She was born into a warrior class, hence her last name. She would have likely been given a crossbow, and set at post for some adventurer to slaughter, had it not been for her ambitions. For millennia, the kobolds have been looked down upon as skulking filth, nothing but a nuisance, training fodder for new adventurers. Fale sought to change this, to prove once and for all that kobolds are a formidible race and deserve respect. She sought to do this diplomatically, to prove that kobolds were not stupid and malicious, and in preparing for this persuit, she had spent time putting her mind to use, learning the language of the main civilizations as best as she could.
These ambitions were not strong enough at first, they would have been lost. But, on the 3rd of Granite, 1050, before she had begun any training at all, a dwarven adventurer came in and slaughtered everyone in the entire cave, including all of Fale's family. She fled the cave, escaping with her life, but that was the only thing she had escaped with.
Without weapons, armor, skills (save for language), or even clothes, she was forced to roam the forests, nearly melancholic over the loss of her family. As days and nights of aimless wandering and subsistance on insects and vermin passed, her depression turned into hatred against dwarves, and all of dwarfkind. She would live, to fulfill her dream of proving the kobold race by force if needed, to strike down the vile, bloodthirsty dwarven murderers, or die trying.
First though, she would need the tools and skills for the job. She had never seen a human before and had never known their ways, but on the 12th of Granite, she had spotted a human town. She approached, and arrived on the 13th. The first signs of trouble appeared immediately. Two human children stopped their playing and looked curiously at her. A swordsman behind them looked right at Fale, and gripped the hilt of his sword, muttering something about "filth", but never drew it. On the bright side, the mule ahead disregarded her presence.
:p
[ October 07, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
[ October 07, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
Given the current information, I suspect the former, but there's no way of knowing until you finish it.
Actually, I have long thought that the only thing really missing from this game (when you include all the planing) is some more complex morality than "goblins are evil, you are the good guy, therfore you ca kill goblins all you want and still be good". :( :( :roll:
[ October 08, 2007: Message edited by: Armok ]
:p
[ October 08, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
quote:
Needless to say, an unarmed, unskilled, size 4 adventurer going into a cave alone resulted in some 'unconventional program exits'
edit- and yes, I'm using a save backup batch file :p
2 in the same day, thanks to fall break :p
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Fale watched the stars, and aimed herself southwest. Several hours passed, and the sun rose again. She had toughed it out through the freezing cold, but the temperature skyrocketed as the suns rays baked the sands once more. She changed direction, the ruins being straight west, and ,thankfully, also the end of the desert. She crossed the boundary between desert and swamp, and what the swamp lacked in heat, it made up for in humidity. She continued west, stopping in the area adjacent to the ruins. It was hot, she was panting just to keep cool, but this is where she told herself she would have to train. Dry grass and shrubs littered the area. For a swamp this still remained very much like a desert in appearance. She walked through the area, wondering if she would ever find somewhere to rest, and spotted a pool of mud, surrounded by trees. Fale then thankfully took refuge in the forgiving shade of one of those trees, and slept, being a nocturnal creature. She awoke with the full moon visible in the eastern sky, beautiful stars out, and then, being related to canines, promptly howled at it, a measure of celebrating a new kobold month. In the official calendar, it was the opposite, the exact middle of the month, the 15th. She stood up, and searched for water, she was quite thirsty. Seeing none anywhere, she decided to trek to an adjacent area for water. Why not train on the way? She grabbed a rock, and hurled it into the darkness to see if she could hit that lump out there. It whizzed by the hump, and made a loud THUD! Something had been disturbed from its sleep, and looked right at Fale, growling. It obviously really loved to sleep, because even though Fale had never seen this kind of creature before, she knew it looked pissed. Very pissed.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-6.png)
So much for luck, I guess the lords of luck have thrown a test my way? I can either fail with valor and honor... or cheat and pass.
The beast growled at Fale and accelerated to a run, Fale, not intent on fighting this thing at all, had already started running full speed away from it. Another beast of the same type appeared out of the darkness, making 2 pursuants.
I think the administrator of this test is watching me cheat...
She darted away diagonally then cut forward again, somehow managing the same pace as her unwanted followers. After a few endless minutes of frantic running, the beasts growled at her one last time, and ceased pursuit, apparently more interested in sleep than in making a meal out of a kobold.
Fale continued southward, and drank the muddied water on the way. Day broke again. Those dang beasts had ruined a perfectly good night, and it was the night of the full moon too..... But, luck seemed to give Fale a good rating on that test, as when she had arrived, it was quite a bit cooler, the sun blocked by clouds as rain fell. Fale took refuge next to a willow, and on a patch of chalk rocks, and begun practicing. She knew that she would be torn to ribbons if she tried to fist fight a swordsman, so she needed something with a little more range, even if it was a simple thrown rock. She aimed and threw at a distant tree. The rock grazed through the tree, and hit the tree behind it, sending a bird against its will into the air, which flew away, squaking at Fale. She aimed at a bush and threw, it arced beside the bush and past, landing in the dirt and driving a big cloud of dust in the face of a curious rat, who squeaked annoyedly and retreated back into its burrow.
This is going to take a while... good thing I have all the time in the world.
She threw, threw, and threw some more rocks, keeping going even as she tired herself. The sky cleared, the sun burned down, she kept on going. She kept on throwing until she was completely out of breath, unable to stand. At that point, she rested, confident in her improvements. When she no longer felt tired, she stood up and continued further, pelting random inanimate objects at will, and spreading into other training exercises. It began raining yet again. It stopped raining yet again. The clouds rolled by and the sun passed through the sky. Fales hatred for those who murdered her family was proving to be a limitless supply of determination, she kept training. She threw and threw until she could knock a bee off a flower from over 50 feet away. She ran to and from, using trees to mark a course, her future self racing against her past self, and winning every time. Night passed. She had been sneaking around until not even the birds could tell of her presence. She jumped, jumped further, and eventually jumped far enough to cross from under one tree to the other. The rugged conditions and the sun baking down toughened her as she honed her skill in throwing and her agility to perfection. But, miraculous as it is that Fale accomplished all this in such a short timespan, the lords of her luck gave her another test. Another beast, the same as the last, appeared after the sun had set. This time, fale wasnt so helpless against the thing. She snuck about, the beast entirely unaware, and grabbed a rock. A rock in each hand, she raised one hand in front of her, targeting the beast between her fingers, and a rock at the beast. It just grazzed by its head... but missed by an inch. She hurled the other, it struck it in the left rear leg, battering it. The beast yowled and growled, Fale stood dead still, and the beast overlooked her. She snickered under her breath and took up 2 more rocks, carefully maneuvering as to not be discovered. Yet again, one grazed yet managed to fly too far to the side, and the beast jumped in Fales direction, but didn't find her. She threw again. Another grazing shot!
Each so close, neither hitting. The wind plays cruel jokes.
Hiding in a bush, she threw yet another. The beasts right rear leg was battered. It jumped right next to the bush that Fale was hiding in, and growled, sniffing at the bush... but it didn't notice Fale sneaking away, just a few feet back, and taking her precious time to line up another shot, a free hand to aim with. She held the rock like a baseball pitcher holds a baseball, and then threw again, imparting a spin on the rock which caused it to curve through the air.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-7.png)
Bullseye!
Excited with her new found advantage over the ravenous beast, she proceeded to grab and chuck as fast as she could, breaking both of the beasts rear legs, causing it to fall over. She grabbed another rock, but kept shooting too high now that the beast had fallen over, so, she approached. Her feelings of superiority had cooled when the beast looked straight at her, right into her eyes. She had been spotted. No matter now, the beast was at a third of its normal speed, and Fale had nearly doubled her speed through agility training. Whenever the beast moved, she would come in and bash it with the rock, then dart away before it could attack back. She had forgotten one aspect... she had not strength trained. Her hits were glancing away... but eventually, she got a hit in on the back of its head, further injuring its brain and its neck. It fell unconscious, Fale bashed it repeatedly but didn't manage to damage it much. It regained consciousness and Fale began to continue the attack, but she had left too late once, the beast snapped down on her arm, badly ripping it, but she broke free and jumped away. Fale began to tire, the beast was fleeing, and Fale pursued anyway. The hunter is now the hunted.
Looks like I've been promoted!
Unfortunately, the beast still packed much more ability to harm than Fale, it turned back and bit Gale's hand, tearing it. Forget this! Fale threw the rock, striking the beast. Threw another, and another, blasting one into the beasts lower body, knocking it back with the force of the blow. The beast gave into pain. She punched at it, and as that was doing no good, she wrapped her arm around the beasts throat, and strangled it to death. Apparantly, grabbing and doing various mean things with a foes body could prove more effective than punching, Fale thought. She made a note to try this out on any foes she encountered in the ruins. The beast was puking blood, and Fale had not strengthened much, but despite all that, she picked the corpse up and dragged it over to a tree to cook it. She took a bush apart, using it as tinder and the largest branch from the adjacent tree to start a fire for cooking. The fire grew nicely, and Fale propped the corpse up over the flames. She rested against the tree and watched the fire grow in a lively manner. It grew some more, and started burning the corpse directly. Fale kicked dirt on it. It grew some more. Fale looked curiously. It grew some more. Smoke rose and made it hard for Fale to breathe. It grew some more.
Dammit! No!
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-8.png)
SH*T! DAMMIT! ERRRRRRR!
Fale walked away, growling a bit under her breath.
Now when the hell will I get to eat a real meal?
As she walked away, her frustration cooled, as she realized... she was one of the only kobolds ever to have been able to defeat a Large Predator.
[ October 09, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
[ October 09, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
However, I think you do use a bit to many exploits, or at least use them to openly. :D
Keep up the nice work!
Or as Fale would have said;
"Thanksie for the great storie, keepsy it uppsie being great writsie"
I'm glad you like it, and I'll be putting up another one soon (did i say that last time? i should get on it XD)
Also, some things I'm just poking fun at DF with, like the 'magical healing' :p
She shouted "Hello der!" and rushed up to it...
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-9.png)
...but as she approached... she noticed the human wore rancid, tattered clothes, and was in pieces, an ear missing, heart exposed, and not beating, and.... guts missing? It looked at fale and moaned softly, slowly moving toward her. Fale stood there, utterly disgusted with the sight.
Ugh... they'd look better if they just went to hell.
But... Fale spotted items off to her right. They were ancient, decorated, masterful idols and wearables galore! Above all else... they were valuable. It was pointless to try to sneak away from there, the xombie was looking streight at Fale. Fale moved behind a tree, and, leaving the zombie to think she was still behind the tree, snuck away the other way. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies. The whole towns population must have been magically cursed. Fale picked up a cow bone idol... then dropped it by a wall. She had nothing to carry these things with, so she would make an easily recoverable stash. She walked back over and picked up a well crafted elephant bone bracelet, covered in superior quality cow bone spikes and finely crafted cow leather.
I wonder if I could hypnotize the merchant with this?
She wore it, and continued. She rounded the corner of the building, zombies unaware of her presence. At first, she saw the zombies as just another foe... but for some reason, looking at their horrid state, she felt sorry for them. It must suck being like that for all these years. Rings, idols, bracelets, amulets, each a superb symbol of a great empire that is now dust beneath Fales feet. There was a crunching sound, Fale looked over to a ramp going up the side of the pyrimid-like building, and stepping down it, a human, nothing but a skeleton. The skeleton passed a zombie, a demonic red glow eminating from its eye sockets, it kicked the zombie against the wall, and then walked away, an everlasting grin on its fleshless face. It nearly spotted Fale as it walked by, but luckily, had looked a bit too high to see her. It was the skeletons, the skeletons kept these zombies as slaves in their necro-power trip. Maybe it was one of these skeletons that caused the curse? Did the leader of this empire want everlasting power over his servants?
Fale pondered the situation, and walked up the ramp the skeleton had walked down from. As she walked back, collecting old relics on the way, she heard more skeletons on the move. Was this their castle? She found another ramp, and a skeleton was walking down it. This skeleton was not a mere noble, no, this skeleton was their obvious leader, a fallen king who refused to fall, this skeleton could be the source of the curse!
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-10.png)
I could sneak around her and grab the... or maybe.... ah hell, do I really wanna live for ever?
She snuck behind her, following... but the skeleton queen walked to one of her fellow 'royalty', and if Fale fought then, it would be a guaranteed painful death. Fale backtracked, and picked up an earring she almost never noticed. It was small, it was light, it was all she had in her hands. She pressed herself against the wall, sneaking back and forth. She looked around a corner. Skeleton guard. Wrong way! She turned around and headed the other way. She was about to round the corner, when that same guard rounded the corner at the exact same time.
SMACK!
You've been spotted!
She bashed it and backed off from the guard, the guard missing her. She put some distance between her and the guard, held the ring, and, fully confident in its ability to do absolutely no damage whatsoever, threw it.
The spinning -cow bone earring- strikes The Skeletal Human in the left upper arm!
It is badly damaged!
The skeletal human's left shoulder has been sprained!
The skeleton stumbled a bit.
Well I'll be darned!
She ran up to the skeleton and eagerly punched at it, it returned the attack but yet again Fales kobold instincts led her to perfectly dodge. She dodged, and found that there just happened to be nothing but air beneath her. Realising the full implications of gravity, she yelled as she fell, and was stunned when she fell on the hard, smooth Gneiss floor below. The skeleton was still holding on to her from the floor above, attacking, so she tried to break free, but the skeleton was still holding her in place. Suddenly, a zombie with an axe shouted as loud as it could, but in monotone, under the force of its skeleton masters, "I am Numu Openthroat! Prepare to die!"
Someone with an axe... and the last name of Openthroat? Bad news!
The skeleton threw her, but this proved to be a big mistake. He no longer had a hold of her! Still stunned from the fall, she clumsily rose to her feet and stumbled back. She came fully back to her senses again. The skeletons were running after her!
Ok, I dont wanna live forever, but i wanna live another day!
She cautiously backed away, evaluating the situation. She ran past the zombies, picking up another ring and slipping it on. She chucked a rock at a persuing skeleton, chipping away a large chunk of its skull... but it didn't feel pain, it kept going anyway. If nothing else, she was going to take as many relics as possible out of the treasure trove of these skeletal tyrants. Fale ran through the swamp, and turned. There she was, the skeleton queen, once again. Forget the rest of the zombies and skeletons. This one was going down.
The skeleton queen stared at Fale, and spoke, "My bracelets, my amulets, my rings, my mother gave me that when I was 5! It-it's... it's being worn by a filthy... kobold." She laughed as if she were about to cry. He drew his sword, and screamed, "Prepare to diiie!!!!" He ran at Fale, but Fale was far swifter than him. Fale replied, "I'sa prupair'd fer looong time! Are yooooou?"
Fale grabbed the queens sword and tried to wrench it away with her arm... that didn't work. Fale tried to grab the hilt away from the skeleton queen, but the queen blocked Fale with her shield. The queen brought the shield aside, revealing a raised sword, which she brought down for a counter strike. Fale had an impulse to jump left, an impulse to jump right, and a result of going nowhere. The skeleton queen hacked at Fale, striking her in the chest. Fale coughed and stifled a yell, finding it difficult to breathe. Despite lack of air, and loss of blood, Fale swung around and reached once more for the hilt, this time grabbing it. She struggled, but the queen wrestled it away. Fale darted away, then darted back, the queen blocking Fales attempts at disarming her. The queen tried to attack, but Fale had darted away once more. Fale darted back, grabbing the hilt of the sword and wrenching it away with all her strength. For a few seconds, the skeleton queen and Fale exchanged menacing grins, but the queens mouth opened shortly thereafter, in an expression of disbelief. She was no longer armed. Fale was the armed warrior now.ale slashed at the queen, landing a glancing blow, and chipping a bit of the queens skull off. The queen tacked into Fale, stunning her, but, being nothing but bones, bounced backward. Fale hacked and hacked and hacked, but hardly managed to do any damage through the queens shield, since this was the first time Fale had ever wielded a sword. But, luck cast down its vengeful smile. Fale hacked, and hit the exact middle of the queens knee. The queens right lower leg flew off in an arc! Fale stood over the queen, grinned, and started hacking away. Left upper leg flies off in an arc! But, unfortunately, the queens royal pains-in-the-arses came to her futile rescue. They punched at Fale, bruising her, but Fale drew the literally brainless skeletons away from who they were trying to protect, leaving the debilitated queen as open as the sky. A running pass, a skeleton gutpunched Fale. This stipped Fale,but not for long. Fale spat up blood and ran towards the helpless queen, leaving the guards behind.
Smash! Smash! The queens hand flies off in an arc. Smash! The queens lower body flies off in an arc, and she falls limp, the glow in her eyes disappearing.
Ura Mellonel, Skeletal human Swordmaster has been struck down.
Immediately, several other skeletons yelled, their glowing eyes becoming dark. These skeletons collapsed, never to move again. Many zombies stood still, their senseless expression turning into hardly noticeable smiles. These zombies turned limp, and collapsed, their souls, free at last, drifting upward like a fine mist. Fale clung the dead-again queens copper chain leggings over her shoulder, as they were far too large for Fale to wear, but would fetch a nice price from those human merchants. Fale looked down at the pile of human bones that used to be a tyrant, and kicked them into a mess. Fale spoke, "Have fun wit weather in Hell! I'sa sure Demon'z treaty ya reeel nice der!"
Laden with plenty of 'attention getters' to show to the humans, Fale walked away. Lightning flashed, striking in the distance behind Fale, and it began raining, washing the blood and rot into the ground. Fale aimed northeast, toward the human town. She smiled to herself, and smiled within. She had gone from getting her face punched in by frogmen to slaying undead tyrants. She was doing it! Her dream was coming true!
[ October 09, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
[ October 09, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
What a talented young artist!
Fale entered the shop.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-11.png)
Where is everyone, on break?
Then, Fale realized the full implications of a detail she had overlooked. Humans are diurnal. Fale is nocturnal. Oops.
Fale left, and spotted a human merchant, tired, walking toward a residential building. Fale spoke, "Hey, hey trady guy! See me pricy tings?"
The merchant, tired to the point of headaches and blurred vision, replied, "Gah, can't you see its the middle of the goddamn night! Wait 'till I open my shop tomorrow." Fale replied, "Okie bye!" Fale walked away, thinking, humans are never going to be nocturnal, so she would have to be diurnal, for the time being. Fale walked into the bar, and saw various humans sleeping in the bed, but someone, in the dead of night, was counting change and assessing the monies-value of items. Finally, someone to talk to! All of these items were beginning to feel quite heavy to Fale.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-12.png)
Fale walked up to the princess, and spoke, "Hey trady lady! See my pretty tings?" The merchant princess raised her head up and looked down on Fale, replying, "Puh, a filthy kobold with a bunch of stone junk and rusted up copper crap? Try one of the merchant peons around town, and remind them to pay me their taxes! I have spending to do." Fale was beginning to become annoyed with this. She simply walked away from the Snob Princess, and went over to a bed. The bed was nice, kind of squishy, since it was made of Saguaro. Fale layed down on it and looked at her sword. It may be copper, it may be worn, rusted, and deteriorated over the years, but it was of superior quality craftsmanship, and encircled with bands of superior quality chimpanzee bone.
Junk my arse!
Knowing that some human drunk would probably try to take things, she tucked her belongings between her and the wall. If someone were to try to steal any of her belongings, she would be awakened, and they would be in for a 'healthy' dose of pain. Fale drifted off to sleep. Humans came in, and humans left Fale alone, the sight of a kobold with a sword intimidating them away from the valuables. Fale drempt, a sort of friendly sparring match between her conscious and her subconscious at times. She had one of the oddest dreams that night. Fale stood in a field in this dream, the animals around making conversation in perfectly audible language. In this dream, Fale saw a male kobold, wearing the oddest things of crystal and metal, passing underground, down to the heart of the world and through to the sky, above the sky. This kobold seemed to leap through reality itself, time and space irrelevant. This kobold landed right in front of Fale, and looked straight at her, and, somehow seemed strangely familiar to Fale. The human town she was familiar with stood behind him, the walls of the buildings turned to dust and blew away with the wind, leaving shallow ruins behind. The two kobolds smiled at one another, then, Fale woke up. She stood up, and yawned big, stretching. The sun was up. She gathered her belongings, and left the bar. What was that dream about? Who WAS that? She walked around, noting all of the shop-sized buildings. It would be stupid to try to carry coinage around for miles in her bare hands! She needed a backpack, so she looked around for a shop that sold one.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-13.png)
Someone left their breakfast. It was half-eaten scraps, trash that someone left for someone else to clean up, but to Fale...
Free lunch!
Fale snatched the warthog meat, and devoured it, licking her lips and smiling afterwards. Finally, real food. Seeing as this shop just sold accesories, she left, looking for any shop that had a backpack. There were turtle bones scattered outside of a residential building. What is it with these humans and their litter?
Finally, she entered a shop selling backpacks. She walked up to the merchant, and spoke, "Hey trady guy!" He looked down, and found the impulse to kick the kobold out overridden by the sight of such valuables. He grinned, and got that glint in his eye, classic and exclusive to human merchants, a glint that almost made gold coins appear in his eyes.
The merchant replied, "Welcome, kobold! I am Tor Growthglimmers."
Fale responded, "I's Fale Siegedriven. Les trade, I see big baggy ting der." She pointed to the $<<cow>>$. She held up her salvaged x*large copper chain leggings*x as a trade item. The human said, "Perhaps if you throw in some more goods I can make an offer." Deep down he was thinking, A little polish and wax and that rusted copper will look like gold. I wonder what fool I can get to mistake it as such? I'll be rich! Fale took off 3 bracelets, and offered them in addition to the leggings. The human merchant snatched the goods, grinning widely. He spoke, "Wonderful! Thank you for your business!" He then thought, And since no coins are involved, hehe, I don't have to pay taxes!
Fale spoke, "Thanksey, bye!"
The merchant replied, "Goodbye...", and continued in his head, ...lil' fuzzy sucker, heheh!
Fale slung the backpack on, and left, entering the meat shop again.
The merchant saw Fale again, and yelled, "YOU AGAI--", he then saw what Fale was wearing, grinned, and got that specific glint in his eye, like the last merchant. He cleared his throat, and continued, "I mean... Greetings, kobold!" He stopped to clear his throat, and cussed quietly under his breath. "I am Kost Roughnessvoice." Fale replied, "Hi der! Coins f'r old pretty tings?" She took off what she was wearing and displayed them. Kost spoke, "How much do you want for them?" Fale shrugged, unfamiliar with the human currency system, and replied, "Un-ze million 'n one moneyz!" Kost was not amused, but he forced himself to maintain a grin. Kost replied, "I can't possibly accept, but how about this? A true bargain. 90 Monies."
That's it? All this stuff and only 90? Theres no way, it sounds far too low. I'm being played the sucker here!
The merchant seemed to especially eyeball the <<elephant>>. Fale noticed this, and smiled, watching his eyes follow it as she moved it. She spoke , "Ye'z likes't eh?" Fale suspended the earring off of a string coming out of her backpack, and dangled it before the merchant, letting it swing left and right. Kost eagerly followed the overly-valuable, ancient earring with his eyes. Fale asked, "90 whyz't unly 90 eh?" Kost answered, "Ta-taxes... you pay taxes..." he seemed almost in a trance, but he snapped out of it, "gimme! It's 90! It's a bargain!" Kost seemed to be sinking back into a trance over the earring. Fale spoke, slowly, and calmly, "You'za do what I say!" Kost spoke, in a trance-like state, "Mon... mon... I'll do what you say... money..." Fale asked, "Now, how much'zt reeely wort?" Kost answered, "290 monies..."
I knew it! He wasn't even offering a third of its true value!
Fale said, "When I'z snap mai fingers, you'z a put 290 monies on dat table, k? I give the tings and take dat moneys. Issa bargain!"
Kost replied, "It's a bargain..."
Fale stopped, and snapped her fingers, snapping Kost out of the trance.
Fale gave Kost the ancient relics, and Kost placed a full 290 monies worth of coins on the table. 19 gold coins and a silver. Fale took the coins and put them in her backpack.
Kost spoke, "Thank you for your business!"
Fale replies, "Na, thank-se!"
As Fale left, Kost spoke again, "Please come again!" Fale replied, "I'z tink I will!" Fale snickered as she left. She walked back to the bar. The mayor was standing there. He spoke, "You! You're still alive?" He heard the money jingling around in Fale's backpack. The mayor frowned and continued, "The day a kobold gets rich is the day I'll eat my cow leather cap!" Fale grinned and replied, "I'za hold ya ta dat! I got'n rid dat skel'ton queen baddie fer ya!" The mayor hesitated, "That was YOU?" The mayor smiled. Maybe kobolds weren't such filth after all. He laughed, and walked outside. He yelled, "Hey everyone, Fale Siegedriven is the one who broke the first curse!" Fale walked out, those in earshot were in disbelief. Fale pulled out 4 gold coins and held them between her fingers. She spoke, "Thes'r didn' come from outta da sky!" Still in disbelief, they looked at Fale, but eventually, started clapping, laughing at the ridiculous thought of this creature, half as tall as them, ridding them of the nearby skeletons, but unable to deny it, as nobody else had claimed to have done it, and this kobold was the only kobold they'd ever seen that had gold coins.
She had been rewarded for her deeds with something far, far more valuable to her than gold, she had been rewarded with respect. They continued to clap, and Fale stood proudly, smiling.
[ October 10, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
quote:
Originally posted by Anti-Paragon:
<STRONG>Or Dwarven terms, it's a ΞStoryΞ.</STRONG>
I'm honored. :) Thanks for all of your replies, I'm really glad you enjoy this :D
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The clapping died down, and the humans discussed amongst themselves. Back in the bar, someone shouted, "Fale! Heheheh! This one's on us." Fale turned around, and walked back in. The bartender had placed a big glass of beer on the counter. Fale walked up, and the bartender commented, "We changed the recipe a bit, you'll be the first to try the new batch with our, heheh, special ingredient." Fale responded, "Soundsy good t'me! Thanksey!" Fale took the glass, and took a sip, hesitated for a moment, then started chugging it. The brewer conversed with the tender, "Are you sure thats safe?" "Why not?" "There's enough booze there to get a 250 pound guard drunk, she's half my height." Fale finished the glass, and set it down, grinning. "She looks fine to me." Fale grinned, laying her ears down, her vision becoming blurred, and stumbled towards the door, bumped into the door, and opened it, stumbling through.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-14.png)
Fale spoke, slurring a bit, "Hello.. der, kittie, hehehe!" She kept grinning. The cat stopped licking its paw, and looked at Fale, tilting its head a bit. Then it meowed, "Mrrr. Greetings, mortal." The cat then stood up, raised its tail up and walked away. Fale scritched her head, pondering the cat, then walked on, bumping into a horse, and promptly puking at the horses feet. The horse neighed annoyedly, and neighed again, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today!" The horse kicked some dirt up, and walked away.
Hehehehe, talking animals, this is good! Is it? Hehe!
Fale walked behind the buildings, and stood, looking at the horizon. She found this view familiar, this is where she was standing in her dream!
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-15.png)
A few moments passed, and Fale felt a rush of warm air, an arc of energy struck behind her. She turned around, there seemed to be a blue vortex of some kind opening.The vortex expanded, sending arcs of energy to and fro, but the energy seemed to be harmless. Out of the vortex came a rush of hot air as it became a ring, in the middle, a window into another place it seemed. The place this vortex led to glew red, magma sputering to and from, machines making a racket in the background, a jet of steam shooting up into the air, then cutting off. A kobold emerged through this vortex. This kobold was male, yet in several ways resembled Fale. He was wearing strange goggles and various other metal and crystal gear. He ran up to fale, and gave her a big hug. He spoke, eyes closed, tears on his face, "Mother! It's really you! It's a miracle!" He kept hugging her, then spoke again, "You have no idea how happy I am to see you again!" Fale replied, "I dun tink I... I ever got pregnant.... Say, youz'n older dan me." The other kobold replied, "It's been a long, long time since we've met..." Then, he realized, "for me, anyhow." Fale replied, "I d'no wasu meaning...?" The other kobold hesitated, and then replied, "It's... it's complicated. When you meet an axeman named Atek, ask him about a map. Trust me, you'll find it useful." A burst of warm air blew out of the portal again, and a poof of steam rose, a bell seemed to go off. The kobold told Fale, "I must leave... I love you, mom." Fale hugged him, and replied, "I wuv you too!" The kobold smiled, a tear running down his cheeks, and stood there. The bell became much louder, and a burst of steam flew through the portal. The kobold jumped, leapt into the vortex, and the vortex vanished in a burst of energy.
Immediately after, there was a burst of blue light, and an immaculately dressed human seemed to drift down from the sky. He spoke, "Seen a kobold, looks kind of like you come through here, acting like he was on a mission or doing anything suspicious?" Fale burped and replied, "He'z a gone back thru dat magicy portal tingy!" The human cursed under his breath, clenching his fist, "Damn!" The human looked straight into Fales eyes, and spoke forcefully, "You saw nothing!" Fale then smiled, felt a little sleepy, and then was out like a rock.
A while later...
Fale woke up, and stood up, feeling the aftermath of the drink pounding in her head and churning in her gut.
Wow, when I retire after all this is over, I should get drunk more often and write one of those science fiction thingys that one of those humans was talking about! Hey, my dream was about what I'd see when I'm drunk! Clever!
She began walking back to the bar, the feeling in her gut making her sicker and sicker. She put her hand over her gut and walked slowly.
Ugh, I think my liver is throwing a tantrum...
Slowly, she made her way back to the bar, but noticed an axeman before entering. She remembered something, axeman, something with an A... Oh yeah, Atek! She ran up to the guard, and met him as he walked around the corner of a shop. "Hello der! I'z Fale Siegedriven." The guard replied, "Pleased to meet you! I am Atek Rulestick." Fale tried to think... what was it she was going to ask for... why was she asking something based off a drunken dream anyway? Ah hell. Fale asked, "Um... map?" Atek replied, "Yeah, I used to be a High Master Cartographer before I joined the guards, in fact, I got a map I won't be needing anymore! Here, it's a gift!" He handed her a scroll, and she opened it. The map detailed the lands of nearly all of the known world. Handy that! Fale replied, "Wow, thanksie! Bye!" Atek proceeded, "Goodbye."
Fale returned to the bar, and asked the bartender, "Das good stuf! Wassu spec'l ting ya put in?" The bartender told her, under his breath, "We put rat weed in it." Fale replied, "Ahh, oki! Bye!" Fale left, and noticed something amiss. Very amiss. A shop was surrounded by flames, the flames creeping up the side. It was the same shop as the one she hypnotized the shopkeeper of!
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-16.png)
Well, uh, there goes someones whole living up in flames, how nice.
The swordsman boomed, "THIS is what HAPPENS when you DON'T PAY TAXES!"
The mayor added, "Let this serve as an example to the rest of you, never miss tax payments!"
Organized government? This is more like organized crime!
Fale had dedicated herself to punishing the Dwarves for their crimes, but it looks like it was time for a detour. Fale walked up to the mayor, and asked, "Where'z da tax moniez go?" The mayor replied, "The capital, the king receives it and spends as the king wishes." Fale asked, specifically, "Wher'z da Capital?" The mayor replied, paying more attention to the burning building and those around it than Fale, "Applehead is far to the southwest. King and Mace Lord Gustem Dinedraked is there." Fale grinned. Now she knew who to pay a visit. She snickered and said, "Bye na!" The mayor ended the conversation, "Goodbye."
She passed the merchant princess on the way out. She also spotted a caravan on the move. One wagon was behind the other, the one in back shouting "SPEED THE F*CK UP!" at the one in front, and tossing the occasional handful of gravel to get the front wagons attention. Eventually, the back wagon moved into the lane designated for opposing traffic, and passed the other wagon, causing a horseman travelling the other way in that lane to leave the road and stop in the grass. The horseman yelled back at the speeding wagon, "YOU STUPID F*CKING A*SHOLE!"
If humans don't start respecting each other, I bet they'll still be doing that a thousand years down the road.
Fale began to feel a contempt towards the human merchants and nobles, nowhere near as strong as her contempt for dwarves, but they seemed like jerks, the whole lot, completely bent on enriching their own power, caring of nothing else. Fale knew she wasn't properly prepared to face the dwarves yet, but at least she could pay a visit to the most arrogant human of them all and make her complaints heard. She thought, it was an O.K. start to standing up to the sources of evil, and plus, by showing she had the guts to tell the king off, she might earn more respect among the serfs, and help prove that kobolds take a firm stand against corruption and evil. Speaking of guts... Fale still felt sick from that drink. At least it provided for one of the strangest experiences she had ever had. The sickness would lessen soon enough, and there was a long walk ahead. Fale sighed, and started walking into the wilderness, headed southwest to that imaginary point beyond the horizon.
:p
[ October 11, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
Though if goblins are still possess the tag, I think the world gen will pick one of the two available.
Great story, keep it up!
Edit: I think, if my memory tells true, that there are several individually piked civs of all types, so although there are kobolts instead of dwarfs on your part of the world it MIGHT be dwarfs far far away.
[ October 11, 2007: Message edited by: Armok ]
[ October 11, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
[ October 11, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
To make any species playable just add an entity for that species in the entity_default text file. Then put "[INDIV_CONTROLLABLE]" to the entity. I believe that you need to start a new world for this to take effect although I am not sure.
quote:
Originally posted by ricemastah:
<STRONG>In my experience if you do not have an additional tag of some sort, like civ_controllable, babysnatcher, or nuisance then the game will not likely generate your civilization. </STRONG>
Uh-oh... Oh well, I can double check, and in the case that it never generated dwarves, then I already know what I'm going to do. Thanks for informing me though. :)
Edit: Hmm... then again, I could just swap the tags on dwarves and goblins, so goblin forts are occupied by dwarves. Adventure mode goblins and dwarves make basically the same kinds of fortresses anyway
Edit II: Nah, that would make dwarves have goblin names and equipment, it wouldnt fit.
[ October 11, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
quote:
Also, your update rate is UNHOLY.[/QB]
That's a product of boredom and fall break :P
Thanks for all of your supportive comments, too :) I honestly never really expected people to like it this much :p
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Fale debated, the ruins, or the cave? The cave, the inhabitants there like to attack passers by. They seem the fighting type, maybe they'll respect a good fighter? Fale looked at the map, then walked northeast. Day broke. Temperatures were scorching in the desert, but despite this, Fale felt good, still snickering over the king eating the remains of his own child. Night fell. Fale spotted something in the adjacent area, a disturbance in the terrain. Walking closer, she realized she had just found a cave on her own. She entered the area, and walked toward it. Curious about what lay within the newly discovered hole in the ground, she entered, and found herself surrounded by dry rock, tunnels leading every which way. So, she picked a direction... Behind her! She walked, and walked, until no more tunnels went north. And then, she saw a fuzzy inhabitant of this cave.
:p
2 close calls is 2 too many for a single day.
[ October 12, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
And I really love the way Fale thinks! :D
quote:
I think the administrator of this test is watching me cheat...Looks like I've been promoted!
Ugh... they'd look better if they just went to hell.
Someone with an axe... and the last name of Openthroat? Bad news!
Ok, I dont wanna live forever, but i wanna live another day!
Where is everyone, on break?
Hey, my dream was about what I'd see when I'm drunk! Clever!
This is your consciousness speaking, Fale! Putting your sword away was dumb, truly dumb. Do I have to pound this into you with a <<iron>>?! RUN!!
Are you kidding?! Fale! You-
Hello. This is your ol' pal adrenaline speaking. Let's GO ALREADY!!Uh, consciousness? You're supposed to be part of me right? Am I going insane?
You hit your head pretty hard on the stone floor back there, it must've broken us apart. I'll fix it, just finish up your... eh, business.
Fine by me!
And actually I didn't think the pork joke was funnier than the others, rater les funny, it was just the only one I came up with a specific response to. :D
Edit: O, and I would like to bring your attention to the fact that the God of Blood bows at your feet.
[ October 12, 2007: Message edited by: Armok ]
quote:
Originally posted by Armok:
<STRONG>Absolutely awesome story about absolutely awesome kobold!</STRONG>
Wow, thanks! :D
quote:
Originally posted by Armok:
<STRONG>Edit: O, and I would like to bring your attention to the fact that the God of Blood bows at your feet.</STRONG>
That's something I honestly never expected to see. :p
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Fale Walked into the center of town, and tossed the ettins head on the ground for all to see. Unfortunately, most of the town was asleep, but those who were awake saw, and they would spread the word. They began clapping, and even the guards clapped, aside from one. A strip of rope reed cloth drifted down from the top of the bar, and Fale, still feeling strange due to the missing eye, tied it into a bandanna, covering that one eye. A nearby swordsman spoke to Fale, "You have ridden us of that ettin curse, no longer will our villagers be drawn away, never to be seen again. No longer will we be attacked by hiddeous beasts at night! All thanks to our kobold visitor, ... erm, who are you again?" Fale replied, "I'z Fale Siegedriven!" The swordsman replied, "I never thought I'd see a kobold amount to anything more than filth. You've proved me wrong. Many of our town have tried to kill the ettin before, and you, a kobold, are the first to succeed." The swordsman smiled, "Congratulations, ally!" Fale raised her ears and smiled back at the swordsman. Those who werent asleep were discussing Fale, and some wrote this event down to paper. Fale grinned and looked around the town. She had little business in the town other than to show the results of her efforts in the cave, and had little intention of staying there. The humans may be worth earning respect from after all, but this is a secondary goal. Fales primary goal was to exact revenge on the dwarves, and killing the skeleton tyrant, killing the ettin, were all in preparation for this. Fale realized, so what if she wasn't an elite, if she didn't have the best sword. She just got done taking down a town menace. She was ready to take down the menace of her life. Fale spoke to the swordsman, "Thanksey! I'z only here to show da head, I'z a gotta go now, bye!" The swordsman replied, "Goodbye, and good luck!" Fale walked out of town, serfs and guards waving at her. she looked at the map. There were holes in the mountain just to the northwest. She proceeded into the wilderness once again, the town and the moon behind her. Day rose, Fale saw a river in the distance as she crossed the area of the ettins cave once more. Fale saw some trees, and glimpsed the mountain just behind them, directly to the north. She changed direction, walking directly towards the mountains.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-23.png)
Fale walked into the forest, and night fell. She exited into the swamps once more. Ascending into a treed area, she heard a rustling, and a growl. A reptilian beast stood off to her side, staring at her, mouth wide open.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-24.png)
Fale drew her sword as it approached, hungry for kobold flesh. Fale walked up to it. Fale had a similar event in mind as the reptilian beast, but one detail was a bit different...
I've already been promoted, and now I can have food ON the job.
Fale brought her sword down across its lower body, hitting a gap betwen scales and sinking in the blade. The beasts innards were badly cut up and its lower spine broken. The alligator fell over from the blow, and snapped at Fale, causing her to jump out of the way. Shot after shot glanced away, the beast snapped at her again, but fale jumped away, landing to its side. More shots glanced away, occasionally one doing some damage. The repetitive blows caused the beast to fall unconscious due to pain.ng at it, dismembering its right rear leg, mangling other parts, severing its left rear foot, and slashing its throat, the swipe continuing up the neck and punching into the braincase. Fale stood back and let it bleed out.
The alligator has bled to death.
Looking behind her, she spotted another alligator in the distance, looking at her, with the same intent in mind as the first. She walked toward it. It snapped at her, and missed. She slashed its upper body, piercing into it and slicing its liver and upper spine. She attacked as it ran at her, cutting its right rear leg, and jumping out of the way just in time to avoid getting bitten. Fale turned to face the beast, and thrusted at it, breaking a hole into its upper body, She pierced its right lung and thrust right through its heart, the beasts upper spine stopping it, painfully. The beast growled and Fale pulled her sword out easily, since it had not stuck. wound, the beast snapped at Fale again, missing yet again, but allowing Fale to land a glancing blow before it fell over, gicing in to pain. Fale stepped back, and stood in a fighting stance. She grinned and saw her less-clumsy stance, sword properly in her hand. She was getting the hang of this.
The alligator has bled to death.
Fale smiled. She had remembered the incident with the jaguar while setting up a cooking area, and was more successful. That day she had roast -alligator meat- for lunch.
Fale continued northwards through the swamps. Several peaceful hours had passed. But, there was a few splashes and a certain growl. Yet another reptilian beast. Fale smiled, and licked her lips. She stood, sword drawn, in a fighting stance, letting the beast approach her. It walked directly to her, mouth open the whole way, and when it closed within range, Fale slashed at it. The beast closed for a bite, but Fale brought her sword down right into its neck. The beasts neck was broken, its throat parted from its body, but, in a blind determination generally exclusive to reptiles, continued anyway, biting Fale in the lower body. Fale yelled as it sank its teeth in, but apart from some bleeding and a bit of bruising to the spine, took little damage from it. It couldn't latch on, despite trying. Fale tried to pull her sword back, but found it had become stuck in the beasts neck. She pulled with all of her weight, but lost hold of it, stumbling backwards.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-25.png)
With enormous determination, the beast, despite a broken neck and no throat to speak of, a sword impaled in it, slowly dragged itself after Fale as she backed off. Eventually...
The alligator gives into pain.
The alligator has bled to death.
Fale walked to the corpse, put her foot on its head, and yanked the sword with all of her strength. It took three tries, but she managed to finally dislodge it. Another meal of tasty -alligator meat-!
After eating, Fale continued northward. She passed a gorilla, and snickered to herself as she noted the resemblence between it and the more disrespectful guards. Fale was walkung uphill, and found a river. She walked alongside it, and continued northward. Walking towards the site indicated on the map, she saw some ruins through the trees, a fortress behind them. The design of those ruins seemed odd. The buildings were short, made by short people, made by dwarves.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-26.png)
She walked through the ruins. Bits of workshop were scattered about, workshops burnt to the ground. The entire place had been ransacked mercilessly, and dried blood was spattered against the remnants of the buildings. Fale looked around, and walked up to the torched remnants of a fishery. She saw virtually nothing was left, and kicked at a table. The charred XX-willow table-XX collapsed into rubble.
Stupid violent dwarves, I bet they wiped themselves out in a wave of tantrums! This carnage was SUPPOSED to be of my doing!
Fale sighed.
Maybe someone else has already made the dwarves pay for their vile crimes.
She continued north, and found herself facing the fortress. She was presented with a smooth wall, covered in dwarven blood. She entered the tunnel going into the mountain, and passed up a ramp. Nobody was here. There were no bodys, just the occasional splattering of blood. She found osme coinage on the ground, and picked it up. Fale found another stack of coins on the floor. She walked over and grabbed it, putting that in her backpack too. She heard snickering and laughter as she picked up the coins. A small, green creature took her by surprise as she dealt with the coins, and attacked. Fale jumped and yelled, startled by the sight of this creature in these bleak tunnels. She saw red, glowing eyes and a grin in the darkness behind. She saw it move, a bit.
Ka-KLUNK
Doors slammed shut in the distance, and fluids moved. Fale felt a sense of gloom descend upon her again. She grunted and hacked at the being. She hit it in the upper body, and clove it asunder on the second hit. Its blood spilled, and it never moved again. Another one! It made a high pitched giggle. Are these children attacking her? Fale walked, it walked up to her and threw a punch, hitting Fale right on the joint, spraining her left shoulder. Fale hacked at it. Her sword punched into its head, breaking its neck and nose, mangling its ear, and dislodging both eyes, but lodging itself in in their place. The creature fell over, unconscious, and fale split its face by twisting the sword in the wound. A third, a third child.
What kind of race sends their children into battle first? It looks like dwarves have some competition on the evil-scale.
Fale spoke, pulling her sword out, "Whyya tell kid ta fight me? Baddies! Showy up!" Fale heard a laugh from a corridor, out of her view, "Hahahaha, dwarven mother used her baby as a meat shield. We goblins slit her throat, made the baby drink her blood, then slit the babys throat. Kids make great fodder!"
Ok, so we have evil... and evil... lets fight evil!
Fale kept hacking at the unconscious goblin child. She sent a leg flying and mangled a left upper arm as the goblin child bled to death. The goblin in the corridor continued, the sound of moving fluids and burning in the background, "Dwarven lava machine give warm welcome to immigrants! Dwarven lava machine give warm welcome to nobles! Dwarven lava machine give warm welcome to goblins..." the voice laughed, "Dwarven lava machine give warm good-bye... to dwarves! Dumb dwarves make a fortress into a volcano! HAHAHAHA!" The next goblin child attacked, blindly following its parents orders, and Fale slashed at it. Three hits in, and a hand had been dismembered, the fourth splitting the child in two.
The goblin in the corridor spoke, "Smart goblins found a secret entrance, found the lever, turned off Dwarven Lava Machine. Goblins killed all the rest of the dwarves, one by one." The goblin grinned, and continued, "Would you like a tour of the shooting gallery, where the crossbowdwarves used your kind as fodder, before we enjoy breaking every bone in your body and sinking a bolt into every joint?" Fale was filled with anger, and yelled, "No thanksey!"
I'll be walking out of this with a <<goblin>>!
A fourth goblin child! Fale yelled in fury and brought her sword down below its shameless, grinning face, and stabbed it in the chest, piercing through its heart and cutting its upper spine as the sword was stopped. Fale easily pulled the blade out, and walked away. The child threw a punch at Fale as she turned,blind to its wounds, missing, but Fale spun around and laid her blade into the goblin childs chest.
It is cloven asunder!
The goblin Child is propelled away by the force of the blow!
The goblin Child slams into the goblin!
Arstruk Baxkuda, goblin Child has been struck down.
This goblin adult standing on the stairwell was the goblin speaking. The goblins menacing grin turned into an angry snarl as it wiped the blood of its own kind off of its face. Fale growled and snarled, running up to the goblin, blade ready. Fale brought the blade down on the goblins left lower arm, gashing it badly, and rammed the blade into its upper body. With the strength provided by adrenaline, Fale catapulted the Goblin back in an arc, ripping its chest apart. Gripping the hilt of her sword firmly, Fale walked up to the wall. By the wall was a finely made lever, with various engravings of enemies and items melting on the wall behind it. Acting out of anger, Fale kicked the lever. The lever shifted, then broke.
Ka-KLUNK-UNK-UNK-unk-unk-unk
A sense of dread fell right onto Fale. She looked down at the active, broken lever. What she had done was irreversable. There was a deep gurgling sound.
sss-sssSSSSSSSS!
There was a crackling and sizzling sound, and the corridors downward turned a hue of blood red. Fale looked in horror. The corridors turned bright red in front, yellow in deep. Fale stepped back, quicker and quicker. Magma was rising in the corridors. It began rising, faster and faster. Fale turned and ran desperately.
There was an evil laugh. TWANG!
The flying iron arrow strikes You in the lower body!
It is broken!
Your stomach has been pierced!
Your spleen has been mangled!
Your right kidney has been badly pierced!
Fale nearly fell over, but the sight of the rising magma made her keep running. She could feel her shredded flesh and bones grinding, blood spurting out of the wound. Fale yelled and forced herself to run as fast as koboldly possible. In the back of Fales mind, she began to feel sympathy for the kings dead child, in a way. Getting shot in the gut hurts, a lot. Fale ran around blindly, desperately avoiding the archer. The pain proved too much, and she collapsed. Luckily, she hadn't remained out for long, when she came to, the scent of fried goblin was in the air. Her fur was nearly burning, the heat added to her pain. The magma had nearly reached her, and it was still going. Fale immediately hopped to her feet, and ran town the corridor, sideways to the flow, the magma spattering all around her, and found her original path in. She took this path out. Red flaming death persued as she made her escape as fast as her legs would carry her. She took a corner right, and turned left, temporarily forgetting about her disfigured spleen. She leapt down the ramp, and upon landing, remembered it. Pain shot through her and she almost blacked out. Shaking, she forced herself to continue on. She ran to the bottom of the hill, near the old workshops, and stopped. She turned around slowly, and watched as the former fortress erupted as if it were a volcano, spilling lava all over the hillside. The arrow had never become firmly lodged, so Fale removed it immediately, stifling a yell as she did so. She placed her hand over the wound, and walked south at a higher than normal rate, the landscape glowing and bubbling behind her, the lava slowly expanding out. She looked at the arrow. the arrowhead was crude, rusty iron, barbed and spiked to increase shredding damage. Typical goblin design. Fale coughed and thought about what had happened, grinning and snickering.
I bet the fact that I actually RUN from things like magma and fire makes me smarter than the average dwarf.
It was better than nothing, for laughter was the only medicine Fale had.
[ October 13, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
Fale does have the Tough attribute currently, but only one level of it. The engine only set her unconscious once too, despite that. Either its RNG luck or she's tougher than the info screen would lead me to believe :p
Hmm, I think I'm even getting attached to this enough to fit the ☼Story☼ rating.
And, looking at my start and end time, I think I really did continue into the night, technically. :p
Also, do you use Firefox? If you do, and don't like the Armok banner at the top, you can download the addon Adblock, right-click on the image, and select "adblock image."
I'm using firefox with adblock. I thought about adblocking it but enjoying the site in its complete form is worth leaving it.
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Fale found herself walking slower and slower. Her spleen was making it difficult to continue as the adrenaline wore off, and she was bleeding internally, her stomach and right kidney having lost their function. She knew that even if her minds determination was limitless, her body had a limit. It just had to do. Just a little further...
5 minutes later...
Fale crossed the boundry between regions and stood. Her pain dulled, the arrow wound closing up, leaving only a faint scar. She felt like letting herself fall over, feeling the best she had felt in a long time during the magic healing, but she had spotted someone among the fringes of these workshops, and was intent on speaking with this stranger. She towards this human like being. He was well dressed, stood taller than a human, and was thinner, had large, pointy ears, and carried naturally-grown wooden equipment. He spoke to Fale first, "Greetings, Kobold. I see you've taken care of the goblin problem. You're very brave for your kind, you know that?" Fale grinned in acknowledgement, and replied, "Thanksey! Whys-a alone here?" The human-like being replied, "I'm the elven investigator from the northwest continents, I was tracking a band of criminals out here but they were annihilated when the dwarves covered the hillside in magma, turning everything to ash." The elf continued under his breath, "Those poor bushes and trees..." Fale replied, "Ders crimey guys? Why elf crimey guys goes'n to da dwarf fortress?" The elf responded, "We elves have had a nasty plague of problems involving roving, organized criminals lately. Often they will confront dwarves and demand the dwarves restrict their lumber use, and when the dwarves predictably violate the mandate... for some reason these organized crime groups even count the giant mushrooms those dwarves grow... they open fire on the dwarves. This has ruined diplomatic relations and caused conflict between dwarves and our normally peaceful race. Most elves find the behavior of the criminals plainly stupid. Little do the dwarves know, though, that by annihilating these bands of aggressive elves, they're actually helping us to solve our crime problem." Fale spoke, "I'z see, ya. Ders no more dwarfs after da magma ting?" The elf pointed into the swamps, "One dwarf escaped. He looked in a bad way, but he refused any offer for help from me. I understand dwarves have had a long history of abusing kobolds, so I would understand if you never spoke with him." Fale grinned visciously, there might be some personal vengeance yet. She spoke to the elf, "Thanksey! Bye!" The elf ended the conversation, "Goodbye, fellow creature."
Fale walked directly to where the elf had pointed. After a couple of hours, she had left the ruins behind and had continued along the river into the swamp. She spotted the dwarf in the open swamp, near a puddle of water. She walked up to him, he turned his sad face to look at fale. A sudden mixture of hatred and fear rushed through Fale, this was the dwarf that had slaughtered her family! He stood, and spoke, "Yer the one that got away." He sighed, and continued, "I know why yer here." He raised his chin, exposing his vitals, and closed his eyes, standing still, "Get it over with." Fale drew her sword and ran up to him, but slowed as she progressed, coming to a stop right next to him. Something was wrong about this. Why did he want her to kill him. He shouted, "What are you waiting for?" Fale found herself empty of the drive to slaughter him, somehow. She asked, "Why-sa kill my ma? My dad?" The dwarf sighed and replied, "I owed debts to the hammerer personally, and if I didn't pay them, he would've paid 'his respects' to my wife and my two children. I looked everywhere for enough money to pay, but I was forced to accept a quest from the human king. He would give me the money to pay my debts, if I would get rid of the nearby kobold population. I had no choice! It was to no use, the day after they tested the magma gates... I was the one who linked the lever to the wrong floodgate... I killed those two hundred six dwarves, I killed my wife, I killed my children." The melancholic dwarf posed for his death, "I don't deserve to live, and living with my evil, stupid deeds over my head is a greater torture than anything you could ever inflict. Have mercy, and kill me." Fale hesitated, and replied, "Okie." Fale pressed the blade of her sword against his neck, lining up, and sighed.
I never thought I would see someones last request be death itself.
Fale no longer felt fear or fury, just a cold acknowledgement that she was about to kill the object of her hatred, which in turn was in the same situation she was in, that long time ago. Fale drew back, and sliced into the dwarfs neck, cutting nearly completely through and separating the spine. The dwarf fell over, and Fale brought her sword down, finally decapitating him. She sighed, and continued walking south. She felt no joy in that. The king put a price on the slaughter of her family. Her peers were killed over money and corruption. Fale had found a new person to direct her fury towards, Gustem Izrolronum, King. The more Fale thought about it, the more she was sickened by it. Hours passed, Fale heard the typical splashing and hissing of a hungry reptilian beast, and ignored it, walking away, the beast never showing itself. Fale continued thinking. It wasn't every human. The serfs, farmers, workers, were all honest people, subject to the abuse of the guards and nobility. She continued, marking the town she had last visited as a destination. She wanted to rally support from the serfs. Day broke. Fale found it difficult to sleep. She continued south, nearing the desert. An alligator came up from behind. Fale was beginning to be able to raise her mood, and didn't want a fight to bring it down again. Fale jogged away, outpacing the alligator. Night fell. Fale had turned her cold anger into joyful thoughts of vengeance, snickering at the thought of what she would do to the King. Day broke again, and the sun burned down on the desert. Fale approached, then entered the town. She looked through the buildings as she approached, and saw many of the serfs and guards talking about "fried goblin fortress". She still held the goblin arrow, trusting it as proof. Fale walked into the dead center of town, in the middle of day. She held up the arrow, the arrow covered in her blood, the scar of the wound still visible on her. The humans, talking about the recently vanquished goblin horde, took notice of this. The serfs stood in awe, one commenting, "It's a miracle!" Several of the serfs approached Fale, and bowed. There was nearly silence, all eyes looking at Fale. Fale took in the aura of respect from the serfs eagerly, grinning, but found it was tainted by contempt, coming from the guards who had realized... she was overshadowing all of them now. The serfs discussed among themselves eagerly, and spoke to fale, "We were going to award a title to the first hero to come to our town, and by far, you deserve it! You're a true example of kobold-kind!" There was a synchronized round of applause from every building in town. The serf continued, "You have conquered an entire goblin fortress through might and genious fitting for a grand machine of war! You have pierced the heart of the enemy, showing us the true power of the kobolds! For this, we will forever remember your name, Fale 'Siege Engine' Siegedriven, the Ageless Purple Spear!" Fale grinned, and accepted a handshake. That one peculiar guard stepped out of the bar, holding a glass of beer. She had truely earned fame, and he had not. He grunted loudly in fury, his eyes wide open as if they were about to leave their sockets. He grasped his cup so hard that it shattered, sending glass everywhere.
For the next several minutes, Fale spoke with the excited serfs. She was very happy for the first time in a long time, for she had accomplished one of her main goals. The people here now had a deep respect for kobolds, and some nearly worshipped her. The guards frowned angrily, one shouted, "BREAK IT UP! Get back to work, ALL OF YOU!" The guards entered, hands on their weapons, and forced the crowd to disperse. The serfs went back to work, bitter towards the guards. The ropes that were holding the kingdom together were under strain, and were beginning to fray, slowly pulling apart in the middle.
A maceman approached Fale.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-27.png)
Fale walked up to him as he approached, he was steaming with anger, bits of glass sticking out of his are iron left gauntlet. He yelled, "I'm gunna rip you to shreads, and piss on your grave!" He pulled out his iron morningstar and held it alongside his iron shield.
You're a real dumb sh*t. One too many glasses eh?
He rose his mace, but Fale charged in preemptively. Fale hacked the macemans left upper leg, badly hashing it, and getting it lodged in the wound. Fale collided with him, and the drunken guard tumbled over helplessly, dislodging Fales sword in the process. Fale jumped, bringing her sword down below her with all her weight and momentum. The maceman was cut in half, the lower part of his body flying off in a bloody arc. Fale stood in a fighting stance, and commented, "In da next life, gon' lay off da sauce, okie?"
The nearby swordsman was horrified by this, and drew his blade. Fale maintained her stance, sidestepping while the guard, weighed down by his heavy gear, slowly moved closer. Fale grinned menacingly and looked into the swordsmans eyes. When he moved in range, Fale lunged foreward, hacking across his chest, piercing both lungs. Fale then smacked right into the guard, face first into his armor. Fale bounced back stunned, but the guard gasped and gagged, having trouble breathing. The swordsman gave into pain and fell over. Fale hacked at the swordsmans right upper arm, hitting the joint in the armor, severing the arm. She hit him in the hand, then hit him in the upper body, her sword glancing away from his armor. Then, she brought her sword up, and brought it down on his head. Both of the swordsmans ears were damaged, an eye slashed out, the nose cut, and, as Fale curved the strike downward, the swordsman neck was broken and its throat slashed open. The swordsman remained unconscious, drowning in its own blood, and soon thereafter, he stopped breathing, bled out. Fale looked down upon his corpse and grinned. Fale put her damaged, rusty copper sword away, and salvaged out of the pool of blood, a military-specification iron two-handed sword. Fale snickered and swung it, the swords blade gliding efficiently through the air. The sword was nearly as tall as her, and it was quite unwieldy, but it was heavy and sharp.
A peasant was pinned against the wall of the building, a guard holding him. The peasant witnessed the guards attack Fale, his newfound hero. She sae her defeat them. The guard screamed in his face, "TAXES!!! NOW!" He looked into the guards face. The guards attacked his hero. The guards abused his peers. The guards abused him, and threatened his children. The guard yelled, "Pay up if you know whats good for your kids!" The guard grinned evily at the peasant. The abuse has gone too far for too long. The ropes holding the kingdom together was on their last threads. The peasant spoke, "I got your taxes right here." The peasant bent down, as if to get something out of his pocket, distracting the guard. He then pushed the guard away, stepped foreward, and punched the guard right in the face with all of his strength. Having been a farmer, he had enough strength to knock the guard down. He yelled...
"F*CK taxes!
F*CK YOU!"
The guard and the peasant exchanged angry stares as the guard got up, weapon drawn, Fale in the background, grinning big, standing with her brand new sword drawn.
The Anthath Sizet revolution of 1050 had begun.
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I dont know whether its RNG luck, or just the way the game works, but without strength attributes and with only 1 toughness, and with only a novice swordsman skill, she's kicking ass without cheating here. O.o
Wow. That goes, uh, beyond ☼Story☼.
quote:
Wow. That goes, uh, beyond ☼Story☼.[/QB]
I'm basically out of ways to say thanks to comments like that, so, thank you :p
This has proven to have turned out better than I had imagined really possible.
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Grinning, Fale walked through the town. She was the one on patrol now. The peasant fought to the best of his ability but was proving to be no match for the guard, who had hopelessly trapped the peasant against the wall. Seeing this act of aggression, other farmers came off the field, ran up to the guard and tore him off, throwing him down and, working together, beating him to death. Several guards were attracted to the rioting mob, and conflict ensued. Several peasants were killed but the mob won. They took up the guards weapons and stormed across town.
A projectile wizzed by, grazing the back of Fales head. Fale immediately ran behind a tree and started sneaking, going from tree to tree, trying to spot whoever was shooting. She spotted the crossbowman, but he assumed he had lost his target and jogged away, getting a vantage point to fight the mob of peasants. A lasher rounder the corner, Fale stood up full, gripping her sword. Fale walked towards the lasher in a fighting stance, the lasher showing his almost chain-like iron whip. Fale hesitated, and evaluated her opponent.
This... might get painful... painful for him!
Fale took the opportunity to run at the lasher, blade first, grinning and yelling with the joy of vengeance.
You charge at The human Lasher!
You strike at The human Lasher but the shot is blocked!
You collide with The human Lasher!
You tangle together and fall over!
Fale looked right into his eyes, face to face, grinning, and snickered. The lasher had obviously never in his life thought that a being half his size could take him down. Fale stood up, her feet pinning the lasher down. Fale raised the heavy two handed sword, and brought the iron blade down on the knee joint of the lashers armor. The lashers right lower leg flew off in a bloody arc, and he screamed into the sky, before falling unconscious due to pain. Fale struck, and struck again, landing a hit down the lashers face, tearing through his iron helm, dislodging both eyes and slashing open his neck. Fale kicked the lashers face and walked away, her feet trailing blood. A loud roar permeated the town, screams of pain and screams of fury, weapons clashing and projectiles whizzing through the air. Fire broke out, smoke and dust rose.
Rel Niwirdether, human Lasher has bled to death.
Fale walked between two buildings, past a fire, and walked behind the buildings, eye out for a crossbowman. Fale began sneaking around again, going tree to tree, sword drawn, looking for anyone with a bow. The canine was hunting the crossbowman.
It is noon.
Fale noticed several projectiles arc through the sky as if it were on cue, and began sneaking alongside the buildings to the location of the firer. She saw the crossbowman, the crossbowman was running between buildings, going from vantage point to vantage point. He got away again. Fale realized, she might have to show herself in order to get the crossbowman to stop. Fale got to the corner of a building, and looked around. A human swordsman was standing in the open, the troop standing next to the body of a dead peasant. Fale jumped into the open, and began running towards the swordsman. The swordsman turned around, and jumped at the sight of a kobold running towards it with a sword as big as its body. Fale hacked at the swordsman, but the swordsman blocked her. Fale bounced off the shordsmans shield, and jumped back. All around, weapons clashed between the rebellious serfs and the royal guard. Fale hopped side to side, the swordsman trying to keep up in the heavy armor. Fale took the opportunity to strike, and delivered a powerful blow, right into the swordsmans shield, causing the swordsman to fall over. Fale swung, but missed the swordsman, the swordsman attacking, but Fale brought her sword around and blocked the blow with the edge of her blade, sending sparks into the air. Fale remembered her old sword, took it out, and chucked it at the swordsman. The sword flew off into the distance, sending up a plume of dust as it landed. Now fale wished she had had both eyes again... Fale kept her distance from the swordsman, coming in only to strike. The swordsman blocked her, and blocked her again, jumping back with the third attack. This swordsman was trained in using shields and armor, it seemed. The swordsman grinned. TWANG! A bolt grazed Fales back, flying off into the distance. The swordsman had just been a heavily armored decoy! Fale would have been likely shot, but some peasants, now armed, ran in towards the swordsman and sneaking up behind the crossbowman.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-28.png)
Fale ran between the barrow passage between a shop and a residential building, sneaking against the side of the building. she moved out of view of the swordsman, and hopped back out, running towards the end of town, making quick eye contact with and exchanging nods with a peasant running the other way. Fale got to the edge of town and started sneaking. There was the crossbowman again! He walked toward Fale, fale walked toward him, he never saw Fale.
So, shooter, how would you enjoy getting YOUR guts pierced into?
The crossbowman turned, and saw Fale already throwing a swing. The crossbowman jumped and yelled.
Gotcha!
Since the crossbowman had jumped, the blow landed on the crossbowmans right upper leg, badly gashing it. The crossbowman loosed a bolt quickly, striking Fale in the left lower arm. Fale grunted, and gripped her sword tighter. Fale swung, and the crossbowman blocked the shot with the metal front of his crossbow. Fale swung again, the crossbowman, not as laden down as his closer ranged peers, jumped back, evading the blow. Fale struck the crossbowman on the left forearm, slicing through the leather padding, but doing little damage underneath. Again, the shot was blocked by the metal front of a crossbow. This crossbowmans crossbow seemed actually quite large. As fale brought her sword back, the crossbowman tried to swat her with the butt of the crossbow, but missed. Fale quickly brought her sword down onto the crossbowmans right forearm, but the same result happened, torn leather, but little damage underneath. The crossbowman ratcheted the large crossbow twice, imparting little tention to the bow. The crossbowman fired as Fale raised her sword.
The flying iron bolt strikes You in the left hand!
It is badly pierced!
Fale grunted loudly, the bolt falling out of the wound and to the ground. The crossbowman ratcheted back another bolt, this time ratcheting it several times. Fale found it harder to grasp the sword, but was intent on finishing this. Fale brought her sword down to the ground, in preparation for bringing it up into the crossbowmans abdomen. Fale looked up, and found herself staring down the body of the crossbowmans locked and loaded crossbow. The front of the crossbow only a few inches away from her forehead, Fale smiled defiantly at the crossbowman. She bumped the crossbowmans arm, causing the bolt to be loosed, flying away into the distance. She brought the sword up, grabbed it again with the other hand, and added force to the swing, slashing deep into the crossbowmans chest.
The human Crossbowman's left lung has been pierced!
The human Crossbowman's heart has been pierced!
Fale stood tall, the sword raised directly above her, blood flying out of the chest of the screaming crossbowman. Fale stopped the motion of the sword, and reversed it, bringing it down.
You hack at The human Crossbowman in the head with your iron two-handed sword!
It is cut!
The human Crossbowman's right eye has been slashed out!
The human Crossbowman's nose has been cut!
The human Crossbowman gives into pain.
The human Crossbowman falls over.
Quogub Sanaenil, human Crossbowman has bled to death.
No longer would the 'firing squad' be executing peasants. Fale sheathed her sword, and leaned over, picking up the oversized crossbow. To her surprise, the crossbow was an experimental contraption, a fusion of dwarven, elven, and human technology. There was a small magnifying glass mounted on it, and the body was long enough and the mechanisms complex enough to spend several minutes winding it up to a rediculous tension. If the crossbowman had had the time to build up to the true maximum power of the crossbow, a single shot would have likely caused one of Fales body parts to explode in gore, so she thought. On the stock of the crossbow was an enscription in gold, reading "Big F*cking Crossbow 1000". Fale snickered, and wore the heavy device on her back, stuffing the dead crossbowmans quiver in her backpack.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-29.png)
The sheer weight of the convoluted iron monstrocity of a weapon slowed Fale down quite a bit, but that was of little matter now. The yelling and clashing died down, replaced by a loud, defiant cheering. The body of the swordsman was raised up, impaled on his own sword. The serfs cheered, having defeated the guards on patrol. There was still the problem of the guards in the buildings, just not caring about the world outside of the stone walls. These complacent guards would have another concern. The town brewer passed out bottles with bits of rope reed cloth stuffed in the top to random people in town. Fale slid the iron bolt out from the wound in her arm, then dropped it. It hurt quite badly, but it was far from the worst that could've happened. The brewer reached Fale, and handed her a bottle. People were lighting the cloth and throwing the bottles at or inside of the buildings the other guards were in, the bottles exploding in fire on impact. Fale walked up to a fire, lit hers, then threw it the best she could. It flew down a hallway and exploded at the end, apreading fire into the nearby rooms. The buildings went up in flames, the guards inside being cooked inside of their thick armor. None made it out. Fale grinned at the burning building menacingly, the light from the fire reflecting off of her eye, giving her pupil a red glow.
Revenge is a dish best served a la flambe!
The first battle of the revolution had been a victory. The serfs-now-rebels cheered, referring to Fale as their liberator, and several of them walked up to her. One spoke, "So, where to now, leader?"
Leader? Me?
The rebels listened eagerly. Fale spoke, "Err, hmm, sendi fighty guys to da other towns, start da fight der at da same time, keepy da royal army busy, see?" The rebels nodded, and began delegating who would travel to what town, and discussing when exactly the strike would begin. The rebels discussed with Fale how it would take several of their best warriors to start trouble in the capital, and Fale replied, thinking about the situation, "I'za go der alone! Many guys maki many target for da baddies." The rebels agreed, and trusted Fale. Several of them were amused by Fales odd language, though none doubted the abilities of their hero. After the plans were finalized, the delegated warriors left for the wilderness, including Fale. Fale headed southwest through the deserts, the scorching heat burning down on the sands, and burning down on the scorched village behind. Behind those large hills ahead lay the capital. Fale thought to herself, behind those hills lays her fate, for better or for worse.
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It took a lot of restarts to beat that crossbowman, though XD
[ October 14, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
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Fale continued southwest. Night fell, and not even the wild animals interrupted Fales journey. The sun rose again as Fale approached the capital. Fale slept just outside of the capital that day, the agreed upon time for the strike being sunset. It was raining as Fale awoke, the sun in the eastern sky. Fale continued into the capital, the sun low in the eastern sky. It had stopped raining. Fale pressed herself against the wall of a building and began sneaking. She would have to hide the crossbow somewhere, it would be unwise to try to fight while burdened with such a weight. Fale reached the corner of the building, looked, saw a clear path, and ran to the next, sneaking across its side until she reached a tree.king out from behind the tree, she saw an open clearing to pass the main road, she darted across and hid against the looming walls of the castle. Fale snuck around the side, planning on depositing the crossbow behind the castle. She looked up...
BUMP!
You've been spotted!
Fale jumped, and quickly drew her sword, slicing the hammermans face with the same motion. Up through the neck, the hammermans throat was slashed out, and his skull pierced into. Fale, not wanting to get swarmed, hacked again at the hammermans leg, the force snapping the bone. The hammerman fell over, tried his best to hit Fale, if nothing else to slow her down before he died, but Fale jumped back, causing him to miss. The hammerman gagged, and drifted out of consciousness due to pain. Fale grunted and hit the hammerman 3 more times, the third splitting his kneecap and severing his right lower leg. Fale left, and continued sneaking against the side of the castle.
Nocam Ujacopnut, human Hammerman has bled to death.
Fale rounded the corner, and continued around back. There were no bushes here, so Fale found a tree, and hid the crossbow and the bolts inside of the tree. Footsteps approached. Fale walked out from behind the tree and looked.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-30.png)
Fale moved to the other side, the axeman moving toward fale, grunting loudly, axe raised. Fale struck preemptively, but the axeman put his axe behind him, holding his shield with the other hand, blocking Fales shot. Another axeman was approaching. Another strike hit the axemans thick armor, glancing away. Fale backed off, the axeman ran up to her again. Fale thrusted the heavy sword, piercing the axemans armor, the sword travelling into his chest.
It is badly gashed!
The human Axeman's left lung has been pierced!
The human Axeman's heart has been pierced!
The human Axeman's liver has been badly cut!
The human Axeman's upper spine has been badly cut!
The iron two-handed sword has lodged firmly in the wound.
The axeman gagged, and looked down, seeing the sword protruding out of his chest. Fale leaned back and pulled with all of her strength, yanking the sword out. Blood poured out of the wound. The axeman stumbled a couple of steps and fell over, never to stand again. Fale turned to face the other axeman. Fale stood in a fighting stance, unmoving, the axeman approaching. Fale grinned, and ran towards the axeman. The axeman stood still, afraid to move. Fale snickered and backed up again. The axeman moved side to side as she approached Fale.
You strike at The human Axeman but the shot is blocked!
The human Axeman counterstrikes!
The human Axeman hacks at you in the left hand with her <<copper>>!
It is cut!
Fale stifled a yell and growled, blood running down her arm. Fale stepped back, the axeman advanced. Fale hacked at her, but she jumped off to the side, landing hard clad in heavy armor. Fale backed off, and attacked as the axeman approached. The axeman turned, causing Fale to miss. Fale missed again the next time, the axeman missing a counterstrike. This axeman seemed to be strong and rather skilled at using armor, the weight of the iron suit having a lessened effect on her. The axeman grunted, "I've trained for over 3 years, I am a master of axe, armor and shield, what makes you think you stand a chance, kobold? Haha, you can't even get through my shield!" Fale replied, "Luck, 'cause I'za gunna try!" Fale sidestepped, the axeman trying to line up for a swing. Suddenly, Fale drew back her sword, and trusting luck, missing one eye, threw the sword.
THUNK!
The spinning iron two-handed sword strikes The human Axeman in the right lower arm!
It is broken!
The human Axeman loses hold of the -copper shield-.
The human Axeman attacks You but You jump away!
The axeman grunted loudly, "My shield arm!?! YOU...!" Fales sword fell to the ground, the axeman ignoring it and leaving it. Fale walked back, leading the axeman away, sidestepped around, and then stepped back. The axeman realized her own critical mistake. Fale picked up her sword once more.
Glad you decided to stop hiding behind that shield! Now, lets fight!
Fale grabbed the axemans shield off the ground, and threw it at the axeman. The shield struck the axeman in the chest. The axeman had the wind knocked out of her by her own shield, her liver and upper spine being bruised. The axeman coughed, having trouble breathing, but brought her halberd down anyway. The axeman missed Fale by a narrow margin, Fale taking the opportunity to thrust with her sword. Fale missed the axemans head, and missed her arm, but continued all the way down, striking the axemans left foot, breaking it, spraining the joint, and mangling two toes. The axeman fell over, and Fale stepped back. Determined, the axeman dragged herself after Fale. The axeman held up her axe desperately, parrying three blows, interrupting the fourth with a swing.
The human Axeman hacks at You in the left lower leg with her <<copper>>!
It is badly gashed!
Fale nearly yelled out but stifled it, limping back. Three more of fales blows were parried. Fale grunted loudly and growled, bringing her sword down on the axemans right elbow.
The right lower arm flies off in a bloody arc!
The human Axeman gives into pain!
Fale sliced off the axemans right upper leg, and hacked the axemans gut with all of her strength.
It is broken!
The human Axeman looks sick!
The human Axeman's entrails shoot out through the wound!
The human Axeman's pancreas has been broken!
The human Axeman's right kidney has been badly cut!
The human Axeman's lower spine has been broken!
The human Axeman is propelled away by the force of the blow!
Fale watched, grinning.
The human Axeman vomits.
The human Axeman vomits.
The human Axeman vomits.
The human Axeman vomits.
The human Axeman vomits.
Ared Iddimsporro, human Axeman has bled to death.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-31.png)
Fale knew that there were a multitude of ways that could have ended in her bloody death, yet Luck had provided her with a path leading to victory. Fale looked around. Various bits of axeman were scattered, gore and blood covering the area around her. Fale walked over to the deceased axemans corpse, and began dragging it, guts trailing behind. Fale dragged it against the castle wall, and stood still. Another axeman was approaching. Fale snuck along the castle wall, and stood still yet again as the axeman yelled in fury at the sight of his dismembered peers.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-32.png)
He yelled between the buildings, "We got a rebel somewhere over here! Sound the alarm!" Bells went off. Fale continued around the east wall of the castle. It looks like the fight was starting early for Fale. The guards and serfs stopped and looked at the front of the castle. There was Fale, standing in front of the castle, raising the mangled body of a dead axeman above her, guts drooping down from it. Fale threw the corpse at the ground near an Acacia sapling, and lit it.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p197/alan_leandros/df-33.png)
The guards and serfs stood silent. On top of the roof of the bar, a crossbowman was taking careful aim, iron sight pointing out an arc streight through Fales head. The guards were about to attack the rumored slayer of the ettin, the Ancient purple Spear, hero of the northern towns. The serfs knew that their living folk-tale hero was about to be attacked by the very same people that abused them. The serfs weren't about to allow that to happen. The crossbowman allowed the crossbow to remain redting upon the edge of the structure. He pressed his finger firmly against the trigger, waiting for the moment to fire, and from above a glass mug came down on his head, shattering, knocking him unconscious. The drunk threw the crossbowman over the balcony, the crossbowman slamming into a patch of rocks with a satisfying crunch. A weaver picked up the crossbow, and fired, sinking the bolt into the head of an approaching guard. The guards changed their course, running at the rebellious serfs. A farmer pucked up the dead guards mace, and atacked the group from behind, the weaver-now-rebel-crossbowman loading another bolt. Fale ran across the front of the castle, and ran between it and another building, travelling back to retrieve her equipment. Someone to her side yelled, "DYAAAAARGH!" Fale turned, it was the axeman that had called for the sounding of the alarm. Fale drew her sword. Fale stepped out in the open and waited, standing in a fighting pose. As the axeman approached, Fale struck, cutting the axemans forearm through the armor, and stepped back. The axeman raised his axe and ran at Fale, yelling. Fale brought her sword low and trusted, breaking the axemans foot. The axeman toppled over, axe sinking into the dirt. Predictably, the axeman dragged itself toward Fale, and Fale greeted him with a blade to his right forearm, badly gashing it. The next shot was desperately blocked, but the axeman lost consciousness, nearly yelling constantly in pain. Now that the yelling was silenced, Fale brought her sword down on the axemans foot, but the sword simply glanced off of the armor. She drew it back up, holding it pointed streight downwards, and brought the tip of the blade through the axemans chest.
The human Axeman's right lung has been pierced!
The human Axeman's heart has been pierced!
The human Axeman's liver has been cut!
Fale pulled her sword out, and sheathed it, walking away as a pool of blood expanding around the nearly dead axeman.
The human Axeman regains consciousness.
Among the intensifying yells and clashes of the fight between the serfs and the guards, a sickening scream pierced the air.
Sporro Isingethac, human Axeman has bled to death.
Night is falling.
A bolt wizzed into the alley, striking the castle wall by Fale and ricocheting, sending sparks into Fales face. Fale heard a ratcheting sound, and spotted the immediate threat in the distance.
:p
And yeah, fighting the king without manipulating the situation a bit was basically impossible. Oh well, I tried not to be too lame :p
P.S. I had to break this up because it says I was exceeding 8 images, even though theres only 7 here.
I am a bit curious as to what precisely you picture a kobold as/used as your reference for the picture, though. I tried googling pictures and most of the actual game pictures (on the first page of results, anyway) showed them as reptilian (although I know they've also been represented as canines). It's sort of strange how creatures that get used so often can differ so widely depending on who you're talking to/what you're referencing.
Also, I like how you interpreted some of the more *complex* combat maneuvers. :p My inner stickler grumbles about how it'd be acceptable in-game if it was just obvious that that was what was going on, but like the minor errors that would be easy to edit out it doesn't really hurt my enjoyment any.
I've still got one update to go to conclude it, and then I have a sequel in mind. But, today is the last day of break, and that means my opportunity for consistently rapid-firing updates is closed after today... well at least for the next couple of months :D
As for the combat maneuvers, I try to process the situation in full 3d with real-time physics, using my brain :p
[ October 14, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
The sequel involves Fales child in the same world, in fortress mode. In fact, I have a lot of ideas in mind that would go beyond the confines of DF and into pure imagined story. Of course, all of the foundations would be in DF and the DF universe would still be honored. It would probably be a lot simpler to use the old version, especially because in order to advance the plot, in some cases I would need to use some utilities.
[ October 14, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
Thank all of you for your support :D
Now, I need to conclude it.
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The revolution had begun on the 26th of Granite, 1050. On the 27th, Fale became the new queen. The fighting had ceased on the 5th of Slate, 1050. The serfs were victorious, and the oppressive empire was overthrown, replaced by an empire under Fale Siegedriven.
Fale had no experience in leadership, but often talked to people for advice and knowledge. She had trained herself from the combined knowledge of the people by the beginning of 1051. By 1052, much of the empire had been rebuilt. Fale gave much of the old kings posessions back to who they belonged to: the people. The 27th of granite, Fales first day as queen, became a new national holiday. Under Fales rule, taxes were low and efficiently used. No longer were the peasants abused. No longer were the peasants serfs. Everyone had a job and everyone was paid fairly. Merchants found little need to pursue corrupt paths, and honesty triumphed. For the first time in aeons, it seemed, the people were happy.
In late 1052, Fale became more and more involved in the world political scene. Fale decided, on the 14th of Opal that year, to lead a patrol against corrupt activities in person. Over the next 4 years, Fale led many campaigns of military and diplomatic struggle, driving the goblins back from their criminal actions, and working with the elves to eliminate the criminals, which resulted in one of the first battles to be fought almost exclusively with ranged weapons. Rumor has it that Fale led the group in as the front, riding through a barrage of bolts, and in the end defeating the elven criminals with minimal losses. It was also during this time that Fale attempted to merge kobold and human societies. This was nearly a complete success. The kobolds it turned out were just about on par with the humans, and the humans, having found a deep respect for kobolds, welcomed them into their towns. There was a small group of humans though that were intimidated by their new peers, and, in some cases forcefully, drove the kobolds out of towns. This was widely regarded as criminal activity. Her venture against the evils of the world earned her global respect. The elven criminal element crumbled and for the first time in over 1000 years, dwarves and elves were completely at peace. Conflicts among human peoples ended as trade flourished and productive activity outpaced criminal activity. Kobolds became widely accepted. The world seemed at peace, and Fale was able to bring everyone to respect one another, almost. She was never quite able to get the goblins to accept the rest of the world. She did, however, accomplish for the first time in history, a peace treaty with the goblins that was honored on both sides. By 1060, war had nearly become a topic only for historical discussion, as the world seemed, for the first time in history, truely at peace. Even elephants returned to their peaceful nature. Fale settled back in at the capital after the long journey.
Fale left the doors of the castle open to anyone who wished to visit, be them a drunk, a noble, or anyone else. The castle became sort of a civic building, rather than exclusively her home. She entertained all equally with the stories of her adventures, and often joked with those around her and danced for anyone who was willing to play music. Fale showed up to many activities that her people held, the only activity that never quite worked out was once when she was asked to supply someone more competent for guards to spar with in the barracks. Fale fufilled this request by showing up in person, but the guards were afraid to spar with her.
Fale never asked for much more than simple food and supplies, but the people voluntarily provided much more. As a custom, they melted down the coins bearing the image of their former tyrant, and forged new coins, bearing Fales image on the front, and the image of a victorious crowd of rebels on the back. As a gift, in thanks for their liberation, the people constructed a life sized statue of Fale, depicting her holding a sword in one hand, sword softly resting, tip on the ground, and, with the other hand, raising a scroll, on the scroll was listed Fales achievements, as an adventurer and as a leader. She was depicted with her characteristic grin, a grin of peace and acceptance toward those out to make the world a better place, and a grin of menace and fury toward those who would cause corruption and evil.
Over the next two decades, arts and sciences flourished. Towns expanded and new facilities, adapting technologies of other races, such as aqueducts and tree-manipulation, made life much easier. Several monuments were constructed during this time. Although Fale grew older, slowly, but inevitably, her heart, mind, and soul never aged a day.
Having settled down by 1060, Fale had her only child in the summer of 1062. The prince often showed an odd curiosity about simply everything. Unlike his mother, the prince had little interest in melee combat, or combat in general. He persued intellectual goals despite the lack of any long established educational facilities. The only ones around were newly founded and yet to build up. Despite this, he always found a way to satisfy his curiosity, and seemed to prove himself more intelligent than the average human. Some say this unheard of path was due to a desire to benefit the world, some say it was due to his lineage, a small portion of which traced back to a lost species of inventors known as the Gnomes. At the age of 18, he finished a book regarding his insights and published it. The book described unheard of maths involving the slopes of lines and areas under curves, and how to apply it to understanding the world around as it is and where it's going. This earned him many awards and high respect among the intellectual community. When asked about how he sees such things in the world, he described his frame of mind as "unusual and somewhat eccentric." Indeed, the prince often demonstrated his Gnomish lineage in his hobbies, building devices of unusual design that performed tasks that nobody had ever thought of before.
Historians everywhere documented the adventures and leadership of Fale, as well as the insights of her son. But a small group of humans were consistantly bitter over the merging of kobold and human civilizations. They were hardly a threat, but they were formulating a plan. It came to be on the 1st of granite, 1080. It was a cold winter night that night, for the first time in many years, it actually snowed in the desert of the capital.
Fale was inside, reviewing a law document, checking to make sure it was truely fair. 6 crossbowmen entered through the open gates, exiting the snow. Fale looked at them and greeted them with a smile, "Hello der! Ders warm water downstairs, if you'd like." They didn't respond. A moment later, they readied their crossbows, aiming at Fale. Fale immediately stood up, but noticed her foot was stuck to the ground with some kind of adhesive. A sense of gloom fell over Fale as she realized, this was it. She held the document down in front of her.
I'm greatful that I lived this long... it's really too bad you can't be greatful too.
They loosed their bolts, the 6 bolts simultaneously sinking themselved into Fales body, piercing the law document as well, pinning the paper to Fales guts. Fale looked down, and tried to scream in pain, but nothing came out. She fell over onto her side. A sense of deep cold overwhelmed her, she tried to take in a breath, but her body refused to function. She felt her pulse no longer. Her strength drained quickly, and her head rested against the ground, eye open, a pool of blood forming around her. Her vision faded to white. The pain seemed to dull away as her senses were filled with white silence.
Goodnight Fale. This is your consciousness, signing off for the last time.
Goodnight Consciousness, you have served me well. Thank you. Truely.
White turned to black. Fale felt as if she was opening her eyes... eyes? She had 2 again. She stood up, and found herself invisible, seemingly as light as a feather, her dead body below her. She felt cold and clammy in this state. She shivered, and looked over towards the assasins. 5 of them left as if nothing had happened, but 1 remained, hidden behind a table. Fales son walked in, arms full of various tools and papers. He saw her corpse. The tools made a loud racket as they hit the floor. He ran up to her body and yelled, "NO! Mother! What happened?! No, you CAN'T be dead! You can't!" He knelt down and covered his eyes, weeping, saying "No" under his breath over and over. Fales spirit walked up to him, knelt down beside him and hugged him once again. Fale spoke, although only the spiritual entities could hear her, "I love you. I promised you I would give you a gift for your birthday, and I still will."
Once a necr... no, I'm probably better off a ghost than a zombie.
Fales spirit stood. If it weren't for the limitations of her state as a spiritual entity, she would have shed tears herself.
The crossbowman hiding in the corner stood. Fales spirit yelled, to no avail, "NO! LEAVE NOW! IT'S A TRAP!" The crossbowman laughed, "I'll shoot you dead like the dog you are." The prince looked up, jumped in fear and immediately turned to run. The crossbowman fires, hitting the prince in the arm. The prince yelled in pain, grunting and biting his lip as he ran away. He ran up the stairwell, and ran to Fales personal room. He knew that it was no longer safe here. He pulled the bolt out, yelling in pain again as he did so, and dropped it. Shaking, he took Fales old backpack, stuffed the world map and a few of the most important things that reminded him of her in the backpack, and quickly left. The crossbowman was walking up the stairs, a big smile on his face. The prince ran up the second stairwell, and found himself on the roof. He darted from one end of the roof to the other and back again, but there was no ladder down. He stood on the edge of the roof and looked back at the stairwell, the crossbowman coming up, laughing. The crossbowman yelled, "Gotcha! This is gunna be fun!" The prince looked around franticly, closed his eyes, let out a deep breath, and lept backwards off of the roof. He fell 2 stories and became embedded in snow on landing. He was stunned, but when his senses returned proper, he began digging himself out. As he resurfaced, bolts flew by him, sinking into the snow next to him. The other crossbowmen were on rooftops, taking aim at the kobold prince. He ran as fast as his legs would take him, out of town, and into the open desert. Even though he was had just become a true adult and was beginning to move in life on his own, he was still his mothers son, and Fale was his best friend on top of it. He said to himself as he ran, "No, this can't be. Not even hell itself will stop me from speaking to my mother!" He felt his heart was missing a piece, now. He continued, leaving the capital behind. What he did afterwards is a subject for a different story.
Fales spirit stepped through the wall during this, and witnessed the whole thing. She looked down, and sighed. She felt nothing... except someone or something tapping on her shoulder. She turned around, and saw another spiritual entity that seemed to resemble a skeletal kobold. Fale said, "Yer death?" Death replied, "Why yes, the Luck ladies and I had a lot of fun testing you these last 30 years, and we're quite impressed. Extremely impressed. I hope you had fun cheating me, you were really rather clever! Follow." Fale responded, a hint of anger in her voice, "Whysh'd I follow you?" Death responded, "My job is to arrange transportation for spirits between earth and the other planes. If I didn't do this, you would be stuck down here, a mere shadow of energy, for all eternity. You've earned yourself an express ticket, my friend." Fale asked, "My family, my dying, iss you?" Death replied, "No, that was completely the idea of earthly beings, my business isn't causing death, it's keeping the world free of haunting ghosts." He mumbled, then spoke, "You really did me a personal favor in getting rid of the skeleton queen back there. Those skeletons and zombies think they're all that. You sure showed them a thing or two. Now, follow." Fale accepted, and followed death away from the castle. In the snow rested what seemed to be a steel box of sorts. Fale walked into it after death did. Fale asked, "Which way'sm I going?" Death replied, "Are you kidding me? You kicked the sh*t out of evil and corruption! You've got an express ticket streight up." Death pushed a button on the wall of the steel box, marked with a sideways 8, the button lit up and the doors closed with a rumble and a latch. There was a humming, and the box seemed to accelerate, departing from the familiar world. Fale looked around, and asked, "Whas this?" Death replied, "Ah, its an ingenious human invention called an 'elevator', they came up with the idea in the late 1800s to help with getting up and down their skyrises." Death looked right at Fale, and continued, "I'm sure you'll be hearing all about it." Death placed his face close to hers, and whispered into her ear, "Don't let Armok know I told you about this, but you and your son in for one heck of a surprise down the road." Fale seemed puzzled, and asked, "... 1800s? Iss 1080! You got a zero in da wrong place!" Death asked, in return, "Do you know exactly what time it is?" Fale replied, "Erm, I lost track." Death concluded, "You needn't concern yourself with such trivialities as time as of now."
That day, the 1st of granite, new years, the day of the assasination, became a national day of mourning. Day rose, and day fell. The assasins were cought, and executed. Weeks passed, months passed, the nation continued without Fale, but seemed lackluster, as if something were missing. Leaders came, leaders died, empires rose and fell. Settlements became towns, towns became cities, cities became ruins, ruins became dust. Civilization progressed through the aeons, expanding, pioneering new realms and new technologies. Through the bright days of innovation and liberty, and through the dark ages of warfare and hardship, wherever civilization went, they carried with them the story of their legend, the one who brought the message of justice and liberty, the one who vanquished evil and brought peace, liberty, and happiness. In a multitude of languages, on a multitude of medias, amongst multitudes of people, the story of Fale Siegedriven, hero of the Golden Age, was never forgotten.
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Writing this story was in and of itself an emotional roller-coaster ride for me. I was more attatched to Fale than I had ever been to any other computer character before, even my creature in B'n'W.
A song that my friend made, in my opinion a ☼song☼, the melody of which just reminds me of Fale, her adventures, and her personality.
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/100408
I'd recommend ignoring the graphics display and just focusing on the audio.
Maybe I just have an odd sense of melody but this song, coupled with writing this story, elicited some of the strongest emotions I'd ever had when doing a project. In fact, I think I found myself more involved in this project than any of my previous ones.
Thank you all for your support. If it wasn't for this community, these ideas would've just been forgotten, but here it is, finished.
I await the sequel with bated breath. :)
quote:
Originally posted by BDR:
<STRONG>Bra-f*cking-vo.I await the sequel with bated breath. :)</STRONG>
Yeah.
Death told her about the secret? Damn, how did he find out about that! :mad: At least he got the elevator to finally work.
I... I do not have words, you, AlanL, has left Armok wordless.
As for the sequel, I'm not sure how purist people tend to be. Some of the foundations for what I have planned for the story are either impossible in or not simulated in DF, so in order to truly bring the whole plot to work, I'd need to use a lot of creative license and use utilities every now and then. Some of the story would end up being purely written, not based on events in DF. I'm not sure if people would mind that or not. Almost all of the simple or conventional stuff would take place in DF though, and the DF universe would be honored where it applies.
[ October 15, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
quote:
Originally posted by AlanL:
<STRONG>I'm really glad you all enjoyed it, I think it's the first real rp/fan-fic story I've ever released, and it turned out better than I imagined (how many times have I said this already? :DAs for the sequel, I'm not sure how purist people tend to be. Some of the foundations for what I have planned for the story are either impossible in or not simulated in DF, so in order to truly bring the whole plot to work, I'd need to use a lot of creative license and use utilities every now and then. Some of the story would end up being purely written, not based on events in DF. I'm not sure if people would mind that or not. Almost all of the simple or conventional stuff would take place in DF though, and the DF universe would be honored where it applies.
[ October 15, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]</STRONG>
Write the story as in your mind, do not be constrained by mere facts of the game.
Cheatsy as muths as ye wantsi!
The game is as of not yet completed, let not those very few impurities of incompleteness pollute this masterpiece.
Currently I'm still brainstorming it, and also, since my break is up (the only reason I'm posting right now is because I'm home sick), I won't be able to fire updates as if they were coming out of an elven bow. But, I should be able to start relatively soon.
edit: Some interesting facts after the matter
-The title the game gave Fale was clipped off the screen. I used my interpretation of the clipped version, but I later found out the actual title and it was something not as cool :p
-It took a few tries to get the screenshot with Fale throwing the kings corpse.
<SPOILY>
-There are some hints scattered around about the sequel, and one section that will be mirrored in it
</SPOILY>
-I had to give humans a negative [DAMBLOCK] to make the last fight work right at all. The guys armor was just too tough. The damblock was reset when Fale got the mace though.
-I discovered that not all guards are generated equal, some are n00bies, some are nearly elite.
[ October 15, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
Forgot to ask this, but.. gnomes in the lineage? How'd that happen? I mean, sure there's the obvious 'when a gnome loves a kobold very, very much..', but how'd that in particular come to pass? (I could probably guess, but I want to know...)
[ October 15, 2007: Message edited by: BDR ]
Actually, I left out just how gnomish lineage got in there because I didn't want people to think too deeply into it and get grossed out or anything XD
Edit: If you're referring to how the kobold and gnome actually would've got together, I never really thought about that. Theres a chance that gnomes and kobolds respected one another and had a lot of trade etc. in the 'old days'.
[ October 15, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
quote:
Originally posted by BDR:
<STRONG>See, peculiar taste occurred to me, but I wasn't *quite* sure that was it and nothing else; the only other explanation coming to mind, however, was that *way* long ago the different sapients weren't quite as "separated" biologically as they were when this particular story started, allowing breeding to occur. I guess the bigger question in my head is what the deal is with fantasy race biology in this case; both kobolds and gnomes might be humanoid mammals, but does that really mean they can breed, and if so what does the genetics of the various races actually look like?</STRONG>
But kobolds are canines (in this story) and gnomes are primates (they look very mutsh like humans)! :(
Edit: And as far as them getting together, again, since at the time it was unlikely that kobold and gnomish society were merged or living together, it would've probably been something like love at first sight on a trading run, combined with odd tastes. About them being less distant in the past, I'm thinking that this would have happened in the range of a century or two beforehand, not millions of years.
Edit II: I think this is funny that this has become the primary discussion topic after the end of the story :p
[ October 16, 2007: Message edited by: AlanL ]
It's nice to remember the days when adventure mode was merely the prototype for handling 3d, and when abandoned fortresses were partitioned into 3d segments semi-randomly.
Thanks again, all who supported me here.
Edit: I just had to take an image of the threads being side by side on the forum list.
I realize this constitutes a double post and a necro... if it isn't justified, just let it drop.
[ January 30, 2008: Message edited by: AlanL ]