Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 ... 66 67 [68] 69 70 ... 162

Author Topic: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world (DF 34.11)  (Read 777155 times)

Tehsapper

  • Bay Watcher
  • Why, MrMayor? Whatever do you mean by "slade bed"?
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1005 on: August 14, 2013, 06:02:13 am »

A tale of Ushat Fasholon, "Parchgear", the Scarlet Silkiness of Perplexing

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Born in one of dwarven outposts located on the mountain range called the Prime Crest, everyone told his parents that he will become a great hero the dwarven race needs so badly. The Guarddwarves squad of the capital already marked him as an Initiate - a great honour for any dwarf aspiring to be a warrior - so when he is fit for military duty, he would train with greatest and most skilled warriors of dwarfkind. His parents were proud of him, a great son of a family of simple masons.



He was as strong as an elephant, as agile as a raven, and...



...Yeah. As dumb as a giant sponge.

Still, at first his parents thought that he gonna grow up and everything will be fine by itself, but his mind never evolved past infants one. When he decided to use a stone mug from a stockpile to drink beer at age 6, his deeply ashamed father said "Enough!" and in a fit of anger (because everyone was laughing at his son harder than at sight of burning cats) threw Ushat into a "day care" pit.

How suprised father's face was when Ushat emerged victorious by strangling all of the hungry rabid dogs, sustaining barely a scratch as injury. So, the local government told them that trying to kill promising warriors is a a very bad idea, and that's why Ushat was sent to a special burrow, to train for all his lifetime and only be released when another pack of goblins invades.

It all was glad, until that one accident. Somehow, Ushat slipped away after fighting off some kobolds and went to sleep in one of dormitories. He was only found when he was punching to death an elven caravan master, that just came here with a good load of booze. As the caravan was quickly retiring back to their woods, Ushat was caught and put under arrest.

To add insult to the injury, the fort was already experiencing soberness, as the head brewer was killed in a mining accident. After all the screams and complaints they all came to a conclusion: they have had enough of Ushat's stupidity, but elves deserved it.

Nevertheless, they couldn't execute him for this, and trying to beat him would only enrage him, which would lead to grave results, so, Ushat was exiled. They used a common trick for such problems: he was told to guard the nearby hill from "invaders".

Ushat obeyed, but as time passed, he grew tired, drowsy, hungry and thirsty and so he went back. Thanks to his iffy memory, he couldn't find the way to home, so he went Armok-only-knows where, in vain attempts to find his home. Ushat never fully understood what happened that night. And so, his adventure began.
Logged

Timeless Bob

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1006 on: August 14, 2013, 10:54:46 am »

Please join me in cheering Braalbard's Dwarven Science!

Hip hip hooray!
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 14, 2013, 11:01:40 am by Timeless Bob »
Logged
L33tsp34k does to English what Picasso did to faces.

Dwarfopoly
The Luckiest Tourist EVER
Bloodlines of the Forii

Bralbaard

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1007 on: August 15, 2013, 12:12:57 am »

A new adventure!
I wonder how far Ushat will get, at least he seems to have gained a proper name, that's good news.

Also some new science, this time with less desirable results, I 'll spoiler it to not clutter up the topic
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 15, 2013, 12:24:35 am by Bralbaard »
Logged

Timeless Bob

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1008 on: August 15, 2013, 04:53:19 am »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Logged
L33tsp34k does to English what Picasso did to faces.

Dwarfopoly
The Luckiest Tourist EVER
Bloodlines of the Forii

Niyazov

  • Bay Watcher
  • shovel them under and let me work - I am the grass
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1009 on: August 15, 2013, 01:33:18 pm »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Logged

Timeless Bob

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1010 on: August 15, 2013, 05:32:43 pm »

Not related to "The Museum" game except incidentally - carry on.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 15, 2013, 05:56:25 pm by Timeless Bob »
Logged
L33tsp34k does to English what Picasso did to faces.

Dwarfopoly
The Luckiest Tourist EVER
Bloodlines of the Forii

Timeless Bob

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1011 on: August 15, 2013, 05:36:30 pm »


(double post removed)
Logged
L33tsp34k does to English what Picasso did to faces.

Dwarfopoly
The Luckiest Tourist EVER
Bloodlines of the Forii

Tehsapper

  • Bay Watcher
  • Why, MrMayor? Whatever do you mean by "slade bed"?
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1012 on: August 16, 2013, 04:02:35 pm »


And so Ushat went along the Prime Crest, and he came down to Clinchedarrows - a city of hill dwarves. He tried to find anyone who could point him back to his home, but all houses were silent and empty, no one responded to his calls. The city was barren and abandoned, with no signs of life except plump helmet fields (sometimes they indeed grow aboveground). But when he almost lost his hopes of finding anyone, he stumbled upon a lone house, with windows lit and otherwise showing that someone is here.



Ushat knocked on the door, then again, then he almost wanted to rip the door off, but the mysterious owner opened. It was an old, old female dwarf, so old she could be Ushat's grandgrandmother. She was knitting a sock for someone.

'Hello there, fellow youngster! How did you end up in this place, so late?'
'Me Ushat. Me lost. Find way home?'

The granny stares at him in amazement, but soon realizes what's wrong in this big, muscular warrior. She makes a pause to come up with the right, simplified words for him:

'You lost? That's bad, very bad. My name is Stukos. What is your name?'

'Huh?'
 
'Name! A word you parents gave you on the day of your birth. For example, Urist, Likot, Usthut, Sarvesh, Kivish, Usha..'

Something clicks in Ushat's head and he blurts out a reply:

'Yes! Name is Ushat. Tell about surroundings'
 
And so, as Stukos was telling about almost every place she knew in this world, starting with hills, wide and barren, and oceans deep and mysterious. She told him of dark woods, where spiders roam freely, covering trees in soft, soft silk, so the light can't penetrate them at all. She told him about dwarven cities, majestic in their architectural order, holding unspeakable treasures. She told about elf retreats: 'those treehugging elves give trees names! Trees! Completely out of their minds, aren't they?' Ushat got bored and started to drift into the world of dreams as one detail interrupted him:

'..ountains, on the side of Insectious Forest, near the Hills of Murderings, no idea what it does now, Owlwalls, re-'
 
'Owlwalls?'

This name reminded him heavily of something.

'Yes, a settlement on the eastern edge of our world, as new as an infant. No idea what's inside, the news just got here.'

Something dear and what he had lost. It could only be-

'Home?' - he thought. The tiredness forced him to grab onto this idea like onto last pint of booze. Ushat hoped that he wouldn't forget the name this time, as he had done before, and decided to engrave a bird and a wall on his helm, just in case.

The hospitable granny let him sleep it off, 'cause it would be awful to leave someone to fend off for himself, wouldn't it?'
Logged

Kalsb

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1013 on: August 17, 2013, 07:04:10 am »

All these stories are great and I would love to add to the glory of the museum.
Logged

Bralbaard

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1014 on: August 17, 2013, 01:33:18 pm »

You're added to the list, but note that it will take several months before your turn arrives.
Logged

Kalsb

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1015 on: August 18, 2013, 08:54:59 am »

I am well aware. I'm just excited that I'll finally be able to take part in one of my favorite sorties.
Logged

Tehsapper

  • Bay Watcher
  • Why, MrMayor? Whatever do you mean by "slade bed"?
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1016 on: August 20, 2013, 10:50:39 am »


On the next day, Ushat thanked Stukos (she also gave him a bag of spare plump helmets) and went further in town. Soon he found a working shop that sold leather apparel: cloaks, shoes and so on.

'Me want cloak. Good cloak' - and he pointed to masterful cloak, made by some unknown artisan.

'It's all yours, my friend, but it'll cost you 800 uristmids'. The trader was rather happy that there was a customer, even a retarded one.

'Wots an uristmids?'. Deep dwarves still have no understatement of proper private property, so some of them grew all life hauling crafts to the trade depot, but never ever seeing money. Dwarven socialism and so on.

'Ehh... damn you. Shiny bits, golden, silver, copper, ada... Whatever, maybe you have something to sell? Crafts, artifacts? Goblin heads? Perhaps tattered bloody clothing? I won't mind it at all, my friend.'

'No. Only prepared fly brains, want some?' - and he reached into his backpack.

The disgust on trader's face was rather clear, so Ushat put them back - who knows what he is going to eat next days, plump helmets again?

Anyway, Ushat thought that it'd be nice to get some shiny coins, just in case. The problem was that there were no employers anywhere, and that trader didn't want to discuss anything after that. So, Ushat wandered through the town aimlessly.

He stopped to look upon a curious hole in the road, with a grate to stop anyone from falling in. There was darkness, and he could swore he had seen a pile of strange bones in the gleam of murky water.

Anyway or other, Ushat ended up before a massive keep, where probably his future employers resided, as he thought (and he was right). The keep was rather old and required some repair, which boosted his hopes of getting money for honest work. And so, he entered the hall, absolutely unchallenged as there were none to stop him-

'Who dares to disturb the High Council?!' - some low, rather scary voice boomed out.

'Ushat Fasholon, look for job'.

'Job? What chances do you have agai-' - As some strange dwarf in red outfit paused, because other dwarf, grey one, started to whisper something in his ear, Ushat took a look at surroundings.

The hall looked like a typical dining room you can find in any fort, only with 75% more statues. The so-called High Council consisted of five dwarves that sat there and were in process of eating plump helmet stew. Still, they looked intimidating, and Ushat thought that they were in charge of this poor city.

The dwarves finished whispering and looked at each other. Then, the red dwarf spoke:

'Ahem, I mean, yes, we do have some open jobs. By the way, we are The High Council, the noble organization that controls this city, holy city of Clinchedarrows. I am Exalted Control, this honorable dwarf is Exalted Smoke' - he pointed at the grey dwarf - 'and those are High Battle, First Flag and High Lash, from left to right.'

'Your que-, task is, well, we have a problem with kobolds. Nasty creatures crawl up our private dungeon and stir up trouble, stealing sacred relics and trashing the place up. These pesky, inbred rats put their noses where they shouldn't. Now, go and end their pathetic lives! Drove them out of our sacred land! Show them the might of Dwarven fist! Kill! Burn! Maim!'

'Yeah! Rip and tear! Finish them!' - other priests started to agitate as well.

He was simmering with rage at the end, Ushat was afraid he had gone berserk after his speech. But then, Exalted Control regained his composture and added with softer voice:

'There are dangerous times, and you must go with war.'

Perhaps Ushat has never heard more true words.

Ushat wasn't a dwarf of words, he was a dwarf of action. Soon, everything that lived in that dark dungeon was killed with unspeakable cruelty:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Council was more than just satisfied with his actions. Soon, the happy "council" of dwarves bestowed the name of "Avatar of Kos" (Kos was the god of war in their pantheon) and title "The Scarlet Silkiness of Perplexing" upon him. Ushat was... well, Ushat didn't understand why wrecking a group of subdwarven scum would be such a great achievement, but still he was pleasant. They even let him to take hold of whatever valuables he decided to pick up in that catacomb, although they weren't that eager then.

Still, Owlwalls waited for him. He bade farewell and he left the Clinchedarrow for good, and continued his journey across the Prime Crest, because mountains are always safer.
Logged

Tehsapper

  • Bay Watcher
  • Why, MrMayor? Whatever do you mean by "slade bed"?
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1017 on: August 20, 2013, 02:08:55 pm »

And so he moved along the Prime Crest and entered the Fatal Waste - a sinister forest that always had a shady reputation, as all sorts of terrors crawled out from here to terrorize nearby settlements.

The forest wasn't welcome in any way. Soon Ushat found out that scary pairs of eyes followed them whenever he went, soon a pack of rotten badgers decided to attack him directly. Ushat fought honorably, but their endless charges that knocked him down everytime and the fact that there were more and more zombies coming - tiercil peregrines, boars and hoary marmots - all that made him to sped up all the way to Hills of Murdering.

While he was climbing the Prime Crest again, he found there a desert that spanned for a considerable area, and as he was traversing it as well, he found a curious structure, complete with pillars and corpses. There were no interesting things, only garbage, save for headstalk of a strange beast. It was probably slain by an unknown hero many years ago, yet he didn't claim it as reward. Ushat decided to take it with him, as it was light and didn't slow him down.

Then he travelled across Hills of Murdering - dry steppe with occassional hill there and there. It was probably named so because of endless strife that humans always caused near their settlements - bandits, wars, traitorous lords and so on. Ushat decided to stop at completely abandoned hamlet of Obscureskinned to sleep off. Remembering the wise advice he got from Council, he cleansed a lair or two, taking serpent woman (that was particulary lissspy) eggs as a tribute.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

...on the next day, he found himself in a crowd of curious wild boars that sleeped along with him, probably because he was warm and nights there were rather cold. Ushat, on the other hand, saw nothing but free meat that were waiting to be butchered. Soon two boars were brutally killed and butchered, while others fled in fear. Then Ushat visited yet another abandoned hamlet and moved into Massive Brave Forest - massive jungle that surrounds the Glad Seas - an inner lake.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Wading through endless flora of that jungle, Ushat spotted a strange blueish structure. On closer examination, it appeared to be a human keep made of kimberlite (where did they get so much kimberlite?) that was overrun with lush lianas. Weaponized with simple knowledge of geology, Ushat checked whether there was a giant stockpile of all kinds of diamonds, but only was disappointed: the keep was pillaged long, long time ago. So if there were diamonds, they were stolen by some human bandits centuries ago, not even a sign of them.

After that, Ushat went along the Muddy Fingers - an evil mountain range, corrupted by necromancers and their foul magic, and reached Legendfountains. The place was in dismay: there were TONS of animals. Packs of hyenas, the river was swarming with hippos and alligators that were ripping each other's throat. Still, Ushat wanted to sleep until the dawn here, because mom always said 'don't sleep outside the mountains or any other houses'. So he went inside that entrance, scared a hippo away and immediately went to sleep.
But he was awoken by horrifying screams of some dwarf, so he ran to his rescue, only to be ambushed by a group of alligators that just finished eating a big hippo. That slowed down his attempts to save someone's life, as he had to save himself, but soon he took care of alligators that were coming out of that river, one by one.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Well, unfortunately all what was left from that expedition leader was mangled corpse. Ushat sighed and carried on.

This time Ushat arrived to another human village in searches of food and directions to Owlwalls. But much to his surprise, none there spoke dwarven (he thought that everyone knew dwarven), so he wandered there, trying to enstablish contacts with anyone.
Thankfully, he soon found an old female that happened to be a former trader who travelled back and forth to dwarven settlements, therefore she knew dwarven, even though her skill was very rusty. Ushat thought that it'd be nice to have a translator in his journey, so he asked out whether she wants to join him in his adventures.

'Excitement! Adventure! I'm trilled to join you!' - she exclaimed, energized - 'Hey, Uce! Grab ye arse and move out, we're going with mountain-folk!'
'What the hell, you old hag! Still want to rattle yer old bones? We'll be killed!'

So, Ushat ended with one more companion that he wanted to, but he didn't mind, somehow. But then, as they were going to leave the hamlet, something strange happened:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Both companions gasp and fall down, dead, at once, in a blink of eye. Quite puzzled by this, Ushat found no wounds from bolts or whatever could kill them on closer examination: most certainly, they died of old age, together. Then he shrugged off and went away, to Dinnerwandered, leaving humans to bury their dead.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2013, 02:14:46 pm by Tehsapper »
Logged

Tehsapper

  • Bay Watcher
  • Why, MrMayor? Whatever do you mean by "slade bed"?
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1018 on: August 21, 2013, 11:27:10 am »

Soon he arrived at Dinnerwandered outskirt, the capital of some human civilization he had never heard before. Well, there were houses there and there, mostly abandoned of course. Still, Ushat wanted to get a new companion and maybe some food, as travelling alone isn't the best idea.

He spotted a working inn, which looked all fine, quiet and peaceful... at first. As he opened the door, he saw a very interesting picture:

There was a big fight, and by fight I mean all kinds of zombies: animated hands, arms and even skin were piling up onto all other, non-dead creatures here. There also was an evil-looking figure in adamantine gear, which smelled foul, and some strange guy standing right under a big sign that said "Vampire Hunter". They all tried to rip each other's throats, so Ushat's intuition told him that it's better to just close the door and let them sort it off by themselves.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Some local folk told him about Tower of Seers, the enclave of mountain-folk inside the city, so Ushat headed there because dwarf is always better than a human.
The Tower of Seers appeared to be in complete disaster. Corpses were piled onto other corpses, tons of torn garbage and other grimy stuff. Ushat went into one of defence burrows to check whether there is some hero guarding this place from complete destruction, but he only got a cage that fell onto his head - it seems the place was trapped. Still, he found no signs of any threats that could kill so much dwarves so fast.

Still, the Tower that named this site was quite good-looking, with neat balconies and elegant spire. There was a strange hole on the top, leading down and down and down, and Ushat didn't dare to test it out.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He found there a potter that was gazing onto the city that spanned before him.

'What happened?'

'I don't want to talk about it, really. Does that really matter?'

'Join me on my adventures!'

'Well, then lead me to glory or death. I think there might be some survivors scattered, they'll be more than eager to join you'

They scouted the area, found an underground stockpile in the soil layer with stuff like food and wooden crafts and interesting bridge over an artificial pit that led to dormitory complex. There was some deranged major that refused to leave his fort until his death, because it was his duty, and scared mechanic, who gladly joined Ushat. On the bottom of that pit were loads of corpses, although they were placed there in organized fashion, so, probably there were no coffins to bury them all.

A curious staircase led the group deeper and deeper, into the bowels of earth. Soon they had reached the caverns, and companions started to look really scared. While traversing the dark natural halls, they found an insane and miserable beekeper that kept muttering 'I'm dedicated! Dedicated, I say!'

'What could possibly force them to seek refuge there?' - Ushat thought, well, something in this style.

Soon he found the answer to his question. A huge bettle, all inducing rhytmically, fell down from the ceiling and spewed webs on his surprised victims. Then, the foul beast started to mangle the potter in many horrifying ways. Unfortunately, both Ushat and beekeper were webbed as well, and they couldn't move at all thanks to never-ending streams of webs.

It seemed that all hope is lost.

But alas! The scared mechanic was moving in the rear of group, just in case, so now, seeing how his new friends are going to get eaten, he gained enough bravery to punch the shit out of that beetle, killing it by ripping it apart in process.

'Whew, that was close' - Ushat thought and began to butcher the corpse, to mark the dwarven victory against forces of vile nature. The three eyes of beast were ripped out and taken as tribute.

The group decided not to venture further into caverns, afraid of aggravating yet another monster. If that beetle was the only reason why this enclave succumbed, that means that dwarves didn't resist at all, otherwise, it would be killed off by any proper sniper and everyone would move on. They did resist, so there were bigger threats hidden somewhere. And everyone agreed that it's better to just move away.

'Hey, boss' - beekeeper called. He became more sane when they got out of caverns.

'What?'

'Can we see the famous museum of Dinnerwandered? I heard it's full of wondrous things, like, dragon eggs!'

'"Wondrous things"! The place is cursed, I say, cursed! It's the hold of necromancers, and the damned fish-tyrant ruled from there, it killed thousands of humans, thousands in it's lust for blood!' - mechanic joined the conversation

'So what? The vampire lord was killed long time ago!'

'Yes. Wise man sit in museum. We can find the way there.'

Thankfully for Ushat, his weak vocabulary was mistook as a sign of wisdom by his companions.
Logged

Timeless Bob

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Museum: Adventure mode succession world
« Reply #1019 on: August 21, 2013, 02:07:44 pm »

Thank you for destroying one of the eldrich horrors that has laired in The Tower of Seers!  That Beetle was one of the dread trio who arrived in concert to so devastate the publishers of the Dinnerwandered Gazeteer!
Logged
L33tsp34k does to English what Picasso did to faces.

Dwarfopoly
The Luckiest Tourist EVER
Bloodlines of the Forii
Pages: 1 ... 66 67 [68] 69 70 ... 162