The forest around them was covered in snow. The Gurren Brigade had gathered where they would found their very own fortress - Spiraldrill the Destined Citadel. A cold wind chilled them to the bone through their thick clothing and wicked noises could be heard throughout the forest. The seven stood in place and looked to the horizon. Only a few dozen meters from them, a rain of blood colored the snow. But they stood fast. Kamina, Simon, Yoko, Kittan, Leeron, Rossiu, Nia. They knew what horrors awaited them. They stood fast. There was a flame in their eyes.
Kamina and Simon looked each other, nodding and raising their picks. They took a few steps forward and looked at the ground. The Gurren Brigade was watching their backs in this fateful moment. The brothers raised their picks high into the air, shouting with all their might in unison.
'STRIKE...
THE EEEAAAAAAAARRRTH!!!'
Their picks came down with full force, piercing deep into the ground. And so Spiraldrill the Destined Citadel was founded. And so began a battle that would cost countless of lives and the full strength of dwarven kind.
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In just 3 years that ditch in the ground had grown to be a huge, prospering fortress. This will be known by history but only those who were there will ever understand the sacrifices that had to be made...
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The undead roamed these lands. None of the Gurren Brigade had yet to have any experience. They quickly realized that their first priority would be defense. As soon as they had dug out a sufficient place for themselves under the earth, they went on to create a wall and a raising bridge above the ground. They had brought no weapons other than their picks. For many months, they would have no materials to make weapons except for one - bones. That was the most abundant material in this place. A crossbow and bolts were fashioned for Yoko, while Simon and Kamina were the only ones who'd dare engage in melee combat in this forsaken place for a long time.
While they raced to complete their first priority of defense, a second danger was catching up on them - thirst and starvation. They had dug down to an empty cavern with a pond and began bringing up water to irrigate farms but the process was going slowly. There was a very real danger they might not make it but they managed. Food and drink was secured. They would never have to worry about this again.
Immigrants came to Spiraldrill. Some died. Among the deaths was also one that would change the Gurren Brigade and send gloom over the growing fortress for many months. Kamina bravely fought with the undead...and perished. The shock that his followers had to endure was made even worse when they went on to bury him and the other few who fell. They realized that the evil of this region spread even deep under the ground. Kamina and another dwarf rose from their coffins. Nobody had the nerve to fight these opponents. They were swiftly locked and then walled away before they could do any damage.
All of Kamina's duties were now on Simon's shoulders. The dwarf was truly traumatized by the event but he managed to lead the fortress further. Just barely. As the months went on, he slowly learned to cope and do all his duties but the pain didn't really go away. But the sacrifice he made in the form of enduring helped make the fortress prosper.
The dwarves started digging further and further away from the border to this evil place. They couldn't stand to see more of their friends rise up from the dead and attack them. Another outpost was made on the surface, this time much bigger. The dwarves digged a ditch around the raising bridge and there was now a very narrow path leading inside. Then they built walls around the ditch and made yet another bridge. Fortifications were carved on the inner walls. The perfect chokepoint - they could trap their foes within and fire volleys of arrows on them if they so pleased.
Hematite was found deep underground. The dwarves wanted to pump up magma closer to the surface and smelt freely but nobody of the growing population was really familiar with the ways to do so. Instead massive woodcutting operations began. Iron armor and weaponry were created, outfitting the small military that was created. Simon led the first squad while Yoko led a squad of ranged soldiers. The sword became the favorite weapon of the fortress. Incidentally, Simon and Yoko ended up becoming lovers. Their blooming romance was a slight comfort for those who still felt the pain of Kamina's passing.
A second floor underground was already made and now a third one was being digged. Simon had a truly great plan. A center for the whole fortress that would be the envy of every other fortress. The center of the third floor would be full of engravings, statues and two shrines to Armok. This place would lead to everything else - to the left you could find all the workshops and stockpiles of the finest craftsmen, to the right you'd find your very own housing and the best place to drink and eat in the whole wicked region. And straight ahead you'd find a massive building which would house the fortress' leaders - a place from where they could oversee this prospering city. And underneath canals would be dug out which would be filled with water from the caverns deep under. There was even more to his plan. This was just the beginning. It was already an immense operation.
The military gained more and more experience. There were no casualties for a long while though some were crippled in one way or another. Then Tun died. A bolt from a goblin's crossbow went clean through her head. Behind her was her husband - Ashmon. Upon seeing his wife collapse to the ground lifelessly, he charged ahead in a mad rage, slaughtering the goblins with ease. His rage would last until his death. He became famous throughout the fortress during an ambush by fanatic elves. While the rest of the military was gearing up, he decided he didn't need much to kill a bunch of pansy elves and went ahead on his own with nothing but his shield and breastplate. He crushed nine elves to death with his shield before the others came to help. The few elves that survived were running for their lives. He was the champion that Spiraldrill deserved.
Dayakka went missing one day. The forest outside was engulfed in flames while he was outside. Everything was covered in ashes for weeks. Nobody knew what happened to Dayakka - no corpse was ever found. The fortress had many up and downs. It was slowly prospering more and more. Many dwarves were now becoming legendary in their crafts and all sorts of artifacts began to appear all around. But every now and then some tragedy would occur. A dwarf would be murdered as he went outside. A soldier would be crippled. Many of the civilians had scars, minor disabilities from injuries and kills to their name. The irony of this place - the harshness of it ensured only the strong would survive and at the same time it turned the weak into strong.
A frost wyrm came upon Spiraldrill one day. The bridges were intentionally lowered. The soldiers gathered outside and awaited it patiently. A great battle ensued but the victory felt very bitter. The guards from a human caravan intervened and stole the kill for themselves. One of the dwarves sacrificed his arm while fighting the beast and Spiraldrill would not tolerate this insult. The human caravan was butchered to the last man. Their equipment now bolstered the might of this fortress' small but specialized army.
The fortress soon became large enough for a mayor to be appointed. Simon was annoyed with having to conduct pointless meetings with elven diplomats and was glad to let another take this position while he concentrated on the military might of Spiraldrill. He felt it was not quite sufficient. Kittan was appointed Captain of The Boneguard - a lightly armored unit with crossbows which would upkeep the civil peace of the fortress. The "twin" to this squad was The Bone Bulwark. Simon still remembered how the bones of the dead were their only hope of defense when they first settled here and honored this fact. Armor out of bone was prepared for the new recruits who would be armed with pikes. They'd patrol all throughout Spiraldrill and be the first to engage any enemy. Simon and Yoko's squads were the sword - the Bone Bulwark was the shield.
They dug deeper and deeper. Simon decided that if they couldn't bring the magma to their workshops, they'll bring their workshops to the magma, no matter how deep it is. He knew his soldiers needed better armor soon. But he didn't realize how soon that would be.
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The stonecrafter didn't have any work queued up and was taking a stroll outside. Some complained about the constant snow and the cold but he didn't mind. He liked it. It relaxed him. That was the main reason he came all the way here. Yes, he liked the scenery. It felt so relaxing and serene. The dwarf closed his eyes and took in a very deep breath, filling up his lungs with the chilly air.
When he exhaled and opened his eyes, his shoulders slumped and his jaw dropped slightly. Countless crossbow bolts were flying straight towards him. Before he could react, his entire body was covered with them and blood was flowing out all across it. He was the first to fall. No dwarf in Spiraldrill would ever be the same again.
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Topic: Tengen Toppa Spiraldrill! (Read 1786 times)