not supposed to while the demons are filing away to their new home.  The demons don't particularly trust dwarves in general, and they particularly don't trust Lorius (who is probably in power by the time the fort is ready to take on the clown car), so they send a scouting party around which encounters the un-authorized dwarves.   I try to stop the resultant conflict, but maskdwarf misinterprets this as a a betrayal of his gods, and so the two of us start duking it out (damaging a big chunk of fortress before we create a pocket dimension and seal eachother away in it), then the demons who haven't gone through the new portal yet howl with rage and attack the dwarves who betrayed them.

To put this another way:
If anyone tries to set this up in-game, restrict mining to me and maskdwarf.  Floor over all adamantine spires.  have a new, adamantine-wafer portal created.  On one side, tunnels leading to the adamant spires. On the other, a trap that kills roughly three-fourths of the demons. 
Have maskdwarf and I breach the clown car.

optional: burrow a bunch of cultists in the new tunnels. 
-as much as I wanted to set this sort of thing up during my turn, I'd have needed, as a minimum, the mega-project room to be set up. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 07, 2014, 08:35:29 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 07, 2014, 10:01:07 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.

Do you realize...
That's exactly what my ending results in in-game?


P.S. what quality of bedrooms is the military sleeping in? Are they sleeping in a community barracks, or are they in overlapping personal bedrooms?  At a max of 10/squad, that's not terribly exploity....
also, turns out a masterwork gold mechanism bumps up an unshared room straight to royal quality. 

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 07, 2014, 10:09:27 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.

Do you realize...
That's exactly what my ending results in in-game?


P.S. what quality of bedrooms is the military sleeping in? Are they sleeping in a community barracks, or are they in overlapping personal bedrooms?  At a max of 10/squad, that's not terribly exploity....
also, turns out a masterwork gold mechanism bumps up an unshared room straight to royal quality.

Now that you mentioned it... I just drafted them without taking sleeping into account. They're in regular quality bedrooms unless otherwise assigned to a barracks.
Also, my breach and your breach differ only in tone. One is a complex plot. The other is the overseer going berserk and feeding your magic asses to entities you cannot control.  :D
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 07, 2014, 10:18:09 pm
nvm
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 07, 2014, 10:30:56 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.

Honestly, I don't think Steelhold is a particularly heinous offender there. And all of maskdwarf's magicking is what gave me the idea for the whole conspiracy. My previous idea was far more boring.



Emdief enters my office to find Lorius and I already seated, my injured leg propped up on the desk between the two of us. We had been reminiscing about old times over a mug of dwarven wine.

"No, really, the baron forgot his trousers in the meeting hall. That's how I knew where to send you. Ah, Emdief. Have a seat, lad. Lass."

Our revolutionary overseer takes a chair. The same chair he took almost two years ago now. "This better be important."

"Wouldn't have called you if it wasn't." I pour the lass some wine. "I already brought Lorius here up to speed on the conspiracy. He was one of the agents who tried to get into the Tenebrous Abbey in recent years. If Lorius couldn't get inside, I doubt any other dwarf could."

My leg begins to throb. I shift in the chair. "Now, first and foremost. That declaration to the inspector." I give Emdief a big smile, genuine for once. "That took serious balls, friend. My congratulations. You'd make a pretty good spy. Even I wasn't sure about that particular caper's link to the queen. And if she does decide to move in, we can string that bitch up and leave her on the crossed pikes. After a 'fair' and 'impartial' trial for her vile crimes, of course."

"Now. Recent discoveries. I've spent some time revisiting old records. Again, my agent in the caravan gave me the rest of the info. It turns out that there really is only one dwarf vampire left in the known world. Likot Lockedgears." I let the name float in the air for a moment. It might have faded from Emdief's memory, but Lorius had only heard the tale earlier today. "And what do you know, the son of a bitch is right here in Steelhold." Lorius winces at my colorful language. "Has been for years. I honestly don't know if he fears me or not, but inside that ancient head of his are some of the most well-guarded secrets in the realm. And while I would certainly love to get access to them, there are other ways. Like the queen."

"There's another interesting one. Again, the caravan brought me the last pieces of the puzzle. The human woman Oku Constructcudgel, who slew Tun Cryptscribed, the queen's vampire grandfather, was supposedly struck down by a crone of twilight in 157 and interred as a hero in the human settlement of Rakedsnarls. Agents of mine went to do some friendly investigative graverobbing. The tomb was empty. Had never even been used."

"I looked at all available records on the maskdwarf. Came up almost blank. Like he appeared in the mountainhomes out of thin air. So I investigated the mask itself. And found that the damned thing has been turning up in one place or another, all over the world, for almost a century now. There are reports of masked humans, dwarves, goblins, even elves. Always mysterious, insane, and inexplicable. Always mentions of 'old gods'. My agents went to dig up the burial sites for these masked people, wherever available. All empty, never used."

I give them both a hard stare.

"Oku Constructcudgel is the maskdwarf. I'm sure of it. Yet for all of this, I've no idea what the psychotic bitch wants. Its behavior over the years displays no fixed pattern, not even a pattern of madness. This does not sit well with me. I suppose that in telling the two of you, you'll help me make sense of it all."

Once again, I let the silence punctuate my speech. As I look at the two dwarves before me, I remember my wife. She has finally abandoned the masked one's cult, but that doesn't seem to have removed her mental block of discussing the contents of the sermons. At least she seems a bit brighter now.

It remains to be seen how the masked one reacts to losing most of its flock.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 07, 2014, 10:48:14 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.

Honestly, I don't think Steelhold is a particularly heinous offender there. And all of maskdwarf's magicking is what gave me the idea for the whole conspiracy. My previous idea was far more boring.


Go hyperbole or go home.  :o



Emdief paused for a moment. Could he - was Emdief still a he inside? - trust the former overseer? Emdief decided that he could. He was tired of trusting nobody. Rhaken had taken him in when Emdief needed a protector, and Emdief had lost first his sanity and secondly his life defending Rhaken and his organization from his enemies. If he couldn't trust Rhaken, he couldn't trust anyone.
"I... can confirm that the masked dwarf is a human woman, like you say. I've seen that twice now, in both bodies I've inhabited. Whether or not it's that particular human, I couldn't tell you.
What I can tell you is this. It's not common knowledge in the fort - I've even kept it from most of the council, to avoid a pogrom - but some of the adamantine has been, eh, stolen. In fact, it's been regularly siphoned away so far as I can tell since the anarchy. And I know why. The masked dwarf - although I suppose we can stop calling it a dwarf now - claims that it wanted it for study. Understandable, for a human - if they could figure out how to mine it and forge it, they'd be our rivals in the field of metallurgy. However, I've recently found out something much more worrying is going on. Through some process, it has been absorbing the adamantine into itself to bolster it's own magical abilities.
Since I found this out, I've had the adamantine watched and counted regularly. No more has been taken. However... though I'd rather have stayed away from the whole thing, I have picked up a thing or two about thaumaturgy.
I think the masked prophet has gained enough power to cast spells, at least weak ones, without the consent and support of it's demonic patrons."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 07, 2014, 11:08:24 pm
Meanwhile, as everyone else is worrying and wringing their hands together, the masked dwarf and I are enjoying a drink and a relaxed, freindly chat in one of the old rooms.

I dip two mugs into the barrel of brew I've snuck in, and set one on the table. The maskedwarf picks it up and sniffs it suspiciously.

"What is this, something from one of corley's vials?"

I grin.
"Nah. It is what one elf referred to as 'an unholy mix of five different beverages'. Say, how would you like me to add an extra special ingredient?"

The masked dwarf raised an unseen eyebrow. "And that would be?"

My grin streched from cheek to cheek. "A gurantee that your day will be interesting."

Maskdwarf snorted in derision. "I've seen your idea of an 'interesting' day. I think I'll pass."

I raise my mug. "Ah well. To lost homes of eldritch entities?"
Maskdwarf sighs, but goes along with it. "To the lost home of the true gods."
"And other eldritch entities. "
"...and other...eldritch entities. "
there is a pause.
"Which brews did you say you put into this again?"
I keep grinning. "That, dear masked one, is a secret."


Heh. heh.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 07, 2014, 11:35:28 pm
Corley will not be pleased when he discovers that he was not invited to this meeting.

Corley's Log:
Cash for the Merchandise
--
The Dwarven caravan arrived recently and inspection began as usual. Unfortunately, Emdief -- the new resident gobshite -- decided that it would be a grand idea to finally blow the entire ruse that this fortress has been keeping so well. Next, he decided to take my job and meet with the inspector personally. As the liaison left, Emdief decided to shout libelous statements about the queen in his direction. I don't know what he was thinking; such statements -- even if true -- will never change anything. They will be swept aside, and the Queen will send her armies with the intention of burying us.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 08, 2014, 12:37:44 am
Kids are invisible.

They're also willing to chat up with anyone they don't see as an old-fuddy duddy who wants to spoil their fun.  Like parents who scream, yell, and yank their kids away from the cute "monster".  Sheesh. You want a monster, volunteer for exploring the caravans. There are some forgotten monsters down there, though it seems the surviving ones around here have learned that attacking a bunch of dwarves is not a good idea.

But I digress.

I not only don't spoil their fun...

I join in in, giving the blissfull, spoiled, skeletal wolf yet another belly rub. A couple kids outside keep watch.  They learned to do THAT on their own, because they didn't want to get in trouble.

I laugh as this one kid tells me what corley wrote in his log. 
"nah.  Maybe during the rein of Fractal the Unpredictable, but the inspector surely gave a report on how quickly we've improved the defenses.  She cannot have remained queen for long if she did not know how risky attacking entrenched dwarves was.  "

"what's entrenched mean?"
"It means we'ved done a good job digging in and setting up shop."
"OH!"


-and you thought ignoring my pets as a mere humor device was a good idea. HEHEH
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 08, 2014, 12:41:11 am
Corley will not be pleased when he discovers that he was not invited to this meeting.

At least his father's tomb will be repaired. Or at least I designated it to be repaired. I haven't checked.

On a gameplay related note, even with his duties removed, Corley refused to perform his mayoral duties, instead sleeping, breaking, eating and sleeping. Meeting with the liaison to conduct a trade agreement was the only time I've seen him outside his room or the dining room. I'm assuming this is due to him being a gentledwarf of leisure. Also, trusting Corley has been confirmed by science to lead to experimentation, insanity and death. Death may be applied to enemies of the fort or the trustee, but it will come.

As my dorf'd character is growing increasingly paranoid and bloodthirsty, the urge to kill all who displease me is rising in real life. Must resist urge to flood fortress/unleash hfs. No political assasinations.

On a completely unrelated note, I have been accepted into Cambridge university and have been drunk for quite some time. Probably going to bed. Ignore my postings that are not plot related, as they are likely ramblings. Want to do a writeup of a discussion of the whole council at some point tomorrow? Anyway G'night.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 08, 2014, 12:45:23 am
I locked the doors on the tomb.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 08, 2014, 12:47:42 am
Congrats, MDF. I'll be posting a journal entry soon.

*mutters something about everyone being older than him and in a different time zone*
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 08, 2014, 10:14:13 am
Alright then. Going to play the remainder of my turn at some point today or tomorrow. Let us scheme.

There will be a meeting of the council if possible, which I envision going something like this;
1. Independence of Steelhold announced. Debate with Corley?
2. Discussion of succession in some fashion.
3. Discussion of the cult.

Then we have a separate plotline with Maskdwarf, who will react to current events in an unknown way. This plotline does not have to be brought to a conclusion by the end of the turn, but there should be some sort of reaction to losing large amounts of cultists and gaining new self-righteous enemies (as opposed to old, unreasonable and paranoid enemies).
Also skeleton wolves. Really. News spreads, and children aren't know for their discretion. Most dwarves don't take kindly to there being undead in the fort. I imagine either they end up very well concealed or de-animated.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 08, 2014, 12:16:04 pm
They can transform into a bin. Namely, the artifact bone bin. 
 However, one of them has either been sealed or deanimated by unknown means (Emdief and maskdwarf would be the first suspects, but other dwarves :could: do it. )

Also, I don't know if maskdwarf is merely playing along with my plan, or if he/she/it is taking my character seriously. that's up to maswolf. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 08, 2014, 03:46:36 pm
I think that Corley will become Overseer in the meeting. Meanwhile I really want to know that weapon Lorius uses. Meanwhile Lorius is going to try and convert the children to the old ways with tales of ancient heroes who started out as normal dwarfs. By the way, could somebody remind me how Maskdwarf lost a lot of followers. I don't remember reading that.

I finished setting up anti-magic wards and defences around my quarters and those of my followers in addition to Rhaken's and his gang's quarters. Plus the barracks. It has worn me out, but at least the Oku or her followers won't be able to magically harm them. They can still don't things the old fashion way, but most dwarves here and elsewhere can deal with things the old fashion way. At least I know what's going on around here. It already figured most it out from stuff I done outside of here as well has asking about and looking at recoreds. I may be an old cleric, but I'm still one very good spy. My followers are growing number. Only a few are truly devoted, but the gods don't mind. They need followers to rival those of the demons. But the news that Oku has been acting without her "gods" consent is interesting. I wonder how thinks will go once the caravan has left and the truce is over? Thinking of which, I am surprised by Emdief's move. While I don't fear or worry about the Queen's wrath as I suffered the old Queen's one and her attempts to kill me for just over seventy years with only a few scars to show for it. I can survive his new one's. However, Rhaken mention Asmoth and her daughter Melek to me today. I heard of those two before and given what Rhaken has told me of Asmoth it may be true. I will speak to Melek later try and see if see she's truly Asmoth's clone like the rumours in dark back at the mountainhomes. If so, I hold nothing against her as she has no part in it and she was created by dwarven science, not magic. Regardless, she could be a valuable ally as she is a dwarf of medicine and science, not magic. Despite possible having such a secret over her, I have no intention of blackmailing her. Still, I will tell Rhaken as soon as I can tell decide whether or not its true. However, the rumours back home and what Asmoth as done here have inspired me to try and get a hold of Asmoth's files. Still I now greatly desire to recruit Melek as either a follower or an ally. At the least, another friend here who I can trust.

OOC: Plotwise, Lorius is about a hundred years old. And again, I really want to know what weapon he uses. And he sees Melek as a useful ally due what he hears both in and out of Steelhold about her and mostly her mother.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 08, 2014, 04:26:20 pm
Lorius used an axe. Also, there are still 3 months left in the year following this meeting. There's been a low-level system of harassment and social shunning being leveled at the cult for a year so far - you'd be surprised how well that works in removing a troublesome ideology from your nascent-rebel state.
I'd play today, but I have stuff due tomorrow, so scheme amongst yourselves I guess.
EDIT: Basically finished as much as I can for now. I'm going in. I guess that council meeting will be the end of my turn.



15th Moonstone

The repairs to Lenehan's tomb have finally begun. I now turn my attention to the final projects of the year; completing my new hospital and the temple.
I fear I cannot go on like this. If I am starting to doubt my own sanity, surely others must also. Why, the other day I swore I saw Fractal. His face was different, but the mannerisms were the same. I legitimately considered having him killed on the spot. What has become of me?
I've ordered the looting of the goblin siege. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. The dwarves may be in high spirits, but they feel more disciplined that one could have expected of this place a year ago. Building, cleaning and liberating aside, is that my true legacy? Giving these dwarves back their pride?

Minor expansions to the main fortification, namely expanding corridors for faster troop movement and the construction of more cage traps, are being undertook. Cleaning of the fort continues. The number of dwarves idling is something that truly warms my heart. When I took over this fort, all were frantically working just to stay alive. Now they have leisure time and can respond to any commands from the overseer's office. Social reoganization is a resounding success. If only I could find rooms for all those children. And deal with all these prisoners. Oh well.

I have stumbled upon the mother of all rubbish heaps;
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
It figures that it was located in Fractal's old alternate entrance. It really does.

21st Moonstone
The new hospital nears completion. This one will have sensible stockpiles and facilities to spare in case of emergency, in addition to a water source.
I'll leave a note to my successor: Produce more booze. While we're currently brewing faster than we're drinking, our plant yield is not going to keep up with the demand forever. We will likewise run out of meat and fish. Thankfully or not, depending on your taste, we will never run out of eggs to eat.
I order the harvest of many of the few trees remaining above ground. In order to solve our wood supply problems, we'll have to wait until the tree farm yields fruit or explore the caverns.



I'm drafting a squad of lasherdwarfs with all these copper and silver whips lying around and us needing a new squad in general. Do you think that's exploit-y due to whips being OP as hell? Is this awesome? (y/y) Steelhold has jedi now. Or rather, sith. Poorly trained ones.
The FPS has gotten really bad. I think it's due to the 320 - odd caged invaders. I'll go read a wiki page and learn how to strip them of their weapons and use them for live training, I guess.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 08, 2014, 10:41:16 pm
d-b-d to dump the cages, then keep reclaiming untill the gobs are out of toys. Don't dump them individually via loo(k). 

Most lag is caused by dwarves times stockpiles times items times pathing, though some forts truly do get enough items that the items alone can lag the fort.  You can probably put a dent in the lag by marking most of the bedrooms and most of the food-quarry as restricted traffic areas-dwarves don't need to sleep very often, and I don't expect they need the northern part of the food room. 

IC: that was close. Too close. I Cannot count on Emdief thinking I'm a hallucination a second time. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 09, 2014, 09:53:14 am
Emdief, Last of the Mad Overseers (until the next turn)

3rd Opal

My hospital is built. My final acts are underway. Only one thing remains for me to do.
A monument to the revolution is to be dug. A monument that previous Overseers would not have dreamed of. Well, maybe they would have, because they were a pretty imaginative bunch, but this will be the first large aesthetic addition to Steelhold.

8th Opal

A monument commemorating the revolution is being dug as we speak. I was afraid I'd not see it completed before the year's end, when I intend to give up my position as Overseer. I am no longer afraid of that.
I will of course not see it smoothed properly, so if it will reach its full glory it will do so after my reign.

26th Opal
(http://i.imgur.com/Gs5iUs7.png)
HAIL TO THE REVOLUTION

17th Obsidian

Melek has given birth to a girl. I didn't even know she was married. Apparently she has an adult son outside of Steelhold and another son here.
I turn my attention back to the monument. It is still possible for it to be finished in time! Only so much more left to smooth!

22nd Obsidian

An ambush! Curse them! Fortunately my marksdwarves were practicing nearby. All civilians manage to flee the invaders, who are subsequently turned into pin-cushions.
There's also a giant cave spider in the depths. I'm ordering the door to the caverns locked. More permanent measures will need to be taken to ensure our safety... and capture the beast. Think of what we could do with those webs!
Also a baby has died of thirst. Negligent parents. Negligent, negligent parents.

1st Granite

It has been precisely one year since the revolution. I call together a meeting of the council. They will have to select my successor. I'm finished.



 The save is HERE. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8304) If you don't finish the monument, terrible terrible things will happen. Like the fort being ugly. Other than that really nothing will happen.
But yeah, very accomplishment, such revolution, wow.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 09, 2014, 12:31:05 pm
From the shadows, the masked dwarf watched the congregation of the false gods.  He would not act against them, not directly, despite his threat to the contrary.  To do so would be to provoke outright warfare between the two groups, and while the spawn of the true gods were his to command, one lapse of attention and they would destroy the fortress.  He knew the truth: a truth withheld from all other mortals by the false ones.  The false gods were too afraid of the consequences should the truth become known.  Even what remained of his congregation did not know the full truth, not yet.

What remained of his congregation... Emdief had done what he had intended to do.  First slowly, then in groups, most of the believers had proved themselves false and left.  Only a few remained.  To pass the time, he participated in the fractaldwarfs idiocies.  The fractaldwarf was the only other magic user he had met, and a temporary alliance was better than outright war.  Meanwhile, he had been learning the extents of the fractaldwarfs capabilities.

Unbeknownst to Emdief, the masked dwarf had been examining the Thaumometer.  What he knew about it did not explain the magic-dampening pulse that it had unleashed when he tried to force the truth out of Emdief.  His probing had discovered that the gem at its heart was not, as he had suspected, a sunstone, the usual stone used in thaumometers, but was a wood opal.  Wood opals, unbeknownst to most mortals, had magic dampening properties, though their scarcity and small size meant that they were not highly effective.  The masked dwarf had surmised that the energy amplification that the thaumometer used to detect magical signals had the side effect of amplifying the properties of the opal.

Lorius stopped his sermon and turned his head towards where the masked dwarf was hiding.  The masked dwarf gave a slight nod, then faded back into the shadows.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 09, 2014, 12:36:30 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.

Honestly, I don't think Steelhold is a particularly heinous offender there. And all of maskdwarf's magicking is what gave me the idea for the whole conspiracy. My previous idea was far more boring.


Go hyperbole or go home.  :o



Emdief paused for a moment. Could he - was Emdief still a he inside? - trust the former overseer? Emdief decided that he could. He was tired of trusting nobody. Rhaken had taken him in when Emdief needed a protector, and Emdief had lost first his sanity and secondly his life defending Rhaken and his organization from his enemies. If he couldn't trust Rhaken, he couldn't trust anyone.
"I... can confirm that the masked dwarf is a human woman, like you say. I've seen that twice now, in both bodies I've inhabited. Whether or not it's that particular human, I couldn't tell you.
What I can tell you is this. It's not common knowledge in the fort - I've even kept it from most of the council, to avoid a pogrom - but some of the adamantine has been, eh, stolen. In fact, it's been regularly siphoned away so far as I can tell since the anarchy. And I know why. The masked dwarf - although I suppose we can stop calling it a dwarf now - claims that it wanted it for study. Understandable, for a human - if they could figure out how to mine it and forge it, they'd be our rivals in the field of metallurgy. However, I've recently found out something much more worrying is going on. Through some process, it has been absorbing the adamantine into itself to bolster it's own magical abilities.
Since I found this out, I've had the adamantine watched and counted regularly. No more has been taken. However... though I'd rather have stayed away from the whole thing, I have picked up a thing or two about thaumaturgy.
I think the masked prophet has gained enough power to cast spells, at least weak ones, without the consent and support of it's demonic patrons."

Honestly, at the start the masked dwarf was only supposed to have minor magic powers.  Asmoth added the reanimating the dead thing and I added the consigning soul to demons as an interesting plot twist that went nowhere.  To be honest, I think that Fractal (no offense) has been the one using far more magic than I do.  For the most part, my "dwarf" merely cloaks "him"self in shadows, hiding from the view of the regular dwarves.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 09, 2014, 01:22:46 pm
Yeah.  Although, aside from the animated skeletons which were set up before my turn even began, my dwarf is also cutting way back on magic use...except to detect other magic via indirect methods.
I think it's a good time to try and explain the mechanics behind how mask's powers' and my powers interact.
location: magma glass furnace.
IC:
I hold the slightly warm and soft, crudely-made vial in a gloved hand, a couple inches above the table.  I let it drop.  The result is a slight cracking and deformation of the vial.
"This...is basically what normal magic does.  the more will applied, the greater the result." I say.
Then I stick the vial into the furnace.  I do not double-dip it. 
"And this...is basically the way your mask works."
I pull the vial out, and allow it to deform just from gravity.
"Makes it easier to shape the world to your will, but it's also relatively easy to shape it back, which is probably why dwarves don't seem to suffer any long-term negative effects from your memory manipulations; you basically shape them into a state that won't store long-term memories, but then...ah, never mind."
I dip the vial-ok, so it's not even a vial at this point-into some water, and take it out.
"and this is how my power works."
I tap the mess lightly with a hammer, and it shatters.

"My power makes the fabric of reality more brittle, easier to shatter.  Then I stick the easy-to-move pieces back together and hope they stay together.  So, there you have it: my latest guess as to why our powers interact the way they do.  By the way, thanks for correcting me on my misunderstanding, I didn't realize the demons were descended from the ones you worship."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 09, 2014, 02:28:27 pm
If I were planning to do a hell breach, I'd paint the halls with demon blood and let the magic users be consumed by the beasts once and for all.  You simply do not comprehend my unfathomable hatred for overuse of the magic plot device. Deus ex machina all up in this penal colony.

Honestly, I don't think Steelhold is a particularly heinous offender there. And all of maskdwarf's magicking is what gave me the idea for the whole conspiracy. My previous idea was far more boring.


Go hyperbole or go home.  :o



Emdief paused for a moment. Could he - was Emdief still a he inside? - trust the former overseer? Emdief decided that he could. He was tired of trusting nobody. Rhaken had taken him in when Emdief needed a protector, and Emdief had lost first his sanity and secondly his life defending Rhaken and his organization from his enemies. If he couldn't trust Rhaken, he couldn't trust anyone.
"I... can confirm that the masked dwarf is a human woman, like you say. I've seen that twice now, in both bodies I've inhabited. Whether or not it's that particular human, I couldn't tell you.
What I can tell you is this. It's not common knowledge in the fort - I've even kept it from most of the council, to avoid a pogrom - but some of the adamantine has been, eh, stolen. In fact, it's been regularly siphoned away so far as I can tell since the anarchy. And I know why. The masked dwarf - although I suppose we can stop calling it a dwarf now - claims that it wanted it for study. Understandable, for a human - if they could figure out how to mine it and forge it, they'd be our rivals in the field of metallurgy. However, I've recently found out something much more worrying is going on. Through some process, it has been absorbing the adamantine into itself to bolster it's own magical abilities.
Since I found this out, I've had the adamantine watched and counted regularly. No more has been taken. However... though I'd rather have stayed away from the whole thing, I have picked up a thing or two about thaumaturgy.
I think the masked prophet has gained enough power to cast spells, at least weak ones, without the consent and support of it's demonic patrons."

Honestly, at the start the masked dwarf was only supposed to have minor magic powers.  Asmoth added the reanimating the dead thing and I added the consigning soul to demons as an interesting plot twist that went nowhere.  To be honest, I think that Fractal (no offense) has been the one using far more magic than I do.  For the most part, my "dwarf" merely cloaks "him"self in shadows, hiding from the view of the regular dwarves.

Hyperbole life ain't easy.

EDIT: Also dumped the writeup for the council meeting on you Gnorm. Ehehehe.
EDIT2: When Gnorm next comes online he should add the following to the grandfather clauses; "Do not rename an already named dwarf, even if you want them dead". Me doing that has never sat well with me - if Fractal was supposed to die he should have really died, and subsequently not have come back from the dead, which I never would have done if I hadn't executed him improperly anyway.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 10, 2014, 03:28:56 am
Ah, the time has come for my turn as overseer in this great fortress. Say your prayers!

Prologue: The Rise

The council members made their way to their respective seats. Discussion was scarce, for not one of them truly knew what to make of the situation. Emdief's mental health was -- to no one's surprise -- quickly deteriorating, and it was the duty of the council to elect a new leader. Every dwarf in the chamber knew and understood that the wrong choice could end in the ultimate end of the fort.

Corley entered the chamber last. He did not don his ordinary jacket, but rather a new tailcoat and vest. He slowly stepped towards his chair, designated as his for his position. He sat down and removed a pipe -- to the surprise of everyone -- from his pocket. He packed the tobacco firmly into the bowl, and lighted it with a small flint. As he drew the smoke in and out of his mouth, he seemed to take on an entirely new appearance; his appearance mirrored that of a great leader, rather than a young dwarf.

"In the seventh year after the creation of the world," he began. His voice was smooth, clear, and slow. Some thought it to be the sign of a madman; others thought the exact opposite. "General Tomesbores of The Gloves of Admiring drafted The Fundamental Orders of Sprinkledlabor. This document has formed the basis of our society ever since its creation. I ask each and every one of you: 'what does this document mean to us?'"

He paused, then proceeded to remove a scrap of paper from his pocket. It was worn, tattered, and yellow; the ink was faded and it had run across the page many years ago. He carefully unfolded it to display to his fellow council members, who were shocked by what they saw.

He held it up for a moment longer, then set it down saying: "Don't be alarmed by what you have seen; the scroll is not the original -- which is in a glass case in the capital -- but rather an ancient facsimile. Nevertheless, the values outlined within in hold true today, even if the copy is not original. The Fundamental Orders declare that dwarf has many rights; the right to work and make a living, the right to worship the gods of the land as he pleases, the right to dangerous weaponry, et cetera."

Corley removed his pipe and let loose a long stream of smoke from his mouth, which swirled up to the ceiling. Two young dwarves entered the chamber, carrying a large sheet of paper with the most clean and careful writing.

"This," said Corley, "is the charter that will bring such rights and values to this fortress. With your signatures, we can properly determine a new leader, and ensure that he follows the natural rights laid out in this document. No longer will we need to fear the threat of an unjust leader, for a leader will no longer have the right to be unjust."

The document was set down on a table, with a quill and well set right next to it. Almost a minute passed in silence, before Jovus finally rose from his seat. He nervously made his way to the document and signed his name. Although he preached his beliefs, in reality Jovus always yielded to authority. Other figures began to follow the dwaf's example, and made their way to the document. Corley noticed Melek looking at him; she looked so sad, though Corley couldn't tell what it was that made her this way.

Eventually, everyone -- however reluctantly -- signed the charter. A dwarf has willpower greater than that of a human, but their minds and work ethics are weak. Every dwarf has a breaking point, and the politics of Steelhold was the breaking point of the entire fort. Out of pure desperation, Corley's constitution was put into effect, securing certain rights to the dwarves. Those who chose to read more carefully, however, noticed that it effectively promoted Corley as overseer of the fortress.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 10, 2014, 10:44:33 am
I guess it's time for me to write an epliogue as Emdief's spiral into paranoia and madness reaches its conclusion. Here's hoping your project makes him/her a legendary badass.



Undated; Presumed to take place some time in the spring of 259

The monument is almost done. Almost done. They cannot stop it now. Things will never be the same again. The revolution will live forever in the minds of the dwarfs of Steelhold. We'll never go back to how the way things were. Onward goes the march to freedom.
Onward without me.
They've written some charter to govern the fort from now on. Smart. That's something the revolution needed. Legitimacy. Stability. Only they've chosen Corley to lead us. Corley! It's been a mere five years since he was a child. There's not even a touch of gray in what little beard he has grown. Corley, who watched Rhaken and myself, always looking for weakness, always hiding his disdain and malice.
What have they done? The council wasn't raised because they were the most intelligent - they were raised for being the most powerful players in Steelhold's politics.
There is one thing I can still do. One last gift I can give to the fort. And I've done it. Rhaken thought he'd kept its location secret from me, but I've done it. Lenehan's machine is only so much rubble, now. Your family's legacy, Corley? Had you but one less follower, I would have spoke plainly about your family's legacy. Madness, elf-fondling and murder are your father's virtues. I'm sure whatever hell he's in, he's disappointed in your loyalty to your race.
I only have momentary instances of lucidity now. I'm too far gone to be retrieved. My soul is pure, but my mind is corrupted. Had I the stomach I'd end it. I'm not afraid of dying again. But I have a purpose here. A purpose not yet fulfilled. Modi's vengeance. The masked prophet must burn. It must burn.

And they'll remember me as a madman. And let them. I was the leader the fort needed, not the leader they deserved. Maybe now we'll finally have some semblance of stability. I'm not hopeful.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 10, 2014, 01:26:09 pm
Poor Emdief.  The time spent as overseer was harder on his/her mind than I would have expected.
It would be so easy to reveal myself to him, right now, shatter his mind and soul beyond all chance of recovery...
I owe him too much. Even though he tossed me back through the portal while I still had a headache, without the pair of custom-made cobalite mechanisms to modulate the power, without his observation that my original blueprints called for an unecessary verticle axle between the gearbox and the windmill...I might still have saved meta-reality, but I'd never have been able to repair the worst of the damage to the original portal.  I'd have been able to close the rift with lesser amounts of power, or lesser mechanisms, but it'dve been closed forever...

Alas, his madness also means I can't try to comfort him.  He might realize it's me.  Something about the way I move around or talk, I think.
But perhaps, some day, I can consider letting him back in on the plans...[ooc: yeah. it's a stupid move.  My character is somewhat aware of that, but is shoving the evidence of just how much Emdief hates magic to the side in the name of...honor. ]

....
I sat with the kids, telling them the story of how an elf wound up with a horse named dragon, when the kid outside yelled "HEY! LOOK UNDER THERE!"
The skeletal wolf reverted to bin form even as Lorius said "Under...where?"
The kids hooted and roared with laughter as Lorius walked in.
"...And so the drunk human said, 'there, see? a dragon! Get rid of the dragon! Take it awayyyyyyy!'. And, well, the elf wasn't about to turn down a free horse.  But the elf wasn't exactly fluent in human grammer, so she thought dragon was the horse's name.  And that's how an elf wound up with a horse named dragon thanks to an un[holy]...er, epic mixture of 5 different beverages.  Ah, lorius, what can I do for you?"
Lorius grinned slyly. "Actually, it's what I can do for you. I imagine telling stories has left you quite parched.  Why don't I tell a story for now, hmm?"
I get up, and bow slightly. "Why thank you, Lorius. "
As I left, Lorius began to tell an epic tale of dwarves versus forgotten beast. there weren't many of those left these days...
_____
When I was far enough away, I snapped my fingers in irritation.  Lorius, the spymaster, had found out what I was doing with the kids. At least what happened wasn't a completely one-sided reveal. He knew, now, what game I'd been playing with the kids.
But I'd also confirmed he WAS the spymaster for rhaken.  Usually, I have to struggle to read facial subtleties...but that particular joke? I've watched untold numbers of dwarves reacting to that particular joke.  Lorius...well, in the end, it amounted to lorius trying to play that one move at one level higher than the rest of the dwarves around here, which meant he was a spymaster.  any other move, and I might not have been able to get a good fix on the level of deception.

I grinned. 
_____________

cat likes recent moves.  cat to move: meow.
dwarf to move:______
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 10, 2014, 03:13:16 pm
Corley thinks he's clever getting put in power in such way. Maybe he is, but he didn't fool me or Rhaken. Plus the charter give me a right to have temple. It also helps that Corley will be a good leader, one that will restore proper order to Steelhold, rather than just order to the latest threat or problem. However Emdief may be going insane, but he hasn't lot just yet and maybe not for a long time even if he will be verge for that entire time. And our objectives align for now as we both have the same enemy of the Oku and Emdief will still be a useful ally in defeating him. Meanwhile I still haven't spoken to Melek. She seems to be avoiding me. Also I finally managed to gain the ability to sense when Oku is watching me. Its far more than I thought or would have been comfortable with. Yet now I have managed to get the lighting in the temple just so that no shadows, a impressive feat. Especially important since Oku has been spying on some of the sermons. I have also noticed that the moody dwarf with undead pets, seems to think I am the spymaster and Rhaken is my agent. The poor fool.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 10, 2014, 05:02:59 pm
o....K....

Lorius did NOT know me before the face change, and therefore, is NOT in a good position to associate "uristmcnobody" with "fractaldwarf", elite spy or not.  If you wish to be the one to tip the bean-can about me the rest of the way over, I expect a half-baked or better description of HOW your character finds out. 

Also: perhaps my use of the term "spymaster" was incorrect...

...My character knows that you report to Rhaken and not the other way around.   He is merely uncertain whether you're more loyal to rhaken or to yourself.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 10, 2014, 06:43:16 pm
So you are launching a blood vendetta against me, eh?  Alright, then, challenge accepted.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 10, 2014, 08:47:27 pm
So you are launching a blood vendetta against me, eh?  Alright, then, challenge accepted.

Just make sure you vendetta correctly. Like, start with really low-level insults at a high frequency. Then just move to painting the walls and ceiling with gore with alarming speed.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 10, 2014, 08:54:36 pm
Actually, I have an idea... Oshha, would Lorius participate in an assault on the masked dwarf?  If Emdief led it?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 10, 2014, 09:04:46 pm
Actually, I have an idea... Oshha, would Lorius participate in an assault on the masked dwarf?  If Emdief led it?

Emdief probably wouldn't lead it at this point. Not enough paranoid scheming. Emdief's increasing paranoia will go nicely with an ever-increasing demand for complexity. Like, (s)he won't plan to kill the maskdwarf unless it simultaneously defeats the FPS, drains the ocean, catches a giant sperm whale which is subsequently brewed into +whale tallow roasts+ and served in a victory feast at the memorial.

Although... acting as Modi's instrument of revenge might work. Emdief would probably go along with it if someone ordered him. And last time I checked, Maskdwarf kind of dragged Modi back from the peace of the grave, almost let her kill her murderer, and just sent her back like he was dismissing a servant.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 10, 2014, 09:12:44 pm
Although... acting as Modi's instrument of revenge might work. Emdief would probably go along with it if someone ordered him. And last time I checked, Maskdwarf kind of dragged Modi back from the peace of the grave, almost let her kill her murderer, and just sent her back like he was dismissing a servant.

Sounds about right.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 10, 2014, 09:38:19 pm
So you are launching a blood vendetta against me, eh?  Alright, then, challenge accepted.

For the record, Rhaken doesn't necessarily want Oku dead. He's a spymaster. He wants information, motives, that sort of thing. Once he has those, then he can decide if he wants the local shapeshifter dead or not.



Corley is taking over. He got some of the council members going on his little scheme, got them signing his oh-so-patriotic charter without reading the fine print. I know better. But I signed it anyway. The lad is a manipulative quasi-sociopath - exactly what Steelhold is going to need now that Emdief is on the verge of snapping. I can keep tabs on the old baron's lad easily enough.

Emdief. Poor bastard has been through too much. Hell, he actually fucking died. And came back female. I blame the fractaldwarf. Another loon who decided to come back from the dead. Maybe that explains it. Death is meant to be final. Perhaps challenging that particular law of nature leads to invariable madness.

I've been watching her these days. Before she got much worse, Emdief went and wrecked Lenehan's machinery. Once he was through with it, the device was, as an old lieutenant in the Queen's Third used to put it, 'fucked sideways'. You can hardly tell there used to be mechanisms in that room anymore.

It took longer than I thought, but that plan went off well. Patience is ever the spy's closest friend.

I am still unsure if I should tell Corley about the more recent revelations. Maybe now that he's in power, his mind will be ready. For now, observation. Let's see what kind of legacy he decides to fashion for himself. In the meantime, I've got two sets of eyes and shields on Emdief at all times. It's the least I could do.

In the darkness of my office, in the deep hours while my wife is asleep, I raise a mug in silence and drink to a brave new world (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_FDjDwNygM).




Sidenote here: I'll be gone until about monday. Two-day seminar some 400 kilometers from home. I'll miss you deranged loons.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 10, 2014, 10:55:51 pm
quasi-ic: Invariable madness? I can't possibly see what's wrong with...
...on second thought, that could explain a lot of swordthunders problems.  In swordthunders, you hoped they slabbed you quickly so you could reincarnate quickly. Wound up wiping out the entire dwarven civilization, they did, and that's before I showed up on the scene.

edit: The following conversation took place during the rule of fractal-dwarf, prior to the sealing of the vampire.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

In a parrallel universe:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
...
This is why I did NOT elect myself mayor during my turn.  export bolts-prohibited would not have been much better than export-bins prohibited.   
[spoiler]

query: how does one nest spoilers?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 11, 2014, 12:14:30 am
Chapter I: The Beginning

Inaugural Address of Corley

Dwarves of Steelhold, what you are part of today is truly an historical event that will be remembered by our children's children.  Today, our homeland now has an official charter -- signed and approved by all the members of our council -- guaranteeing every dwarf his basic rights.  No single leader can revoke this charter, either in part or in whole without the full consent of the council.  Therefore, the people need no longer fear the tyrant; the tyrant must fear the people!

Nevertheless, I must remind the members of this congregation that not everyone with acknowledge this charter.  The government of our very kingdom sees us only as a penal colony, and -- due to Emdief's outburst during the last inspection -- a potential enemy to the state.  During the next inspection, we will be given a choice between fighting for independence or reverting to our initial status as prisoners; I say that we will do neither!  As a territory in the queen's dominion, I say that we must truly become a great fortress in the eyes of the nobility.  Through sheer devotion to the queen -- who gave us our home in these southern lands -- we will overcome all obstacles, and one day we may become an independent fortress peacefully.

Thus, I close in saying that although we may be stuck in a prison, we will one day become a fortress that the queen herself will envy.

The Steelhold Mint

Corley took a small handful of the gold coins in his palm.  They glistened in the warm light of the magma, allowing him to clearly see the detail of the engravings put into their design.  Despite its value, gold is a rather useless metal -- only good for decoration.  In order to properly compliment the queen, Corley ordered the fort's excess gold to be made into coins, which in their engravings honored the kingdom and its queen.

(http://i44.tinypic.com/28201h4.png)

He let the coins fall back into the pile and lighted his cigarette. Many more would have to be produced in order to achieve the desired goal, but by the end of the year the queen's bank account would certainly see a great rise.

The Trenches
The miners began to sweat profusely.  The hot desert sun burned their skin and their wills, and they let their picks trudge through the sand with them.  When they reached the spot, they -- as according to their orders -- removed the roadway from the area, and began to dig a great trench into the sand.

(http://i43.tinypic.com/35c3j8i.png)

Nobody truly knew from whom the orders came, but it is not the Dwarven way to refuse work.  To the average miner, what mattered more than anything was the booze waiting in the dining halls.

Just a small preview of what is to come. I currently have one major priority: update the main post.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 11, 2014, 05:36:36 am
OOC: Does Lorius have any family at Steelhold? Just wondering where he's married or not or if he has kids.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 11, 2014, 12:49:33 pm
also: does corley have any living family atm, and if so, what's the name of at least one?

IC:

Well, corley was in power.  Just in time, too...my true identity is starting to leak into the fortress. I blame my choice of vocabulary. Only a matter of time before Lorius finds out (if he doesn't know already). Rhaken...seems to have recognized me.  but Lorius reports to Rhaken, and if Rhaken's smart, he'll think twice before revealing my identity to the magic-hating (and somewhat hypocritical) Lorius.  I think I shall play this little game of pretending to be merely "Urist McNobody" for a while longer...

Emdief seems to have gone from mad to merely eccentric, and has developed a love of complexity to rival my own.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 11, 2014, 02:59:01 pm
Corley currently has three younger sisters -- one of which is named Kadol -- and his mother.

Lorius technically has a family, but he is also technically seventeen years old; it might be better to ignore them for the sake of plot and continuity.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 11, 2014, 05:58:39 pm
Random question - why the trench? What purpose does it serve?
During the sieges, I've seen gobbo's arrive from the north and south - never where the trench is located. The caravan arrived from the south-east.

Could this by chance involve MAGMA? Incidentally, I suspect that there's a magma pool somewhere in the caverns, if we ever decided to move the forges or deploy a dwarf's best friend.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 12, 2014, 04:36:00 am
Lorius technically has a family, but he is also technically seventeen years old; it might be better to ignore them for the sake of plot and continuity.

Does Lorius have any siblings? Because if so, I would like to roleplay them as Lorius' children or grandchildren since Lorius is getting old and wishes to past on his knowledge and experience before he gets too old.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 12, 2014, 11:22:20 am
We have always had a rather loose definition of family in this fort. Go for it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 12, 2014, 03:18:50 pm
journal entry:
Catten bumped into me today. Seemed to think the trench was my plan. It's not.  I am not sure if it's part of corley's plan, Lorius's plan, or Emdief's plot to drain the ocean to get at whale bones while simultaneously stopping maskdwarf...assuming that's Emdief's actual plan and not just what she wants us to think her plan is.

Therefore, I must account for all these possibilities at once. 
Speaking of the trench, it's not that hot outside...
.......

journal entry:
Ok, there's a heatwave, so Eat my socks.  Someone has terrible timing, or else is rather sadistic.
Made a couple of leather(?) sombreros to help the miners stay cool. After a moment of puzzlement, a military dwarf picked it up and wielded it like a shield.
So much for that plan.

I'm mixing up my drinks and sharing them with the kids, especially Kadol.  If Corley has even half as much respect for family as I think he does, he'll not try to poison me. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 12, 2014, 05:05:22 pm
Chapter II: The Industry

Corley’s Log:
Emdief’s Monument
--
Well, Emdief’s enormous monument to the government here in Steelhold is finally finished.  There are still quite a few stones and ores that need to be removed from the site, but – aside from that – all the work is finished.

(http://i41.tinypic.com/2duw7k8.png)

Although it may be impressive to look at on paper, it is not easy to see the detail by just walking about it.  I don’t think Emdief cares much about such matters, though.


Corley’s Log:
The Steelhold Baronial Army
--
One of the former members of Rhaken’s gang barged into my office today.  He demanded to know why I decided to formally disband Rhaken’s gang, as well as many of the minor squads of the militia.  I tried to calmly explain to him that my goal is to reorganize the army, and that minor, informal squads would need to be reworked.  It didn’t seem to please him, but he left anyway.  Presently, I have created two new squads for what I am calling the “Steehold Baronial Army.”

(http://i40.tinypic.com/2ywha2a.png)

Some of the former melee dwarves objected to my focus on crossbows; I say that axes and swords are obsolete.  They can be used by the fortress guard and for ceremonial purposes, but should be used only as support on the battlefield.  In one hundred years, no one will dream of sending a squad of axedwarves against an army of marksdwarves; they’d be slaughtered.


Corley’s Log:
Artifact
--
One of our dwarves emerged from his workshop bearing a mighty sceptre today.

(http://i39.tinypic.com/wk3jbk.png)

(http://i42.tinypic.com/9uxixw.png)

(http://i44.tinypic.com/rs7jtu.png)

Corley's Log:
That Dream
--
I had that awful dream again; I had thought that I was rid of it by now.  The dream where the human vampire comes to the fortress and it floods with water. I have no recollection of such an event ever occurring, but the dream seems so real.  When Fractal was killed the dream went away, but now it has returned.  Could this perchance mean that he is still alive?  If so, I'll find him and end him.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 12, 2014, 09:08:47 pm
Noooooo the Revolutionary Guard D:
Does my squad still live on as before, even if under a new name? The Elf-Party was still a squad during my turn, btw, so a reorganization was definitely needed.
Also what about our lasher squad jedi knights?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 14, 2014, 09:20:46 am
I'll be gone for a couple of days due to real life. I will probably be able to check for any new posts, but not post anything myself.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 14, 2014, 06:50:57 pm
IC:
Oh dear.  Corley keeps muttering about how "The fractal is back, giving me that awfull dream about that awfull...".

At least this could explain how Corley knew I was back without actually recognizing me. Downside to using children as a spy network is...you can't really expect them to remember everything. 
What puzzles me, though, is the fact I've clamped down on most of my magical emissions...
Interesting. I can actually feel the effect of Lorius's wards, and unlike maskdwarf's wards, and they don't shatter every time I walk into them.  I suspect i could tear them apart if I actually tried, though. 
________
I give the following note to rhaken:
I suppose you know who I am by now.  Please keep Lorius from stabbing me when I set up my room next to him.

__________
Yet another myseterious message is found, puzzling the dwarves.

kitty-corner is corner passage where kitties can move through. But some kitties are bigger than others.
cat to move: request inspection of old stairs.  cat meows in fear. 
dwarf to move.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 16, 2014, 02:50:42 am
Chapter III: The War

Corley’s Log:
Elf Merchants – The Siege


(http://i41.tinypic.com/34yy0c2.png)

At last! someone else in this blasted desert.  Hopefully, these elves brought along some wood with them – we need some for our duckboards.



(http://i43.tinypic.com/13z9vlj.png)

A curse on those damned gobs!  Our trade partner finally arrives and they decide now to strike.  I honestly thought that the gobs would just give up by now; Steelhold is completely unassailable.  I will be waiting in my office for this conflict to settle.

The Outcome

The siege was won, but not without great losses.  The previous overseer of the fortress – however effective their strategies might have been – neglected to label their levers, allowing the goblins to make their way into the fortress’ entrance.  Most of the Steelhold Baronial Army was slaughtered, including the old champion from the great days of the Barony.

(http://i43.tinypic.com/2l8uma9.png)

The goblins had made it to the tower when they were met by the Steelhold Guard, led by Lorius Zane.  The martial cleric held off the hordes of invaders with his mighty axe, besting even the elites of the goblin army.  Eventually, the entire goblin army was either dead, captured, or gone – though a small group of trolls congregated in Lenehan’s tomb for the traditional vandalism-session.

Meanwhile, Corley was deep in thought within his office.  Amongst the dead was Melek, his own cousin; he felt immense guilt for her death.  Perhaps – if she wasn’t too far gone – Asmoth would be able to provide answers regarding Melek’s nature, but that ultimately did not matter anymore.  Corley straightened in his seat, and decided to begin his “M.A.S.K.” project – though he might invite Rhaken for dinner first to clear his mind.  On his desk lay a small note, stating only that: “work has begun.”

Corley's Log:
My Greatest Accomplishment

At long last! I've done it!  Throughout the history of Steelhold, no one has completed such a daunting task as the one that I have just completed.  This is truly my greatest accomplishment; such an achievement is the dream of all furnace operators.  Soon, our stockpiles will be overflowing in great creations to crush the gobs; the Steelhold-Goblin War will be won!

Spoiler: Minor Spoilers (click to show/hide)

If that gobshite Fractal is truly back, I do wonder if he'll bleed permanently from this.  He seems to manifest the very tears in the universe; he can travel through dimensions like a god.  Nevertheless, his encounter with Emdief demonstrated that he can indeed be hurt.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 16, 2014, 03:10:15 am
... the levers were all labelled. They were in Lenehan's old office. At least I think so, I might have forgotten to label the main gate. And not even our Jedi Knights could handle the gobbo scourge, it seems. Unless you were referring to the marksdwarf mob with the Baronial Army. :-\
BTW, it's not a good idea to set up a new meeting area. The current one keeps dwarves meeting down in Lenehan's office, where they can pull levers in case of emergency. They're still slow as hell, of course.

Also with Fractal; "Ef et bleeds, we can keel et"1.



1 Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Overseer of California.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 18, 2014, 03:56:25 am
Chapter IV: The Letter

Corley's Letter

(http://i44.tinypic.com/m9bltt.png)

Queen Brasswords sat in her dining room, sipping her morning wine.  It had been a stressful time in the capital, for endless debates about the colony "Steelhold" ran throughout the Mountainhome -- from the aristocracy to the peasantry.  An immense pressure was put upon the monarch, and she was unsure of what to do about the rebellious colony that -- almost unintentionally -- brought so much relief to the prisons at home.

She took another sip from her goblet as her advisor ran quickly into the chamber.  He was middle-aged, and especially chosen so by the queen in order to ensure that he has neither old loyalties to other nobles or new, progressive ideas of revolution.  He stood straight before his monarch, and began saying: "Your majesty -- the human traders have brought a missive."

"From whom?" enquired the queen.

"From -- from Steelhold, your highness," replied the advisor, before placing the letter on the table and quickly making his escape.

Queen Brasswords slowly took the letter in her hands, and began to carefully examine it.  It was printed with surprising quality and care;  a coat-of-arms was present on the document in gold leaf.  The queen took a deep breath and began to read the letter.

Dearest Queen of Steelhold,

In this dark time that has plagued our proud nation and people, we find ourselves in need of order, reason, and reassurance.  As the current head of the Barony of Steelhold, I have taken it upon myself to -- in response to the ill-minded rumors and objections regarding this penal colony -- record accurately the passing events and developments of this southern desert.  I have with the utmost scrutiny observed the following events and have taken the utmost pains to properly convey them to you in order that your opinion shall be rightly swayed.

I do regret to inform you that the Steelhold-Goblin War still rages on; it is not uncommon for us to see a great army advancing upon our gates to take more lives away from this world.  Finding our current structure of militia insufficient, I have officially organized the Steelhold Baronial Army, the pride of which is the fortress guard.  Their leader, who goes by the name of Lorius Zane, has slaughtered many a goblin with his axe, easily shrugging off minor wounds.

As a result of our system of traps, we have accumulated a great number of captive soldiers.  I have officially ordered the executions to recommence; without leaders to rescue, the goblins have fewer motives for besieging this fortress.

(http://i44.tinypic.com/2d9e62p.png)

There is the slight inconvenience of the time it actually takes to process the executions -- and of the "work ethic" of the prisoners.  I plan to reform the system to be far more quickly processed.

I will not attempt to hide from our queen the presence of Paganism in the fortress.  These criminals -- many of whom are insane -- have begun to worship idols and daemons.  Just recently, a young child created a ceremonial mask to honor these "gods."

(http://i44.tinypic.com/303en9d.png)

(http://i41.tinypic.com/1pgk0m.png)

(http://i43.tinypic.com/r01h13.png)

Fear not, your majesty.  I will personally see to it that the gods of the homeland and of our ancestors are properly adhered to, and that this abhorrent activity stop at once.

Two new additions to the colony are the treasury and the railway.  In the lower section of the following image, you will see the illustrations of bins full of gold coins.  These represent the kingdom from which we come, and its values and ideals as well.  Above, you see the beginning of the railway station, designed to easily bring supplies to and from the magma forges in the depths.  Both developments are exemplary of our growth as a colony over eight years, and evidence that growth shall continue.

(http://i39.tinypic.com/2d8ky6r.png)

I shall once again remind the queen of the unimpeachable honesty and integrity of this missive.  If the queen continues to send her prisoners our way to alleviate the crowding of the capital and to increase the strength of her colony, this document will not have failed in its purpose.

Signed,
Corley,
the baron of Steelhold


Queen Brasswords slowly read the last part of the letter once more, then resigned to set it upon her table.  The colony of Steelhold truly was -- most undoubtedly -- the source of all tension in the capital.

Just to inform everyone, I will be taking a minor extension to my turn.  I found myself quite busy over the past week, I'm afraid.  If anyone has any objections, please raise them now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 18, 2014, 02:10:27 pm
I'm certain its Fractal is back. Especially now that he's revealed himself to Rhaken. Especially since he wants to move into the room next to me. Oh well. I can't, however, decided who I'm more impressed with. Fractal for setting up his spy-ring of children or the children for been as good as they are. Still no match for an old master like me or Rhaken mind you. The children seem to be following the old gods rather than Oku's demons, but are still loyal to Fractal overall. What worries me most is the letter sent to the Queen by Corley. While our new leader has shown himself sane and sensible, especially in his feelings towards Oku and her cult, I covertly bribed the messenger to allow me to read it. While I am pleased to have slain many of the green-skinned invanders, which had the effect of making my following even larger. Still having the seen knowing that one of her mother's most successful foes and a wanted criminal who has avoid capture for over seventy decades. I barely imagine what she, her advisers and her new, incompetent spy network are going think of a wanted and very dangerous criminal, having yet ot be captured, is doing in the penal colony full of other criminals. Will they think that I'll was captured and place there with everyone else or that I came to prison of my free will. How they'll respond is another matter and much more worrying.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 18, 2014, 04:13:05 pm
... can Emdief wear the mask as part of his/her growing madness? Because that would be really metal. "Who's the masked dwarf now, demon worshippers? Who's the masked dwarf now?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 18, 2014, 05:11:55 pm
Lorius wouldn't mind it since it would cause trouble amongst his foes.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 18, 2014, 05:41:02 pm
I give the following note to Rhaken:
I suppose you know who I am by now.  Please keep Lorius from stabbing me when I set up my room next to him.

May I sig this?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 18, 2014, 05:45:22 pm
Found my eldest son's daughter, Alatha Zane, here in Steelhold the other day? What in the name of Armok is she doing amongst these criminals and scum? Still, she seems like the good lass my son raised. And she willing to learn from me. I guess it's important to start passing on my knowledge now that I'm getting old. And an already experience criminal often make for good spies. Plus she follows the old gods like myself.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 18, 2014, 09:23:56 pm
I give the following note to Rhaken:
I suppose you know who I am by now.  Please keep Lorius from stabbing me when I set up my room next to him.

May I sig this?
sure.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 20, 2014, 12:10:58 am
Chapter V: The Report

Corley's Log:
A Report
--
My year is almost up; I won't live long after its through -- almost no one does.  This colony was established in 251, and every single dwarf that has tried to rule over this place -- either to restore order or for personal gain -- has wound up dead at some point.  Sarrak was the first to go, then Jackal and Modi died in the Siege of Steelhold.  My father died a troubled dwarf at the hands of a giant louse; he did not resist.  Fractalman was killed by Emdief, however I'm sure that he's still alive somewhere, somehow.  As for Emdief, the poor bastard actually had to suffer death twice; a recent accident in the goblin cell blocks ended quite poorly in his favor.  That leaves only Maskdwarf -- who seems to be some sort of supernatural being -- and Rhaken, the god amongst dwarves.  If the Barony of Steelhold continues as it does now, I don't think I'll have much of a chance.  Nevertheless, it is time to report of the fortress' recent developments.

With Emdief dead, I have been forced to choose a new subject for my M.A.S.K. Project.  Although Rhaken was a consideration, I came to the conclusion that Lorius was actually the ideal dwarf for the job; his hatred for non-traditional worship is almost as great as Emdief's hatred of magic.  Thus, Lorius is no longer the captain of the guard, though he has been in charge of the goblin executions as of now.

(http://i43.tinypic.com/28k4px3.png)

The Barony was assaulted by a great cyclops recently.  Fortunately, my system of defensive trenches diverted the intruder right into our cage traps.  The beast was promptly executed, ridding the world of yet another destructive brute.

(http://i39.tinypic.com/112dco0.png)

The caravan from our home civilization came for the annual trade and inspection.  Our large supply of goods allowed us to purchase all the goods that we needed, as well as some that we
didn't.  In addition, I gave the traders a supply of eleven thousand gold coins -- plus five hundred of the two thousand rose gold coins minted in honor of the anniversary of the Barony -- to give as a gift to the queen herself.  Such an amount is enough to refill the entire royal treasury; I'm sure this will elevate the colony in the eyes of the capital.

(http://i40.tinypic.com/p13mf.png)

Lastly, the personal forge I commissioned was recently finished.  I will be able to get even more work done in private than was able to in the public magma forges.

Only two months left, and I'm tired of waiting; the M.A.S.K. Project is going into phase.  Its failure means my death, but its success means my immortality; that's a gamble I'm willing to take.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 20, 2014, 12:38:06 am
M.A.S.K. project sounds bad... it also sounds like something my character does NOT know about.  Or me, for that matter.

Edit: Damn it, Emdief is dead.  I should have run my big showdown scene I had typed up when I had the chance.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 20, 2014, 01:00:04 am
M.A.S.K. project sounds bad... it also sounds like something my character does NOT know about.  Or me, for that matter.

Edit: Damn it, Emdief is dead.  I should have run my big showdown scene I had typed up when I had the chance.
I'd love to see it anyway.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 20, 2014, 02:11:16 am
Chapter VI: Armageddon Part I (The Rupture)

On the first day of Opal, a select group of soldiers was ordered to patrol the tunnels deep beneath the fortress.  Amongst the group was Rhaken, Lorius Zane, and Magni, and each was unsure as to why Corley sent him into the depths.  Suddenly, a young miner -- hardly experienced, by the way he held his pick -- walked marched by the group and further along into the tunnels.  Immediately, a loud, grating sound was heard, and the drawbridge behind them sealed them in.

(http://i39.tinypic.com/11sfqe1.png)

As the miner went along his way, Rhaken could not help but wonder to himself what the young dwarf was doing this deep in the earth.  There were certainly no caverns to explore here; the magma sea was far below any sort of subterranean world.  As for ores, there weren't any that had to be this deep.  Unless -- of course -- the miner was looking for... adamantine!

Suddenly, a defeaning bang was heard; so loud it was that every ear within five miles went deaf.  The entire fortress trembled with a terrible quake, sections of the caverns collapsed, and areas of the fortress crumbled.  The sky turned a sickly black, even though it was the middle of the day.  Such unspeakable disasters were occurring because the young dwarf just penetrated a great seal between two worlds, rupturing the barrier between the living and the damned.  The miner, shaken and stunned, got to his feet and gazed at the aperture he had dug.

(http://i39.tinypic.com/2l8dze1.png)

What was the most horrifying sight in his life became outdone, however, by the horrifying noises he heard from the deep.  Some screamed in agony, and some laughed so awfully that the very sound of it could drive one insane; it was the laughter of those who wished eternal torture upon all those who lived.

(http://i43.tinypic.com/2ishzl2.png)

As the miner ran out of the dig-site, screaming in utter terror, he could catch a glimpse of the indescribeable creatures emerging from their prison.

(http://i40.tinypic.com/2iucj90.png)

They swarmed around the skies of their plane, laughing in sheer delight as they planned of all that they would subject the mortal creatures to.  Their voices were of such volume and echo that even the dwarves in the guard-towers could hear exactly what was going through their minds.

The miner ran right past the guards, and the great iron bridge lowered to allow him to escape safely.  Three of the most ambitious demons climbed out of their prison and faced soldiers.  The small group readied themselves to fight to the death, but Rhaken motioned for them all to leave; he would hold them off alone to let the others escape.  As he ran off, Lorius caught a glimpse of Rhaken blocking a fireball with his shield as the iron bridge sealed him in with the demons.

Rhaken fought valiantly that day.  Even as he was set on fire several times over, he continued to fight.  With his mighty steel mace, he managed to slay one of the three demons, and wounded another one.  Eventually, even he had to fall, and he was consumed in the fires of Hell.

As he let out his final cry, Lorius ceased his escape.  His comrades had already fled to the "safety" of the upper levels; he alone remained in the deep.  He turned to see the bridge lowering once again, and he knew exactly what to do.  It was his duty to fight the beasts that had slain his master.  If necessary alone; if necessary to the death.

(http://i41.tinypic.com/2co0roo.png)

Despite his bravery, the pupil was not as skilled as his master.  Ever so quickly, he too was consumed in the fires of Hell.

. . .

Meanwhile, in the shooting range of the dead baron, there stood a terrible spectre.  It was horribly disfigured, and looked as if it was an amalgamation of two ghosts -- one male and one female.  It smiled sinisterly; Emdief was not quite out of the game yet.

(http://i41.tinypic.com/2aer0jd.png)


Just as with my last finale, I'm open to suggestions and sample portions of text.  So, how will the fortress react to what has just happened?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 20, 2014, 02:31:45 am
edit: deleted.  it was a terrible post.  not even worth archiving. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 20, 2014, 08:05:58 am
M.A.S.K. project sounds bad... it also sounds like something my character does NOT know about.  Or me, for that matter.

Edit: Damn it, Emdief is dead.  I should have run my big showdown scene I had typed up when I had the chance.

NOT EVEN DEATH CAN STOP THE ENGINEERING

Goodnight, sweet mad overseer.  :'(

EDIT: Or not.
If you utilize some sort of mad engineering scheme to beat the HFS, Emdief could be in on that. I'm surprised that we didn't have a bunch of iron masterwork spears attached to a lever, which would have been the most effective way to tear the demons a new one. Many of them fall apart at the slightest touch.
As for the fortress, this will be polarizing. Some will go over to Maskdwarf's cult, many will want to commit a pogrom against Maskdwarf's Cult, Maskdwarf will want whatever Maskdwarf wants.
You sure have a habit of getting our ex-overseers killed Gnorm  :P
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 20, 2014, 08:29:28 am
Well, shit.

Hey Gnorm, could you tell me if Rhaken's wife Onul outlived him or not? As you can imagine, it's important for writing down the dwarf's last thoughts.

...Did anyone get around to "rebuilding" his tomb?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 20, 2014, 09:35:10 am
He does it intentionally

"Ah, but there is a slight problem,"
The remaining followers of the true gods were huddled around the meeting chamber, terrified looks on their faces.
"Even I cannot control that many spawn at once.  So, my followers, I must bid you farewell, at least for now."
The floor around the masked dwarf erupted into flames, and the ground surged up, encompassing the masked dwarf.  When the fire died away, the masked dwarf was gone.


"Do you realize how little you have accomplished?"
Corley whirled around, trying to locate the source of the words, but there was nothing to be seen.
"I am everywhere, Corley.  You cannot see me, no matter how hard you try.  But perhaps I will reveal myself"
The room was suddenly lit by a bright flare of luminescence, emanating from just above Corley.  Corley could now clearly see a ghostly shadow whirling around the room.
"All that you have done, Corley, is further my schemes.  All that you have done is for me.  And for that, I must thank you."
"Pray tell, masked one, how have I furthered them?  Your little cult is going to be destroyed."
"It is not to me to explain to a lowly dwarf like you.  If you will excuse me, I am going to the adamantine stores.  I wish you luck"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 20, 2014, 09:42:12 am
The masked dwarf flitted down the halls of the fortress: past the frightened civilians, past the guards, past the demons, all of whom took no notice.  Suddenly, the masked dwarf paused.
"You lingered, hmm?"
Were any dwarves around, none of them would have heard a thing, but the masked dwarf cocked his head to one side as if listening to something.
"Yes, I can sense your presence."
A pause, then: "Why would I do that?"
Another pause: "Really, Rhaken?  Who do you hate more: Corley, or me?"
"Fair point.  But I never released the spawn of my gods on the fortress, because they were cast out long ago for a reason.  They are no longer associated with my gods."
"As you say.  I wish you luck, I suppose.  Corley is in Lenehan's old office.  And see if you can't scrounge up Asmoth, she may be remarkably helpful."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 20, 2014, 11:33:10 am
Well, shit.

Hey Gnorm, could you tell me if Rhaken's wife Onul outlived him or not? As you can imagine, it's important for writing down the dwarf's last thoughts.

...Did anyone get around to "rebuilding" his tomb?
I can't find her in the units screen, so I fear she is already dead.  As for the tomb, I'll rebuild it, but we won't be able to properly inter him until after the demons in the fortress are dealt with and the rupture resealed.

The masked dwarf flitted down the halls of the fortress: past the frightened civilians, past the guards, past the demons, all of whom took no notice.  Suddenly, the masked dwarf paused.
"You lingered, hmm?"
Were any dwarves around, none of them would have heard a thing, but the masked dwarf cocked his head to one side as if listening to something.
"Yes, I can sense your presence."
A pause, then: "Why would I do that?"
Another pause: "Really, Rhaken?  Who do you hate more: Corley, or me?"
"Fair point.  But I never released the spawn of my gods on the fortress, because they were cast out long ago for a reason.  They are no longer associated with my gods."
"As you say.  I wish you luck, I suppose.  Corley is in Lenehan's old office.  And see if you can't scrounge up Asmoth, she may be remarkably helpful."

To whom is he speaking?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 20, 2014, 03:12:19 pm
He's talking to Rhaken's spirit.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 20, 2014, 06:49:48 pm
I'll...just scrap the previous post.
__________

I facepalmed as I awoke.  "Intruders! unautorized entrance" yelled the demons-or was it "die, dwarven scum!"...demonic languages tended to vary from world to world.  Something about "pro-seed-ura...ted"...
No matter.
SOMEONE had broken into the circus tent without both me AND maskdwarf there to send the demons on to a new home. No doubt demons were now scattered throughout the fort in the few seconds it took me to blink away the lethargy. Still, if worst came to worst, some of the dwarves could seal themselves up into their bedrooms for a few years. 


In theory, I could take out all the demons in one shot...but the energy required would also also wipe out the fortress in the process, and possibly the entire world.  I call it "dell-eat-ting" don't ask why. 

I had to talk with the masked one before I did anything else...his response to the question of "ok, how come you didn't do the sensible thing and invite me to the breach" would determine whether we worked together to split the fort into demon-zone and dwarf-zone...or if we find out what happens when our spells meet at the halfway point with opposing intent.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 20, 2014, 06:55:26 pm
Chapter VII: Armageddon Part II (The Fury)

The citizens got to work immediately.  The best of the Dwarven smiths created several spears to pierce the bodies of the demons, whilst the mechanics -- under counsel of the ghostly Emdief -- worked on connecting the spears to traps.  All seemed to be going well, until the the mistake was made.  One lever being pulled over another caused the iron bridge to be lowered for just long enough for one demon to escape.

(http://i44.tinypic.com/2vdiba1.png)

The monster quickly scared off all who had been working on the defensive spears; the project was deemed a failure.  Citizens evacuated to the upper levels, and soldiers attempted to face the demon.  None of them, however, could match Rhaken's skill or Lorius' zeal, and all who faced the monster were doomed to die.  As the military dwindled, the abomination made its home in the forges, destroying the workshops and melting certain bars of metal.  Someone will have to destroy this demon, but his time is not yet.

. . .

Corley threw the documents into his fireplace; the M.A.S.K. project was a failure -- it didn't even pass stage two.  He knew that it would be unwise to continue to oversee the fortress, for everyone knew from whom the order to breach the pillar came.  In his own charter, Corley gave himself the authority to appoint the overseer; he exercised that authority earlier that morning, nailing a sheet with his successor's name to the workshop area.  In the end, none of his plans amounted to anything, and Corley simply faded away.  No one saw Corley after the end of the year 259, though there were rumors of a new visitor to the penal colony.

Save is here. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8347)
Whoever is next will have the burden of getting rid of that troublesome devil.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 20, 2014, 09:13:16 pm
Alrighty then. New plan:

We have a god-awful amount of caged gobbos. We must make use of them. Pity I stripped them of their weapons, it really is, but I don't know how to give them back.
Utilizing our POW population to, ah, soften the clown car will do wonders, be it for practical purposes or morale. I also encourage usage of our marksdwarves - many of the clowns are if I recall quite fragile, and torso shots will neatly kill and dismember them. Unfortunately, quite a few throw fire.

So, here's the idea:
1. Open up a path to the HFS, through a area containing Goblin POWs. Geneva Conventions be damned.
2. Once the last goblin is dead, the clowns continue through a corridor of standing spears set on repeat. If used in sufficient numbers, this should mince them into bite-sized portions.
3. Maskdwarfs (in fortifications hopefully) engage any who make it past the gauntlet. Digging a trench and filling it with water would be a good idea, because if they get lit on fire they'll be able to douse themselves.
4. Kill Fractal and Maskdwarf in some hilarious fashion. FOR MODI!
5. +Clown Tallow+ roasts for all! If my plan hasn't gotten us all killed.

I also encourage the next Overseer to find some way to cave in the lower levels when attempts to root out our friend in the depths end in gruesome fiery death. Which, judging by our military record, it will. In which case, we can seal off the lower levels and relocate our magma forges to the caverns, where I believe there is a magma pool. Again, judging by our records this will no doubt be a demon cultist/cyclops-vampire-insane monarch alliance trap, if Melek doesn't doesn't decide to take the opportunity to study exactly how demon syndromes kill dwarves.

Best case scenario: We live to scheme another day. Worst case scenario: Demons now know the sheer frustration of living in Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 21, 2014, 12:55:07 am

3. Maskdwarfs (in fortifications hopefully) engage any who make it past the gauntlet. Digging a trench and filling it with water would be a good idea, because if they get lit on fire they'll be able to douse themselves.
:cackles:
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 21, 2014, 10:55:49 am
Proposal: Official motto of the thread becomes No Overseers Left Alive
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 21, 2014, 11:27:49 am
I had to see to see Rhaken's death for myself. When I did, I couldn't let those unnatural monsters into the fortress. Yet I fell to earlier. It was only when they struck me down, that my masters, Armok and the old Gods, explained that did not wish to lose their loyal and faithful servant to their would-be usurpers. Not while the servant the new gods still walked within Steelhold. So they place me to one side, slowly healing me until I was barely fit enough to make my way back to Steelhold. I made a painful grimace as I looked at the stunned faces of the first of my followers to find me. Then it went black.

OOC: Lorius survived due to the old Gods not wishing to lose their servant to their new rivals. Plus this would explain why it took so long for Lorius to return to Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 21, 2014, 01:13:51 pm
I had to see to see Rhaken's death for myself. When I did, I couldn't let those unnatural monsters into the fortress. Yet I fell to earlier. It was only when they struck me down, that my masters, Armok and the old Gods, explained that did not wish to lose their loyal and faithful servant to their would-be usurpers. Not while the servant the new gods still walked within Steelhold. So they place me to one side, slowly healing me until I was barely fit enough to make my way back to Steelhold. I made a painful grimace as I looked at the stunned faces of the first of my followers to find me. Then it went black.

OOC: Lorius survived due to the old Gods not wishing to lose their servant to their new rivals. Plus this would explain why it took so long for Lorius to return to Steelhold.

Nope. Grandfather clauses state that if you die, you are dead. Sorry 'bout that, but you'll have to get dorf'd with a different character.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 21, 2014, 03:45:52 pm
I had to see to see Rhaken's death for myself. When I did, I couldn't let those unnatural monsters into the fortress. Yet I fell to earlier. It was only when they struck me down, that my masters, Armok and the old Gods, explained that did not wish to lose their loyal and faithful servant to their would-be usurpers. Not while the servant the new gods still walked within Steelhold. So they place me to one side, slowly healing me until I was barely fit enough to make my way back to Steelhold. I made a painful grimace as I looked at the stunned faces of the first of my followers to find me. Then it went black.

OOC: Lorius survived due to the old Gods not wishing to lose their servant to their new rivals. Plus this would explain why it took so long for Lorius to return to Steelhold.

Nope. Grandfather clauses state that if you die, you are dead. Sorry 'bout that, but you'll have to get dorf'd with a different character.

Okay. That part wasn't there last time I looked or I just overlooked it by mistake. I like to redwarf as Karius Durtis, one of Lorius apprentices who will come with the next caravan after receiving a hefty message from Lorius. He'll be more jolly, a tad less gloomy as well as faithful, through encountering Oku will make him more loyal to the old Gods. He'll strike up a friendship with Lorius' granddaughter and final apprentice,  Alatha Zane.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 21, 2014, 03:49:48 pm
Also Lorius' spirit will have go onto dwarven heaven by now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 22, 2014, 10:12:36 pm
Proposal: Official motto of the thread becomes No Overseers Left Alive
It certainly seems to be a bad habit of mine.  I'll take your suggestion into consideration; any votes for this?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 22, 2014, 10:39:29 pm
Okay. Should our theme song be the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny, too?

Except, you know, all bad guys.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 23, 2014, 01:46:17 am
"this is the ultimate fortress...
of gambit pileups...
"
...maybe.  but we'd have to have a babbling/berserk dwarf take out the last demon in the fort or something.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 23, 2014, 02:35:57 am
There is only one demon actually inside the fortress, and he's just lounging in the magma forges.  If I did everything correctly, the queen should be taking a visit soon with her royal guards; they'll probably be able to take him on.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 23, 2014, 03:29:54 am
ah. right. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 23, 2014, 08:41:15 am
We can totally survive this, the fort's been through worse. Well, not worse, but almost as bad. As in, this isn't the first time we've lost our entire military to one of Gnorm's schemes. At least now we have some adamantine gear and the Royal Guard incoming.
But yeah, good luck Deus Asmoth. You'll need it. Along with a new dwarf, since Melek got herself killed. Or maybe Asmoth seems relatively sane now that the demons have invaded hell our fort.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 23, 2014, 09:43:54 am
I am having problems with a stable internet connection at the moment, so I can present a couple of options:

Option one is that I do a turn quickly. The downside to this is that there would be little to no interaction with the other players, and the file would likely be posted with a wall of text rather than constant updates. If you guys would prefer to continue the fortress as it's going now, option two is to skip me for now at least.

Asmoth's Log, 1st of Granite, 260.

I have been inactive too long. Frankly, my belief in science was shattered by the supernatural abilities of that masked dwarf, and my soul was damaged by the deaths of my husband and my children. Project Melek's failure was also a blow. I might have stayed in that stupor indefinitely if not for the screaming that I heard so recently. They comforted my after my long years of darkness.

In any case, Steelhold is bleeding, and I am a doctor. It's time to staunch the wounds, cauterise what can't be staunched and amputate what can't be burned. Corley has vanished, so I will be mostly unopposed. I'm having a few measures put in to stop that masked thing interfering again, so it's time to take stock of the situation.

Problems:

1: We have no military of any value.

2: There are two red devils wandering the fortress.

3: Hell has been breached.

4: I do not have any live demonic subjects to test. Their physiology is fascinating, but I can only learn so much from the dead.

Solutions:

1: We have several peasants, probably recently having obtained adulthood. These shall be immediately drafted into our militia.

2: Our new militia shall skilfully slay these horrible monsters.

3: There is only one possible solution to this problem. A colony shall be formed beneath the magma seas. Owing to how deadly this fortress is to those who would tame it, I shall also have a tomb built for myself there.

4: There is unfortunately no remedy to this, as saving the fortress must take a higher priority. I shall try to observe our recruits killing the red devils and be content with the data I can gather from that.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 23, 2014, 03:44:04 pm
Dairy of Alatha Zane
My grandfather, Rhaken the Willful and the entire military are dead. While my grandfather has taught me much and left me his memoirs, he taught me little of his combat prowess. I will hide in the shadows until the demons threat is over and their servant Oku is vanquished. Yet I recently received an interesting letter from someone called Karius meant for my late grandfather. Perhaps he'll be of aid once he arrives like he said he would in the letter.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 23, 2014, 04:41:36 pm
I'd be good to see the turn posted in a single block myself, if only because the fort is a shithole falling apart at the seams, run by an actively insane sociopath. Kind of makes sense if they don't talk to many people beyond giving orders.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 23, 2014, 07:45:50 pm
At the minute, it's looking like most of my turn is going to be spent trying to figure out how to get from A to B without passing through Z and X. I'm planning to do some major clean up, so is there any objection to me tossing our prisoners into magma, dumping our old clothes into lava and infecting all our dwarfs with vampire blood (for ¡¡SCIENCE!!)?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 23, 2014, 08:54:23 pm
Well, the last one is potentially too much awesome for the fortress to handle (Murphy's law, meet Steelhold) and something I can't imagine Asmoth not doing tbh.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on January 23, 2014, 11:29:08 pm
At the minute, it's looking like most of my turn is going to be spent trying to figure out how to get from A to B without passing through Z and X. I'm planning to do some major clean up, so is there any objection to me tossing our prisoners into magma, dumping our old clothes into lava and infecting all our dwarfs with vampire blood (for ¡¡SCIENCE!!)?
Go ahead and destroy those useless clothes; we have too many to even bother trading with them.  As for the prisoners, they are too valuable to us, for they can be used for live training.  If you want to drop the last Dwarven vampire into a reservoir from a great height, seal it off, then build a well over it, there is nothing I can do to stop you.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 24, 2014, 05:43:51 am
One last thing then: danger rooms are against the rules, correct? I think I remember them coming up in the past, but can't see anything in the first post about them.

Part the First; Cold Shoulders
The doctor sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose. The outpost liaison waited patiently in that strange way of his that made sure you knew he was waiting patiently, and was prepared to continue doing it for as long as necessary.

"Why are you still here?" Asmoth growled. "The caravans left months ago!"
"Yes, but your predecessor seemed somewhat pre-occupied. I can't imagine what could be more important than keeping good relations with the country that gives so much freedom to you."
"Yeah, it's not like we were invaded by demons or anything," Asmoth said.
"Frankly, if it were up to me, I'd have ground you all back down to size the moment you tried to declare yourself a barony, but the queen is too gentle a soul," Feb continued, oblivious.

Images of her children crying, the queen's happy smile, and a glass door sealing her in flashed across Asmoth's vision. When they cleared, she had the outpost liaison pinned to a table, with her scalpel hovering in front of his eyes. The door slammed open.

"The devil in the forges has been slain!" the messenger shouted, then paused to take in what was actually happening. The scalpel in the doctor's hand vanished as she straightened up, pulling on a leather labcoat as she followed the messenger.
"Any casualties?" she asked.
"None so far. Some people are running around and screaming, but we think that's just because they're on fire."
"Wait!" Feb yelled. "What do you want from our traders?"
"Steel."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Wait, we want toy hammers and-"
"Leave a note and get out."


Asmoth's log.
I hate politics. In any case, the forges belong to Steelhold once again. There's one more red devil we need to deal with, but first I need to find the right lever. Whenever I mention it, the dwarfs mutter about bloodsuckers and such.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 24, 2014, 01:00:37 pm
The vamp's actually walled in for the moment, so there's no lever to find. Danger rooms are, alas, apparently verboten, so the live training really is quite valuable. I think they're dwarfy myself, but they are a tad exploit-y.



Requesting Redorfing as Uristador, a male militia captain (if any unnamed ones survive). Custom profession: Marble Factioneer.

Uristador never though much of politics before he was sent to Steelhold. Once he was stripped of his rights as a free dwarf for something so silly as deciding he was going to skip the day's training to visit his wife and family, he became very involved in it. Oh, he could see that they did have a point. He technically had abandoned his post. He didn't really mean to, though, and how was he supposed to know that was the day the elves were comming? And really, if one person made that much of a difference, you'd think they'd pay soldiers more. Surely he wasn't the only one padding his income letting a few wagons through without proper inspection. I mean, would you object to being paid more to not do your job?
Anyway, now he's a loyal adherent to the Marble Faction. Very anti-noble, dedicated to safeguarding 'our rights and freedoms', easily angered by anyone who disparages Emdief's memory and, when you get down to it, not too bright. Kind of easily manipulated, if you play your cards right.

Also, real life is getting tad less busy for me, so I might be able to start updating the PDF again soon. Hooray!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 24, 2014, 02:10:07 pm
I'm afraid you'll have to settle for militia commander, since only  of my recruits survived the battle with the second red devil.

Asmoth's log, 25th Slate.

Patient Name: Uristador

Medical History: Treated 21st Hem to 26th Mal 257 for broken hand (left).

Notes: strong anti-nobility sentiments. Jailed for bribery and desertion, may be untrustworthy. Unknown why he became commander, as he is no more qualified than others. Perhaps they drew straws?

New injuries: several broken bones, untreated as of now.

Cause: Failure to take weapon from a goblin before attempting to kill it.

Asmoth's pen paused as Kivish Brasswords cleared her throat noisily, again.

"Your majesty, I've told you that your rooms are still being furnished. If you'd given us time to prepare, sent a message..."
"Your predecessor knew well that I was coming. What happened to him, anyway?"
"Well, we did get invaded by hell, my queen. Not the best state to make ready for a royal visit, I'm sure you agree," Asmoth sighed. "I'm sure you must be tired. I'll show you to your room now, and we'll bring in the rest of your furniture later, how does that sound?"
"Get on with it, then," Kivish commanded. She didn't notice the glint in the doctor's eye.

The fortress was the mess that she had expected from the collected scum of her kingdom, hundreds of rooms that were probably all meant to do the same thing, but of course there was no point in a coup if you couldn't do things your own way afterwards.
"In here, your highness," the doctor was saying. Kivish pushed past her. The room gleamed with gold. Of course, she could get more with a tantrum or two, but it was a decent start. She waved the doctor away, but the fool was refusing to leave!
"Do you remember me, Kivish?" Asmoth asked. "I suppose you wouldn't. I only took care of you for fifteen years." There was a click as the door closed. It didn't have a knob on the inside. "I'm giving you a bigger cage than you gave me, but I guess that's just my gentle spirit. I'll even visit you every day."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 24, 2014, 10:21:19 pm
The vamp's actually walled in for the moment, so there's no lever to find.
He has been relocated to an area where he shall better serve the cause.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 25, 2014, 08:46:03 am
Is it ok if I kill the queen? She wants shields, barrels and bolts made, and we have more than enough of them.

Asmoth ran her fingers along the wall, searching for the crack.
"The elves are furious," Ast told her. "Apparently something we offered them had a splinter lodged in it. What should we do?"
Asmoth stared at him as if he was insane. "Kill them!" she said, amazed this wasn't obvious. "Leave one alive to take away anything we don't want."
Ast nodded, then scurried away. Asmoth smiled as she brushed dust off the door she had found, before caving it in with three blows from her pickaxe. Inside, a dwarf huddled in the corner.
"What do you want?" he grunted.
"Come, Ilral," Asmoth smiled. "It's time for your check up."

"I see that broken finger of yours didn't heal very well," said Asmoth once they reached her office. Holding onto his hand, she reached behind her, then plunged a syringe into his arm.
"What was that?!" Ilral yelped.
"Just something my nephew invented," the doctor smiled reassuringly. "It'll help you do the job I need you to."
"Why should I do anything for you?" growled Ilral. He smiled as the doctor pointed at what looked like an elf, bound to one of the beds.
"Because I pay well," she grinned. "Something wrong?" she added when the vampire stopped drinking.
"No," Ilral frowned. "It's just that this elf's blood tastes like it came from other people."

*

It felt like they had been walking for hours, but every time Ilral said something, Asmoth told him they were almost there.
"Where are we going, then?" he asked.
"Here," smiled Asmoth.
Ilral leaned forwards, looking around. "I only see a hole in the ground," he said. "What am I meant to do with that?"
Asmoth shrugged. "Isn't it obvious?" she said, shoving him forwards. "Fall."

Ilral screamed as he fell. He screamed a lot more when he hit the spikes at the bottom.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 25, 2014, 04:16:27 pm
Well, we could kill the Queen and justify her guards staying here out of shame, I guess. In any case, feel free to use Uristador in this if you decide to do it.
Care to post more info about the state of the military next update? I'm curious.



The following is the journal of Militia Commander Uristador. The writing is somewhat sloppy. The journal is made of alpaca leather and bound with strips of mysteriously crusty string.

Uristador's Log, Entry 1
I've decided to keep a log. I think I'm supposed to now that I'm the commander of the militia. Who woulda thought that, eh? Still, I actually been a soldier before, and that was enough to impress the rest of the lads enough to get me the job.
And what a job, mind ye. The militia is in ruins. I wasn't thrilled when that git Corley reorganized us - Baronial Army me arse, we're the bloody militia - but I thought it was a lot better than this. If more dwarves realized we're down to one measly squad (at least, one squad reporting to me - I suspect we had quite a few deserters) there'd be a bloody panic in the tunnels.
So I have to train the ones I got, and they have to be ready to fight off gobbo's or demons. Well, the later is right out. Emdief said not to fight 'em directly. Speaking 'o which, I ain't sure that he ain't dead. Haven't seen the ghost in a while. Maybe they finally let 'im die, then?
I asked fer a list o' dwarves who can swing a weapon around without cutting their own leg off. Turns out, we got ourselves a bunch o' flaming royal guards! I'll be sure to ask Asmoth if we can draft 'em - ain't going to do their queen no good of the fortress gets breached again. Apparently the vamp had some experience as a militia captain back in the day, but Emdief stripped the bleeder of his post, and as far as I know he's still locked up somewhere.
Overall, the fort ain't defensible. We can lock it up from the inside, aye, but we need some archers fer the main defenses. As fer the hellspawn, I don't flaming know how we're supposed to kill that. Emdief's plan sounds good to me, if we ever finish it.
I just hope Asmoth knows what she's doing. I need more lads, and they need more training, before I can do me job without just making more work fer her at best. At least we got us a council member back in charge. Why that bloody nob Corley was on that I have no idea. Not very revolutionary.


Attached is a list of ideas for Steelhold's defenses. It menaces with spikes of dubious competence. One the list is an image of a crossed hammer and pickaxe in marble.

- Hammers?
- Crossbow Squad? Aye, we need those. Bring back the Revolutionary Guard?
- Build an archery range? I think we got us a pit to execute prisoners with crossbows, but that seems like a waste 'o prisoners when a target is just as shootable.
- What if we whipped the buggers? Gobbo's do good with whips
- Kill more gobbo prisoners fer training?
- Big packs o' war dogs? We have any other animals dangerous enough?
- Draft the Royal Guards? Give 'em their own squad? They won't like listening to me, bloody pricks.
- Adamantine gear? I don't know if we still got dem good smiths. Should train some more if not. Steel's good too.
- Are the caverns sealed? Seal off the bloody caverns if not.
- We got ourselves a well? We need a well, damn it.



Ah, screw it. Put me down for another turn. If Maskdwarf wants another go or anyone who hasn't had a turn asks, though, they can go before me.

Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 25, 2014, 06:35:14 pm
"Dwarfs of Steelhold!" Asmoth shouted. "I'm sure you are wondering why you are here!"
"Damn right we are!" someone in the back yelled. Asmoth lifted a bucked of crimson water into view.
"We were sent here by Queen Brasswords to toil and die quietly, out of her sight. I offer you something else! I offer you immortality!"
"You and Lenehan both, lady," came the voice again. Asmoth shrugged.
"The baron was misguided, I know. But consider: we are among the most prosperous of our civilisation, yet the merchants barely consent to trade with us! Queen Brasswords arrived here months ago, but have any of you spoken to her? Seen her? Of course not! She thinks we are beneath her. She refuses to see what we have achieved, but not everyone is so foolish!" Asmoth held out her hand, and Olin Loluminod, Brassword's husband, joined her. She dipped a mug into the bucket, offered it to him, smiled as he drank eagerly. Of course, after the cocktail she'd given him earlier he'd have done anything she told him to. Asmoth drank deeply, scanning the room for rebels. Uristador was frowning, probably at the king's involvement, but most of the others seemed eager, though she wasn't sure if it was to join the king or to take revenge on the queen. It didn't really matter.
"Steelhold, I offer you perfection. Take it or join the food chain."


To Uristador.

I recieved your suggestions regarding the militia, though I will need to deviate from them on a few points. Regarding the use of whips, the captain of the guard is training his squad to use them. I agree that war dogs will be useful, but as we only have two dogs that will have to be a future project. I've split the royal guard among your two squads, mostly because I don't trust them. Steelhold's militia doesn't need anyone more loyal to the queen that the fortress, so hopefully you can ensure they are not. Finally, Ilral, the accused vampire, will be taking up the post of marksdwarf captain once he heals, bringing the militia up to 23 members in 3 squads, plus the fort guard.

Asmoth.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 25, 2014, 09:43:24 pm
Is it ok if I kill the queen? She wants shields, barrels and bolts made, and we have more than enough of them.
I would rather you didn't; we must vampirize her and create an eternal leader of the lands.

- Adamantine gear? I don't know if we still got dem good smiths. Should train some more if not. Steel's good too.
We have a decent number of wafers and a legendary weaponsmith, though we do not have nearly the same in terms of an armorer.  Currently, a mail shirt, a crossbow, and an axe have been created out of adamantine.

Ah, screw it. Put me down for another turn. If Maskdwarf wants another go or anyone who hasn't had a turn asks, though, they can go before me.
I suppose that second turns aren't out of the question, considering how many people are ahead of Asmoth.  Unless anyone has any objections, I will post some rules regarding extra turns on the main post.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 25, 2014, 10:16:31 pm
I'd like to request a second turn.  My character, however, is gone from the fort.  Asmoth, could you undwarf me.  I'll post another criminal shortly.  Mwahahahahahahaha.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 25, 2014, 10:20:10 pm
Had a random idea for when the fort falls;

Essentially, we've created a monster. There was no necromancy in the world before Steelhold (At least, I think - might be a tower somewhere). Steelhold is full of vampires, demon worshippers and mages. Very, very immoral ones.
I think you can see where I'm going with this. Steelhold upon falling is destined to become the root of all eviltm in the universe. I notice that our current world is a single small island. We could feasibly gen a new world for the sequel, and claim the dwarves fled there. It'd be a good plot.
But our sequel would have its own challenge race a la Syrupleaf: the Bloodkin. Basically, it's a race of dwarven vampires (basically identical) that can spread their infection by bite (oh snap). But they have a rare caste that can do magic - namely, they perform necromancy, throw globs of fire-inducing material at people, or summon a random demon. This second caste when killed drops an adamantine wafer.

I know all this can be done via modding, though I'm not good enough at it to do it. 4maskwolf is better at it than me, so we could maybe ask him to help out. Oh, by the way, it would also be cool to turn all races against us from the start. I mean, creating an army of vampires can't be the most popular decision with the other races, who presumably start trying to stamp the remaining dwarves out...

What do you guys think? A good sequel idea? I know we're getting ahead of ourselves here (since the fort ain't dead) but if you guys thing this a good idea getting started on it now would be a good thing.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 25, 2014, 10:23:29 pm
Had a random idea for when the fort falls;

Essentially, we've created a monster. There was no necromancy in the world before Steelhold (At least, I think - might be a tower somewhere). Steelhold is full of vampires, demon worshippers and mages. Very, very immoral ones.
I think you can see where I'm going with this. Steelhold upon falling is destined to become the root of all eviltm in the universe. I notice that our current world is a single small island. We could feasibly gen a new world for the sequel, and claim the dwarves fled there. It'd be a good plot.
But our sequel would have its own challenge race a la Syrupleaf: the Bloodkin. Basically, it's a race of dwarven vampires (basically identical) that can spread their infection by bite (oh snap). But they have a rare caste that can do magic - namely, they perform necromancy, throw globs of fire-inducing material at people, or summon a random demon. This second caste when killed drops an adamantine wafer.

I know all this can be done via modding, though I'm not good enough at it to do it. 4maskwolf is better at it than me, so we could maybe ask him to help out. Oh, by the way, it would also be cool to turn all races against us from the start. I mean, creating an army of vampires can't be the most popular decision with the other races, who presumably start trying to stamp the remaining dwarves out...

What do you guys think? A good sequel idea? I know we're getting ahead of ourselves here (since the fort ain't dead) but if you guys thing this a good idea getting started on it now would be a good thing.

You flatter me.

I would be able to mod such a creature into the game.  And turning the other races can be easily accomplished.

Edit: And by "You flatter me" I mean "That likely isn't true, but I'll roll with it."

Edit 2: STEELHOLD IS UP FOR VOTING!  VOTE NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Edit 3: Do you want me to start modding now?  It shouldn't take longer than a couple hours.  Particularly because I don't need to create a new body for them.  I hate doing that.

Edit 4: One post-Steelhold mod coming right up. With, of course, my own additions. After all, what fun is a mod with only one thing!

Edit 5: BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHHA! Is asmoth the last player before repeats?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 26, 2014, 12:02:19 am
I'd like to request a second turn.  My character, however, is gone from the fort.  Asmoth, could you undwarf me.  I'll post another criminal shortly.  Mwahahahahahahaha.
Finally rid of that Maskdwarf -- though I suppose it still exists, wreaking havoc elsewhere.  Are you going to post a final update for the character first?

Had a random idea for when the fort falls;

Essentially, we've created a monster. There was no necromancy in the world before Steelhold (At least, I think - might be a tower somewhere). Steelhold is full of vampires, demon worshippers and mages. Very, very immoral ones.
I think you can see where I'm going with this. Steelhold upon falling is destined to become the root of all eviltm in the universe. I notice that our current world is a single small island. We could feasibly gen a new world for the sequel, and claim the dwarves fled there. It'd be a good plot.
But our sequel would have its own challenge race a la Syrupleaf: the Bloodkin. Basically, it's a race of dwarven vampires (basically identical) that can spread their infection by bite (oh snap). But they have a rare caste that can do magic - namely, they perform necromancy, throw globs of fire-inducing material at people, or summon a random demon. This second caste when killed drops an adamantine wafer.

I know all this can be done via modding, though I'm not good enough at it to do it. 4maskwolf is better at it than me, so we could maybe ask him to help out. Oh, by the way, it would also be cool to turn all races against us from the start. I mean, creating an army of vampires can't be the most popular decision with the other races, who presumably start trying to stamp the remaining dwarves out...

What do you guys think? A good sequel idea? I know we're getting ahead of ourselves here (since the fort ain't dead) but if you guys thing this a good idea getting started on it now would be a good thing.
I do not personally like sequels, and prefer instead for most stories to remain stand-alone.  That said, considering that I myself took the reins of an entire fortress from CubeJackal -- who may very well resent us, for all I know -- I feel that I would be hypocritical to say that you are not allowed to create one (and I doubt you would be phased).  If you do, would you wait for the next version, use the current one, or -- for a change of pace -- use an older version?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 26, 2014, 12:11:40 am
On a tangent: the jackal himself has not been seen since the 14th of December.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 26, 2014, 12:14:40 am
I've actually had some thoughts on Steelhold's potential sequels.

We could gen a new world indeed. My idea ran with the dwarven civilization being descendants of Steelhold's settlers (or survivors), centuries after the dwarven race's corruption. The descendants of Steelhold did indeed become independent, and started their own civilization. In the centuries that followed, the hidden minions of the royal line became a powerful force within the realm, and began to breed with the population of Chainbell, giving rise to the One-Eyes (named after the race in The Thief and the Cobbler) - large, warlike humanoids with one eye and copious amounts of hate. Ideally, they wouldn't be as advanced as dwarves - they enslaved the dwarven race and led them down the path of decadence.

The dwarves would end up with a strong sense of national pride, and could perhaps even worship the greater dwarves of Steelhold, or incorporate them into their engravings and symbols. Not sure if that's possible via modding. What is possible is a number of small things that would signify their heritage, like adding the morningstar as a national weapon (Rhaken's heritage), an improved crossbow (Emdief's heritage), elf-serum (Lenehan) or some manner of applicable poison (Asmoth), and so on.



Corley. The little bastard ruined everything. The moment he took my squad apart, he doomed us. I told him that same day, as calm as I could, that he was too green to handle this. You can't properly reorganize a military force without spending some time in the ranks yourself. He would have none of it. He split us up, distributed the lads through different squads of his 'Baronial Army'. I tried to explain that these soldiers will have to get used to watching each other's backs, which could take years. He just ushered me out of the office.

His incompetence has brought us nothing but grief. Criminals we might be, but we are not without loved ones. Or without feelings. Emdief. Melek. Many others as well. Worst of all, Onul... she's gone. We had loved each other for longer than most dwarves can expect to even live. We stayed together through wars and plots and crime sprees. Through the death of two of our children and the scorn of the other two. And now she joins Sibrek and Udil on the other side.

And yet I remain.

I always thought I'd go first. I'm the dangerous one. I'm the first into the fray. Onul may have been military, but she was meant to stay out of trouble and only get called up as a last resort. Yet somehow, I outlived her. I take no joy in this. And to make things worse, they buried her in the catacombs. Not in our mausoleum. Now I can't even spend eternity with her when I die. As soon as I clear the haze of grief, I am going to be pissed.




"Go. I'll take them," I order.

"Sir, we can't. We must stay with you and fight."

"No. You two have decades ahead of you. I don't."

"But sir, it's our duty to protect the fortress. With our lives if need be."

"So is mine. It just so happens that your lives would be best spent protecting it after I'm gone."

Lorius's shoulders slump. I know he understands. He doesn't want to do it, but he understands. He knows me that well, at least.

"Come, Magni," he says. "We have our orders." He turns back to me. He's tempted to say something encouraging, but the words die in his throat. He just mutters, in a wavering voice, "I'll see you in Heaven, old friend."

I grin. "I hope you're right. Farewell, Lorius Zane. Farewell, Magni. It has been an honor."

At my command, Lorius and Magni make a break for it. They don't want to. They want to stand and fight. It would do them no good. Strong and capable they may be, but they don't have it in them to face these creatures. The very sight of them nearly knocked the faith right out of my old friend and agent.

One of them rounds the corner. It is massive, larger than any beast I have seen, a being composed of naught but flame and hatred. I move into stance, shield in front, darkness entering my mind.


"I'm not going to Heaven."

The demon approaches, hurling fire. In the distance, the sound of a bridge slamming shut.

"I'm going straight to Hell!" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvAmUKgH7HI)

I rush forward. Flame engulfs me. I do not give a shit. The time for self-preservation is past. The last thing this motherfucker will ever see is the most frightening thing in the world - a dwarven warrior with nothing to lose.

Soon, my love. My Onul. I will see you soon.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 26, 2014, 12:53:13 am
Is it ok if I kill the queen? She wants shields, barrels and bolts made, and we have more than enough of them.

I don't see why not. However...



Rancid bitch is strutting around like she owns the place. I suppose that, in a sense, she does. If only the chief had lived long enough to see her arrive. Oh, he'd have himself a field day. I'm not sure if he'd arrest and interrogate her or just beat her into a cube of flesh. And probably the royal guards too.

That is, if I wasn't one of them.

Kivish may be a shrewd bitch, but even she couldn't figure me out. I'm a sleeper agent. Last time I saw Rhaken in person was many years ago. Just after the purge. My orders were simple. Keep tabs on our mysterious monarch. That's exactly what I've been doing. She keeps her shit well hidden, but not everything. I have discovered many of her dirty little secrets, from her affairs with the royal bookkeeper, to her ancestry and her shady link to the cyclopes. But I still couldn't figure everything out. And neither could the chief.

Soon, I will make contact with his agents around the fort. I know there are plenty left. Once his body has been recovered and properly interred, I'll be there for the memorial service. Just like most of the fort, I suspect. I've heard of what he did to the place. He was one hell of a dwarf, no doubt about it.

My name is Shank, and since the early days of Kivish's reign, I have served her as Royal Spymaster. and Rhaken's orders or no, I'm starting to think I should off her myself.

And she would never see it coming.




Shank, Royal Spymaster
Male, Royal Guard

Shank has been in the intelligence trade for most of his life. He has also been an accomplished warrior for most of his life. He began his military career in the Queen's Third Army, where he became involved with a vast network of spies commanded by Rhaken himself. He learned from them, and became a sleeper agent, doing nothing that was readily suspicious but still providing his higher-ups with vital information. Honorably discharged after years of valiant service, he became royal guard to Kivish's mother, Queen Obok.

When Kivish took over and purged the old regime, she found a valuable protector and ally in Shank. Discovering his formidable intellect, she made him Royal Spymaster in Rhaken's stead - the irony of this pleased Shank to no end.

He plans to continue Rhaken's plans to make Steelhold independent, but also to discover the truth behind the queen's many secrets. He carries a journal with him, on which he writes out all things related to his regular business as royal guard and spymaster. However, written over this, in transparent, phosphorescent ink that can only be seen through a lens he carries at all times, are details of his discoveries and activities as Rhaken's agent. He has dubbed this the Cyclops Files.

Calm, affable and and dependable on the surface, Shank has all the qualities of a good spymaster, all carefully hidden from the public eye - acting skills, thoroughness, a manipulative nature, and a lack of scruples that would make a sociopathic mass murderer cringe. He is loyal to himself first, Rhaken second, the realm third, and the queen - whom he despises - a distant forty-ninth. In fiftieth place are the goblins.

OOC: Can I have me a look into Shank's personality relationship screens when he's dwarfed, Asmoth?

EDIT: Requesting a turn as well, if possible.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 26, 2014, 01:22:27 am
The other day...
I met a &.
A great big &.
A way down there!
the other day I met a &!
A great big & a-way down there!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 26, 2014, 06:10:44 am
Shank is a legendary macedwarf, and not much good at anything else. He's unmarried, with no relations, worships the gods of war and family, and is still not a vampire. He's sixty-two, with a tall, thin body, straight hair, braided sideburns and a neatly combed beard. He likes blue peafowl for their tails and enjoys eating giant panda and drinking beer. He hates  snails. Shank is quick to anger, but rarely feels discouraged. He's candid and sincere when dealing with others, and often does the first thing that comes to mind. He dislikes authority and tradition.

I think Rhaken's body burned up, but he got a slab in my new, rapidly expanding memorial hall.

Kivish was ready when her door ground open, throwing one of her golden candlesticks at the silhouette, and following it with an overhead stroke with the other stick. Both were stopped by Uristador's shield.
"Majesty," he grunted. "Drink this."

She took the water gratefully, ignoring that it was the foulest she had ever tasted.
"Unhand me, you lowborn oaf!" she shouted, as he tied her hands behind her back.
"All done?" Asmoth grinned, peering around the door. "Let's go, then."

"What is going on?" the queen shouted as they shoved her through the hall.
"Well, Uristador has just granted you immortality, kind soul that he is, and a position suited to your skills has just opened up. So..." Asmoth nodded, and Uristador pushed the queen into a small room full of levers, then pulled the door shut.


Edit: so there wasn't enough blood in the water the queen drank or something, because she's still not a vampire. I've been dropping unimportant people down wells to try get more blood in the water, but they're being very uncooperative.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 26, 2014, 02:09:07 pm
...you could just try again, making sure it's one-tile deep...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 26, 2014, 02:39:42 pm
I've tried quite a few times. I think the problem is that contaminants on the dwarfs are going into the water first and messing everything up, so I'll give the next guy a bath first. The helltower is nearly done, by the way, so does anyone want a bedroom in the circus?

Asmoth's Log, 1st Sandstone.

Project Immortality observations: It's been several months since the first dwarfs ascended, and I've noticed a marked decrease in their work rate. This bears a large similarity to the results of depriving a dwarf of alcohol for a similar amount of time (see: Project Sobriety observations). Unfortunately, those who refused immortality have begun to fall prey to the weak willed among us, with 18 deaths during Limestone. On the other hand, those who refused progress were always going to fare poorly, and most of them were farmers or children anyway, and as such, obsolete. Personally, I've found that raw meat can sustain the cravings perfectly well, though it did raise a few eyebrows among the human traders who saw me eating.

Project Immortality will not draw to a close for several years yet, as I plan to closely observe the children who joined our ranks. I'll also be watching Ilral for any vampire lord-like behaviours, though the alterations I made to Lenehan's formulae should sever any link the vampire can manipulate.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 26, 2014, 07:07:15 pm
...you could just try again, making sure it's one-tile deep...

You could try generated more blood by rigging up some low-quality wooden spears to a lever and pulling it repeatedly. Sacrifice one vampire to paint the reservoir red. Alternatively, you'll need a much bigger drop and a willingness to see a loyal citizen explode...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 26, 2014, 07:25:10 pm
sole vampire is already dead, apparently.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 26, 2014, 08:40:03 pm
This is a well-crafted goat leather scroll.

"The Government of Steelhold"

To the aristocracy of The Gloves of Admiring,

I assume that you have all been quite concerned about the health of the queen ever since she decided to take a visit to Steelhold.  In order to answer whatever questions you might have about this colony, I have drafted this scroll -- the first of several.  You must be wondering who I am exactly, and how I can be trusted.  All that must be known about me is that I am the second son of a minor noble of a small fortress a few miles from the capital.  Desiring adventure, I sought out this penal colony and took an almost fatal trek through a great desert, sneaking in with the latest caravan.  I have been watching over this place in secret for quite a while now, and all that I have discovered I have written down in full accordance to the facts.  Take great care to preserve this scroll; goat leather is hard to come by in this fortress.

The first topic we must deal with are the different political factions that have grown within this penal colony.  I must say that this is the most diverse fortress I have ever seen regarding beliefs.  The fortress is officially a Barony of the kingdom, though its aristocratic power fluctuates and the fortress actually has an official charter -- albeit one that has become essentially defunct in this new year.  I am happy to report that the Elf-Party is has been long-since defunct upon its brief operation in Steelhold.  In addition, the socialist-advocate known as Jovus has become far-less outspoken since his arrival in this colony.  Aside from these, the main political parties are the Marble Faction and the Rhakenist Party.

Following the death of the Jackal, the old warden, this fortress was held under the control of the late Baron Lenehan, who managed to achieve the rank of nobility in late 254.  The rank of Baron was then inherited by Corley, his son, who exercised his authority over the denizens throughout 259.  Before the new year began he mysteriously disappeared, and is rumored by many to have been consumed by Hellfire (which will be covered in a later scroll on the fortress' histroy).  Eight-year-old Kadol Rodimerush now serves as the de iure baroness, though she is too young to exercise any authority whatsoever.

In the year of 258, the Marble Faction achieved supremacy through an impressive bloodless revolution, lead by a willful dwarf named Emdief.  She promoted herself to the esteemed position of Overseer and established the "Steelhold Council."  Although the party seemed to fancy itself a representative government, it was in practice more of an oligarchy, as the denizens of the fort no actual say in the matters of the Council.  The party lost a lot of its support and influence when Baron Corley convinced the Council to adopt his charter, allowing him to appoint himself as Overseer and effectively tear the party apart from the inside.  Since the beginning of 259, no Council meetings have been held.

The Rhakenist Party -- which does not actually call itself by this name -- has an entirely different approach in the matters of government.  The rhakenists are a fascist group formerly controlled by Rhaken, the esteemed criminal.  It rose to power and stressed an immense feeling of independence amongst the dwarves of Steelhold, as well as a focus on militaristic power.  It is notable for being the only political faction to have been in active, continuous control for over a single year.

Dwarves who do not fall into any of the aforementioned categories follow either small, nondescript factions or are simple anarchists.  Currently, the overseer of the fortress is one (purported) Dr. Asmoth, who seems to fall under the category of the latter.

I again assure you of the validity of this document, and I remind you that our queen does indeed wander these dangerous halls.  Handle Steelhold with a firm, careful grip.

Sincerely,
James Joyce, Esq.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 26, 2014, 08:52:18 pm
Meanwhile, in a nondescript corner of Steelhold...

Uristador sighed as the last hooded dwarf left. The council had no real power any more. The most prominent members of the Faction still met, but the so-called "Shadow Council" wasn't very effective. As it was, only he an Jovus still held any real power.
These murders really were disturbing. Uristador, in his extremely limited experience, hadn't seen anything like it. Children found, drained entirely of blood. Uristador had never believed in vampires, no matter what Asmoth said. Now, he wasn't so certain. Ignorance was bliss, it had once been said by someone he couldn't quite recall, and that certainly seemed true. The more you know, the more you fear, at least when it comes to Steelhold.
The faction would survive. Manifestos had been smuggled into every caravan possible since Emdief died. Proclamations of the rights of dwarves would be read soon everywhere someone knew the runes, as would Emdief's description of what a proper government structure should look like. Uristador had been a tad suspicious of that, but why would Jovus lie? Emdief knew what he/she was doing, or the ghost would have intervened. Unless it had really left the fortress.
Uristador trudged back to the barracks, pausing only a moment to glare at a few errant cultists. He had a militia to train. A militia that was quite sensible about political affiliation, all said and done.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 26, 2014, 10:01:39 pm
Asmoth's Log, 1st Moonstone.

At last, my magnum opus is complete. There are no mortals left in Steelhold, one way or the other. All told, seventy dwarfs died over the last three months, which is well within acceptable losses. Dwarfkind shall look back on this year and know that it was the beginning of their evolution.

My observations of the childred hasn't yielded much fruit thus far, though they seem to have little to no empathy now for those who haven't ascended. Even my final daughter, who previously fled whenever I tried to involve her in my experiments, now seems most eager to be my lab assistant. Hopefully this means I have stamped out magic in Steelhold once and for all, and proven science superior.

On to less important matters. The militia is up to 33 members spread across four squads. It would be 35, but a newly ascended dwarf punched a mortal in the face and killed him, and Urist McDead went stark raving mad soon after being conscripted. I look forward to observing him, as normally a dwarf would starve or die of thirst in his situation. Perhaps he'll snap out of it after a few years.

Queen Kivish was set free after I successfully got her to ascend, for reasons of politics. I don't pretend to understand how there things work, but I imagine the capital is less likely to be suspicious if they know the queen is alive and well.

Also for reasons of politics, I plan to relinquish my control over the fortress soon. Now that Steelhold has been stabilized again, the factions are clamouring for power, and frankly, I don't want to deal with it. I have more than enough to keep me occupied, not least of which is making a proper record of Project Immortality. There are also plenty of patients I need to treat, as there were some unfortunate inefficiencies in my execution of the project. It will be better next time.

Finally, Queen Kivish has been convicted of seventy three murders in the span of three months. She used her royal influence to wriggle out of the death sentence, but I found it amusing nonetheless.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 26, 2014, 10:15:00 pm
"Over 70 Dwarves have been killed over the past 3 months."
"now that the fortress has been stabilized"

Only in Steelhold would this be considered stable. Of course, only Steelhold would still be alive.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 26, 2014, 10:19:34 pm
A true vampire fortress has emerged.  Could you please post a list of all the living, named dwarves?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 26, 2014, 10:43:32 pm
A bit late on posting this...
IC:

Of all the things to happen...
When i went to confront the masked entity...

The mask disconnected from the dwarf. (ooc: maskwolf requested an un-dorfing.)
Yeah. It just...fell off, leaving a slightly bewildered dwarf behind.  said dwarf...seemed not to even see the mask.  I think he suppressed all non-essential memories of the time he spent fused with the mask.

I contacted the demons through the mask. After realizing who I was...they hung up.

I have quarantined the mask itself in another dimension.  For me it is merely a telephone.  Nothing more, nothing less. For other dwarves...it is a disaster waiting to happen. A stable fusion is less likely than the elves accepting wooden barrels. 

But before i quarantined it, I scraped off a piece and placed it into the OTHER artifact mask in the fortress-to study its properties, of course.  Whether it is able to convert a dwarven artifact given prolonged contact-say, 200 years or more-remains to be seen.
___________________

There is talk of moving the entire fortress to get away from the "troubles".

But wherever you are, there you will be. Most of this fortress's troubles are not magical in nature, and will go with the dwarves no matter where they move.

I just hope that whoever is trying to transform the fort into a vampiric fort does it properly, and gets everyone converted at once. 
_______________________
2nd of moonstone: well this is inconvenient. I seem to be in a superposition of dead and alive.  irritatingly, only the entity known as "dues asmoth" can collapse my wave function properly.

OOC: am I still alive?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 26, 2014, 10:59:07 pm
A true vampire fortress has emerged.  Could you please post a list of all the living, named dwarves?

Don't you mean... unliving named dwarves?

Also, I've given it a bit of thought, and is it utterly stupid to try and make a wiki for this fort if we do a sequel? We have the complexity.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 26, 2014, 11:30:59 pm
Since we're making a sequel (I've already started modding, no going back now), we might as well make one. It'll simplify the catching up process tremendously.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 26, 2014, 11:52:12 pm
Also, I've given it a bit of thought, and is it utterly stupid to try and make a wiki for this fort if we do a sequel? We have the complexity.
Only if, under the sections regarding the sequel are marked with a disclaimer stating something to the effect of: "Certain plot points not considered canon."

But on a less jesting note, I think that discussion of a sequel should wait until this fort officially falls.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 27, 2014, 06:32:59 am
FireCrazy (missing left foot and right arm), Asmoth, the guy who used to be Maskdwarf, James Joyce, FractalEntity, Urist McDead (insane), Derroth, Jovus (all limbs except right arm broken), Shining (broken toe), Uristador (covered in scars) and Shank are all still alive, as are the king and queen. One of the royal guard got drained of blood, which was unfortunate. Aside from getting rid of Emdief's ghost, I think all the named dead were like that when I got here.

Oh, it also turns out Kivish didn't get off scott free. She's been sentenced to 15201 days in prison, which was my plan all along. Of course.

Fort should be uploaded tomorrow, barring shenanigans.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 27, 2014, 06:38:40 am
Also, I've given it a bit of thought, and is it utterly stupid to try and make a wiki for this fort if we do a sequel? We have the complexity.
Only if, under the sections regarding the sequel are marked with a disclaimer stating something to the effect of: "Certain plot points not considered canon."

But on a less jesting note, I think that discussion of a sequel should wait until this fort officially falls.

Only discussing the planning points that require time to complete, my good man.

EDIT: Wiki up. (http://steelhold.wikia.com/wiki/Steelhold_Wiki)

Also Fractal, pretty sure your post contradicts 4maskwolf's account of what happened to Maskdwarf, so probably non-canon.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 27, 2014, 08:05:06 am
Steelhold has obtained a vampire baby. A vampire baby who, I suspect, drained his mother of blood when he was a month old. I think he should become our mascot.

There's a web spitting skinless kangaroo in the caves as well, so I don't think we'll be going in there any time soon. On the bright side, we currently have a weaponsmith making an artifact adamantine something or other.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on January 27, 2014, 08:11:18 am
Steelhold has obtained a vampire baby. A vampire baby who, I suspect, drained his mother of blood when he was a month old. I think he should become our mascot.

Nominated for featured quotes.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 27, 2014, 09:51:08 am
6th of moonstone:

During my time in the curious mixture of dead and alive, I seem to have drifted through local lines of possibility-there appear to be two instances of the mask now. 
Perhaps using a class 3 power siphon spell on that mask wasn't such a good idea...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 27, 2014, 10:12:03 am
Asmoth's log, 1st of Opal.

It turns out that there's still a mortal in Steelhold. I suppose it's not his fault, since he's tied to a traction bench, but it's odd that no one drained him yet.

In any case, I'm happy to report that Project Immortality has been turning up side projects everywhere I look. There's a farmer trying to starve himself to death, Urist McDead is still running around babbling, and there's a vampire in the hospital who's spinal cord was severed from the neck down. Some say it's a fate worse than death, but I think it's a unique opportunity to find out what happens to the mind in a totally helpless situation. The dwarf in question hasn't voiced any objection to me studying him, in any case.

Project Immortality Jr. should keep me occupied for at least five years to come as well, as the oldest child vampire in the fort is only seven. I should be able to get some preliminary results as early as next year though, thanks to our resident vampire baby.

A weaponsmith recently started demanding a series of items, and used them to craft an adamantine axe which is apparently worth over 1000000*. I've given it to Uristador, so he'd better do something good with it.

Finally, a blob composed entirely of fire has been spotted in the caves. It's apparently alive, but I don't want to send the militia after it in case that kangaroo ambushes them.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on January 27, 2014, 12:14:40 pm
Asmoth's log, 1st of Opal.

It turns out that there's still a mortal in Steelhold. I suppose it's not his fault, since he's tied to a traction bench, but it's odd that no one drained him yet.

In any case, I'm happy to report that Project Immortality has been turning up side projects everywhere I look. There's a farmer trying to starve himself to death, Urist McDead is still running around babbling, and there's a vampire in the hospital who's spinal cord was severed from the neck down. Some say it's a fate worse than death, but I think it's a unique opportunity to find out what happens to the mind in a totally helpless situation. The dwarf in question hasn't voiced any objection to me studying him, in any case.

Project Immortality Jr. should keep me occupied for at least five years to come as well, as the oldest child vampire in the fort is only seven. I should be able to get some preliminary results as early as next year though, thanks to our resident vampire baby.

A weaponsmith recently started demanding a series of items, and used them to craft an adamantine axe which is apparently worth over 1000000*. I've given it to Uristador, so he'd better do something good with it.

Finally, a blob composed entirely of fire has been spotted in the caves. It's apparently alive, but I don't want to send the militia after it in case that kangaroo ambushes them.

I'd recommend using marksdwarves to take care of the both of those, although they'd have to be pretty far from the beasts in question. Multiple layers of fortifications and a bait animal possibly?
Only downside is you'll probably wind up setting the entire cavern on fire.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 28, 2014, 11:50:07 am
Asmoth's Log, 8th Opal.

The smiths have run out of adamantine with only five full sets of armour forged. I suppose this is a good way to find out the members of the militia most concerned with staying alive. In any case, I've been considering many complex and brilliant ways to stop leading Steelhold, but I think that the most efficient way is to tell them to find a new leader. They're probably not going to kill the person responsible for keeping them all alive. In other news, Queen Kivish's jail sentence has been increased to 15566 days. I'm not sure how she got out of jail to kill those other people, so it shall remain a mystery. At least once she's served her forty two years in prison, people will be less likely to follow her blindly.

2nd Obsidian.

Ilan Ismanesu has transformed again. I was considering attempting to add his abilities to some of the more valuable members of Steelhold because of its astounding regenerative capabilities, but it doesn't mesh well with the vampire genes.

17th Obsidian.

The goblins have ambushed us, which is quite considerate of them, considering I ran out of prisoners a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, they killed Urist McDead, which scuppers my plans to observe the long term effects of his insanity. In spite of (or because of) his madness, he made it quite far towards the entrance of the fortress before they finished him off. He died a few moments before the militia arrived to save him.

Total dead: 12 goblins, 1 human, Urist McDead.

Injured: 4 dwarves, none seriously.

Additional note: It seems Uristador is unable to stand. He has motor nerve damage in one foot, and seems to have lost his crutch at some point, neglecting to get another one. I may need to injure him enough to send him to hospital so that he gets another one.

More importantly, the dwarves have finally finished bringing my furniture to my new bedroom and office. It's roughly the same size as my old one, but has the bonuses of being made of silver and being in hell, which will allow me to observe some extremely interesting biology.

30th Obsidian.

I told the dwarves today that they'll have to find a new leader. They didn't seem all that upset, but presumably they understand that I can't let myself fall behind on my surgeries, and there are still a lot of surgeries that need doing. In any case, I've left Steelhold in a pretty good place. Those that died died for the best of reasons, and those that live shall know that they are the best of the dwarven race. And Kivish will be spending a few decades in a cage, so maybe that'll teach her a lesson.

http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8372 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8372)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 28, 2014, 11:55:16 am
Steelhold: Making your monarch a vampire and locking them up for 42 years.

Just make sure the hammerer's preoccupied.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 28, 2014, 06:50:02 pm
Steelhold: Making your monarch a vampire and locking them up for 42 years.

Just make sure the hammerer's preoccupied.
Gnorm predicted the future: he just got the hammerer burned by demons and then eaten whole.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 29, 2014, 02:46:56 pm
I don't think I appointed a new hammerer. There may not even be any hammerdwarfs in the fortress.

Asmoth's Log, 1st of Granite, 261.

The new year begins, and so far no one has asked me to retake Steelhold's helm. I got a few hours free when a dwarf died ten minutes into a three hour surgery (as it turns out, brains are vital for vampires, in spite of their undead status) so I've recorded my initial thoughts on project immortality.

1. Vampires are despised by dwarfs as much, if not more than elves. Why then did my attempt succeed where Lenehan's failed so spectacularly? I am not so vain as to assume it is simply because I didn't oppose this one, so I can put it down to several factors. First, mine was presented as a way to become superior to our jailers rather than equal to the elves. Second, the masked dwarf appears to have left. It's possible that his departure saved me from my own madness. Third, most of the major players of Steelhold were dead when I set my plan in motion, with the factions too busy keeping each other down to oppose me.

2. Vampires seem able to accept massive hypocrisy in their way of thinking. Several of them seemed distraught about their loved ones turning up dead but had no problem killing others.

3. I think that the vampire children are going to mature normally, though this way be nothing more than wishful thinking, as being stuck with the same baby crying for all eternity is more annoyance than I want to deal with. In any case, I should be proven right or wrong about this on the 23rd of Limestone, when Udil turns one.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 29, 2014, 03:52:56 pm
Sorry, I've been busy over the last few days in real life and distracted by disaster after another on my personal fortress Boltspire. I'm back and should start my turn tomorrow afternoon (I live in England).
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 29, 2014, 03:54:36 pm
I'm busy tonight so I won't start today by the way so please wait about 20 hours until I update as I'll need some time to play it and write up the update tomorrow.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 29, 2014, 06:55:27 pm
Shadows shrouded the room, deep within the fortress.  Hidden within the shadows, the worshipers of the true gods clustered around their leader, straining to hear his last words to them.
"Dwarves of Steelhold, the time has come for me to depart from your company.  You have truly pleased the gods with your piety and sacrifice, but all good things must end someday."
The cultists frowned.  What did the masked dwarf mean?
"Welcome to the last day of your life."
At last, realization dawned upon the cultists, but it was too late.  The shadows closed in around them, ripping their souls from their body and shooting them straight into the golden mask.  The shadows wrapped around the masked dwarf, and he was gone, never to be seen in Steelhold again.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on January 30, 2014, 01:59:38 am
Shank's Logs - The Cyclops Files
Year 260


I can't believe I did it.

When I first heard what was going on here, I couldn't believe a word of it. The chief medical dwarf was turning everyone into vampires? Fucking absurd. But that's exactly what was happening. And the woman was smart about it too. She didn't extend the offer to me at first, oh no. She let me watch as everyone around me - even my fellow guards - succumbed to the curse. It was only when I was running out of options that she gave me the choice. A vial of wine, mixed with cursed blood. 'Drink this and join us', Asmoth said, 'or join the food chain'.

So I drank.

I have never felt anything quite like it. It tasted horrible at first, like rancid moonshine brewed in a tub of iron. But by the end, I was gulping it down like a dying dwarf in the desert who had been given the finest whiskey. The unholy concoction gave me electric shivers as it slithered down my gullet, made me weak in the knees. When I finished, I looked down and noticed the ordeal had actually given me an erection.

And just like that, everything changed. Later, when I had calmed down, I felt like a rotten coward. I tried to grab a drink to calm my nerves, but threw it right back up. The mere thought of food sickens me. I just sat in the dining room, staring at my mug, giving my fangs an occasional poke with my thumbnail. I couldn't believe I actually had those now.

If only the chief were still alive. He would have known what to do. And even if he didn't, he would have done
something. Lock us away, flee the fortress, kill Asmoth, hell, kill everyone while he was at it. I hear he had become quite the fighter in his old age.

But what did I do? Nothing. I just went with it. I always go with it. I've been a sleeper for so long that I just refuse to make waves. Even though the queen was convicted for every death that occurred after the Turning and sentenced to some forty-something years of prison. I'm sure nobody gives a rat's ass who I really work for, or what I do with my time. But I drank anyway.

The cravings just make it worse. Whenever another dwarf passes by, I can smell the blood coarsing in their veins, hear it calling to me like a siren. I want to drink it. I want to sink my fangs into their necks and drain them dry. Maybe that would sate my thirst. But I can't. I musn't give in. I am better than that. Stronger than that. If I give in to my baser urges, I am no better than any of these rabid animals in dwarf's clothing. I must persevere. I must continue my investigations. First, to find the ancient monster who caused all this.

When I arrived, only one dwarf vampire remained in the world, and he lived right here in Steelhold. Now, there were over a hundred. And I was one of them.

So thirsty...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 30, 2014, 03:03:49 am
Excellent work Asmoth.  To 4maskwolf, Deus renamed the dwarf that was once "Maskdwarf" as a reference to the character.  Should this new name be removed to better reflect the disappearance of the character?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on January 30, 2014, 03:21:41 am
"Ah, hello there, new guy.  would you like a turkey gobbler?"

OOC: a pity fort-mode vamps can't actually drink animal blood...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 30, 2014, 09:53:37 am
Excellent work Asmoth.  To 4maskwolf, Deus renamed the dwarf that was once "Maskdwarf" as a reference to the character.  Should this new name be removed to better reflect the disappearance of the character?
Yes please.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 30, 2014, 11:46:23 am
Could someone tell me how to uncompress the Steelhold file? I've been having trouble doing it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 30, 2014, 12:12:41 pm
Right click, extract all. Alternatively, open the compressed file and move the folder inside it to somewhere else.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 30, 2014, 12:54:09 pm
Is everyone a vampire?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 30, 2014, 02:25:49 pm
Why is everyone a vampire and how did that happen?!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 30, 2014, 02:53:08 pm
Everyone is a vampire because I thought it would be funny. And it totally was. It may be somewhat difficult keeping any migrants you get alive though. I had a vampire down one of the wells to keep the water contaminated, but I think he swam out through the floodgate or something, so you'll have to drop a new one down there if you want to prevent the newcomers becoming dinner.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Oshha on January 30, 2014, 05:12:16 pm
Everyone is a vampire because I thought it would be funny. And it totally was. It may be somewhat difficult keeping any migrants you get alive though. I had a vampire down one of the wells to keep the water contaminated, but I think he swam out through the floodgate or something, so you'll have to drop a new one down there if you want to prevent the newcomers becoming dinner.

I've already dealt with that problem in the way Karius Durtis, my new dwarf and the new overseer, would deal with it in character through not quite like he would due to rule III and me trying not to kill any named dwarves if I can help it. Don't worry, we still have decent population and I was all caused by an honest blunder. Usually if I made a mistake like the one I did, I would ditch the fortress or try and limit the damage, but I figured how to make it into a good story for the thread. I will speak more of this tomorrow. And I repeat again, we still have a decent amount of survivors and no named dwarves died. Plus there's a good story behind it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 30, 2014, 05:12:48 pm
Why is everyone a vampire and how did that happen?!

A better question is "why is this fort alive and how do we kill it before the evil spreads".
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 30, 2014, 06:28:14 pm
I feel like this story could be the beginning of the end.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on January 30, 2014, 09:55:17 pm
I feel like this story could be the beginning of the end.

I hope not. We still need to get 4maskwolf a proper turn. Judging by his last character, we should then end on a note of peak evil.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 30, 2014, 11:33:49 pm
Oh no! We're not surrendering this fort until the every army in the world comes upon us. I say that we must bring the world into the Age of Twilight!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on January 31, 2014, 02:25:55 pm
Don't worry we still got over thirty still alive and migrants coming. We now have a normal workforce and a vampire military. The next overseer should be very careful however. I'll finish the write up tonight and post a proper update at the weekend. I was ill last night and today to the point of puking, but I seem to be better now.

Karius marches towards the fortress of Steelhold with the rest of the migrant. Within moments of his arrival, the agent has discovered a horrible fact, the entire fortress is infested minus Alatha, who has faked vampirism with the aid the of the Gods. Still, he quickly declares himself overseer, something no one seems to want right now due to the fates of the previous ones. Still, Karius disbands the military minus a few to maintain a watch in case of goblins attacking. The vampires are set in a large with the exception of Asmoth and the imprisoned queen. Alatha and the others who aren't vampires, very few indeed, get to work.

The citizens of Steelhold mutter amongst themselves. The new overseer has ordered them down here without any reason. Almost all them stop talking when they hear a pick mining. They turn towards the noise just in time to see one of the more devoted of Lorius' clerics mining away at the adamantine before magma comes bursting through. A some of them try to flee only to find the non-vampires walling off the area. Minus a few that fled into the adamantine stockpiles, all are destroyed by the lava by summer.

Karius smiles. With the vampire population under control, he can now recruit any remaining vampires into the military. They'll watch for enemies without tiring, getting thirsty or hungry and half of those surviving vampires are in the hospital. Now he can start to rebuild Steelhold without the worry of dying in his sleep.

OOC: When I used a burrow to contain the non-named vampires and then wall them off, I decided to mine some adamantine, having never reached it before in my own fortress. Not realising it was all that stood before the lava and the fortress. So by the time the elves came, almost all of the vampires were dead and half the survivors in hospital. I then recruit all of the remaining vampires into the military and I'm going to rebuild workforce with normal dwarves using migrants. So due to a blunder on my part due to inexperience, I managed to effectively deal with the a problem in character. Plus its summer now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 31, 2014, 02:36:00 pm
We have arrived at the barony of Steelhold.

These are the first words that I remember.  I have no idea how I got here, how old I am, or even what Steelhold is.  My grasp of language is unimpaired, however, so whatever was affecting my memory is incomplete.  The others have been avoiding me since I arrived, and I am unsure why.

But the worst thing... the worst thing was when I met my first vampire.  I could identify it immediately, and something about it reminds me of.. I don't know.  That's what's so frustrating.  I got a sense of power, of rage, when I saw it.  But then, it was gone.

I have since learned that this is a place where criminals are sent as a death sentence.  Sweet Merciful Armok!  What did I do to belong here...


Give me a dwarf named Wolf.  Preferably non-military.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 31, 2014, 02:46:44 pm
... you purposefully killed a huge amount of our population, flooded our forges (plus our metal stockpiles) and might have removed the possibility of us ever confronting the HFS for purely plot purposes.
I'm not sure I'm OK with this.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on January 31, 2014, 02:47:44 pm
... you purposefully killed a huge amount of our population, flooded our forges (plus our metal stockpiles) and might have removed the possibility of us ever confronting the HFS for purely plot purposes.
I'm not sure I'm OK with this.

Oh, don't worry.  Things will change, I'm sure.

Mwahahhahahahahahahaha.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 31, 2014, 06:44:55 pm
I might as well get it off my chest straight off that I'm a bit annoyed about work that took me almost a year getting destroyed before the end of spring.

In any case, if the stone you're about to mine is flashing red, there's a very real chance that there's magma on the other side.

It's also possible that Steelhold won't get any more, since the winter migrants I got gave the 'brave this terrifying place' announcement. What's the current population of the fortress? Even more importantly, did the vampire baby survive?

Sign me up for another turn please. I'm thinking werebeasts this time. Also, could you check if Asmoth's youngest daughter is alive so I know if the following is a hallucination or reunion?

Asmoth's Log, 1st Hematite

My children. My beautiful children. I do not understand. I offered immortality and power to the entire dwarfen realm, but nothing is left now but burnt flesh. So be it. If dwarfs will not take what I offer them, I will create a race who will...

"Mother?" Asmoth looked up from the pages she had torn with her furious writing.
"Thikut? I thought you died with the others?"
"Don't be silly, mother," the child laughed. "You made it so I would never die, remember? Not like everyone else."

A smile flashed across the doctor's face as tears pooled in her eyes. She pulled her daughter into a tight hug, ignoring the carnage around her.

"I'm so happy, Thikut," I'll make a perfect world for you, I promise.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on January 31, 2014, 07:48:07 pm
Yeah, if the purposeful murder of the vast majority of the fort's population got retconned, I wouldn't be very upset. I'll put it that way.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on January 31, 2014, 07:51:24 pm
Give me a dwarf named Wolf.  Preferably non-military.
Profession name?

I might as well get it off my chest straight off that I'm a bit annoyed about work that took me almost a year getting destroyed before the end of spring.

In any case, if the stone you're about to mine is flashing red, there's a very real chance that there's magma on the other side.

It's also possible that Steelhold won't get any more, since the winter migrants I got gave the 'brave this terrifying place' announcement. What's the current population of the fortress? Even more importantly, did the vampire baby survive?

Sign me up for another turn please. I'm thinking werebeasts this time. Also, could you check if Asmoth's youngest daughter is alive so I know if the following is a hallucination or reunion?

[snip]
I honestly hope that it's just a hallucination, as that would be a lost more psychological. If you can actually manage to turn the fort into werebeasts, I will be very impressed.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on January 31, 2014, 09:55:33 pm
As long as our werelizard friend survives long enough, I'll give it a shot. I'd estimate a 5% success rate, but Steelhold's covered in carnage anyway. Might as well use some of it for science. Make that 2%. Got to account for the delays in lever response.

Do attacks made by werebeast dwarfs potentially trigger a loyalty cascade though? That would be unhelpful.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on January 31, 2014, 10:22:35 pm
Do attacks made by werebeast dwarfs potentially trigger a loyalty cascade though? That would be unhelpful.
I believe so; you'll need to carefully segregate the dwarves until every target volunteer is properly converted. That said, a civil war would be pretty neat and justifiable story-wise.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on February 01, 2014, 08:23:52 am
As long as our werelizard friend survives long enough, I'll give it a shot. I'd estimate a 5% success rate, but Steelhold's covered in carnage anyway. Might as well use some of it for science. Make that 2%. Got to account for the delays in lever response.

Do attacks made by werebeast dwarfs potentially trigger a loyalty cascade though? That would be unhelpful.

In my experience, no. The dwarves in beast mode are already hostile, so attacks by them doesn't trigger a cascade. Attacks on them won't either. Now, if they're still in dwarf mode, that's a different story.

Also werebeastfort will be the least productive ever. Just saying. At least half of our time will be spent picking up cloths and other items dropped when the werebeasting hit.

I wonder if you can make a dwarf a werebeast and a vamp? Interesting possibility, although they'd probably transform back into a regular dwarf after each werebeast transformation.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 01, 2014, 10:30:05 am
I think that vampirism and a werebeast curse are mutually exclusive. You can be a werebeast necromancer or vampire necromancer, but I don't think there's any way to get the dwarfs to read a slab. I'd probably use the werelizards for high risk jobs or just as servants for the vampire overlords.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 01, 2014, 10:32:03 am
Yeah.  The interaction examples list werebeast curse and vampcurse as mutually exclusive, so I would assume that's how Toady designed the actual hard coded interactions.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 01, 2014, 08:14:02 pm
This is a well-crafted goat leather scroll.

"The Architecture of Steelhold"

To the aristocracy of The Gloves of Admiring,

In continuation of my previous report on the nature and workings of our colony, I have thus drafted this scroll on the design and architecture of the fortress.

The exterior area around the fortress -- once an ordinary desert site -- is now utterly defaced by the workers of this colony.  Surrounding the entrance is a series of defensive trenches, intended to keep the goblins and kobolds away.  A large tower lies to the south of the fortress, and was once the site of a madman's personal project; I am happy to report that the aforesaid project has been removed and the madman executed.  Built into the side of the beach to the west is the original tomb of the first baron, though his body has since been removed.  Leading up to the fortress is a green glass road and retractable bridge, attributable to the eccentricity of the second baron.

The exterior of the fortress itself is largely unfinished.  A large guard tower is connected to the left-side of the entrance, though fortifications have been constructed all about the second-story for sharpshooting.  Archways line the road up to the fortress, and they hold pathways leading to the towers; they are. of course, trapped to give-way when goblins attempt to besiege Steelhold whilst crossing them.  The upper levels have very little construction to them, and I do not now -- as of now -- whether or not a future overseer will attempt to work off of them.  There is also a courtyard for beekeeping connected in the back, though it is rarely used.

As for the interior of the fortress, I must say that I am glad this prison was not placed on any major fault-lines; the structural integrity is quite lacking.  Depending upon which floor you are on, there will be either no construction or mining whatsoever or the entire floor will be taken up by corridors or stockpiles.  We are actually over several major cavern systems as well.  If something caused this fortress to rumble, it would literally sink into the earth.

The individual sections of the fortress are far too complex to describe in a scroll -- they must be seen to be believed.  There are three cell-blocks -- for example -- each with their own insane means of design.  I am no cartographer myself, but to even attempt to map this place out would be an exercise in futility.

With that, I must bid you farewell until my next scroll.  Keep in mind that the denizens grow more independent by the day; it will not be long before they attempt an organized attack on the mainland.

Sincerely,
James Joyce, Esq.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 01, 2014, 09:07:57 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 01, 2014, 09:13:10 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
You're welcome, and -- as I have mentioned earlier -- I am adverse to sequels for stories such as this. Thus, I have absolutely no objection to your claim. As far as the Bloodkin, should something happen, you could always excuse their existence as being the result of the excess magic in the fortress. Such magic was able to breed monsters from the corpses, melted remains, and souls of the fallen.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 01, 2014, 09:19:42 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
You're welcome, and -- as I have mentioned earlier -- I am adverse to sequels for stories such as this. Thus, I have absolutely no objection to your claim. As far as the Bloodkin, should something happen, you could always excuse their existence as being the result of the excess magic in the fortress. Such magic was able to breed monsters from the corpses, melted remains, and souls of the fallen.

Eh, I'd actually prefer not to do a very direct sequel. Not another penal colony, for sure. It's just a way to keep the same group of players around when we finally kick the artifact !!Dwarf Bone!! bucket. And an excuse to make a syrupleaf-like challenge race tbh. I really want dibs so I get a chance to name the joint Hellhole or something else kickin' radical. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 01, 2014, 09:24:41 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
You're welcome, and -- as I have mentioned earlier -- I am adverse to sequels for stories such as this. Thus, I have absolutely no objection to your claim. As far as the Bloodkin, should something happen, you could always excuse their existence as being the result of the excess magic in the fortress. Such magic was able to breed monsters from the corpses, melted remains, and souls of the fallen.

Eh, I'd actually prefer not to do a very direct sequel. Not another penal colony, for sure. It's just a way to keep the same group of players around when we finally kick the artifact !!Dwarf Bone!! bucket. And an excuse to make a syrupleaf-like challenge race tbh. I really want dibs so I get a chance to name the joint Hellhole or something else kickin' radical.
By "not very direct," what exactly do you mean? Will it not have the same mythology?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 01, 2014, 09:30:13 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
You're welcome, and -- as I have mentioned earlier -- I am adverse to sequels for stories such as this. Thus, I have absolutely no objection to your claim. As far as the Bloodkin, should something happen, you could always excuse their existence as being the result of the excess magic in the fortress. Such magic was able to breed monsters from the corpses, melted remains, and souls of the fallen.

Eh, I'd actually prefer not to do a very direct sequel. Not another penal colony, for sure. It's just a way to keep the same group of players around when we finally kick the artifact !!Dwarf Bone!! bucket. And an excuse to make a syrupleaf-like challenge race tbh. I really want dibs so I get a chance to name the joint Hellhole or something else kickin' radical.
By "not very direct," what exactly do you mean? Will it not have the same mythology?

Well, same shared universe. But the overall plot will be different. Not sure what I'd choose, I'll ask around when the time comes - if people really want to do another penal colony then I'll go for it, but the aim is to have a totally unique game that just happens to have a cool backstory. For example, direct descendants of characters from Steelhold would be frowned upon, at least by me, but we'd wind up with the Bloodkin and dwarf metal singers hailing Asmoth instead of Satan.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 01, 2014, 09:33:08 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
You're welcome, and -- as I have mentioned earlier -- I am adverse to sequels for stories such as this. Thus, I have absolutely no objection to your claim. As far as the Bloodkin, should something happen, you could always excuse their existence as being the result of the excess magic in the fortress. Such magic was able to breed monsters from the corpses, melted remains, and souls of the fallen.

Eh, I'd actually prefer not to do a very direct sequel. Not another penal colony, for sure. It's just a way to keep the same group of players around when we finally kick the artifact !!Dwarf Bone!! bucket. And an excuse to make a syrupleaf-like challenge race tbh. I really want dibs so I get a chance to name the joint Hellhole or something else kickin' radical.
By "not very direct," what exactly do you mean? Will it not have the same mythology?

Well, same shared universe. But the overall plot will be different. Not sure what I'd choose, I'll ask around when the time comes - if people really want to do another penal colony then I'll go for it, but the aim is to have a totally unique game that just happens to have a cool backstory. For example, direct descendants of characters from Steelhold would be frowned upon, at least by me, but we'd wind up with the Bloodkin and dwarf metal singers hailing Asmoth instead of Satan.
Sort of a "thousand years later" post-apocalyptic scenario brought upon by the existence of this fortress?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 01, 2014, 09:53:43 pm
Aw yiss. Motha fuckin' wiki edits. TY for OP update Gnorm.
On a coincidental note, I got dibs on making the sequel when we die. Probably from the repercussions of killing half our fort with magma. Also please bring those vamps back, the Bloodkin were such a cool idea  :'(

Anyway is Uristador still alive? Not quite sure what I should have him make of all this.
You're welcome, and -- as I have mentioned earlier -- I am adverse to sequels for stories such as this. Thus, I have absolutely no objection to your claim. As far as the Bloodkin, should something happen, you could always excuse their existence as being the result of the excess magic in the fortress. Such magic was able to breed monsters from the corpses, melted remains, and souls of the fallen.

Eh, I'd actually prefer not to do a very direct sequel. Not another penal colony, for sure. It's just a way to keep the same group of players around when we finally kick the artifact !!Dwarf Bone!! bucket. And an excuse to make a syrupleaf-like challenge race tbh. I really want dibs so I get a chance to name the joint Hellhole or something else kickin' radical.
By "not very direct," what exactly do you mean? Will it not have the same mythology?

Well, same shared universe. But the overall plot will be different. Not sure what I'd choose, I'll ask around when the time comes - if people really want to do another penal colony then I'll go for it, but the aim is to have a totally unique game that just happens to have a cool backstory. For example, direct descendants of characters from Steelhold would be frowned upon, at least by me, but we'd wind up with the Bloodkin and dwarf metal singers hailing Asmoth instead of Satan.
Sort of a "thousand years later" post-apocalyptic scenario brought upon by the existence of this fortress?
Precisely!
On another note, I hear there's gold buried within this quote-pyramid, but a terrible curse awaits any who dig into it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 02, 2014, 07:08:13 am
Well, since Steelhold is on the coast of an island, it might be interesting if the sequel fortress was built in response to news from sailors and such of undead monsters steadily approaching the mainland, hopefully intercepting and destroying the threat before it reaches the mountainhomes. Of course, there'd have to be a reason for not sending actual soldiers, but if there were a civilisation at war when the fortress was founded or even if the monarch wasn't eager to listen to the stories of half mad sailors, it'd work. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 02, 2014, 08:00:48 am
I'm actually pretty sure Steelhold is already on the mainland. I mean, unless you mean that the entire world as currently genned is an island.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 02, 2014, 08:59:46 am
People seem to think that I purposefully killed most of our population. I didn't. When I was containing the vampire population, I made an honest mistake. Simply storywise Karius killed off most of the vampires, gamewise I blundered big time, but saved over a quarter of the population and all of the name dwarves. In other news, I reached Autumn and almost finished writing a big update when a member of my family turned off the power by mistake. I lost half my write up, but Steelhold was fine because I save it about twenty minutes before. I then had and have family activities I committed to in real life to do.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 02, 2014, 09:00:48 am
I'm playing it safe now so I won't kill Steelhold, but the next overseer can't be stupid and mess up like I did.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 02, 2014, 09:03:47 am
Also this is my first time at Community Fortress and with magma and adamantine.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 02, 2014, 10:11:18 am
People seem to think that I purposefully killed most of our population. I didn't. When I was containing the vampire population, I made an honest mistake. Simply storywise Karius killed off most of the vampires, gamewise I blundered big time, but saved over a quarter of the population and all of the name dwarves. In other news, I reached Autumn and almost finished writing a big update when a member of my family turned off the power by mistake. I lost half my write up, but Steelhold was fine because I save it about twenty minutes before. I then had and have family activities I committed to in real life to do.
I'm playing it safe now so I won't kill Steelhold, but the next overseer can't be stupid and mess up like I did.
Also this is my first time at Community Fortress and with magma and adamantine.
Relax, we understand.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 02, 2014, 10:33:17 am
Mistakes happen, it's all good.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 02, 2014, 10:39:51 am
I'm actually pretty sure Steelhold is already on the mainland. I mean, unless you mean that the entire world as currently genned is an island.

Yeah, or assume that after Steelhold, the prisoners took over their continent, then began spreading to others.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 02, 2014, 01:36:27 pm
I'm actually pretty sure Steelhold is already on the mainland. I mean, unless you mean that the entire world as currently genned is an island.

Yeah, or assume that after Steelhold, the prisoners took over their continent, then began spreading to others.

I would assume the dwarves leave the island as refugees, and the Bloodkin would follow them.
But enough of this. The fortress stands. For however long it will continue to stand, that is.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 02, 2014, 03:51:20 pm
Karius hides as Shank, his new loyal captain of the guard, contains the two surviving vampire children. While all of the surviving vampires, mostly surviving Rhakenists, are in the military, the two children ones had slipped Karius' mind. They slowly killed off the workforce, Karius only discovering it when he went to visit Alatha one night only to the find the woman having her blood drain by Thikut, the vampire girl and daughter of that fiend Asmoth. Karius will have deal with the vampire children if he and the new migrants that will make up the workforce are to survive.

Not much going on in Steelhold. I abandoned my write up after I couldn't regain my train of thought. Little has happened as I'm playing it safe. I now got a fully vampire military at eternal watch at the gates while the new migrants have replace the workforce that those pair of surviving vampire children killed everyone, but Karius. We had a siege, but only a war troll actually reached the military. So rather boring, especially since I played an exciting game of risk afterwards.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 02, 2014, 06:17:36 pm
Isn't Shank a vampire as well?

Asmoth glanced up from the corpses she had been examining as the door behind her opened.

"Well?" she asked. The child smiled in a way that could have been innocent, if not for the blood around her lips.
"We got them all except the leader," Thikut said. "He's very vigilant."
"I suppose he would be. He seemed very well informed on the state of the fortress," the doctor sighed. "No matter, tell me what you think of this." She indicated the bodies in front of her. Asmoth nodded in approval as Thikut spent her time looking over them.
"A very clever vampire?" she eventually shrugged. "No marks that I can see, but it could have been fused with a sexual act or similar."
"No internal cuts either," Asmoth said, shaking her head.
"Poison, then?" Thikut frowned. "It can't be natural causes, this one looks about twenty."
"Worse. Magic," the doctor spat.
"What's so bad about that?" her daughter asked. "Isn't what you did magic?"
"Of course not! We use science. Science can be replicated, it gives us power over the world. Magic comes from somewhere else, and all it really does is give something else power over us. It always has a price, and that price is always more than you can afford to pay."
"So these people tried to use magic?" Thikut murmered, worried by her mother's sudden outburst.
"I think... Someone used them as payment. There was a presence here, and I think it either used these people to go somewhere else or for some other spell. Gods, I haven't seen such a mess since I had to clean up after that mechanical prosthetic experiment," Asmoth muttered.
"Did it work," the girl asked.
"The spell? I don't have much experience with magic unless the end result was someone getting dismembered."
"No, the prosthetics."
"Oh," Asmoth shrugged. "Providing that they were intending to have the new limbs go haywire and kill most of the test subjects, then yes."
"So what do we do now?" Thikut asked after a pause. Asmoth shrugged again.
"See who kills our leader first, I guess."
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 02, 2014, 08:32:16 pm
Where is James Joyce at the moment?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 03, 2014, 08:38:05 pm
Oh look, my prosthetics are back! I originally assumed that that project took place after Asmoth's arrival at Steelhold, but I guess Emdief just took his time crossing the desert.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 04, 2014, 02:19:25 am
Just as a reminder to anyone interested in the project at the moment, the wiki is open for edits and additions. Feel free to contribute.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 04, 2014, 08:53:46 am
The wiki is your friend. Your needy, clingy friend who you should really support.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 04, 2014, 02:35:29 pm
Now that I think of it, Emdief's prosthetics probably would have been long after Asmoth was in any position to be involved in it. Maybe it could be a precursor or something then.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 04, 2014, 07:49:08 pm
Oshha's turn is almost up. How are things going?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 04, 2014, 11:15:40 pm
I would like a military sworddwarf named Thanatos (Greek god of death) he always wears black and wears a hood so you can only see his mouth . In his mouth there is always a cigarette he is a chain smoker. He does not talk much only to friends even then he is very dark. He must be vey agile and tough and a good sword dwarf. Also a good dodger if you can a sword in each hand for role play. He was a very famous hero untill he went a killing spree against goblin prisoners when one killed his dog. He loves dogs his only companion a war dog. He as a child was abused viciously by his father untill he killed him running away and joining the army. He loves the dark he is very good at hiding you never see him.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 04, 2014, 11:15:57 pm
As a reader
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 05, 2014, 09:21:39 am
... yeah, I'll get back to updating the PDF next week or so. Life is busy.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 05, 2014, 12:02:18 pm
Oshha's turn is almost up. How are things going?

I've got a really bad cold at the moment, had too have a day off ill. Should finish my turn tonight, but I'll probably post it tomorrow since I want an early night.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 05, 2014, 01:15:20 pm
Almost winter. Half of the second migrants survived and all vampire separated from the normal folk.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 05, 2014, 01:59:20 pm
And then 4Maskwolf actually gets a turn.  But will he be this fort's saviour or its destroyer?
(Note: 1:1 odds are available at the kiosk, minimum bid is 20 Dorfbucks)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 05, 2014, 04:23:55 pm
I've finished, but won't post what happened till tomorrow. How do I past on the save to 4Maskwolf?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 05, 2014, 04:36:06 pm
I've finished, but won't post what happened till tomorrow. How do I past on the save to 4Maskwolf?

1. Compress the save into a ZIP file.
2. Go to this website. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/)
3. Upload file.
4. Post link.
5. ???
6. PROFIT!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 05, 2014, 07:23:13 pm
The masked one kill us all (runs away screaming)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 05, 2014, 07:47:08 pm
Put me down for seven gabbro boulders on Wolf saving the fort.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on February 05, 2014, 07:54:57 pm
Put me down for seven gabbro boulders on Wolf saving the fort.

I'm sorry sir, minimum bids are 20 dorfbucks. Your bid has a material value of 7.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on February 05, 2014, 09:51:47 pm
Um...7*3=21?
:headscratch:
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 05, 2014, 11:42:33 pm
Um...7*3=21?
:headscratch:

Where'd you get the 3? Gabbro has a material value of 1. The caravans just fleece you when selling you rock.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 06, 2014, 10:05:04 am
Actually, all boulders have a basic value of 3 or more.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on February 06, 2014, 10:23:57 am
this is mdfi you're arguing with.  :dry:.  "hyperbole or go home" and all.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 06, 2014, 12:50:59 pm
Gonna to post after tea, my evening been disrupted by my sister setting the bin on fire and my putting it out flooding the dining room. So sorry for the delay.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 06, 2014, 12:53:11 pm
I compressed the fail and I'm ready to upload it, but I want to write about Karius leaving Steelhold to hunt down Oku in the name of Rhaken and Lorius. He'll leave a few tips for the next overseer for dealing with the surviving vampires as well a Rhakenist Government in charge of Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 06, 2014, 02:38:52 pm
Karius strolls towards the entrance and exit to Steelhold. His reign as overseer is at the end. He shouldn't have stayed, but the vampires and Alatha persuaded him to stay and try and restore some of Steelhold's glory. But his mission was to stop Oku and she had left before Karius even arrived at this place. Now with the vampires dealt with and Alatha slain. Most of the survivors of Steelhold are Rhakenists so his former leige's legacy is assured for the time being. Now Karius has dealt with the vampires. The two children, including Alatha's murderer, are walled off near Hell's entrance. The a couple have gone crazy and are no threat. Those that are injured are locked away or walled off and the military is not allowed in the fortress. And the queen as been locked in a cage since before he arrived. A few tried to sneak into the fortress so Karius as ordered that doors be locked went people go to sleep. Now Karius plans to hunt down Oku and hope Steelhold won't cause any problems for the rest of the world. He'll take up control of Rhaken's spy network and continue the old man's plans. Hopefully Shank shall keep an eye on Steelhold and dealt with problems. Should anything of note happened, Karius as requested to Shank that he inform Karius. Now with some advice left the next overseer. Now Alatha dead, Karius has a hole in his heart and nothing to make him stay at Steelhold other than painful memories.

- Keep the vampires separate from the main workforce if Steelhold is to survive.
- Only open the gates into Steelhold to allow migrants in to increase the workforce.
- If vampires return to the fortress, lock the doors to where any dwarves are sleeping while they sleep.
- Don't kill Shank or Asmoth. Asmoth may be important if you have to deal with any magic. Don't anger the Rhakenists either.
- Ghosts are starting to pop up.


OOC: Karius has left the fortress to deal with Oku, who has also already left. He'll try to take control of Rhaken's old spy network and has left Shank as his spy at Steelhold and request that he try and kill Alatha's killer. He sort of fell in love with Alatha, but she died so he no reason to stay with the vampires under control and Oku having already left Steelhold. I think I had a good first community fortress turn. The next overseer should do something about the ghosts starting to appear.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 06, 2014, 02:41:18 pm
File should be at the file depot under the named of Steelhold Karius' Leave uploaded by Oshha.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Oshha on February 06, 2014, 02:48:24 pm
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8403
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 06, 2014, 04:10:40 pm
Asmoth's Log, 1st of Granite.

I deployed Thikut and her friends to do something about our leader last night, but they report that he has vanished, leaving nothing but questions in his wake. Who was he, what did he want, how many did he kill? Probably not as many as me, but at least I did it for science.

In any case, Thikut and her friends seem to developing into a group of very capable assassins. They do have the downside of only being willing to kill mortals at the moment, but I'm sure that will change with time. Keeping the mortal population low will make the survivors more likely to accept a place in my ascension projects later on. Immortality Mark 2 should provide a far lower death rate than the first iteration, and although I don't think that there is anything that can be done to reduce the death toll of Project Moonrise, they won't be in any position to refuse a place in it should I offer them one.

Final note: Thikut's friends seem to be engaging in some form of worship of Steelhold's vampire baby. Perhaps now that aging isn't an issue for them, they have a reverence for the appearance of youth?

All hail the vampire baby.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on February 06, 2014, 04:26:46 pm
Actually, all boulders have a basic value of 3 or more.

Didn't know that. You have expanded my horizons, sir.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 06, 2014, 07:39:38 pm
We should put the vampire baby in a glass cage so all can see its holiness
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 06, 2014, 11:02:46 pm
Excellent! another year down in Steelhold. Now I have more reason to update the original post. I'll be sure to inform 4maskwolf via private message.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 06, 2014, 11:12:20 pm
no need.  4mask always knows.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 06, 2014, 11:17:17 pm
By the way, Oshha, did you use a tileset? The graphics are once again messed up. Also, I ask that we not give nicknames to non-character dwarves (profession names are fair-game, though).
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 07, 2014, 11:12:15 am
We should put the vampire baby in a glass cage so all can see its holiness

I suppose we could, but we'd have to convict it of a murder or something first, or lure it into cage traps covered in webs. I don't think that the dwarfs would be happy about the first, and you'd have to predict where the baby was going for the second.

Edit: Could I ask 4mask to remove the Rhakenist job from Thikut? Also, I think you're probably going to get tantruming vampires is you leave them stationed at the gates forever. I had a tomb assigned to the queen on z level -2 that's been unassigned, so if you want to keep her happy you should probably get her a new one and stuff. Oh, and why is Asmoth the militia commander?

PS: the vampire baby seems to have transformed into a ghost baby, which isn't as cool. Oh well.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 07, 2014, 12:14:56 pm
We should put the vampire baby in a glass cage so all can see its holiness

I suppose we could, but we'd have to convict it of a murder or something first, or lure it into cage traps covered in webs. I don't think that the dwarfs would be happy about the first, and you'd have to predict where the baby was going for the second.

Edit: Could I ask 4mask to remove the Rhakenist job from Thikut? Also, I think you're probably going to get tantruming vampires is you leave them stationed at the gates forever. I had a tomb assigned to the queen on z level -2 that's been unassigned, so if you want to keep her happy you should probably get her a new one and stuff. Oh, and why is Asmoth the militia commander?

PS: the vampire baby seems to have transformed into a ghost baby, which isn't as cool. Oh well.
Ask and though shalt receive.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 07, 2014, 08:08:36 pm
We should put the vampire baby in a glass cage so all can see its holiness

Sounds very like what twisted Asmoth into the monster she is today.
Presuming she wasn't a horrible sociopath before Brasswords put her in the box, that is.
It's super hard to keep track of the plot around here. We should expand the wiki.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 07, 2014, 09:27:54 pm
Work on the wiki is underway, I'll mess with the save later this weekend.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 09, 2014, 02:47:27 pm
How's the turn going, 4maskwolf. Also, the rules have been updated on the original post, so I advise that everyone check it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 09, 2014, 02:53:55 pm
I will start actually playing the game later today, I've been caught up editing the wiki.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 09, 2014, 02:59:39 pm
I will start actually playing the game later today, I've been caught up editing the wiki.
Good to hear; we'll need quite a database to keep up with this story.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 09, 2014, 03:20:53 pm
Could I sign up for another turn, please?

Is it worth doing a wiki page for Ilral the vampire, by the way? He has a pretty long history outside Steelhold, but didn't really do all that much in the fortress. If he's worth a page, his real name was Likot Lockedgears, he was born in 36, killed six thousand, nine hundred and eighty seven people, plus a giant earthworm and a camel, and he was apparently killed by a chestnut training spear in the spring of 261.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 09, 2014, 03:30:54 pm
Go right ahead, Asmoth.  Also, he played a role in the storytelling aspects of the story, so if you want to make a wiki page for him be sure to read up on that.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 09, 2014, 04:53:31 pm
Don't forget to dwarf the new characters during your turn.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 10, 2014, 05:36:41 pm
Hey guys, delay me a turn, I just got really ill this morning and am not sure when I'll get to play DF again...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 10, 2014, 05:43:54 pm
Hey guys, delay me a turn, I just got really ill this morning and am not sure when I'll get to play DF again...

Gosh-darnit.
Fine, I'll start my turn. I'll be taking my own sweet time updating though.



Part 1: What the Dwarf Christ

1st o' Granite, 262

So I been gettin' might bored sitting outside the fort, yes? So nobody can blame me for going back inside against orders when the bridge came back down, yes? I mean I am the highest ranking military official, so I see no reason why I can't make decisions like that.
Anyway, so I went inside. And everyone was dead. Yep, everyone. There are only 39 dwarves left. Not to mention the fabric of reality's gone all wacky again and the place now looks, somehow, even more like a goblin's arse then it already did.
Since our previous Overseer obviously has gone of the deep end, I'm in charge now. Jackal says we should instate Marshal law. Who the hell is Marshal Law? I decided everyone should just listen to me since I'm the militia commander instead.
So, for posterity's sake, allow me to describe what the lads in the Guard have termed a 'clusterf*ck of legendary porportions':

1. We have no food. Well, no food for vamps. If Asmoth wasn't so popular among the others I'd have her off'd fer forcing this curse on us. Better not tell anyone that.
2. We have no rooms assigned to our mayor and queen! They'll be going absolutely bonkers! Maybe it isn't too late to lock meself back outside the fort?
3. Morale is so low cockroaches would need to bend over to see it.
4. A bunch o' folks have started describing themselves as "Rhakenists". I have no idea what that means, but seeing as Rhaken's current platform consists of sitting in a coffin and getting eaten by worms, this probably isn't a good thing.
5. Some goon flooded our bloody metal stockpile and sank what looks like half our arsenal into it. The area smells vaguely like well-cooked pork, which is both alluring and disturbing.
6. Nobody labelled the level to seal off the corridor to hell... which isn't sealed. There's literally nothing between the demonspawn and us.
7. A dozen o' us are wounded. I can't remember how that happened, but we need us some crutches and diagnosis, ASAP.
8. Since all the crimes in the fort have been blamed on the queen, I have no excuse to track down Karius and beat that little drip to a pulp for dumping this on me.

Also of note, there's garbage litterally all over the fort. In between pieces of litter, you'll find a good billion chicks. They'll likely be covered in their own damn excrement.
I look at our stocks and almost vomit in disgust. Adamantine crossbows. Most of our arms and armor submerged in lava.
If I didn't know precisely where hell is (slightly beneath Steelhold) I'd assume I was in it. As it currently stands, we'll probably get there soon enough.



OOC: Where the hell is the lever for the bridge over the trenches and the bridge to hell? BTW, can someone walk me through fixing the graphics? The current settings in my init file match the regular ASCII, but it won't go back to normal.
Also goddamn. This place is actually screwed. Like, revert-level screwed. The next siege to roll around will probably finish us.
In layman's terms, we're boned.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on February 10, 2014, 07:52:05 pm
There was a pair of files I had to completely delete and replace with a completely fresh version. the init was one of them.

a quick little bit of IC:

Someone messed up the fabric of reality again.  I can safely say it wasn't my fault...this time.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 10, 2014, 08:19:49 pm
I think the problem is in the raws, not the init. So if you copy the raws from another game over it should fix everything, assuming neither of them are modded.

Hell isn't unsealed, I built a big tower under the open spire. The lever connected to the bridge in it is in the old vampire lever room. There's also two children trapped behind a wall in that tower, I think.

Steelhold could probably battle through a few sieges with the royal guard vampires and traps, but it wouldn't look pretty.

As regards reverting the save, what happened wasn't really against the rules, so I guess you'd have to ask Gnorm about it.

Asmoth's log, Granite 262.

Uristador has retaken his position of militia commander and established marshal law in Steelhold. I don't really have a problem with losing control of the military, since I was planning on giving myself a dishonourable discharge in any case (I'm pretty sure draining the people you're meant to protect of blood counts as misconduct). Plus I have a lot of work to do, and most of my medical team got fried by our last overseer.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 10, 2014, 10:05:58 pm
4maskwolf never actually started his turn, so the postponement on the turn is acceptable. Just remember to dwarf the two new characters.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 10, 2014, 10:19:53 pm
4maskwolf never actually started his turn, so the postponement on the turn is acceptable. Just remember to dwarf the two new characters.

I'll do this if the migrants aren't immediately consumed.
I'm thinking of making a satellite fort for migrants. Dwarves will then be 'processed'; ones with useful skills will be locked in a room with a contaminated water source and turned into vamps, while legendary cheesemakers will be released into the main fort without becoming vampires. Should help raise morale a bit, since vamps are even more easily depressed than regular dwarves. Just make sure not to feed anyone's family to the prisoners.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 10, 2014, 10:52:35 pm
This is a well-crafted goat leather scroll.

"The Marble Faction"

To the office of Uristador,

I must say that it is quite nice to finally get in touch with you. We do not know each other -- personally -- though that is quite unnecessary given the state of this fortress. What is necessary, however, is order. Everyone here wants to be free, and even the queen is within their grasp, but none of them have any will to act on their own. That is why I have written to you to propose an agreement of sorts; I understand that you follow fervently the political philosophies of the Marble Faction. Even though the group once controlled the entire fortress its now but a footnote in the politics now; the fate is quite sad, actually.

There is, however, something that we can do. With effort, the Marble Faction can once again be the leading government of this fortress; it will be just what Steelhold needs. If you're interested, why don't you just leave your response posted by the hammer of the monument.

Sincerely,
James Joyce, Esq.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 11, 2014, 05:43:36 pm
I'll update tomorrow probably, have to study for a test. And fix the graphics.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 11, 2014, 10:22:39 pm
And add new players in
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 07:01:03 am
And add new players in
Can't do that until I've played more and seen if migrants actually show up.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 12, 2014, 07:20:18 am
Does the announcement that migrants give when they arrive (eg, knowing this place may be their tomb) affect how many migrants we get, or is it just to remind you how many people have died in Steelhold?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 10:02:36 am
Does the announcement that migrants give when they arrive (eg, knowing this place may be their tomb) affect how many migrants we get, or is it just to remind you how many people have died in Steelhold?

I think it's a warning; as in, if people keep dying, you won't be getting many more migrants after this.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 12, 2014, 10:13:09 am
Does the announcement that migrants give when they arrive (eg, knowing this place may be their tomb) affect how many migrants we get, or is it just to remind you how many people have died in Steelhold?

I think it's a warning; as in, if people keep dying, you won't be getting many more migrants after this.
According to the wiki -- if I have interpreted it correctly -- migrants will forever cease to come after a population of 3000 total creatures are at the fortress -- living and dead.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 10:27:30 am
Does the announcement that migrants give when they arrive (eg, knowing this place may be their tomb) affect how many migrants we get, or is it just to remind you how many people have died in Steelhold?

I think it's a warning; as in, if people keep dying, you won't be getting many more migrants after this.
According to the wiki -- if I have interpreted it correctly -- migrants will forever cease to come after a population of 3000 total creatures are at the fortress -- living and dead.
We haven't reached that cap yet - we're about halfway there. I do know that sometimes migrants refuse to come to a fort that's taken too many casualties in a year, but that's pretty rare and soon reverts to "migrants have come despite the danger". So we should still receive migrants, if we survive that long.
Which we probably won't. The tantrums have started and someone destroyed a few levers. Since I can't get the main bridge to open I'm forced to build a temporary passage into the fort, but progress is quite slow.
I'm forced to dismantle Fractal's project because it serves no real purpose and is a MASSIVE fps drain. Sorry, Fractal.
Also to boost our FPS I have to order the deaths of hundreds of chicks.
If we survive the spiral I'll post a turn. If not, we can decide how the story ends I guess?

EDIT: Breaking news! A tantrumming dwarf smashed Asmoth's nose! This has led Asmoth to confine herself to bed until she receives treatment... from herself, seeing as the only other medical dwarf is on break.
A grand total of 8 dwarves are now in the hospital.

EDIT2: Yep, it dead.
We got migrants, but it was too late. Shining and two unnamed dwarves went berserk. The entire fort is in a state of tantrum, waiting for medical treatment or actively being beaten to death. That's the downside to low military morale; when they snap, they're armed, and there ain't nothing you can do about it if nobody will obey orders to go on active duty.
So, now what? The situation's beyond recovery. Should I do a writeup? I'd prefer to abandon now and do an ending other than the fort crumbling utterly, but that's just personal preference.
Thoughts?
Btw, we managed to make it to 9th of Slate without the fort crumbling! Huzzah!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 12, 2014, 10:56:31 am
I say back-up the current save, abandon the fortress, and post it on the file depot. Anyone who wishes to may write an ending, and we shall vote on which submission will be the canon one.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 11:08:19 am
I say back-up the current save, abandon the fortress, and post it on the file depot. Anyone who wishes to may write an ending, and we shall vote on which submission will be the canon one.

Just to clarify: You want me to post the version of the save that isn't abandoned, right?
Edit:  SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8416)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 12, 2014, 02:40:00 pm
I suggest the lot of us get together to plan out the ending. Once again, I gots me some conspiracies in mind. As for writing the ending itself, I'm up for it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 07:13:05 pm
I suggest the lot of us get together to plan out the ending. Once again, I gots me some conspiracies in mind. As for writing the ending itself, I'm up for it.

Well then, I kind of had a plan.

I'd have the fortress get sealed off from the surface world for some amount of years. Asmoth uses this time to learn some magic, absorb some adamantine, perform some horrific experiments, take to wearing that goblin bone mask, get called the Witchdoctor, etc.
Then, some unfortunate fool unseals Steelhold... and the Bloodkin pour forth in an unstoppable tide and destroy civilization (probably using survivors as sentient cattle, in massive apocalyptic blood farms for style points), with the exception of some dwarves who manage to flee across the sea.

Speaking of the bloodkin, can we get an update 4maskwolf? I actually made the entire race (except for interactions... which were kind of the whole point of the race) at some point out of boredom. Can you pass me the files after you finish? I have some clever plans and nasty tricks involving race-specific weaponry.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 12, 2014, 09:35:05 pm
Just to clarify: You want me to post the version of the save that isn't abandoned, right?
I didn't mean that, but it works anyway, so no worries.

As for the ending, I did have an idea of my own, and I am even willing to work the bloodkin into it. Going off Rhaken's idea, if any of the followers of this thread would like to collaborate, that's great. I think that we as a community should vote on the preferred ending in about a couple of days.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I don't think that there should be a formal vote, but rather we all post parts of an ending, decide upon which concepts we do or do not like, and I'll form them all together to make one complete, incredibly-lengthy ending (with awful MSpaint drawings to boot).
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 13, 2014, 12:14:53 am
I suggest the lot of us get together to plan out the ending. Once again, I gots me some conspiracies in mind. As for writing the ending itself, I'm up for it.

Well then, I kind of had a plan.

I'd have the fortress get sealed off from the surface world for some amount of years. Asmoth uses this time to learn some magic, absorb some adamantine, perform some horrific experiments, take to wearing that goblin bone mask, get called the Witchdoctor, etc.
Then, some unfortunate fool unseals Steelhold... and the Bloodkin pour forth in an unstoppable tide and destroy civilization (probably using survivors as sentient cattle, in massive apocalyptic blood farms for style points), with the exception of some dwarves who manage to flee across the sea.

Speaking of the bloodkin, can we get an update 4maskwolf? I actually made the entire race (except for interactions... which were kind of the whole point of the race) at some point out of boredom. Can you pass me the files after you finish? I have some clever plans and nasty tricks involving race-specific weaponry.
4mask needs to know what specifically you want from them.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 13, 2014, 03:08:02 am
All right, just to get this all started, I wrote up a potential beginning to our ending. We can discuss it later.

The fortress was already in shambles. The dwarves went about their daily lives, doing no work and contributing absolutely nothing to the already crumbling fortress in which they lived. Nevertheless, the old penal colony still maintained some vague semblance of order within its halls and it seemed as if their society would simply make a gradual disappearance. The future, however, is often unpredictable, and not all fortresses are as they seem.

The year two-hundred-sixty-two had just begun when one member of society decided that there was no further need for the continuing existance of Steelhold. He did, afterall, have more important matters to attend to, and Steelhold was just a single step in his master plan; therefore, he decided that he would move on to his next step. Making his way down to the lowest depths of the fortress, he proceeded down a flight of stairs which lead right through a tunnel of warm, blue ore. He found himself in an impressive structure composed of silver -- comfortable, though comfort was not his goal in this instance. He came up to a great drawbridge, and with a mighty push, managed to let it fall down before him, opening the fortress to the world of the demons.

The dwarf stepped out of the tower and called out into the darkness: "Brothers! The moment of our triumph is nearing fast!"

The dwarf stepped into the light of the fires, allowing himself to be seen by the many eyes of the damned. He was a young dwarf, though he stood tall and had an aura of nobility to him. As the devils bagan to gather, he swept a bow and removed his hat. "I must introduce myself now. My name is James Joyce Esq. -- also known as 'Corley.'"

I say that a simple tantrum spiral is too normal for this fort. We need a long ending, and preferably one that takes down half of the fortress' structure with it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 13, 2014, 08:59:21 am
Well then, we could conceivably flood the fort as a means of preventing non-vamp access.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: fractalman on February 13, 2014, 06:34:52 pm
that's ok, It lasted long enough. 
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: TalonisWolf on February 13, 2014, 07:11:12 pm
What I can't believe is that we've had adamantine for 3 years now and all we've used it for is building a goddamn trade depot.

...I have NEVER encountered a fortress which had this problem at ANY point. EVER.

 Also, marvellous story-telling, I can see how this fortress earned it's place in the Hall of Legends.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 13, 2014, 07:19:47 pm
Why thank you, we do our best.

MDF, what interactions do you want, I can whip them up this weekend pretty easily, along with some other surprises.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 13, 2014, 07:52:21 pm
I think he either wanted them all to have necromancer and vampire abilities or have castes with vampire traits, castes with necromancer abilities and castes with elfish traits. The civilisation was to have morningstars as a weapon, I think.

If we're planning a major ending, Asmoth would probably cut and run when she saw the Steelhold was going to hell, taking whatever vampires she could to infiltrate another fortress and restart project immortality.

"Mother, I can catch him within a month! I don't need to sleep, and the desert will slow him down. Think of how far he put up back!" Thikut shouted.
"No, child. You think. You have no way of knowing where Kairus went, and if someone else finds you, a child travelling alone through a desert is going to raise questions! Just- Did you hear that?"

Asmoth eased open the door of her bedroom, peering down the corridor. There was a familiar silhouette lit by the glow of the pits outside...

"Lenehan!?" she gasped, then realised there shouldn't have been any light behind him.
"Not quite, doctor," grinned Corley. Behind him, the demons massed.
"Thikut, find Shank or Uristador. Tell them they need to get everyone out of Steelhold, now." Asmoth was vaguely proud that her daughter didn't waste time asking questions.  She clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the legions of hell.

"At least your father had some imagination. Releasing the horrors of the underworld? Bit of a cliche, don't you think?"

Then she threw a scalpel at her nephew's head.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 13, 2014, 08:33:27 pm
Why thank you, we do our best.

MDF, what interactions do you want, I can whip them up this weekend pretty easily, along with some other surprises.

Basically all we need to do is give them a bite-transformation syndrome, the necromancy syndrome, maybe the ability to spit case magic globs of something dangerous at targets. I would say give them the option of summoning a random demon, but I think that'll require DFhack, so probably too ambitious.
Sorry about this, haven't bothered to learn interactions. They're probably a lot simpler than I assume they are.



Uristador stalked through the tunnels beneath Steelhold. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a drink. Well, prefer ed not to remember it. That poor dwarf had trusted him.
Funny, nobody tells you about all this when you enlist, do they? You hear all this talk about the honor and glory of your nation. Nobody ever talks about having to watch your friends die. Nobody tells you you might have to do it. They expect soldiers to be machines. Well, he certainly wasn't a machine.
The sound of battle could be heard somewhere in the tunnels. Probably a beserk dwarf. With luck, that one would be occupied killing some of the wildlife that Steelhold had once farmed, and nobody he was responsible for. Uristador shuddered. He was not going to wind up like one of those poor bastards, their mind gone and replaced with pure animalistic rage.
As much as it pained him to admit it, Steelhold was dead and buried. It was time to move on. As soon as possible, the Guard could move out of the infirmary and set out for civilization. Maybe they could find mercenary work.

Then it hit him; there shouldn't be a breeze down here. The smell of brimstone drifted across his nostrils. That could only mean one thing; somewhere, there was a breach.
Panic seized him. If the demons were free, what hope did he have? They'd killed Rhaken, and that tough old bastard was at least twice the soldier he was.
But then again, Rhaken hadn't had a weapon like Uristador. Hefting his artifact adamantine axe, Uristador braced himself. Maybe there was some redemption to be gained dying to hold back the horde. At least he'd never have to drain another dwarf again. Steelhold deserved a last stand.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 13, 2014, 08:59:47 pm
I think that the problem with a bite transformation would be that they'd still be loyal to their original civilisation, unless the species they turn into is berserk or opposed to life. Opposed to life would make more sense, but if they use mounts, they'd try kill them before going on to the fortress.

I'm not sure if spit attacks carry syndromes properly, though I haven't used them all that much. If it's just a minor thing, it could be put on a vapour attack, but we don't want to be fighting an army that melts anyone that gets near them. Alternatively, they could have liquid secretions with a more major syndrome, but those would be pretty ineffective against anyone wearing clothes.

Since the bloodkin would originally have been dwarfs, would they be immune to traps, since they'd know how dwarven tech works?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 13, 2014, 09:06:57 pm
Corley quickly threw himself on his back, allowing the scalpel to fly right over him. He then got back to his feet with incredible speed.

"If you think that I'm allied with the demons you are sorely mistaken. As for imagination, couldn't you have done anything more impressive than simply throwing your scalpel?"

Asmoth glared at her nephew, tilting her head down and showing her fangs.

"Must I remind you that I myself am a vampire as well? After all, I have you to thank for that."

Corley leapt back and motioned for the demons to gather.

"I'm afraid that our reunion must be held off temporarily, for I have business to attend to."

He ran up the stair way into the fortress itself, leading the demons along with him. Although the demons did not know it, they were not heading in the direction of the fortress, but rather to a pool of magma where several hundred vampires once perished.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 13, 2014, 09:40:23 pm
There were at least twenty demons inside the tower before Asmoth pulled the lever in her room, and perhaps ten more before the gears finally ground into motion. The entrance of the silver tower rumbled and flowed as sections of it shifted and fused together, sealing the entrance again. The beast clawing at her door finally gave up and followed the rest.

"Why does everyone in my family except me have to be insane?" muttered Asmoth, pulling on a XXdwarf leather labcoatXX. She couldn't remember much about Corley. Quiet child, maybe a bit too clever for his own good, and then Len had gone off to war, and she'd been in prison before he'd come back. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad that the masked dwarf wasn't around, but it didn't really matter. The best she could do with the information she had was find Thikut and start the project again somewhere else. There were plenty of dead names they could use. Of course, they'd have to hang around long enough to see what Corley was actually doing, but there were plenty of loose ends she could tie up in the meantime.

"Who are you?" said someone. Asmoth looked up and realised she had gone straight to her first loose end without even thinking about it.
"Don't worry about me, your Majesty," she said brightly. "I'm just someone on the lookout for a pound of flesh."

The screams didn't stop for a long time.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 13, 2014, 09:42:16 pm
He ran up the stair way into the fortress itself, leading the demons along with him. Although the demons did not know it, they were not heading in the direction of the fortress, but rather to a pool of magma where several hundred vampires once perished.

Fun fact: Demons are immune to lava. Perhaps they're heading for an lovely outing by the (lava) seaside?



There was no mistaking it. The screams and howls coming from the deep could only mean the demonspawn were loose. Not for the first time, Uristador cursed whoever decided to put the lever for Emdief's last project so far down; there was no way to pull it in the event of a breach unless someone happened to be right there while it occurred. Not that it could have stopped the horde, but softening them up could have helped them all live a little longer.
More members of the Guard had gathered around the staircase, waiting for the first of the demons to come upwards. Uristador knew he should be down there, and he would return as soon as possible, but someone had to prepare. At this point, he couldn't martial the masons to block off the lower levels entirely, so the demons couldn't be contained in the fort. The only option left was to martial those who could fight, and let the others evacuate.
Uristador never really wanted to lead. So long as people let him be, he saw no reason to ask anything of them. He assumed they wanted to be left alone as much as he did. Steelhold's remnant deserved someone better than him to send them to their deaths.
Then he got an idea. And why not? It's not like things could get much worse.
He knew the room well; the faction had been using it to meet since Asmoth took over. It was no difficult task to find what he was seeking. He pushed with all of his might.

Emdief's slab toppled and fell to the ground with a crash.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 13, 2014, 10:01:37 pm
I had my own ideas rergarding the Bloodkin. Some should be simple, others not so much.

The Bloodkin will have been waging war against everyone and everything with a pulse long enough to understand one thing - lack of booze over many centuries has made them sluggish. However, since they essentially use mortal dwarves as livestock, they have a solution to their sluggishness - turning some of the cattle into Fledglings, arming the recently-turned, poorly trained dwarves, and sending them to the frontlines. The far more ancient Bloodkin would be pretty hardcore (if ponderously slow) fighters, since they have had centuries to train.

As for "something dangerous" to spit at targets, why not blood? Apparently harmless, until your entire military has been vampirized and starts chowing down on each other.

I also suggest that they use Cyclopes in much the same way that goblins use trolls, for extra !!FUN!!.



The iron flavor of blood shook him to his senses. It dribbled down his chin, still warm, dripping down onto his breastplate. His hands were soaked in it, up to the wrist.

Shank groaned. He had done it again. He had let the beast take control. After fighting the urge for months, he had collapsed, only to wake up in this very situation - wandering the hallways, with another dwarf's blood all over him. Had his victim survived? Probably not. When the hunger took him, he rarely stopped. It was like a battle frenzy, taking away all sense of himself and replacing it with a singular urge to feed.

He had given up on his work. Both as royal guard, and as royal spymaster. How could he manage a network of spies if he couldn't even manage his own impulses? And the queen was under arrest, locked away where none could get to her. Her sentence called for decades of imprisonment. In another time, perhaps, the irony would have pleased him immensely. Imprisoned in her own penal colony. How droll. The chief would have loved it.

Limbs trembling, Shank wandered the hallways. He wasn't sure where he was going. Sights passed him by without fully registering in his twisting mind. He passed other dwarves, some cursed, some mortal. He paid them no heed. His feet were taking him somewhere and hadn't deigned to inform his brain what their destination was.

Thoughts assailed him as he walked. Despite this entire ordeal and the horrors he had seen and done, Shank felt... stronger, somehow. His senses were sharper than ever as well. He could hear the heartbeats of the creatures around him, smell the delicious blood in their veins. His mace felt light as a feather, and his armor felt light as a pig tail cloak. And what had it cost him? The ability to eat? To drink? To die of old age? The price didn't seem quite so overwhelming anymore.

But then what little conscience he had left came back, and with it came the guilt. He had killed plenty in his life, but never had he murdered another dwarf. Nor had he ever taken leave of his senses like this. Was this the curse's fault as well? Or was he heading down this road even before that fateful day with the chalice of blood?

Shank's feet stopped. Looking down, he saw a bin, its lid most of the way off. He was in the stockpiles. Amidst piles of green glass trinkets, he saw a glimmer of gold. Not fully aware of what he was doing, Shank dipped his hand into the bin and retrieved the object, examining it in his hands.

A golden, featureless mask. It radiated power. Shank looked into its empty eyes.

And the mask told him all its secrets.

Somewhere in the distance, the howls of demons.




I'd like to request that the queen stay mostly unharmed for now. I gots me some plans for her.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 13, 2014, 10:04:32 pm
Oku blinked, disoriented.  She had not intended to return to Steelhold.  The gods must require something more of her here, then.  Her mask had been left here, true, but that was on purpose.

A cry of alarm rang out from across the room, drawing Oku's attention. Across the room stood an unfamiliar dwarf, next to a broken slab.

Oku grinned, not bothering to raise her illusions.

"A little dwarf, alone in the fortress?  What a shame.  I could have used a challenge."

Oku stomped once, and the ground around her erupted.  When the dust settled, the dwarf no longer faced an unarmed human, but one encased in massive sheets of black iron, wielding a pair of titanic swords as if they weighed nothing at all.

"Now come forth, little dwarf, and meet your death."


Yes, that is Uristador I'm facing.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 13, 2014, 10:07:01 pm
"Who are you?" said someone. Asmoth looked up and realised she had gone straight to her first loose end without even thinking about it.
"Don't worry about me, your Majesty," she said brightly. "I'm just someone on the lookout for a pound of flesh."

The screams didn't stop for a long time.
Was the queen just taking a pleasant stroll when this happened?

Corley marched through the halls with the demons and he led them to a great pit of fire, and beckoned them to enter. Smarter demons would have found this suspicious, but Corley brought only the most foolish with him, and devils fear no fire. They filed into the pool until no more could possibly fit, and then Corley began to remove his gloves. Once removed, his quivering hands were revealed, and his veins began to pulse and glow a dull red. It was exactly as he had hoped, for he knew that a vampire such as he could make use of simple magic, and Steelhold was utterly flowing with magic at this point.

He began to mutter the incantation, and the flames in the pool grew hotter as he did. They soon became so hot that even the demons themselves began to scream. Some tried to crawl out of the magma, but they were disintegrated before they had a chance. The earth shook violently, and several structures and stairways built within the fortress began to crumble. When the spell was complete, the fires died down, until all the magma had cooled to rock.

Miles above, in the fortress itself, the dwarves about the halls began to feel intense emotions. They felt sorrow, joy, pain, hate, ecstasy, and melancholy all at the same time. It was too much for any dwarf, even though many were vampires. They began to throw the furniture and engage in fistfights. Within minutes, metal weapons were drawn. It was brother pitted against brother in the dining hall.

This is turning out to be an awesome ending, and I am not using that term lightly. Oku vs. Uristador, Corley will probably fight Asmoth -- possibly Thikut as well, -- Shank is going to do something cool, I'm sure, and Emdief is going to return. On top of all that, the fortress is going insane!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 13, 2014, 10:34:20 pm
Uristador knew his assailant. That he was certain of. But where could he have seen this monstrous apparition before?
It didn't matter. Today was as good a day as any to die.
'Iron, eh?' He hefted his axe. The craftsdwarfship was exquisite; not even a king had a weapon this fine. Uristador would never stop wondering why fate had offered him it. 'Why don't ye come see what a real metal can do to yer knees, ye tall bastard. Ye might've thought yer home down there was hell. Common mistake to make, ye see, because Steelhold will make that seem like a bloody vacation.'
When he saw the slightest hesitation in the apparition's eyes, Uristador didn't bother to turn around. It was pretty obvious what would happen after he toppled the slab. He had never been made for leadership. The best choice he could make was to be led.
He didn't react as the vengeful spirit of Emdief entered his body. He had been ready to die for some time, now. He joined the voices of Steelhold's dead whispering in their champion's head. They never could get their hands on a saviour, but perhaps they'd find themselves an avenger.

The dwarf who had once been Uristador's eyes glazed over, and his face broke into a manic grin. Where he stood, a void grew as magic fled from his awful presence.
Well then. No mask, I see. Shame, that. I had explicit instructions from Modi to shove that down your throat.
Cackling madly, Emdief swung at the human's legs.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 13, 2014, 10:47:22 pm
Oku deflected the blow without thinking about it, swinging the other blade at the reborn Emdief's chest.  The dwarf jumped away from the blow, showing more agility than he had ever demonstrated in his previous two lifetimes.  Oku stepped back slashing one blade in an arc, sending a blast of shadows rippling over Emdief to no noticeable effect.

"Interesting.  Your magic resistance remains intact."

That's right, demon-woman.  No magic tricks for you.

Oku grinned, swinging both blades towards the dwarf, who was forced to duck one and parry the other.  Before Emdief could respond, her swords were back in defensive positions.

"Don't be so sure, little dwarf.  I can still crush you like a knat.  I have over two hundred years of combat experience.  What can you claim?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 13, 2014, 10:56:18 pm
The queen was still in her cage. Asmoth was wandering while she was thinking, which I probably should have been clearer about.

Asmoth put the queen back in her cage. The doctor was pretty sure she'd live, but a few nerve endings wouldn't be working again any time soon. She absent-mindedly licked some of the blood off her fingers, winced at the taste and wrote a reminded to test if it was nobles or other vampires that tasted so horrible. The screams in the air finally got through to her, but she decided it was probably some ruffians taking the opportunity to riot. She had to find Thikut before she did anything else, especially now that the fortress seemed to be glowing, shaking and... Bleeding? The doctor spat. Magic. All it did was get people blown up. Speaking of which...

"Mother?" Thikut said several minutes later. There were a couple of children with her that were normally covered in blood and smiling. Now they looked... like children. Scared and following the only person who looked like they knew what was going on.
"Thikut, I need you to do exactly what I tell you ok?" the girl nodded slowly. "Go north and stay at the first fortress you find. Spin them the old 'my home is overrun and I can't find my mommy' story. DO NOT KILL ANYONE. If I'm not there in a year, find somewhere you can start a cult of the vampire baby or something, and restart the Project. My notes are all here," she added, handing the child her journal.
"But what about you?" her daughter asked.
"Well, first I'm going to finish setting up these flasks. Then I'm going to have a family reunion, and if I don't like what your cousin is doing, I'm going to give him a slap," Asmoth grinned, raising the queen's severed arm. "If he kills me, these should catch fire in an hour or two, causing that big old pile of booze I've been making to explode, which should put a dint in anyone's plans."

Thikut nodded, wiping something away from her eye as she did. Asmoth watched them go, then headed into the madness that was Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 13, 2014, 10:57:04 pm
Ignore this, I seem to have double posted.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 13, 2014, 11:10:18 pm
Corley calmly took a stroll around Steelhold. Everywhere he looked, dwarves were murdering each other. They sliced, stabbed, and mauled those that were once friends and family, occasionally taking strikes at themselves as well. What little reason was left in any of them was shocked to find that they were lasting much longer than they would normally. In fact, many had lost several limbs and had their intestines pulled out, but they were not dying. They continued to fight, and it seemed as if their injuries were healing during the rare moments when they were not in combat.

Eventually, Corley came to his destination: the tombs. Not even this dark, secluded area would be spared the insanity of the fort. His face twisted into a smirk, as he saw the corpses convulse and flop out of their caskets and onto the floor. Their faces showed terrible pain, as twisted souls of vampires and demons alike entered their bodies. Each one began to grow large fangs, like those found on vampires. These, however, were not vampires, but an even worse king of monster; before long, the dwarves fighting in the upper levels would become like them as well.

Corley exited the chambers, content that all was going according to plan. He had just one final destination, then he would leave Steelhold forever. He had to make one final trip to his father's lab.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 13, 2014, 11:21:55 pm
Boots thundered down the stairwell. Dwarves ran down the steps, barrels of food and booze in hand, Shank holding up the rear.

"Quickly, through here!"

The dwarves scrambled through a doorway, into a section of the fortress that hadn't seen use in some time. They passed the old barracks, then through the abandoned archery range, around the execution pit and into the gulag. First built by Rhaken to house goblin POWs until their execution, the many chains in the room now held more exotic prisoners. A mantis woman, a thrips man and a family of albatross people, shrieking and cawing at the dwarves that had barged into their prison. Shank directed them through the massive lead door at the back of the room, into a long hallway of side-rooms and row upon row of restraints.

"Are you sure it's safe here?"

"As safe as can be for now," Shank told the dwarf. "There are several doors between us and them. If the demons come around, I'll hold them off."

The refugees began to settle in as Shank went to secure the doors, setting down the food and unpacking what meager belongings they had managed to bring with them. The royal guard had come to them promising safety, and they had all followed his instructions. Now, a great drowsiness came over them, a weariness in the bones that demanded them to rest. Within minutes, not a single dwarf stirred in the old POW camp. Not even when Shank put them in irons, one by one, chuckling and talking to himself as he went.

"Segregation, that's what we needed, oh yes. The mask was right, of course. I can't believe I didn't figure it out earlier." he wrapped chains around a dwarf's wrists. "Separate the mortals from the immortals! Brilliant. Simply brilliant. The chief would have been proud of me."

He tied chains around a child's legs. "Too bad I couldn't get them all. At least this lot wasn't hitting each other over the head just yet. It wouldn't do to lose them now, oh no. We're going to need every mortal we can get."

His work done, Shank dusted himself down, then helped himself to a quart of blood from a nearby fisherdwarf. A bit saltier than he liked it. He fished out out the golden mask from his backpack. Twirling it this way and that in his hands, the spymaster assessed the bound dwarves in front of him.

"Hrm. Two breeding pairs and a calf. I'd hoped for more, but that will have to do."

Time dragged on, and his cattle began to awaken. Finally struck by the madness that had gripped the fortress, they began to scream and thrash, trying to claw at themselves, at each other, but kept from any such foolishness by their restraints. Shank felt more than heard the heartbeat of the one leaving the cage stockpiles in the other room. The unnatural rhythm of a vampire, one that Shank recognized. Asmoth was finally done with Kivish. If the mad doctor tried to barge in on him, she would find the door locked and bolted.

Once she was gone, Shank stepped outside, toward the cages. Following the trail of fresh blood, he reached his prize.


"Kivish."

Asmoth had done quite a number on the queen. Though her wounds were beginning to close, Shank could see the monarch's liver. Her entire right arm was gone. Her skin had been flayed, peeled apart with surgical precision, and was even now in the process of knitting itself back together, crawling over Kivish's exposed flesh like taupe slugs trailing blood. Her left eye had burst, and was now sluicing back into its socket, trying to return to its correct shape but not quite managing.

She looked up at him.
"Shank... blood. I must have blood."

"Thy will be done."

Shank dragged the queen of the realm into the new cattle pen, directed her to the howling carpenter. The scent of circulating blood flooded Kivish's mind. She began to pant, mouth gaping so wide it tore slightly at the corners.

"No killing," Shank admonished. "We only have two breeding pairs."

Kivish sank her fangs into the carpenter's thigh. She began to feed. More screams all around, from the carpenter, from the other cattle, even from Shank. Because why the hell not, he figured. Everyone else is doing it.

He pulled the queen away before she could kill her victim. The fresh blood triggered her regeneration, and within minutes she looked presentable again.


"So. This is all we have?" She eyed the wretched dwarves, disappointed at how few had been salvaged from the madness.

"They are the only ones the mask could save," Shank offered. "The others will succumb to your rule, once the madness is done taking hold. Corley did well."

"Our rule, Shank," Kivish corrected, putting her one remaining hand on his shoulder. "Our rule."

The two vampires kissed like lovers lost in passion. Then they began to bite one another, savagely, without restraint, cackling in pleasure. They wouldn't kill each other. They were just having some fun.

In the depths of Steelhold, the dead stirred. Their shrieks held pain, rage, and most disturbing of all, triumph.

The King and Queen of Steelhold danced to the music of the dead.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 14, 2014, 12:06:12 am
That was messed up, and that's why it's so fitting to this story. I think that we should leave the two alive.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 14, 2014, 08:03:01 am
That was messed up, and that's why it's so fitting to this story. I think that we should leave the two alive.

On the other hand, Emdief should die, because we need at least one character who fills at least some heroic tropes. Preferably in killing/wounding someone, but he/she should die. Heck, if he/she were to die killing Oku, that'd be a pretty good way to end the character ark. Especially since neither of them seem especially likely to stay dead.
Although, potentially better plan: Is there some way to sacrifice Emdief seal Steelhold off from the surface temporarily? Off course the vamps are going to break out eventually, and the dwarves are going to have to flee, but that'd be a pretty decent way to go. By what mechanism, though? It'd probably have to be some form of magical barrier.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 14, 2014, 08:42:26 am
You know, I think a single race wouldn't be capable of representing the blight Steelhold has unleashed. Even right now there's Shank and the queen's farming (babysnatchers?), whatever Oku's been doing outside, whoever wins between her and Emdief, Corley's plan and whatever Thikut does.

Asmoth idly watched a pair of maddened vampires. Their fangs were longer than before, perhaps, and she was nearly certain that their eyes hadn't been glowing red. Another dwarf dived into the fight, dragging one of the combatants away with him. The other immediately turned, charging at the doctor as though he'd known she was there all along. Asmoth jumped away, which seemed to surprise him. He crashed into a wall, and Asmoth rammed a knife into his eye as he staggered back. He collapsed, but his eye repaired as soon as she took the knife out, so she could only assume his brain was healing too.

"It could have been great, you know," Asmoth told him as she turned him over. "No magic, no demons, no queen. Just us, working together. The world could have been ours." The dwarf was groaning, but stopped once she severed his spinal cord. She left the knife in this time.

"You know, it's times like this that I wish I'd studied combat more," she told the paralyzed dwarf. "On the other hand, killing him won't give me any answers, so I might as well ask him nicely." She pushed to her feet, leaving her attacker behind and walked to her old office. Corley would want to be somewhere significant for his endgame, she thought, looking at the cracks in the ceiling. It was funny, they soothed the walls and floors, but never the ceiling. And it was covered in fissures, especially where the vents had gone on fire...

She thought for a moment. She had perhaps forty minutes before the explosion, plenty of time to check on the machine, barricade the room if he wasn't there yet and get out. She could probably even check the baron's old rooms, and his tomb was outside, so there was no time limit on that. Asmoth sighed and left, following the cracks.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 14, 2014, 05:45:42 pm
That was messed up, and that's why it's so fitting to this story. I think that we should leave the two alive.

On the other hand, Emdief should die, because we need at least one character who fills at least some heroic tropes. Preferably in killing/wounding someone, but he/she should die. Heck, if he/she were to die killing Oku, that'd be a pretty good way to end the character ark. Especially since neither of them seem especially likely to stay dead.
Although, potentially better plan: Is there some way to sacrifice Emdief seal Steelhold off from the surface temporarily? Off course the vamps are going to break out eventually, and the dwarves are going to have to flee, but that'd be a pretty decent way to go. By what mechanism, though? It'd probably have to be some form of magical barrier.

I can think of a few things.

Emdief is known to have fiddled with the machinery in Lenehan's lab. What if he rigged the whole thing to collapse if activated, in antecipation of whatever Corley came up with? Given the structural weakness of the fort, that collapse could cause the entrance to cave-in, probably burying the place for some time.

Another option is a tsunami flooding most of the fort, triggered by an earthquake off the coast (probably because all the crap that's been going on, or divine intervention, or what have you). This would lock Steelhold down for some time, and it wouldn't even drain through the caverns due to our resident magma flood - it would just solidify into an obsidian plug.

Regardless of how we do this, the escapees would take this time to warn any and all of what happened, and prepare an exodus across the ocean. Those that take the route to the New World will have escaped the horrors of Steelhold for some time. Of course, once said horrors are done conquering the old world, they will turn their eyes to the new. We can either start as settlers in the early years of the migration, and thus know little about the Bloodkin, or start very late in history, representing an oppressed people struggling to survive against a known colossal threat. I would prefer the latter.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 14, 2014, 06:22:47 pm
Well, Asmoth already has a lot of the fortress' booze rigged to explode, so if you're looking to flood the fortress via heroic sacrifice, Emdief could simply move the bomb towards the ocean walls instead of the entrance but not be able to get away before they explode, or even hold someone else there until it explodes. Of course, that would require him finishing with Oku, finding the bomb and understanding its design, but ghosts probably know stuff.

Also, an idea regarding the Bloodkin: what if we gave them a second brain in their torso? It'd make them harder to kill (and a hell of a lot more terrifying if you decapitate them and they keep trying to kill you) plus it seems like the kind of alteration Asmoth might make if she ends up allied with/forced into servitude by Corley.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 14, 2014, 08:47:56 pm
Emdief dodged and weaved, but every strike he attempted was knocked aside before it began.  He had to admit, Oku had become a fearsome fighter over the centuries.  Despite Modi yelling advice at him, he still couldn't land a hit.

Suddenly, Oku hesitated, as if distracted.  Seeing his chance, Emdief lept in to strike...

Faster than he could have thought possible, Oku whipped both of her blades around, slamming the flats against his chest.  He was aloft before he knew what hit him, slamming into the wall on the far side of the room.

Pain washed over him, threatening to overwhelm his consciousness.  He fought against it, struggling to rise, but it hurt too much.  Through a haze of pain, he heard Oku speak,

"Think long and hard on this, little one.  Remember this the next time you cross me."

By the time he managed to stand, Oku was long gone.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 14, 2014, 10:09:53 pm
What if we have a large siege and they get in then we blow up the booze bomb taking out the siege and most of the fort? Like a self destruction thing that asmuth planned just in case
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 14, 2014, 10:26:34 pm
It wouldn't really fit in with the plot written thus far. Plus it would imply that Asmoth actually plans things rather than reacting on the spur of the moment.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 15, 2014, 01:17:32 am
As for sieges, I think that the general of the Dwarven civilization should mount a large siege once he is aware of the danger. Naturally, he and his entire army would be destroyed by the surviving bloodkin, with a few survivors for breeding, of course.

Corley took the two scrolls from his old desk. Dust and rubble from all the quaking left them slightly dirty, though a quick brush from his hands cleaned them up slightly. He then tucked them into the decorated blue long-coat hanging from a hook on the side of the wall, in which he then clothed himself. With the matching cap he placed upon his head, he looked just like an outpost liaison.

Corley walked up to the old glass machine, little more than a pile of broken pieces now, and removed the green grate in back. By doing so, he exposed the dark, burned vents that lead about the fortress. He knew that if he followed the tunnels carefully, he would escape through the caverns below, thus avoiding the Hell that was the upper-levels entirely. As he began to enter through the passageway, he heard the noise of footsteps coming towards the lab; these were footsteps that he recognized well. He turned around to see Asmoth emerge from the entrance.

"Grandaunt," he began, "What is your business here?"

"Answer me Corley," Asmoth replied, "What is it exactly that you are planning!"

Corley leaned against a wall and took a breath.

"I am going to exact revenge on all of Elvenkind!"

"Elves!"

"Precisely. They were the creatures that drove my father mad and sentenced our family to this Hell. It is only fitting that each one on this continent is killed. Years ago, I attempted -- though constant training and the breach of Hell itself -- to breed a soldier capable of using an adamantine arsenal to annihilate all elves. This project was a total failure, but it made me realize the necessity in strength of numbers. These powered-up vampires will ravage the island; no stone will be left un-turned!

"Grandaunt, leave this place now. The spell is nearing its final phase, and by that point its effects will be too potent even for you or me. These monsters have no sanity left, they are but mindless killing machines. Soon, they will bear no physical resemblance to an ordinary dwarf, for the healing processes that are a side-effect of the spell leave disfiguring scars after such fighting as they are taking part in. Leave, don't let your daughter and yourself be subject to such a fate. Find a new laboratory; build it in the ruins of this fortress after this is all over for all I care! We're immortal, we have an eternity to work with."

Corley drew a steel short-sword from within his coat. He wasn't very good, but he did have minor military experience from his days as "James;" Asmoth had almost none.

"If you would rather a fight, though, have at you!"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 15, 2014, 07:54:12 am
Asmoth hesitated. She was almost certain that Corley was insane if he thought that these mutants would only attack elves. The humans would be wiped out too, and any dwarf fortresses that couldn't hold a siege. Probably the goblins as well, but they didn't count. And yet...

"You should have come to me. There were so many other opportunities for improvements. Can these things even be commanded without magic?" Asmoth asked, sighing as Corley remained impassive. "If not, consider the benefit of them being intelligent. You don't want them falling into simple traps just out of bloodlust, right? All I'm asking for is five years. Keep them contained here, then head north to the first fortress flying a red and black flag."
"There are no fortresses with those colours."
"Not yet," Asmoth grinned. "You saw what I did in one year, think what I could do in five! You won't have a horde any more, you'll have an army, enough to sweep the entire world!"
"So what is in it for you?" asked Corley warily. Asmoth shrugged.
"Nothing, I suppose, except getting to watch the survival of the fittest in progress. Come, nephew. As you said, we have eternity. What's five more years?"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 15, 2014, 08:59:18 am
Emdief staggered through Steelhold. How could he have let that thing get away? The voices in his head were oddly quiet. Ominously quiet.
Almost subconsciously, he walked back to his office and retrieved his gear. It seemed so simple. He had to have a purpose, having been sent back again. The current state of the fortress could be traced back to the Masked One. Had Asmoth self taught magic? Had Corley really decided alone to dig so far down, despite already having adequate stocks of adamantine? Inconceivable. It all came back to the Masked One. It had to die.
Retrieving his crossbow, Emdief set down to work. These hands were rather nimble. In no time, he'd detatched the arrowhead and replaced it with a broad, sharpened Wood Opal. He grabbed a vial of Lenehan's substance, diluted it with forbidden beast extract, and lathered it onto the point. Then he wound his crossbow.
It was time to resume the hunt.



EDIT: Wiki's coming along nicely. We should probably consider how we're tying together the various death throes of the fort into a single climax and ending.

Here's what's happening as I understand it:
-Okul's doing some mysterious task for her gods.
-Emdief is hunting her throughout the fort. (Note: Actually, having him fail horribly will be OK with me so long as he gets to utter something badass along the lines of "I'll be back and will h(a)unt you forever")
-Corley and Asmoth are fighting.
-Thikut is supposed to be fleeing the fort. Idk is this is actually going on or not, because I don't even know if Thikut is real or a figment of Asmoth's imagination.
-Shank and the Queen have sealed themselves off somewhere with living cattle. Note: They can probably be left to their own devices and left with that as their ending.

Soooo... merging these various occurrences? Any ideas? Any way to merge the current 'evil vampire horde' (Asmoth, Shank/Brasswords, Corley) into a single cohesive unit? I'd kind of prefer Asmoth survives because the Bloodkin have a LOT of mutating to do.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 15, 2014, 01:35:42 pm
Corley's grip on his sword quivered. He knew that his grandaunt was right; she could have great benefits to his causes. But he was also very suspicious of her, for he knew that she was quite crafty, as well as self-preserving. Also, what could she possibly be referring to regarding that flag? Corley didn't know, but he feared the potential answer. He raised his sword once more.

"I don't believe you!" he shouted, "I know that you just want these creatures for yourself! I already have hundreds of fearless, bloodthirsty, wild creatures to fulfill this. If you want to them for your experiments, you'll have to fight me."

With that, he lunged at Asmoth.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 15, 2014, 04:09:50 pm
Asmoth jumped back, swearing. Corley brought the sword around in an overhead slash, then a strike at the knees, then reeled back as Kivish's hand caught him across the temple. He brought the sword up snarling, slicing the royal arm apart as the doctor tried to hit him with it again. Weaponless, the doctor retreated under a flurry of blows. She hissed in pain as her forehead was cut apart. Her back slammed into a wall, then Corley's sword went through her chest with a sickening crunch. Her nephew's snort of contempt was even louder than the agony.

There was a moment's pause, then Asmoth grabbed the blade's hilt and kicked Corley in the fork of the legs. The doctor staggered towards the door after he slumped to the ground, picking up a piece of Lenehan's machine in case he tried to stop her. She slammed the door on whatever her nephew was trying to say, then collapsed against it, feeling where the sword came in and out of her body. Definitely a punctured lung and she couldn't lift her right arm properly, but the heart was fine and she didn't need to breathe anyway. Through the fog of pain, her mind tried to arrange itself. First, she had to find Thikut. No, first she should grab the dwarf she'd left paralysed, then she should get out, then she could find Thikut. Before Corley stabbed her again. Weaving slightly, she set out, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

*

"Dwarf child!" Cacame shouted. "Why are you so far from home?"
The child paused and for a moment, Cacame got the disturbing feeling that she was watching his jugular, but then she burst into tears.
"Mommy said that bad things were coming, and we should run,"she said between sobs. "She said the elves might take us to a nearby fortress because they're so kind. They might even be nice enough to take this gold that we took before leaving and can't carry any further."
One of the other merchants leaned across, whispering, "We're going to Gemtown anyway, might as well drop 'em off." Cacame nodded and helped the children up.
"What's your name?"
"Thikut"
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on February 15, 2014, 04:34:38 pm
Asmoth jumped back, swearing. Corley brought the sword around in an overhead slash, then a strike at the knees, then reeled back as Kivish's hand caught him across the temple. He brought the sword up snarling, slicing the royal arm apart as the doctor tried to hit him with it again.
Where did Kivish come from?

Also, how much time does Corley have until the bomb detonates?

Corley relaxed as Asmoth retreated from the chambers. He knew that she would survive the injuries, being a vampire, but even she would be hard-pressed to escape in her condition. She would either die in combat or turn into a monster herself. Corley had won, and he was proud. He made his way to the vent once more, entered it, and sealed it again with the grate. He held out his palm and conjured a small flame in it to light his way; his abilities were little from lack of experience, and his demon spell was rapidly draining the magical energies from the fortress, but he could still maintain such a small charm.

After traveling for a while, Corley came to a turn. Right as he approached it, he felt an intense warmth, and instinctively jumped back as a jet of flame emerged from the corner. Corley carefully crept around, dagger at the ready, and beheld a horrifying sight. It was a dwarf, heavily affected by the spell. He had an iron hook for one hand and a metal crutch to support his one leg. He was on fire, perpetually burning and not dying to to the regeneration processes keeping his bodily functions, fat, and oils intact. His skin was burned in the third-degree, and his teeth were fully exposed due to a lack of lips. He left a trail of dripping blood wherever he went; he laughed and cried in joyous agony. As he saw his new prey, he tilted his head upwards and laughed madly, causing the fire to shoot up to the ceiling.

Corley could hardly recognize this creature, but he knew of only one that would turn to the fires if pushed beyond the brink of insanity. He was face-to-face with the last of the original prisoners of Steelhold: FireCrazy, the Mine Saboteur.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 15, 2014, 05:11:41 pm
Oku stalked through the fortress, searching for the mask.  "That must be what the gods sent me back for," she mused.

Rounding the corner, she came across the fortress in chaos.  Dwarves fought dwarves, madly scratching and biting one another.  She spat contemptuously, walking without fear through the middle of the melee.

"And just where do you think you are going?"

Oku whirled around, coming face to face with a dwarf she did not recognize.  The voice, though... that was the voice of Modi.

"Welcome to your own personal hell, traitor."

Around Oku, three other dwarves stopped fighting each other, turning towards Oku.  A glance into the spirit realm revealed them to be Jackal, Rhaken, and Lorius Zane.

"You shouldn't be here." Oku proclaimed, weaving magic into the words, "begone."

Lorius smiled, "you see, we have permission from Armok to be here, to wreak his vengeance.  You're the only one going anywhere."

With that, all four dwarves launched themselves forward, armor and weapons appearing around them.




Oku was tiring.  Individually, she could have beaten any of these dwarves, but something was draining the magic in the fortress, making it harder to keep channeling power into her attacks.  As fast as she was, her assailants were faster.  Were it not for her armor, she would have been struck down long ago, but nothing short of a magical attack could pierce infernal steel.  Her swords cut through their armor like butter, but every time she struck one down they simply possessed another body.



MDF, go ahead and describe finding me and hitting me with the arrow.  Can I describe my death, though?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 15, 2014, 05:35:10 pm
Go ahead. Your character, your ending.  :D



Oku stood panting on a mound of what once could have been recognized as dwarves. The phantoms had vanished as suddenly as they appeared. But why? There were still plenty of bodies. Why did they stop?
Muttering a quick praise to her gods, Oku strode off the mound and towards the shadows at the room's edge. She dove towards them... and stumbled when the shadows failed to open her a path.
Then she realized: there was no magic in this room. None at all. And that could only mean one thing.
Just in time she spun, parrying Emdief's blow with enough force to send him staggering back. That fool. He should have known to quit by now. Striking with both blades, Oku moved in for the kill. She would remove this annoyance once and for all.
Again and again she swung, forcing the dwarf back. The dwarf was better than he should have been, by rights, but nothing in comparison to her. She stabbed, bringing her other blade in an ark. He would be caught between the two and crushed like an insect.

Her eyes widened as he threw himself onto her first thrust. Emdief brought up his axe and in one fluid motion broke her other blade in half. Oku attempted to draw back her remaining blade, but that
thing caught her by the wrist and pulled, further impaling himself. All the while, his expression didn't change.
She tried to maintain her facade of contempt. It was far from over yet.
'What is it that you want, puny dwarf?'
Oh, just for you to complete your task. Your gods wouldn't have told you why you were sent back, would they? Oh, but I know. You're their herald. Their messanger. So take a message. Tell them that no matter how long it takes, they'll be repaid. And what happened to their children... that will seem like mercy.He pucked an arrow from his side and thrust it into her chest.

Uristador's lifeless body slid off Oku's blade and fell to the ground.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 15, 2014, 06:37:28 pm
EDIT: Wiki's coming along nicely. We should probably consider how we're tying together the various death throes of the fort into a single climax and ending.

Here's what's happening as I understand it:
-Okul's doing some mysterious task for her gods.
-Emdief is hunting her throughout the fort. (Note: Actually, having him fail horribly will be OK with me so long as he gets to utter something badass along the lines of "I'll be back and will h(a)unt you forever")
-Corley and Asmoth are fighting.
-Thikut is supposed to be fleeing the fort. Idk is this is actually going on or not, because I don't even know if Thikut is real or a figment of Asmoth's imagination.
-Shank and the Queen have sealed themselves off somewhere with living cattle. Note: They can probably be left to their own devices and left with that as their ending.

Soooo... merging these various occurrences? Any ideas? Any way to merge the current 'evil vampire horde' (Asmoth, Shank/Brasswords, Corley) into a single cohesive unit? I'd kind of prefer Asmoth survives because the Bloodkin have a LOT of mutating to do.
I have already begun to merge the parts together to form a cohesive narrative, just as I did for the "Day of Reckoning," complete with my (in)famous MSpaint drawings. As for the "evil vampire horde," I intended that the spell is turning everyone into the bloodkin, albeit without that name mentioned, for I assume it would be coined later. Rhaken and the queen are transforming and have gone insane with a supply of non-turned dwarves on which they'll feed. The rest of the dwarves in the fortress are fighting amongst themselves, attaining injuries and deforming scars as they do. Also, Corley is fighting FireCrazy because I feel that the last of the founders should have a fittingly-awesome conclusion, and to keep him busy so he'll have less time before Asmoth's bomb detonates.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 15, 2014, 07:03:31 pm
Gnorm: Asmoth cut off Kivish's right arm when she visited her. There'd probably be about twenty minutes left before the booze blows, but it's only positioned to cave in the entrance unless someone moves it, so it probably wouldn't affect Corley.

Asmoth sighed in relief as she finally spotted daylight, but it was outweighed by the problems she was counting. She'd cut some samples off any dwarves she could, reasoning that they wouldn't make great travelling companions at the moment, but now her pockets were uncomfortably damp. There was a sword lodged in her chest, and she was pretty certain that she couldn't take it out yet without dying of blood loss. The wound was going to get infected in the desert heat since she couldn't treat it with only one working arm and she couldn't ask any trade caravans for help, since they'd ask stupid questions like how she was still alive. And to top it all off, she had a splitting headache, which probably meant Corley's magic was going to drive her insane if she stopped fighting it, but at least she didn't need sleep, so it couldn't get in that way.

She paused for a moment to check her flasks, which had started steaming and then ran into the light. Outside the fortress, the doctor leaned against a wall, holding her head in her left hand. She was just going to have to find Thikut. Tomorrow, she'd start a fire, pull out the sword and treat her wounds as best she could. Until then, Asmoth would walk north. There wasn't really anywhere else to go.

The doctor idly searched the pockets she had that weren't damp with miscellaneous liquids as she walked, laughing quietly as she pulled out that damned medallion. She'd been a prisoner nearly as long as she could remember over that piece of metal, but it seemed wrong to just throw it away after having it so long. Asmoth smiled as she held the gold up in the sunlight, admiring it in the same way she had all those years ago. Then she travelled north, to freedom.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 16, 2014, 05:03:18 am
...So uh, folks. I've been poking around in the save.

Rhaken's oldest surviving son is in Steelhold. He's having his strange mood. Also, Rhaken and Onul had a daughter in 258, who died in 259 - to a goblin called Dang Crueldungeon.

Dang Crueldungeon.

I did NOT see that coming.

His daughters came with him, and died in quite the interesting ways. Which I won't be revealing yet.

Fortunately, this aligns more or less perfectly with a wee story I've been writing.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 16, 2014, 08:21:40 am
DANG CRUELDUNGEON



Alright, I got planning for Hellhole going on. I'm not going to post the thread until 4Maskwolf's done or this thread's story is wrapped up. I'm feeling a more classical, military focused fort next time around - although don't worry, there'll still be plenty of room for sociopathy and scheming if you still want to. Although I'd aim for less of a Steelhold clone (note: attempting to run a fort like Steelhold results in horrible abominations) and more of a spiritual successor. Well, a successor with as many of you beautiful bastards as possible and the same plot-emphasis.

Anyway, I'll be carrying over the turn order. So if you're on the list now, you'll be getting a turn. If you don't want a turn, tell me!

... and don't talk to me about the PDF. Life is busy. Make your own PDF.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 16, 2014, 06:48:24 pm
Would the dwarfs in the next fort have any proper knowledge about Steelhold, or will it be more of a holy crap, there's vampire demons attacking us vibe?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 16, 2014, 06:49:19 pm
[double post]
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 16, 2014, 07:13:06 pm
I'd think they'd know of it... in sort of a 'that's where Satan and Hitler moved after their marriage' kind of way. Not a ton of specifics - more of a highly distorted legend that is used to women, children, men and pets wet themselves/an object of extreme hatred.
So, I'd say go ahead and make references if you must, but distort it. And remember that very few people saw Steelhold and lived to tell the tale without ending up horrible vampire mutant demons.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 16, 2014, 07:56:13 pm
I'd think they'd know of it... in sort of a 'that's where Satan and Hitler moved after their marriage' kind of way. Not a ton of specifics - more of a highly distorted legend that is used to women, children, men and pets wet themselves/an object of extreme hatred.
So, I'd say go ahead and make references if you must, but distort it. And remember that very few people saw Steelhold and lived to tell the tale without ending up horrible vampire mutant demons.
Have you modded the shapes-files to make our heroic characters (i.e. Jackal, Modi, and Rhaken) hero-gods of Dwarfkind?

EDIT: As for turns, I'd prefer to let the fort pick up a little steam before I hop in. Put me on the third turn, would you kindly?

Corley ran fast through the vents to escape the flaming monster. He knew that he could not possibly get in close enough to fight FireCrazy, for his dagger — unlike his steel sword – was made of iron, and would melt. In pursuit, the fiery-dwarf ran after him, laughing playfully and breathing clouds of fire and his target. Corley paid no attention to where he was running, and he soon found himself lost in the tunnels.

Corley eventually came to a dead end. Directly above him was a wooden grate, leading into the dining room, where the exhausted vampires, all covered in their terrible scars, lay resting and moaning. As far as he could reach, Corley could not manage to reach the grate to remove it and pull himself up. As FireCrazy’s footsteps began to grow louder, Corley felt a sudden realization that he was doomed to die. Was it that he had defied the will of the gods, and that he would the terrible retribution of such a crime? Corley began to fear that this was the truth.

But once FireCrazy’s form became visible to him, something completely unexpected occurred. A great explosion was heard, causing the entire fortress to shake and knocking both the dwarves off of their feet. More cracks began to form in the tunnels, and a section of the wall gave in, allowing the seawater to drench the burning dwarf completely. FireCrazy’s flames disappeared, and his body was soon wracked with the even greater pain of the salt on his wounds. Corley’s opinion on the gods’ will changed, and he felt that he had been given the chance he needed. Trudging through the water as quickly as he could, he went up to FireCrazy and sliced into his chest, severing a major coronary-artery. He then threw down his dagger and ran deeper into the tunnels.

Corley was drenched, tired, and scared, but he was alive. Finally, he came up to the wall-grate leading to the caverns. With a great push, the grate came loose and fell into the water far below. It was a great drop, but Corley was a vampire; he knew that he would survive. He leapt out of the tunnels and plunged into the waters below. The young vampire then swam far away from cursed fortress known as “Steelhold.”
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 16, 2014, 09:28:30 pm
Oku fell to her knees, clutching the arrow in her side.  She screamed a silent scream, and the fortress shook beneath her.  Beneath the forges, magma began bubbling upwards, higher and higher, engulfing the lower levels of the fortress.  She slumped to the ground as the entire fortress began to shake, a low rumbling coming from the ground as the earth itself was torn asunder.  The magma burst upwards with a spire of rock, bursting straight through the center of Steelhold.  Finally, a scream escaped her mouth, and the magma surged upwards to engulf her.  As the magma touched her, the fortress itself crumbled, falling down into the magma sea.  Lava burst forth onto the surface, shooting hundreds of feet into the air.  Clouds of ash covered the landscape, the ocean around the fortress crystalizing into obsidian.  The magma was relentless, consuming everything it touched.

Then, finally, it was over.  With a last eruption, the remains of Steelhold collapsed under the pressure, leaving behind an immense crater of obsidian.  Where once the mountainhome had stood, there remained nothing.

As the years went by, twisted trees grew up around the site of the fortress, as if nature itself wanted to cover the catastrophe that had happened here.  Steelhold fell into dwarven legend as a word synonymous with death and destruction.  The figures of Steelhold became legends, its greatest heroes were revered as being almost divine.  Generals prayed to Rhaken for the cleverness they would need to win, soldiers to Modi for strength in battle.  Jackal was revered as a demigod, a symbol of all that a dwarf should strive for.  And Emdief... Emdief was believed to be a god, who bravely fought the demon lord Oku in battle, with the assistance of the other god-champions.  The exact identity of the god was uncertain: some thought said this god, others said that, some said he was a god in his own right, a member of the divine pantheon that had been unknown until that point.  A few said he was nothing less than Armok incarnate, the butcher himself gracing the fortress with his presence.

And the villains of Steelhold?  They became reviled as demons, creatures of pure darkness.  Asmoth, Corley, Lenehan, Shank: all of them consigned, in the minds of dwarvenkind, to the deepest pits of hell for all eternity.

As time went on, and the truth became blurred into fiction, some parts of the fortress's history fell out of the history books entirely.  The FractalEntity was only remembered by a few, and those who knew of him believed him to be a foreign god, one of dwarven nor demonic nature.  The Day of Reckoning became lost to time, and Lenehan was accused of far worse crimes.  The last days of Steelhold were a titanic clash of gods and demons, leveling the ground around the fortress and melting it into magma.

Thus ended the history of Steelhold.  Or at least so it was thought...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 16, 2014, 09:29:49 pm
Oku fell to her knees, clutching the arrow in her side.  She screamed a silent scream, and the fortress shook beneath her.  Beneath the forges, magma began bubbling upwards, higher and higher, engulfing the lower levels of the fortress.  She slumped to the ground as the entire fortress began to shake, a low rumbling coming from the ground as the earth itself was torn asunder.  The magma burst upwards with a spire of rock, bursting straight through the center of Steelhold.  Finally, a scream escaped her mouth, and the magma surged upwards to engulf her.  As the magma touched her, the fortress itself crumbled, falling down into the magma sea.  Lava burst forth onto the surface, shooting hundreds of feet into the air.  Clouds of ash covered the landscape, the ocean around the fortress crystalizing into obsidian.  The magma was relentless, consuming everything it touched.

Then, finally, it was over.  With a last eruption, the remains of Steelhold collapsed under the pressure, leaving behind an immense crater of obsidian.  Where once the mountainhome had stood, there remained nothing.

As the years went by, twisted trees grew up around the site of the fortress, as if nature itself wanted to cover the catastrophe that had happened here.  Steelhold fell into dwarven legend as a word synonymous with death and destruction.  The figures of Steelhold became legends, its greatest heroes were revered as being almost divine.  Generals prayed to Rhaken for the cleverness they would need to win, soldiers to Modi for strength in battle.  Jackal was revered as a demigod, a symbol of all that a dwarf should strive for.  And Emdief... Emdief was believed to be a god, who bravely fought the demon lord Oku in battle, with the assistance of the other god-champions.  The exact identity of the god was uncertain: some thought said this god, others said that, some said he was a god in his own right, a member of the divine pantheon that had been unknown until that point.  A few said he was nothing less than Armok incarnate, the butcher himself gracing the fortress with his presence.

And the villains of Steelhold?  They became reviled as demons, creatures of pure darkness.  Asmoth, Corley, Lenehan, Shank: all of them consigned, in the minds of dwarvenkind, to the deepest pits of hell for all eternity.

As time went on, and the truth became blurred into fiction, some parts of the fortress's history fell out of the history books entirely.  The FractalEntity was only remembered by a few, and those who knew of him believed him to be a foreign god, one of dwarven nor demonic nature.  The Day of Reckoning became lost to time, and Lenehan was accused of far worse crimes.  The last days of Steelhold were a titanic clash of gods and demons, leveling the ground around the fortress and melting it into magma.

Thus ended the history of Steelhold.  Or at least so it was thought...
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 16, 2014, 10:06:09 pm
I am writing an epilogue of sorts as we speak. Watch for Part 1, Wherein The End of the Valiant Is Told.

Part 2 should be about the aftermath, years after the end of Steelhold. Though I am not at ease to write that until we reach a consensus on what the aftermath is. My money's still on sailing to the New World(gen).
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 16, 2014, 10:35:28 pm
I'd say the sailing to the New World happens. Because the Old World spontaneously becomes a twilight convention at some point in the future.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 16, 2014, 10:59:17 pm
Please wait until I post the ending before you post the epilogues, for easy reading's sake. I think that General Earthgrowl from the original prologue should make an appearance in the epilogue, just to give him a bit more character.

EDIT: I'm going to post the ending first, then edit in the pictures later.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 12:30:07 am
Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes
I.

The fortress was already in shambles. The dwarves went about their daily lives, doing no work and contributing absolutely nothing to the already crumbling fortress in which they lived. Nevertheless, the old penal colony still maintained some vague semblance of order within its halls and it seemed as if their society would simply make a gradual disappearance. The future, however, is often unpredictable, and not all fortresses are as they seem.

The year two-hundred-sixty-two had just begun when one member of society decided that there was no further need for the continuing existence of Steelhold. He did, after all, have more important matters to attend to, and Steelhold was just a single step in his master plan; therefore, he decided that he would move on to his next step. Making his way down to the lowest depths of the fortress, he proceeded down a flight of stairs which lead right through a tunnel of warm, blue ore. He found himself in an impressive structure composed of silver—comfortable in decoration, though comfort was not his goal in this instance.

He trod quietly past the bedchambers of Dr. Asmoth, who had made a home for Thikut, her daughter, and herself in this place. As he passed, he could hear the doctor holding a conversation with the young girl.

"Mother, I can catch him within a month! I don't need to sleep, and the desert will slow him down. Think of how far he put up back!" Thikut shouted.

"No, child. You think. You have no way of knowing where Kairus went, and if someone else finds you, a child travelling alone through a desert is going to raise questions! Just- Did you hear that?"

The dwarf did not waste any more time eavesdropping, but proceeded on with his goal. He came up to a great drawbridge, and with a mighty push, managed to let it fall down before him, opening the fortress to the world of the demons.

The dwarf stepped out of the tower and called out into the darkness: "Brothers! The moment of our triumph is nearing fast!"

The dwarf stepped into the light of the fires, allowing himself to be seen by the many eyes of the damned. He was a young dwarf, though he stood tall and had an aura of nobility to him. As the devils bagan to gather, he swept a bow and removed his hat. "I must introduce myself now. My name is James Joyce Esq. -- also known as 'Corley.'"

Asmoth, faintly hearing the noise, eased open the door of her bedroom, peering down the corridor. There was a familiar silhouette lit by the glow of the pits outside, though she could not see its face.

"Lenehan!" she gasped, then realized there shouldn't have been any light behind him.

"Not quite, doctor," grinned Corley. Behind him, the demons massed.

"Thikut, find Shank or Uristador. Tell them they need to get everyone out of Steelhold, now." Asmoth was vaguely proud that her daughter didn't waste time asking questions. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the legions of Hell.

"At least your father had some imagination. Releasing the horrors of the underworld? Bit of a cliché, don't you think?"

She then threw a scalpel at her grand-nephew's head. He quickly threw himself on his back, allowing it to fly right over him. He then got back to his feet with incredible speed.

"If you think that I'm allied with the demons you are sorely mistaken. As for imagination, couldn't you have done anything more impressive than simply throwing your scalpel?"

Asmoth glared at her nephew, tilting her head down and showing her fangs.

"Must I remind you that I myself am a vampire as well? After all, I have you to thank for that."

Corley leapt back and motioned for the demons to gather.

"I'm afraid that our reunion must be held off temporarily, for I have business to attend to."

He ran up the stair way into the fortress itself, leading the demons along with him. Although the demons did not know it, they were not heading in the direction of the fortress, but rather to a pool of magma where several hundred vampires once perished.

. . .

Uristador stalked through the tunnels beneath Steelhold. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a drink. Well, rather he preferred not to remember it; that poor dwarf had trusted him.

Funny, nobody tells you about all this when you enlist. You hear all this talk about the honor and glory of your nation. Nobody ever talks about having to watch your friends die. Nobody tells you that you might have to do it; they expect soldiers to be machines. Well, he certainly wasn't a machine.

The sound of battle could be heard somewhere in the tunnels. Probably a berserk dwarf. With luck, that one would be occupied in killing some of the wild-life that Steelhold had once farmed, and nobody he was responsible for. Uristador shuddered. He was not going to wind up like one of those poor bastards, their mind gone and replaced with pure animalistic rage.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Steelhold was dead and buried. It was time to move on, and as soon as possible. As soon as the Guard could move out of the infirmary and set out for civilization. Maybe they could find mercenary work.

Then it hit him; there shouldn't be a breeze down there. The smell of brimstone drifted across his nostrils. That could only mean one thing; somewhere, there was a breach.

Panic seized him. If the demons were free, what hope did he have? They'd killed Rhaken, and that tough old bastard was at least twice the soldier he was.

But then again, Rhaken hadn't had a weapon like Uristador had. Hefting his artifact adamantine axe, Uristador braced himself. Maybe there was some redemption to be gained dying to hold back the horde; at least he'd never have to drain another dwarf again. Steelhold deserved a last stand.

He began to run into the depths of the fortress, to Lower Steelhold. After all, there was no mistaking it. The screams and howls coming from the deep could only mean the Hell-Spawn were loose. Not for the first time, Uristador cursed whoever decided to put the lever for Emdief's last project so far down; there was no way to pull it in the event of a breach unless someone happened to be right there while it occurred. Not that it could have stopped the horde, but softening them up could have helped them all live a little longer.

More members of the Guard had gathered around the staircase, waiting for the first of the demons to come upwards. Uristador knew he should be down there, and he would return as soon as possible, but someone had to prepare. At this point, he couldn't martial the masons to block off the lower levels entirely, so the demons couldn't be contained in the fort. The only option left was to martial those who could fight, and let the others evacuate.

Uristador never really wanted to lead. So long as people let him be, he saw no reason to ask anything of them. He assumed they wanted to be left alone as much as he did. Steelhold's remnant deserved someone better than him to send them to their deaths.

Then he got an idea, one crazy enough to work. It's not like things could get much worse.

He knew the room well; the faction had been using it to meet since Asmoth took over. It was no difficult task to find what he was seeking. He pushed with all of his might, and Emdief's slab toppled and fell to the ground with a crash.

. . .

The iron flavor of blood shook the dwarf to his senses. It dribbled down his chin, still warm, dripping down onto his breastplate. His hands were soaked in it, up to the wrist.

Shank groaned; he had done it again. He had let the beast take control. After fighting the urge for months, he had collapsed, only to wake up in this very situation—wandering the hallways, with another dwarf's blood all over him. Had his victim survived? Probably not. When the hunger took him, he rarely stopped. It was like a battle frenzy, taking away all sense of himself and replacing it with a singular urge to feed.

He had given up on his work. Both as royal guard, and as royal spymaster. How could he manage a network of spies if he couldn't even manage his own impulses? And the queen was under arrest, locked away where none could get to her. Her sentence called for decades of imprisonment. In another time, perhaps, the irony would have pleased him immensely. Imprisoned in her own penal colony, how droll; the chief would have loved it.

Limbs trembling, Shank wandered the hallways. He wasn't sure where he was going. Sights passed him by without fully registering in his twisting mind. He passed other dwarves, some cursed, some mortal. He paid them no heed. His feet were taking him somewhere and hadn't deigned to inform his brain what their destination was.

Thoughts assailed him as he walked. Despite this entire ordeal and the horrors he had seen and done, Shank felt stronger, somehow. His senses were sharper than ever as well. He could hear the heartbeats of the creatures around him, smell the delicious blood in their veins. His mace felt light as a feather, and his armor felt light as a pig tail cloak. And what had it cost him? The ability to eat? To drink? To die of old age? The price didn't seem quite so overwhelming anymore.

But then what little conscience he had left came back, and with it came the guilt. He had killed plenty in his life, but never had he murdered another dwarf. Nor had he ever taken leave of his senses like this. Was this the curse's fault as well? Or was he heading down this road even before that fateful day with the chalice of blood?

Shank's feet stopped. Looking down, he saw a bin, its lid most of the way off. He was in the stockpiles. Amidst piles of green glass trinkets, he saw a glimmer of gold. Not fully aware of what he was doing, Shank dipped his hand into the bin and retrieved the object, examining it in his hands.

A golden, featureless mask. It radiated power. Shank looked into its empty eyes. The mask told him all its secrets.

Somewhere in the distance, the howls of demons could be heard.

. . .

There were at least twenty demons inside the tower before Asmoth pulled the lever in her room, and perhaps ten more before the gears finally ground into motion. The entrance of the Silver Tower rumbled and flowed as sections of it shifted and fused together, sealing the entrance again. The beast clawing at her door finally gave up and followed the rest.

"Why does everyone in my family except me have to be insane?" muttered Asmoth, pulling on her tattered dwarf-leather lab-coat. She quickly exited her tower and began to run through the fortress.

She couldn't remember much about Corley. Quiet child, maybe a bit too clever for his own good, and then Lenehan had gone off to war, and she'd been in prison before he'd come back. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad that the masked dwarf wasn't around, but it didn't really matter. The best she could do with the information she had was find Thikut and start the project again somewhere else. There were plenty of dead names they could use. Of course, they'd have to hang around long enough to see what Corley was actually doing, but there were plenty of loose-ends she could tie up in the meantime.

She suddenly found herself in a dark chamber. She could hear a faint breathing sound coming from the other side of the room.

"Who are you?" asked a voice. Asmoth peered and recognized the voice immediately. She soon realized she had gone straight to her first loose-end without even thinking about it.
"Don't worry about me, your Majesty," she said brightly. "I'm just someone on the lookout for a pound of flesh."

The screams didn't stop for a long time.

. . .

Corley marched through the halls with the demons and he led them to a great pit of fire, and beckoned them to enter. Smarter demons would have found this suspicious, but Corley brought only the most foolish with him, and devils fear no fire. They filed into the pool until no more could possibly fit, and then Corley began to remove his gloves. Once removed, his quivering hands were revealed, and his veins began to pulse and glow a dull red. It was exactly as he had hoped, for he knew that a vampire such as he could make use of simple magic, and Steelhold was utterly flowing with magic at this point.

He began to mutter the incantation, and the flames in the pool grew hotter as he did. They soon became so hot that even the demons themselves began to scream. Some tried to crawl out of the magma, but they were disintegrated before they had a chance. The earth shook violently, and several structures and stairways built within the fortress began to crumble. When the spell was complete, the fires died down, until all the magma had cooled to rock.

Miles above, in the fortress itself, the dwarves about the halls began to feel intense emotions. They felt sorrow, joy, pain, hate, ecstasy, and melancholy all at the same time. It was too much for any dwarf, even though many were vampires. They began to throw the furniture and engage in fistfights. Within minutes, metal weapons were drawn. It was brother pitted against brother in the dining hall.

. . .

Oku blinked, disoriented. She had not intended to return to Steelhold. The gods must require something more of her here, then. Her mask had been left here, true, but that was on purpose.

A cry of alarm rang out from across the room, drawing Oku's attention. Across the room stood an unfamiliar dwarf, next to a broken slab.

Oku grinned, not bothering to raise her illusions.

"A little dwarf, alone in the fortress? What a shame. I could have used a challenge."

Oku stomped once, and the ground around her erupted. When the dust settled, the dwarf no longer faced an unarmed human, but one encased in massive sheets of black iron, wielding a pair of titanic swords as if they weighed nothing at all.

"Now come forth, little dwarf, and meet your death."

Uristador knew his assailant. That he was certain of. But where could he have seen this monstrous apparition before? It didn't matter; today was as good a day as any to die.

“Iron, eh?” He hefted his axe. The craftsdwarfship was exquisite; not even a king had a weapon this fine. Uristador would never stop wondering why fate had offered him it.

“Why don't ye come see what a real metal can do to yer’ knees, ye’ tall bastard. Ye’ might've thought yer’ home down there was hell. Common mistake to make, ye’ see, because Steelhold will make that seem like a bloody vacation.”

When he saw the slightest hesitation in the apparition's eyes, Uristador didn't bother to turn around. It was pretty obvious what would happen after he toppled the slab. He had never been made for leadership. The best choice he could make was to be led.

He didn't react as the vengeful spirit of Emdief entered his body. He had been ready to die for some time, now. He joined the voices of Steelhold's dead whispering in their champion's head. They never could get their hands on a savior, but perhaps they'd find themselves an avenger.

The dwarf who had once been Uristador's eyes glazed over, and his face broke into a manic grin. Where he stood, a void grew as magic fled from his awful presence.

“Well then. No mask, I see. Shame, that. I had explicit instructions from Modi to shove that down your throat.”

Cackling madly, Emdief swung at the human's legs.

Oku deflected the blow without thinking about it, swinging the other blade at the reborn Emdief's chest. The dwarf jumped away from the blow, showing more agility than he had ever demonstrated in his previous two lifetimes. Oku stepped back slashing one blade in an arc, sending a blast of shadows rippling over Emdief to no noticeable effect.

"Interesting. Your magic resistance remains intact."

That's right, demon-woman. No magic tricks for you.

Oku grinned, swinging both blades towards the dwarf, who was forced to duck one and parry the other. Before Emdief could respond, her swords were back in defensive positions.

"Don't be so sure, little dwarf.  I can still crush you like a gnat. I have over two hundred years of combat experience. What can you claim?"

Emdief responded only with more attacks, which were met with more counter-attacks. Emdief dodged and weaved, but every strike he attempted was knocked aside before it began. He had to admit, Oku had become a fearsome fighter over the centuries. Despite Modi yelling advice at him, he still couldn't land a hit.

Suddenly, Oku hesitated, as if distracted. Seeing his chance, Emdief lept in to strike.

Faster than he could have thought possible, Oku whipped both of her blades around, slamming the flats against his chest. He was aloft before he knew what hit him, slamming into the wall on the far side of the room.

Pain washed over him, threatening to overwhelm his consciousness. He fought against it, struggling to rise, but it hurt too much. Through a haze of pain, he heard Oku speak,

"Think long and hard on this, little one. Remember this the next time you cross me."

By the time he managed to stand, Oku was long gone. Emdief staggered through Steelhold. How could he have let that thing get away? The voices in his head were oddly quiet; ominously quiet.

Almost subconsciously, he walked back to his office and retrieved his gear. It seemed so simple. He had to have a purpose, having been sent back again. The current state of the fortress could be traced back to the Masked One. Had Asmoth self-taught magic? Had Corley really decided alone to dig so far down, despite already having adequate stocks of adamantine? Inconceivable. It all came back to the Masked One. It had to die.

Retrieving his crossbow, Emdief set down to work. These hands were rather nimble. In no time, he'd detatched the arrowhead and replaced it with a broad, sharpened wood opal. He grabbed a vial of Lenehan's substance, diluted it with forbidden beast extract, and lathered it onto the point. Then he wound his crossbow.

It was time to resume the hunt.

. . .

Asmoth put the queen back in her cage. The doctor was pretty sure she'd live, but a few nerve endings wouldn't be working again any time soon. She absent-mindedly licked some of the blood off her fingers, winced at the taste and wrote a reminder to test if it was nobles or other vampires that tasted so horrible. The screams in the air finally got through to her, but she decided it was probably some ruffians taking the opportunity to riot. She had to find Thikut before she did anything else, especially now that the fortress seemed to be glowing, shaking, and bleeding. The doctor spat. Magic. All it did was get people blown up.

"Mother?" Thikut inquired several minutes later. There were a couple of children with her that were normally covered in blood and smiling. Now they looked like children: scared and following the only person who looked like they knew what was going on.

"Thikut, I need you to do exactly what I tell you, okay?"

The girl nodded slowly.

"Go north and stay at the first fortress you find. Spin them the old 'my home is overrun and I can't find my mommy' story. Do not kill anybody! If I'm not there in a year, find somewhere you can start a cult of the vampire baby or something, and restart the project. My notes are all here," she added, handing the child her journal.

"But what about you?" her daughter asked.

"Well, first I'm going to finish setting up these flasks. Then I'm going to have a family reunion, and if I don't like what your cousin is doing, I'm going to give him a slap." Asmoth grinned, raising the queen's severed arm. "If he kills me, these should catch fire in an hour or two, causing that big old pile of booze I've been making to explode, which should put a dint in anyone's plans."

Thikut nodded, wiping something away from her eye as she did. Asmoth watched them go, then headed into the madness that was Steelhold.

Meanwhile, Corley calmly took a stroll around Steelhold. Everywhere he looked, dwarves were murdering each other. They sliced, stabbed, and mauled those that were once friends and family, occasionally taking strikes at themselves as well. What little reason was left in any of them was shocked to find that they were lasting much longer than they would normally. In fact, many had lost several limbs and had their intestines pulled out, but they were not dying. They continued to fight, and it seemed as if their injuries were healing during the rare moments when they were not in combat.

Eventually, Corley came to his destination: the tombs. Not even this dark, secluded area would be spared the insanity of the fort. His face twisted into a smirk, as he saw the corpses convulse and flop out of their caskets and onto the floor. Their faces showed terrible pain, as twisted souls of vampires and demons alike entered their bodies. Each one began to grow large fangs, like those found on vampires. These, however, were not vampires, but an even worse king of monster; before long, the dwarves fighting in the upper levels would become like them as well.

Corley exited the chambers, content that all was going according to plan. He had just one final destination, then he would leave Steelhold forever. He had to make one final trip to his father's lab.

. . .

Asmoth idly watched a pair of maddened vampires. Their fangs were longer than before, perhaps, and she was nearly certain that their eyes hadn't been glowing red. Another dwarf dove into the fight, dragging one of the combatants away with him. The other immediately turned, charging at the doctor as though he'd known she was there all along. Asmoth jumped away, which seemed to surprise him. He crashed into a wall, and Asmoth rammed a knife into his eye as he staggered back. He collapsed, but his eye repaired as soon as she took the knife out, so she could only assume his brain was healing too.

"It could have been great, you know," Asmoth told him as she turned him over. "No magic, no demons, no queen. Just us, working together. The world could have been ours." The dwarf was groaning, but stopped once she severed his spinal cord. She left the knife in this time.

"You know, it's times like this that I wish I'd studied combat more," she told the paralyzed dwarf. "On the other hand, killing him won't give me any answers, so I might as well ask him nicely."

She pushed to her feet, leaving her attacker behind and walked to her old office. Corley would want to be somewhere significant for his endgame, she thought, looking at the cracks in the ceiling. It was funny, they soothed the walls and floors, but never the ceiling. And it was covered in fissures, especially where the vents had gone on fire.

She thought for a moment. She had perhaps forty minutes before the explosion, plenty of time to check on the machine, barricade the room if he wasn't there yet and get out. She could probably even check the baron's old rooms, and his tomb was outside, so there was no time limit on that. Asmoth sighed and left, following the cracks.

. . .

Boots thundered down the stairwell. Dwarves ran down the steps, barrels of food and booze in hand, Shank holding up the rear.

"Quickly, through here!"

The dwarves scrambled through a doorway, into a section of the fortress that hadn't seen use in some time. They passed the old barracks, then through the abandoned archery range, around the execution pit and into the gulag. First built by Rhaken to house goblin POWs until their execution, the many chains in the room now held more exotic prisoners. A mantis woman, a thrips man and a family of albatross people, shrieking and cawing at the dwarves that had barged into their prison. Shank directed them through the massive lead door at the back of the room, into a long hallway of side-rooms and row upon row of restraints.

"Are you sure it's safe here?"

"As safe as can be for now," Shank told the dwarf. "There are several doors between us and them. If the demons come around, I'll hold them off."

The refugees began to settle in as Shank went to secure the doors, setting down the food and unpacking what meager belongings they had managed to bring with them. The royal guard had come to them promising safety, and they had all followed his instructions. Now, a great drowsiness came over them, a weariness in the bones that demanded them to rest. Within minutes, not a single dwarf stirred in the old POW camp. Not even when Shank put them in irons, one by one, chuckling and talking to himself as he went.

"Segregation, that's what we needed, oh yes. The mask was right, of course. I can't believe I didn't figure it out earlier." he wrapped chains around a dwarf's wrists. "Separate the mortals from the immortals! Brilliant. Simply brilliant. The chief would have been proud of me."

He tied chains around a child's legs. "Too bad I couldn't get them all. At least this lot wasn't hitting each other over the head just yet. It wouldn't do to lose them now, oh no. We're going to need every mortal we can get."

His work done, Shank dusted himself down, then helped himself to a quart of blood from a nearby fisherdwarf. A bit saltier than he liked it. He fished out the golden mask from his backpack. Twirling it this way and that in his hands, the spymaster assessed the bound dwarves in front of him.

"Hrm. Two breeding pairs and a calf. I'd hoped for more, but that will have to do."

Time dragged on, and his cattle began to awaken. Finally struck by the madness that had gripped the fortress, they began to scream and thrash, trying to claw at themselves, at each other, but kept from any such foolishness by their restraints. Shank felt more than heard the heartbeat of the one leaving the cage stockpiles in the other room. The unnatural rhythm of a vampire, one that Shank recognized. Asmoth was finally done with Kivish. If the mad doctor tried to barge in on him, she would find the door locked and bolted.

Once she was gone, Shank stepped outside, toward the cages. Following the trail of fresh blood, he reached his prize.

"Kivish."

Asmoth had done quite a number on the queen. Though her wounds were beginning to close, Shank could see the monarch's liver. Her entire right arm was gone. Her skin had been flayed, peeled apart with surgical precision, and was even now in the process of knitting itself back together, crawling over Kivish's exposed flesh like taupe slugs trailing blood. Her left eye had burst, and was now sluicing back into its socket, trying to return to its correct shape but not quite managing.

She looked up at him. "Shank... blood. I must have blood."

"Thy will be done."

Shank dragged the queen of the realm into the new cattle pen, directed her to the howling carpenter. The scent of circulating blood flooded Kivish's mind. She began to pant, mouth gaping so wide it tore slightly at the corners.

"No killing," Shank admonished. "We only have two breeding pairs."

Kivish sank her fangs into the carpenter's thigh. She began to feed. More screams all around, from the carpenter, from the other cattle, even from Shank. Because why the hell not, he figured. Everyone else is doing it.

He pulled the queen away before she could kill her victim. The fresh blood triggered her regeneration, and within minutes she looked presentable again.

"So. This is all we have?" She eyed the wretched dwarves, disappointed at how few had been salvaged from the madness.

"They are the only ones the mask could save," Shank offered. "The others will succumb to your rule, once the madness is done taking hold. Corley did well."

"Our rule, Shank," Kivish corrected, putting her one remaining hand on his shoulder. "Our rule."

The two vampires kissed like lovers lost in passion. Then they began to bite one another, savagely, without restraint, cackling in pleasure. They wouldn't kill each other. They were just having some fun.

In the depths of Steelhold, the dead stirred. Their shrieks held pain, rage, and most disturbing of all, triumph.

The King and Queen of Steelhold danced to the music of the dead
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 12:32:26 am
II.

Corley took the two scrolls from his old desk. Dust and rubble from all the quaking left them slightly dirty, though a quick brush from his hands cleaned them up slightly. He then tucked them into the decorated blue long-coat hanging from a hook on the side of the wall, in which he then clothed himself. With the matching cap he placed upon his head, he looked just like an outpost liaison.

Corley walked up to the old glass machine, little more than a pile of broken pieces now, and removed the green grate in back. By doing so, he exposed the dark, burned vents that lead about the fortress. He knew that if he followed the tunnels carefully, he would escape through the caverns below, thus avoiding the Hell that was the upper-levels entirely. As he began to enter through the passageway, he heard the noise of footsteps coming towards the lab; these were footsteps that he recognized well. He turned around to see Asmoth emerge from the entrance.

"Grandaunt," he began, "What is your business here?"

"Answer me Corley," Asmoth replied, "What is it exactly that you are planning!"

Corley leaned against a wall and took a breath.

"I am going to exact revenge on all of Elvenkind!"

"Elves!"

"Precisely. They were the creatures that drove my father mad and sentenced our family to this Hell. It is only fitting that each one on this continent is killed. Years ago, I attempted -- though constant training and the breach of Hell itself -- to breed a soldier capable of using an adamantine arsenal to annihilate all elves. This project was a total failure, but it made me realize the necessity in strength of numbers. These powered-up vampires will ravage the island; no stone will be left un-turned!

"Grandaunt, leave this place now. The spell is nearing its final phase, and by that point its effects will be too potent even for you or me. These monsters have no sanity left, they are but mindless killing machines. Soon, they will bear no physical resemblance to an ordinary dwarf, for the healing processes that are a side-effect of the spell leave disfiguring scars after such fighting as they are taking part in. Leave, don't let your daughter and yourself be subject to such a fate. Find a new laboratory; build it in the ruins of this fortress after this is all over for all I care! We're immortal, we have an eternity to work with."

Corley drew a steel short-sword from within his coat. He wasn't very good, but he did have minor military experience from his days as "James;" Asmoth had almost none.

"If you would rather a fight, though, have at you!"

Asmoth hesitated. She was almost certain that Corley was insane if he thought that these mutants would only attack elves. The humans would be wiped out too, and any dwarf fortresses that couldn't hold a siege. Probably the goblins as well, but they didn't count.

"You should have come to me. There were so many other opportunities for improvements. Can these things even be commanded without magic?" Asmoth asked, sighing as Corley remained impassive. "If not, consider the benefit of them being intelligent. You don't want them falling into simple traps just out of bloodlust, right? All I'm asking for is five years. Keep them contained here, then head north to the first fortress flying a red and black flag."

"There are no fortresses with those colors."

"Not yet," Asmoth grinned. "You saw what I did in one year, think what I could do in five! You won't have a horde any more, you'll have an army, enough to sweep the entire world!"

"So what is in it for you?" asked Corley warily. Asmoth shrugged.

"Nothing, I suppose, except getting to watch the survival of the fittest in progress. Come, grand-nephew. As you said, we have eternity. What's five more years?"

Corley's grip on his sword quivered. He knew that his grandaunt was right; she could have great benefits to his causes. But he was also very suspicious of her, for he knew that she was quite crafty, as well as self-preserving. Also, what could she possibly be referring to regarding that flag? Corley didn't know, but he feared the potential answer. He raised his sword once more.

"I don't believe you!" he shouted, "I know that you just want these creatures for yourself! I already have hundreds of fearless, bloodthirsty, wild creatures to fulfill this. If you want to them for your experiments, you'll have to fight me."

With that, he lunged at Asmoth. She quickly jumped back, swearing, and removed the severed arm to use as a weapon. Corley brought the sword around in an overhead slash, then a strike at the knees, then reeled back as Kivish's hand caught him across the temple. He brought the sword up snarling, slicing the royal arm apart as the doctor tried to hit him with it again. Weaponless, the doctor retreated under a flurry of blows. She hissed in pain as her forehead was cut apart. Her back slammed into a wall, then Corley's sword went through her chest with a sickening crunch. Her nephew's snort of contempt was even louder than the agony.

There was a moment's pause, then Asmoth grabbed the blade's hilt and kicked Corley in the fork of the legs. The doctor staggered towards the door after he slumped to the ground, picking up a piece of Lenehan's machine in case he tried to stop her. She slammed the door on whatever her nephew was trying to say, then collapsed against it, feeling where the sword came in and out of her body.

Definitely a punctured lung and she couldn't lift her right arm properly, but the heart was fine and she didn't need to breathe anyway. Through the fog of pain, her mind tried to arrange itself. First, she had to find Thikut. No, first she should grab the dwarf she'd left paralysed, then she should get out, then she could find Thikut. Before Corley stabbed her again. Weaving slightly, she set out, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

Corley relaxed once Asmoth was far from the chambers. He knew that she would survive the injuries, being a vampire, but even she would be hard-pressed to escape in her condition. She would either die in combat or turn into a monster herself. Corley had won, and he was proud. He made his way to the vent once more, entered it, and sealed it again with the grate. He held out his palm and conjured a small flame in it to light his way; his abilities were little from lack of experience, and his demon spell was rapidly draining the magical energies from the fortress, but he could still maintain such a small charm.

After traveling for a while, Corley came to a turn. Right as he approached it, he felt an intense warmth, and instinctively jumped back as a jet of flame emerged from the corner. Corley carefully crept around, dagger at the ready, and beheld a horrifying sight. It was a dwarf, heavily affected by the spell. He had an iron hook for one hand and a metal crutch to support his one leg. He was on fire, perpetually burning and not dying to to the regeneration processes keeping his bodily functions, fat, and oils intact. His skin was burned in the third-degree, and his teeth were fully exposed due to a lack of lips. He left a trail of dripping blood wherever he went; he laughed and cried in joyous agony. As he saw his new prey, he tilted his head upwards and laughed madly, causing the fire to shoot up to the ceiling.

Corley could hardly recognize this creature, but he knew of only one that would turn to the fires if pushed beyond the brink of insanity. He was face-to-face with the last of the original prisoners of Steelhold: FireCrazy, the Mine Saboteur.

. . .

"Dwarf child!" Cacame shouted. "Why are you so far from home?"

The child paused and for a moment, Cacame got the disturbing feeling that she was watching his jugular, but then she burst into tears.

"Mommy said that bad things were coming, and we should run," she said between sobs. "She said the elves might take us to a nearby fortress because they're so kind. They might even be nice enough to take this gold that we took before leaving and can't carry any further."
One of the other merchants leaned across, whispering, "We're going to Gemtown anyway, might as well drop 'em off." Cacame nodded and helped the children up.

"What's your name?"

"Thikut"

. . .

Asmoth sighed in relief as she finally spotted daylight, but it was outweighed by the problems she was counting. She'd cut some samples off any dwarves she could, reasoning that they wouldn't make great travelling companions at the moment, but now her pockets were uncomfortably damp. There was a sword lodged in her chest, and she was pretty certain that she couldn't take it out yet without dying of blood loss. The wound was going to get infected in the desert heat since she couldn't treat it with only one working arm and she couldn't ask any trade caravans for help, since they'd ask stupid questions like how she was still alive. And to top it all off, she had a splitting headache, which probably meant Corley's magic was going to drive her insane if she stopped fighting it, but at least she didn't need sleep, so it couldn't get in that way.

She paused for a moment to check her flasks, which had started steaming and then ran into the light. Outside the fortress, the doctor leaned against a wall, holding her head in her left hand. She was just going to have to find Thikut. Tomorrow, she'd start a fire, pull out the sword and treat her wounds as best she could. Until then, Asmoth would walk north. There wasn't really anywhere else to go.

The doctor idly searched the pockets she had that weren't damp with miscellaneous liquids as she walked, laughing quietly as she pulled out that damned medallion. She'd been a prisoner nearly as long as she could remember over that piece of metal, but it seemed wrong to just throw it away after having it so long. Asmoth smiled as she held the gold up in the sunlight, admiring it in the same way she had all those years ago. Then she travelled north, to freedom.

. . .

Corley ran fast through the vents to escape the flaming monster. He knew that he could not possibly get in close enough to fight FireCrazy, for his dagger — unlike his steel sword – was made of iron, and would melt. In pursuit, the fiery-dwarf ran after him, laughing playfully and breathing clouds of fire and his target. Corley paid no attention to where he was running, and he soon found himself lost in the tunnels.

Corley eventually came to a dead end. Directly above him was a wooden grate, leading into the dining room, where the exhausted vampires, all covered in their terrible scars, lay resting and moaning. As far as he could reach, Corley could not manage to reach the grate to remove it and pull himself up. As FireCrazy’s footsteps began to grow louder, Corley felt a sudden realization that he was doomed to die. Was it that he had defied the will of the gods, and that he would the terrible retribution of such a crime? Corley began to fear that this was the truth.

But once FireCrazy’s form became visible to him, something completely unexpected occurred. A great explosion was heard, causing the entire fortress to shake and knocking both the dwarves off of their feet. More cracks began to form in the tunnels, and a section of the wall gave in, allowing the seawater to drench the burning dwarf completely. FireCrazy’s flames disappeared, and his body was soon wracked with the even greater pain of the salt on his wounds. Corley’s opinion on the gods’ will changed, and he felt that he had been given the chance he needed. Trudging through the water as quickly as he could, he went up to FireCrazy and sliced into his chest, severing a major coronary-artery. He then threw down his dagger and ran deeper into the tunnels.

Corley was drenched, tired, and scared, but he was alive. Finally, he came up to the wall-grate leading to the caverns. With a great push, the grate came loose and fell into the water far below. It was a great drop, but Corley was a vampire; he knew that he would survive. He leapt out of the tunnels and plunged into the waters below. The young vampire then swam far away from cursed fortress known as “Steelhold.”

. . .

Oku stalked through the fortress, searching for the mask. "That must be what the gods sent me back for," she mused.

Rounding the corner, she came across the fortress in chaos. Dwarves fought dwarves, weakly scratching and biting one another as their stamina depleted. She spat contemptuously, walking without fear through the middle of the melee.

"And just where do you think you are going?"

Oku whirled around, coming face to face with a dwarf she did not recognize.  The voice, however, she recognized. It was the voice of Modi.

"Welcome to your own personal Hell, traitor."

Around Oku, three other dwarves stopped fighting each other, turning towards Oku. A glance into the spirit realm revealed them to be Jackal, Rhaken, and Lorius Zane.

"You shouldn't be here." Oku proclaimed, weaving magic into the words, "Be gone."

Lorius smiled, "You see, we have permission from Armok to be here, to wreak his vengeance. You're the only one going anywhere."

With that, all four dwarves launched themselves forward, armor and weapons appearing around them.

The group fought for many hours; Oku was tiring. Individually, she could have beaten any of these dwarves, but something was draining the magic in the fortress, making it harder to keep channeling power into her attacks. As fast as she was, her assailants were faster. Were it not for her armor, she would have been struck down long ago, but nothing short of a magical attack could pierce infernal steel. Her swords cut through their armor like butter, but every time she struck one down they simply possessed another body.

After some time, the bodies ceased to become possessed, and Oku stood panting on a mound of what once could have been recognized as dwarves. The phantoms had vanished as suddenly as they appeared. But why? There were still plenty of bodies. Why did they stop?

Muttering a quick praise to her gods, Oku strode off the mound and towards the shadows at the room's edge. She dove towards them, but stumbled when the shadows failed to open her a path.

Then she realized: there was no magic in this room. None at all. And that could only mean one thing.

Just in time she spun, parrying Emdief's blow with enough force to send him staggering back. That fool. He should have known to quit by now. Striking with both blades, Oku moved in for the kill. She would remove this annoyance once and for all. Again and again she swung, forcing the dwarf back. The dwarf was better than he should have been, by rights, but nothing in comparison to her. She stabbed, bringing her other blade in an ark. He would be caught between the two and crushed like an insect.

Her eyes widened as he threw himself onto her first thrust. Emdief brought up his axe and in one fluid motion broke her other blade in half. Oku attempted to draw back her remaining blade, but that thing caught her by the wrist and pulled, further impaling himself. All the while, his expression didn't change.

She tried to maintain her façade of contempt. It was far from over yet. “What is it that you want, puny dwarf?”

“Oh, just for you to complete your task. Your gods wouldn't have told you why you were sent back, would they? Oh, but I know. You're their herald. Their messenger. So take a message. Tell them that no matter how long it takes, they'll be repaid. And what happened to their children... that will seem like mercy.” He plucked an arrow from his side and thrust it into her chest.

Uristador's lifeless body slid off Oku's blade and fell to the ground.

Oku fell to her knees, clutching the arrow in her side. She screamed a silent scream, and the fortress shook beneath her. Beneath the forges, magma began bubbling upwards, higher and higher, engulfing the lower levels of the fortress. She slumped to the ground as the entire fortress began to shake, a low rumbling coming from the ground as the earth itself was torn asunder. The magma burst upwards with a spire of rock, bursting straight through the center of Steelhold. Finally, a scream escaped her mouth, and the magma surged upwards to engulf her. As the magma touched her, the fortress itself crumbled, falling down into the magma sea. Lava burst forth onto the surface, shooting hundreds of feet into the air. Clouds of ash covered the landscape, the ocean around the fortress crystalizing into obsidian. The magma was relentless, consuming everything it touched.

Then, finally, it was over. With a last eruption, the remains of Steelhold collapsed under the pressure, leaving behind an immense crater of obsidian. Where once the Mountainhome once stood, there now remained nothing.

As the years went by, twisted trees grew up around the site of the fortress, as if nature itself wanted to cover the catastrophe that had happened here. Steelhold fell into Dwarven legend as a word synonymous with death and destruction. The figures of Steelhold became legends, its greatest heroes were revered as being almost divine. Generals prayed to Rhaken for the cleverness they would need to win, soldiers to Modi for strength in battle. Jackal was revered as a demigod, a symbol of all that a dwarf should strive for. As for Emdief, he was believed to be a god, who bravely fought the demon lord Oku in battle, with the assistance of the other god-champions. The exact identity of the god was uncertain: some thought said he was one god, others said he was another, some said he was a god in his own right, a member of the divine pantheon that had been unknown until that point. A few said he was nothing less than Armok incarnate, the butcher himself gracing the fortress with his presence.

And the villains of Steelhold? They became reviled as demons, creatures of pure darkness. Asmoth, Corley, Lenehan, Shank: all of them consigned, in the minds of Dwarfkind, to the deepest pits of Hell for all eternity.

As time went on, and the truth became blurred into fiction, some parts of the fortress's history fell out of the history books entirely. The FractalEntity was only remembered by a few, and those who knew of him believed him to be a foreign god, one of neither Dwarven nor Demonic nature.  The Day of Reckoning became lost to time, and Lenehan was accused of far worse crimes. The last days of Steelhold were a titanic clash of gods and demons, leveling the ground around the fortress and melting it into magma.

Thus ended the history of Steelhold, or—at least—it was thought.

The End
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 17, 2014, 05:52:30 am
Goodnight sweet prince. May flights of giant magpies (or something) sing thee to thy rest.
Giant Magpie Cancels Sing to Rest: Has Reverted to Wild State!

 ::)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 17, 2014, 07:05:11 am
Doesn't this mean that most of the bloodkin would have died in the magma though, or are we assuming that Corley, Shank or Asmoth (or all three) made a new batch?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 17, 2014, 07:48:11 am
Currently, the 3 planned aspects of the Bloodkin (farming people, adamantine augmentation for at least some of them, mutation to allow them to reproduce and spread themselves by bite) have been established... but by Shank, Corley and Asmoth respectively, and they're almost certainly not working together at this point.

I think that eventually the scattered vamps (Corley, Asmoth and Thikut's Group, Shank and Kivish) will eventually regroup, resolve their differences and start the Bloodkin proper and inaugurate their new reign with some form of horrific massacre, then rebuild Steelhold into their Mordor-esque capital. This may take some time though. I'd say give it about 10 years for Asmoth and Corley to complete their respective experiments and Shank/Kivish to grow their 'farm'. They'll probably then unite against a common enemy, such as everyone else.

EDIT: I'll make the next thread when the mod's fully set up. I'll need to check things and make a few changes when 4maskwolf finishes with the 'kin.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 12:18:44 pm
Whilst MDF works on his mod and Rhaken works on his epilogue, I think that we should continue discussion on this thread. Go through the story and pick out some of your favorite quotes to put on the original post, and share some trivia about your turns.

As for MDF, when should we expect the new fortress to be ready?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 17, 2014, 12:40:50 pm
Whilst MDF works on his mod and Rhaken works on his epilogue, I think that we should continue discussion on this thread. Go through the story and pick out some of your favorite quotes to put on the original post, and share some trivia about your turns.

As for MDF, when should we expect the new fortress to be ready?

I basically just have to wait for 4maskwolf to pass me his Bloodkin, make tweaks and gen; I have the whole intro/rules written up already. So, maybe 1-3 days after I get the file, depending on how busy I am. I am going to be pretty busy next week - if it's ready then I'll post the thread, find a location and let the first player handle the embark and initial year.

My tweaks mainly consist of editing the civ files, possibly adding a weapon and doing a basic bugtest.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 17, 2014, 12:42:16 pm
The interactions and a few special surprises are almost complete, I need to confer with MDF via pm a little, but everything should work fairly effectively.  Other than that, I'm not sure where MDF is in the process of his side of the modding.

And sorry about the delay, MDF, my weekend was busy as all hell, appropriately enough.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 17, 2014, 12:45:29 pm
I went poking around the save a bit more, and it's actually possible to keep Steelhold alive, at least long enough for a migrant wave or two to arrive. It's not particularly pretty, but I guess keeping a fortress of depressed vampires running would be an interesting challenge.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 17, 2014, 01:12:11 pm
The interactions and a few special surprises are almost complete, I need to confer with MDF via pm a little, but everything should work fairly effectively.  Other than that, I'm not sure where MDF is in the process of his side of the modding.

And sorry about the delay, MDF, my weekend was busy as all hell, appropriately enough.

No need to appologize. I am trying to get you to do this for me purely because I'm too lazy to sit down and learn interaction mechanics.  ;D

I've basically got the civ file & associate files ready to go. I just need bloodkin and interactions - if you don't want to do both, I even have a bloodkin file basically done. I'm fairly certain I could link interactions to the specific castes somehow? [CAN_DO_INTERACTION] or something along those lines.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 17, 2014, 01:20:56 pm
yes.  I have all of that written up, I sent you a pm with a few last-minute questions.  Also, if you want all bloodkin to have it place it before the caste declarations, otherwise place it under the appropriate caste declaration.

Also, I didn't realize I needed to write up the bloodkin creature files.  If you have something better, use it, I don't have anything.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 17, 2014, 01:53:45 pm
yes.  I have all of that written up, I sent you a pm with a few last-minute questions.  Also, if you want all bloodkin to have it place it before the caste declarations, otherwise place it under the appropriate caste declaration.

Also, I didn't realize I needed to write up the bloodkin creature files.  If you have something better, use it, I don't have anything.

Sweet! My files it is then.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 17, 2014, 03:43:03 pm
yes.  I have all of that written up, I sent you a pm with a few last-minute questions.  Also, if you want all bloodkin to have it place it before the caste declarations, otherwise place it under the appropriate caste declaration.

Also, I didn't realize I needed to write up the bloodkin creature files.  If you have something better, use it, I don't have anything.

Sweet! My files it is then.
I sent you the link to my files.  This is going to be fun.  Can't wait to see your write-up for the next Steelhold.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 03:50:10 pm
Will the new world be generated to the end of year 1050?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 17, 2014, 03:51:44 pm
Probably.  At the very least 500.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 17, 2014, 04:20:29 pm
I asked for a dwarf but then steelhold died. Do I end up beginning 7 or first migrant wave? Also thank you for all the hard work you have done and the entertainment you brought u(group hug with sock)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 17, 2014, 04:26:23 pm
^ I think you'll have to ask for a dwarf in the new thread once it goes up.

The full thousand years would probably be too long, unless the majority of the bloodkin are happy where they are and the ones that will be attacking the new fort are raiders.

Will the bloodkin be allied with goblins via the babysnatcher tag, by the way, or are you relying on their ethics to ensure they're at was with everyone?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 04:56:33 pm
Will the bloodkin be allied with goblins via the babysnatcher tag, by the way, or are you relying on their ethics to ensure they're at was with everyone?
I think that if they are given the [CRAZED] tag, they'll be against anything no matter what, which is what I assume we want.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 17, 2014, 05:10:39 pm
No crazed, just... well, you'll see.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on February 17, 2014, 05:22:07 pm
Will the bloodkin be allied with goblins via the babysnatcher tag, by the way, or are you relying on their ethics to ensure they're at was with everyone?
I think that if they are given the [CRAZED] tag, they'll be against anything no matter what, which is what I assume we want.

Yes, but this includes other CRAZED, and allows the creature to ignore civ loyalties. We have... other mechanisms.



Alright, so I have the files. They just need tweaking - bloodkin are a tad spammy right now. Like, the thaumaturgists are still pretty rare, but they're spammy. Also give me like a day to bugtest/gen, and we're good to go.
Also, looking into the errorlog; there's some strange shit in the old Steelhold save. Creatures that shouldn't exist. Creatures that are improperly modded. So far I've found 'fallen angels' 'Armok' and 'Nothing'. There's also something called the Norgard. I guess in future, don't install your raws into Steelhold? Idk how they'd have gotten in there if not purposefully.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 17, 2014, 05:29:35 pm
They're spammy, sure, but their attacks aren't that powerful.  At least, they shouldn't be.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 06:05:28 pm
Also, looking into the errorlog; there's some strange shit in the old Steelhold save. Creatures that shouldn't exist. Creatures that are improperly modded. So far I've found 'fallen angels' 'Armok' and 'Nothing'. There's also something called the Norgard. I guess in future, don't install your raws into Steelhold? Idk how they'd have gotten in there if not purposefully.
We have two suspects: CubeJackal, who generated the world, and fractalman, who replaced the files to fix the graphics.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 17, 2014, 07:51:29 pm
the nothing are from nomekast
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 17, 2014, 09:35:20 pm
I was thinking of doing up a tv tropes page for Steelhold if that's ok. I missed some stuff around the middle, so if anyone wants to add to it, it should be up some time tomorrow, barring objections.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on February 17, 2014, 10:15:12 pm
I was thinking of doing up a tv tropes page for Steelhold if that's ok. I missed some stuff around the middle, so if anyone wants to add to it, it should be up some time tomorrow, barring objections.
Go ahead.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 18, 2014, 06:01:04 pm
As a shameless plug for the wiki, there is plenty more that needs to be done and I'd rather not write pages for active players.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 18, 2014, 11:51:27 pm
How close are we to the second thread?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on February 20, 2014, 12:20:52 am
Epilogue
Through the Aether

The spirit of Rhaken watched from beyond as Oku fell, taken at last by Emdief, none other than her arch enemy. Rhaken had always known the lad was meant for great deeds. Perhaps this was the greatest deed of all.

The spirits of the fortress champions stood in a semicircle, watching the destruction of Steelhold from beyond the veil. Rhaken with hands behind his back. Jackal with arms folded across his chest. Lorius with hands clasped. Front-row seats to this spectacle, an ending to all the madness. At least for a time. Once it was all over, Rhaken was the first to speak.

"So. It is done."

The soul of Emdief appeared through the aether, dragging a new soul from the wreckage of their destroyed home. Uristador. For he, too, was now counted amongst the dead. Emdief walked toward the champions, toward the soul of the dwarf he had considered an ally. Ally? Not quite. Something else though, something far more precious. A friend.

Rhaken clapped the engineer on the arm.

"I believe it is time you join us at last, lad. You've earned your place, more than any us."

The three champions made room for the fourth, and Emdief took his place among them with a wan smile. Gazing down through the endless light through to the mortal world, he sighed.

"And to think, all I wanted was revenge." Staring down at the wreckage of his late home in life - both lives - Emdief shrugged. "We could have had our dream, had things been different," the champion said. "We could have been free. I guess this will have to do."

"The truest of freedoms is ours now, my friends," Lorius Zane chipped in, "for it is eternal and divine. A reward for our deeds in life, that shall forever endure beyond our time among the living."

Uristador looked at the four dwarves standing before him, the glory they exuded making him feel smaller than ever. The eyes of each one of them was fixed upon him, expressions veiled. A prolonged silence filled the air with antecipation.

It was Jackal who broke it.

"Rise, Uristador," he said, and the guardsdwarf realized he had been kneeling. He straightened, yet felt no larger in their presence.

"Do not be afraid, warrior," the Warden continued. "It is time to be rejoined with your ancestors."

Uristador's shoulders slumped. How could he possibly join his ancestors? He was a vampire. His soul was lost, unholy, barred from the afterlife and sentenced to destruction in holy fire. He had heard enough of Karius Durtis's sermons and tirades to know that much.

"You're joking," he said at length, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "I'm an abomination. The gods won't even take my soul."

"Not so, warrior," said Lorius Zane. "The gods have decided that you deserve better."

Uristador was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Guardsdwarf Uristador," the Priest proclaimed, "for your actions in this time of darkness, your soul has been cleansed of Curse and Crime and allowed entry into the afterlife."

Just like that, it was done. Something shifted inside Uristador, as if a great weight had been lifted from his soul, and he started to disperse. The Heroes of Steelhold faded from his sight, and in their place appeared an endless city of gold.

Uristador walked into the afterlife and into the embrace of loved ones, shedding a single tear of joy and thanking Gods and Heroes.



Jackal craned his head. "Here she comes."

Up through the aether rose the spirit of Modi, brows furrowed and lips thinned to a line.

"I don't think that was the end of it," she told the Heroes as she walked to Jackal's side. "Shank, Kivish, Corley and Asmoth still live. The first two may be trapped, but I don't know for how long."

Emdief scowled. "Can't we fix that?"

"I'm afraid not," Rhaken replied. "Our influence in the mortal world is dim and limited. For now, we can only bide our time."

"I don't know about you lot," quipped Jackal, an arm around Modi's waist, "but I'm content to do just that for a while."

Emdief grinned. "I guess the Warden's right. What's the point of having all of eternity if you don't get to spend it doing what you want?"

The engineer's statement was met with smiles and nods of assent. Though the evils of Steelhold were by no means extinguished, they were sealed away at the edge of the world. It would be many years before they could rise from their obsidian prison.

"That settles it then," said Lorius. "We will all meet again someday, my friends. Until then, Armok keep you. And may the dwarves of the mortal world never forget our deeds and our home."

The meeting of the Ascended had come to an end, and each spirit faded away, to enjoy their afterlives until such a time came that they would need to convene again.



Rhaken walked through the aether, a smile upon his lips. Though he could have chosen to look young again here in the beyond, he decided to remain old. It was how they would remember him. How he would remember himself.

Ahead of him stood Onul, still looking old, yet as beautiful as the day they had married. In one hand, she cradled their baby, taken from them both at the end of her mother's life, now with them once more. In the other, she held the hand of their first daughter, Sibrek, lost to them for decades, now once more reunited with her mommy and daddy. Behind stood his eldest son Udil, grinning, glad to see his father again.

Rhaken kissed his wife, hugged his lost children. Words could not describe how much he had missed them. The tragedy of outliving most of his children, set right at long last. They had a lot of catching up to do.

The old warrior smiled. He had all the time in the world.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 20, 2014, 09:42:10 am
Update!

So, I've been running bugfixes & tests and whatnot. Things have been a little busier for me than I thought, so it's a little slow. I just need to finish a few bugfixes, alter the raws to insert references to Steelhold in art and whatnot, and gen. Then I'll post the thread and pass the fort along to 4maskwolf, who gets to be the first player. You dug your own grave, pal.

Anyway thanks for your patience.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 20, 2014, 11:37:41 am
Steelhold is now a trope (yay!) (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LetsPlay/Steelhold) I've almost certainly missed quite a lot of stuff, so tropers among you are welcome to edit as you see fit. A better page quote might be worth looking into as well, since we only had a vampire baby for less than a year.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 20, 2014, 06:44:25 pm
Anybody have any ideas for their next character in the new thread?

Since we're playing it straight, I'm going to play Sir Brenzen, knight of the order of St. Zane.  When the thread actually starts, I'll give more details.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 20, 2014, 07:48:47 pm
I was thinking of Thane, apprentice weaponsmith of the Iron Warriors. Backstory will depend on the fortress story and such.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 21, 2014, 01:03:55 am
Anybody have any ideas for their next character in the new thread?
I still don't like sequels, but we've set up for one, making it unavoidable. I'll take one for the team and take one of the female dwarves inevitably available at embark. Gnora will be her name, but I'll post more on the actual thread.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 21, 2014, 08:44:23 am
I asked for a dwarf before so just put him in the new fortress
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 21, 2014, 09:04:01 am
mmk.  You should probably make a post in the new thread when it is created, though.  I don't remember what it was, and its good to have all your dwarves on one thread.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on February 21, 2014, 09:52:40 am
Ok
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 21, 2014, 09:02:17 pm
I thought it might be worth doing a final epilogue how the three branches of the bloodkin were brought together again.

Ten dwarfs stalked silently through what had once been a forest. They were easily visible in their red cloaks, but their enemy didn't rely on sight. The few stragglers that attacked them were dispatched by hits to the spine or head, the only way of putting them down for any time at all. Occasionally, their leader would stop to get her bearings or massage her chest, wincing, but their progress was inexorably towards the centre of the bloodstained forest.

A cloaked figure stood muttering in what had once been an elven palace. Now it was just the centre of a circle of corpses. Without turning around he said
"You should be dead. Who are you?"
"We-" the leader of the dwarfs paused to cough. "We are dwarfs from Gemtown... and we don't taste very nice to your horde."
The cloaked dwarf turned around frowning. "Oh. What do you want?" he asked.
"The same thing as before, Corley" Asmoth smiled, then took a ragged breath. "I had to find someone before talking to you, though... You could create your warriors and I can improve them... but neither of us could control them properly."
One of her dwarfs removed his cloak. Under his scars, Shank was still recognisable.
"You should still be buried," Corley said.
"We used the caves," Shank shrugged. "Came up in another fortress and started a farm, but we need more livestock."
"He can keep them not quite sane, but controllable," Asmoth explained as Corley wondered why he would have any interest in farming.
"If I didn't trust you a hundred years ago, why would I trust you now?" he growled, drawing a blade.
"Why would I lie?" Asmoth asked. "Your soldiers aren't a threat to us."
"Revenge," Corley suggested as the doctor coughed, rubbing her scars.
"I'll grant you that one, but consider the elves across the sea. Your army will tear itself apart before getting near them."
"I'll be watching you," Corley warned.
"And the world will watch us all," Asmoth smiled.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 21, 2014, 09:39:48 pm
Does Asmoth have scars from the sword-wound, or did she become one of them?

Also, no more epilogues. You're all fine writers, but it has to stop somewhere.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on February 22, 2014, 07:08:37 pm
Sure thing. Anyone get word from MDF yet?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on February 24, 2014, 04:15:56 pm
Sorry for continued delays - having computer troubles. Don't worry, this is temporary; I had backups from a short while ago. Bug fixes almost applied.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on February 28, 2014, 11:14:02 pm
Well, I promised you guys bad MSpaint pictures and -- sure enough -- you're getting them. I haven't had time to make very many with all the work that I've had, but I'll post what I've made. It ought to keep this thread alive, at the very least.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on February 28, 2014, 11:56:14 pm
To all Steelhold players: the wiki is your needy friend.  It needs help to get off the ground.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 01, 2014, 12:26:31 am
Asmoth: I just put your epilogue into Gizoogle and can't stop laughing.  I'm trying to imagine any of the dwarves talking like that and failing.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 01, 2014, 01:03:36 am
Asmoth: I just put your epilogue into Gizoogle and can't stop laughing.  I'm trying to imagine any of the dwarves talking like that and failing.
I did the same; got some interesting highlights:
Spoiler: Corley Greets Asmoth (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on March 01, 2014, 08:04:49 am
Er... bad news. Complete, irrecoverable computer death. Don't think I'll be able to complete the file, unless you guys want to wait like a month until I can get my hands on another computer.
(Posted on my blackberry)
Title: Re: Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 01, 2014, 01:43:08 pm
I've never heard of gizoogle before, but this made me want to check it out.

That's a pity. If Mask still has the bloodkin files, would someone be able to reconstruct what you had planned, or was it very complicated?
Title: Re: Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on March 01, 2014, 04:11:51 pm
I've never heard of gizoogle before, but this made me want to check it out.

That's a pity. If Mask still has the bloodkin files, would someone be able to reconstruct what you had planned, or was it very complicated?

It's not that difficult. I can send him an old copy of the files (so it'll still need a few bugfixes) if he's willing to take it on thanks to my OCD telling me to backup everything weekly. That copy might need a bit of a buff though - the 'kin died too easily, so I ended up buffing their stats in later versions.
Title: Re: Steelhold
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 01, 2014, 10:07:14 pm
I've never heard of gizoogle before, but this made me want to check it out.

That's a pity. If Mask still has the bloodkin files, would someone be able to reconstruct what you had planned, or was it very complicated?

It's not that difficult. I can send him an old copy of the files (so it'll still need a few bugfixes) if he's willing to take it on thanks to my OCD telling me to backup everything weekly. That copy might need a bit of a buff though - the 'kin died too easily, so I ended up buffing their stats in later versions.
Sounds fine.  To be specific, Asmoth: I only had the interaction files, not the creature raws themselves.  And if you could send me some general outlines on buffing them, MDF, that would be much appreciated.  Along with all of the bugs that you noticed.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 02, 2014, 03:54:32 pm
What ever can be done to create a finished copy of these creatures, make it so.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 02, 2014, 07:16:24 pm
What ever can be done to create a finished copy of these creatures, make it so.
I will, when a couple of conditions are met:
1. I get the creature raws
2. I actually check my outbox to find the raw corrections I made to the interactions.

Also, do you all want me to write the flavor or does one of you.  My writing is horrific, so it may not draw as many new players if I do it.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 02, 2014, 10:17:49 pm
I can make an attempt of it if MDF doesn't have anything saved, but I'd prefer to have an outline everyone else is happy with before doing anything, like:

Are the Bloodkin a new threat, an old foe or the dominant force in the land?

Is the fortress a regular outpost that just got in the 'kin's way, an evacuation center, a stronghold to keep them out, or something else? Though this would depend on the first question.

Are the dwarfs in the fortress prisoners, volunteers or something else?

And any other details I missed or people feel should be included.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 02, 2014, 10:39:49 pm
I think that the fortress is a bastion on the new continent founded to keep the bloodkin from invading.  The dwarves may or may not have been told of their mission beforehand, perhaps only the militarily inclined ones would have been.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on March 02, 2014, 11:39:58 pm
I agree let's make this a kind of dwarven Sparta . It's the only place where the bloodkin have to pass to make it to the rest of civilization. Maybe we lower the working age to 7 so we can put them in military training early? " welcome to ________ we import children and export death bye" that kind of thing
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 03, 2014, 01:31:00 am
I agree let's make this a kind of dwarven Sparta . It's the only place where the bloodkin have to pass to make it to the rest of civilization. Maybe we lower the working age to 7 so we can put them in military training early? " welcome to ________ we import children and export death bye" that kind of thing
Personally, I think that such behavior would be highly uncharacteristic of dwarves. Although they do possess immense ferocity on the battlefield and great ambition in their craft, they are also a bunch of lazy, stupid, fat drunks. I doubt that, even with the Bloodkin menace, the majority of the population would become a warrior race, and rather most of them -- especially the threshers, fisherdwarves, spinners, and cheesemakers -- would try to keep as ordinary (read:lazy) lives as they always have.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on March 03, 2014, 02:22:24 am
Ah but the threat of the bloodkin have made even the most lazy dwarf realize the need for such a place and all of the migrant or recruits would want to learn how to fight. They could also not want to fight but to help the fort survive being doctors,farmers and cheese makers.Maybe they lost family to bloodkin and have decided they must fight or help the fight.The kids would have no choice.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 03, 2014, 02:51:04 am
Ah but the threat of the bloodkin have made even the most lazy dwarf realize the need for such a place and all of the migrant or recruits would want to learn how to fight. They could also not want to fight but to help the fort survive being doctors,farmers and cheese makers.Maybe they lost family to bloodkin and have decided they must fight or help the fight.The kids would have no choice.
Your judgement of the dwarves in such a situation may be correct -- though only for the first couple of years. Let's face it, a cheese-maker coming to the fortress in the middle of its fifth year -- no matter how much ambition he may have had before -- will find it to have a reasonable army and workforce. Thus he goes to hauling stone, and never learns how to pick up a sword. A dwarf, even in times of peril, is still but a dwarf.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on March 03, 2014, 07:55:28 am
True true but to make this Sparta it first must be built and become self sufficient. There is need for everyone hauler to clothier. One day if they wish to fight they will but first they work
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 03, 2014, 11:31:50 am
It may be possible to compromise here. If we give the dwarfs a natural skill in a job, they'll do it even if they're just children, so if we give them skill in farming related jobs, the children will labour in the fields, freeing up the adults to do more important things like making mugs or looting battlefields.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on March 03, 2014, 03:21:07 pm
If we lower working age we can train children in the art of war growing up to become true dwarves. Though some people still must haul, cook and all that. We want to pretend the only way to reach the rest of civilization is through the spot were the fort is. Like a Thermopylae but have a fort their. Later send out patrols and set up watchtowers. We could tut with the idea of prisoners sent their to block the bloodkin or they want to come.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 03, 2014, 06:10:55 pm
Ok, but the Bloodkin are meant to be a challenge race. Making children grow up faster would just reduce that difficulty by making it so there's not as much dead weight to carry around.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on March 03, 2014, 06:25:17 pm
We could increase bloodkin skill or increase how many bloodkin come at a time
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 03, 2014, 06:46:34 pm
All modding decisions now go through me, since I have the raws.  And I say: overruled.

See, this is supposed to be a vanilla game with bloodkin, to make it easier to understand.

And you all took my suggestion in an entirely unrelated direction.  What I meant was an outpost on the new continent, by the sea, to watch for bloodkin invasions and counter them if necessary.  That's all.  The dwarves have already evacuated to the continent, and now they are waiting for the bloodkin to follow.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 03, 2014, 09:17:44 pm
Sounds good. I have a rough draft for the plot to post here tomorrow or the day after for your consideration.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 03, 2014, 09:21:13 pm
Sounds good. I have a rough draft for the plot to post here tomorrow or the day after for your consideration.
Oh, the plot is a communal thing.  I don't have veto power over that.  Just over modding.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: jrrocks05 on March 03, 2014, 09:50:45 pm
Ok but the idea is that the only place in which the bloodkin have to pass to get the rest of civilization is where the fort is. The fort has to be a like a cork in a bottle to get inside (rest of civilization) you have to get past the cork (fort).
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 03, 2014, 11:42:04 pm
What will this new fortress be called?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 03, 2014, 11:44:50 pm
RNG, I choose you!!!!!!
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on March 04, 2014, 11:09:28 am
What will this new fortress be called?

Hellhole?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 04, 2014, 02:47:11 pm
What about something like Demongate?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 04, 2014, 05:49:05 pm
What about something like Demongate?
This
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on March 04, 2014, 09:44:43 pm
Sounds good. I have a rough draft for the plot to post here tomorrow or the day after for your consideration.
How is the plot going?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 05, 2014, 07:25:37 am
Not as well as I would like. I was going to open with a romanticized version of Steelhold and the origin of the Bloodkin, but I can't seem to settle on how vague the details should be if the dwarfs only recently evacuated their homeland.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Rhaken on March 05, 2014, 04:30:03 pm
Not as well as I would like. I was going to open with a romanticized version of Steelhold and the origin of the Bloodkin, but I can't seem to settle on how vague the details should be if the dwarfs only recently evacuated their homeland.

I am willing to cooperate with you on this, Asmoth. I had some ideas of my own. I just haven't written up anything that resembles a story yet.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: MDFification on March 05, 2014, 05:41:17 pm
Not as well as I would like. I was going to open with a romanticized version of Steelhold and the origin of the Bloodkin, but I can't seem to settle on how vague the details should be if the dwarfs only recently evacuated their homeland.

I am willing to cooperate with you on this, Asmoth. I had some ideas of my own. I just haven't written up anything that resembles a story yet.

Simple solution: It's been a few hundred years since the migration before the Bloodkin finally make it across the sea.
Basically, not all the dwarves flee. The Bloodkin spend a long time fully subjugating our previous homeland and don't launch a large scale invasion of the rest of the world until the relatively recent past.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 05, 2014, 06:07:49 pm
Yeah, that sounds good. My explanation for only a small group starting the fortress was going to be that the majority of the dwarven civilization that took in the refugees don't believe their story, but the monarch decided to cooperate with them for whatever reason.

I was also thinking of having Kivish as the hero of the Steelhold legend, since the dwarfs would be unwilling to believe their queen would turn on them. I was also thinking that the three creators of the Bloodkin should go by titles rather than names. The ones I've come up with are Hellraiser for Corley and Chainlord for Shank, but they don't sound right, and I can't think of one for Asmoth besides the Heartless because of her chest scar.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Rhaken on March 05, 2014, 08:24:30 pm
The way I figure it, it all went something like this:

Refugees from Steelhold arrive in the nearby settlements, tell their tale, get ridiculed. They flee across the continent, back to Chainbell, Sprinkledlabor and Paddleunion, spreading the tale as they go. The way I see it, the ones that went to Chainbell got arrested for heresy or somesuch (I picture the place as being run by the Tenebrous Abbey, the temple where Tun and Likot were cursed with vampirism and set this whole thing in motion).

This would take years, and in the meantime, the refugees' tales would spread and grow into folklore and old wives' tales. Until the actual outbreak. Within a short time of it, several groups of each race (probably mavericks, and probably inspired by the Steelhold Ascended) would have built ships to take them across the sea, to new lands or at least a good death. The dwarves who arrived in the New World would spread inland and form settlements, and mark out a new Year 1.

While this is going on, the Bloodkin are consolidating their power in the old mainland, destroying and enslaving as they go. At this point, two things can happen:

-Either the colonies continue to spread across the New World for a while, completely oblivious until the Bloodkin invade;

-Or a new wave of ships reaches the New World with warning of the Bloodkin, followed shortly by the monsters themselves.

This would affect the circumstances of the founding of the sequel fort. It could also lead to interesting write-ups - though poking around in Legends mode would be slightly more awkward, since there will be Bloodkin there one way or another, when historically there weren't. Though I'm sure I'll think of something when I do my Legends-diving.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: MDFification on March 05, 2014, 09:34:09 pm
I was kind of angling for The Witchdoctor for Asmoth, if we're talking about titles.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Gnorm on March 05, 2014, 09:46:19 pm
I was also thinking of having Kivish as the hero of the Steelhold legend, since the dwarfs would be unwilling to believe their queen would turn on them. I was also thinking that the three creators of the Bloodkin should go by titles rather than names. The ones I've come up with are Hellraiser for Corley and Chainlord for Shank, but they don't sound right, and I can't think of one for Asmoth besides the Heartless because of her chest scar.
I think that Jackal should be the main hero. As for Kivish, I think that she would be a good-guy in folklore, but a more minor figure. As for the titles, "Hellraiser" sounds more like a childish rascal than a villain. I think "The Baron" would be just fine.

This would affect the circumstances of the founding of the sequel fort. It could also lead to interesting write-ups - though poking around in Legends mode would be slightly more awkward, since there will be Bloodkin there one way or another, when historically there weren't. Though I'm sure I'll think of something when I do my Legends-diving.
The bloodkin in the past can simply be ignored, unless someone introduces time-rifts into the story.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 06, 2014, 05:08:33 am
So this was my initial draft. There's going to be a lot of editing and stuff, e.g. Jackal will be the hero of legend, which makes a lot more sense.

The legends say that in the year 250, the Last Queen drew all the evils from the world into one fortress, even going there herself to ensure that none of the demons contained within could escape to wreak havoc on the now peaceful lands. The place was named Steelhold, for the spells the Last Queen used to bind the demons were stronger even than the great dwarven metal, second only to the blue walls of Armok, and it seemed for a time that all would be well. But the archfiends of Steelhold were sly and desired freedom. The Baron posed as a friend, luring the Queen into the fortress with tales of escaping prisoners and fractures in reality itself. Her loyal companions were turned to the side of evil by the Witchdoctor, who granted them eternal life and eternal damnation. Among them was the Chainlord, he who steals children in the night, binding them with metal and magic to be his slaves and his meals until the end of time. It seemed the Queen was defeated and the archfiends would regain their freedom, but Armok himself was moved by her plight to send four of his champions to destroy the fortress. It is said that the battle lasted for hours, but the demons could not withstand His holy might and they were cast down, and Steelhold was engulfed in magma and obsidian.

What is known is that after Steelhold was mysteriously destroyed, three new creatures of the night appeared, each similar but distinct. For perhaps a hundred years they fought against the civilised creatures of the world (and the elves), but were repelled by a combination of superior numbers and better focus. The first recorded appearance of what can definitely be identified as one of the Bloodkin was in the year 375, though it is likely they were around much longer, their tendency to kill everyone involved in a battle being unhelpful when attempting to document them. Since that time, they wiped out almost all life on the continent. Those that could flee did, and those that could not died.

Their advantages appear to include agelessness, superdwarven strength, toughness and agility and an ability to heal that grants them near invulnerability. Their weakness, if they have one, is that they are often distracted by the blood of their victims, allowing others to escape once they have begun to feed. This, it goes without saying, is of little comfort to the victim. Faced with a seemingly invincible foe, the few that were able to flee did so, crossing the oceans in search of a new home. We can only hope that the Bloodkin will be satisfied with the lands and prisoners they have, for if they come again, only Armok himself can save us.


The king closed the book with a sigh. “This is what we must be prepared for.”
“But they’re just a children’s story!” the general exclaimed. “Lies that the refugees from the east told us to make us feel sorry for them!”
“My mother was one of those refugees, if you’d care to recall,” the king said quietly. “And if the Bloodkin are just her deranged fantasies, then explain the report your own scouts gave us.”
The general snorted. “A lone dwarf covered in scars. It was probably just some shell shocked veteran who was thrown out of his home.”
The king’s eyebrow arched magnificently. “The report claims he was twice as strong as a normal dwarf-”
“Vampire, then.”
“-and when they cut off one of his hands, it continued trying to kill them-”
“Vampire necromancer. I’ve seen it happen, a hero drinks the blood of a vampire accidentally, then decides to climb a tower once he realises that zombies aren’t so eager to attack him anymore.”
“-and though they cut him many times, he healed nearly instantly.”
“Vampire necromancer werebeast, then.”
“I don’t think that’s very likely, general.”
“No, what’s more likely is that some recruits with no experience panicked the first time they came across an enemy that was actually trying to kill them! If these ‘Bloodkin’ are so dangerous, how did it only kill one of the scouts?”
“The report claims that the others fled while their foe was busy devouring their comrade,” the king said, glancing at the battle report. “And I don’t plan to let these creatures take our lands because we were too busy arguing amongst ourselves to fight back.”
“Arguing amongst ourselves!?” the general spluttered. “The greenskins are getting bolder in their raids every year now that the elves think they have a peace treaty with them! We had three border disputes with the humans in the last year alone, and as for the treehuggers,” he turned to spit in disgust, then realised the king probably wouldn’t appreciate his golden floors being tarnished. “They smile at us and talk of peace, plotting ambush parties all the while. Your grace, we just don’t have the resources to waste building a stronghold against a threat that mightn’t even exist!”
“You’re right, of course,” the king nodded. “So I’m sending a group to strike the earth here,” he pointed at the gem encrusted map inlaid into the surface of his desk. “Seven dwarves in a strategic bottleneck can accomplish what a thousand couldn’t on an open battlefield. And even if I’m wrong, an extra source of income wouldn’t go astray.”
“But you think that they’re going to die there,” the general frowned.
“I’ve told them all what the situation is, and they seem eager for the challenge,” the king shrugged.
“And if they fail?” the general asked.
“Then we can only pray there are more lands to the west,” sighed the king.

*         *         *         *         *

Welcome to the Demon’s Gate; You Shall Not Pass.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 07, 2014, 09:46:14 pm
Anything to report on the modding process, 4mask'?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 07, 2014, 09:48:11 pm
4mask is done, I just am too lazy to try to formulate an OP right now.  It'll happen this weekend.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 08, 2014, 04:57:09 pm
Hey, does someone else want to put up the OP?  I've got a lot on my plate this weekend and modding is about as much as I can do right now.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 08, 2014, 09:20:01 pm
I could do it, but you'd have to wait till Tuesday, I'm having upload/download problems at the moment.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 08, 2014, 09:30:40 pm
I could do it, but you'd have to wait till Tuesday, I'm having upload/download problems at the moment.
Fine by me.  We'll start the new game then.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 09, 2014, 09:45:35 am
Who's taking the first turn, by the way?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 09, 2014, 10:00:22 am
Who's taking the first turn, by the way?
Apparently me.  Plus, I have the save, so it makes some amount of sense.  You can take either the first or second, though, because you are making the OP, which helps a lot.  It's your pick which spot you want.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 10, 2014, 07:52:20 pm
Is the sequel still set to begin to-morrow?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 10, 2014, 10:06:56 pm
Barring major incident, yes. I'm fine with Mask taking the first turn, but do we have seven people who want dwarfs so we can fill out the founders? I can only think of five, but it's not a major issue.

PS, how soon can we expect bloodkin to start trying to kill us? Immediately, or not until we have a reasonable amount of wealth?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 10, 2014, 10:44:50 pm
I'd... Actually have to check the entity raws. Also, we'll recruit new people. That's part of the idea. The game will wait into we have all 7 people.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 10, 2014, 11:09:18 pm
I'd... Actually have to check the entity raws. Also, we'll recruit new people. That's part of the idea. The game will wait into we have all 7 people.
Who do we have already on-board?
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: 4maskwolf on March 10, 2014, 11:19:38 pm
Me, you, Asmoth, and MDF. I'll PM the other major participants. Oh, and Osha may have pitched a character, I don't remember.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Gnorm on March 11, 2014, 12:24:06 am
Me, you, Asmoth, and MDF. I'll PM the other major participants. Oh, and Osha may have pitched a character, I don't remember.
I think that Spartan-guy wanted a character, and I suppose that Rhaken and Ossha (possibly fractalman as well) would be prime candidates as well.
Title: Re: The Insidious Sons of Steelhold -- Revival Succession Fortress
Post by: Deus Asmoth on March 11, 2014, 10:37:23 am
Fortress is ready. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137030.0) I want to get the name of the kin and general, plus the name of the civilisation and area we're playing as/in before putting up the prolouge.

As said before, anyone who wants to be dwarfed has to request it in the new thread.