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Author Topic: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin  (Read 74973 times)

Broseph Stalin

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Dumplin Lakewanders and the Hairless Baboons
« Reply #60 on: April 22, 2013, 04:44:24 pm »

   Whenever she repositioned to allow a solid kick goblin siezed the opportunity to drive the ball of his heel into her in the stomach. Whenever the goblin tried to lean back for a another kick her foot would find his ribs. Neither could gain any ground.  The goblin was a warrior, trained from birth to kill he'd spilled much blood and was more fearsome than Dumat could hope to be. Dumat was a survivor, five years in hell had hardened her body and she was by far mightier than any goblin raider. This was combat in it's purest form between two souls determined to exist one more day. But Dumat had one more advantage. Her son. Her son would not die in this clearing, not this day.

   She was indefatigable and as the goblin began to tire of this stalemate she found an opening. She sunk her teeth into the goblins right hand forcing him to release her left arm. Now free of the Goblins grip she shot out her hand and wrapped it around the goblins throat. The goblin tried desperately to claw at her face but she tightly squeezed it's windpipe. Soon she felt her foes grip on the sword slacken and with a jerk freed the blade. With one clean motion she reared back and drove the blade through her enemies ribcage cleanly pierced his heart. With a quiver and a gasp it fell still.

   She found her feet and scooped up Obok once again. When she turned she found herself facing nine goblin warriors of various armament. Without a word she reclaimed the sword and shield. She remembered the foot of the grand staircase. She may die, that may be unavoidable, but it would not be because she didn't fight. Dumat steeled herself and prepared to slaughter the first greenskin who dared to step forward.

AN: Posts will get longer after finals.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2013, 04:49:28 pm by Broseph Stalin »
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laxori666

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #61 on: April 22, 2013, 09:10:17 pm »

Hey Broseph,

I wanted to read this in the subway w/ no internet so I ended up making a word document & turning it into an eBook. (If anyone wants it I can upload it somewhere.) In any case, I know where Chapter I and Chapter III start, but I couldn't find a mention of where Chapter II starts... where would that be? I also take it that the post ending in "nothing stays very good for very long." is the end of Chapter III and we're now into Chapter IV?

Fun stuff! Looking forward to see how increasingly tragic this tale can indeed get.
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Broseph Stalin

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #62 on: April 22, 2013, 09:47:44 pm »

Hey Broseph,

I wanted to read this in the subway w/ no internet so I ended up making a word document & turning it into an eBook. (If anyone wants it I can upload it somewhere.) In any case, I know where Chapter I and Chapter III start, but I couldn't find a mention of where Chapter II starts... where would that be? I also take it that the post ending in "nothing stays very good for very long." is the end of Chapter III and we're now into Chapter IV?

Fun stuff! Looking forward to see how increasingly tragic this tale can indeed get.

Dumplin Lakewanders and the Daily Grind Begins and ends on the first page with
"Soon today would just be a fun story to tell, soon the great staircase would be a leisurely stroll, soon Arrowstockades would be home."

Dumplin Lakewanders and the Cwivers of Dubious Quality begins on the first page with
"Sure enough the next day was easier"

Dumplin Lakewanders and the Dwarven Justice System begins on the second page
Dumplin Lakewanders and the Hairless Baboons begins on page 4

Eastep

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #63 on: April 23, 2013, 02:03:36 am »

This has to be one of my new favorite stories to read here. I keep coming back for more of it!
Excellent writing, a solid story, and such a depressing way of showing off dwarven life.
I just don't like how randomly crazy Ashmon is... Everyone else is great, except crazy Ashmon.
Please though!
MOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!
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Forgotten Beasts just want to be loved!

laxori666

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #64 on: April 23, 2013, 09:18:34 am »

This has to be one of my new favorite stories to read here. I keep coming back for more of it!
Excellent writing, a solid story, and such a depressing way of showing off dwarven life.
I just don't like how randomly crazy Ashmon is... Everyone else is great, except crazy Ashmon.
Please though!
MOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!
I actually really enjoy Ashmon. An ecstatic dwarf that doesn't care about anything and remains cheery while pummeling an obviously innocent dwarf for a silly reason... how else would you realistically portray that?
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Eastep

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #65 on: April 23, 2013, 02:18:28 pm »

I was thinking more uncaring and like, "Shrug. I don't make the rules." than bonafide crazy. That's just my preference though. I read the story regardless and like it!
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Forgotten Beasts just want to be loved!

Kirbypowered

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #66 on: April 23, 2013, 06:07:29 pm »

Suppose I'll throw my own opinion in.

Loving the story so far, and I'm sure I'll continue to love it as it dives off the depressing tragedy end (the point where you're carefully edging your way along, and then unexpectedly plunge to your death). I like how it's a bit of a realistic look at the way a dwarf fortress tends to be run, going beyond the dwarves' ecstatic nature. =p
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THE WINTER MEN COME DOWN THE VALLEY AND KILL KILL KILL.
I'm voting for the Plaid Acre up next on COLORS AND MEASUREMENTS weekly.

Broseph Stalin

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Dumplin Lakewanders and the Hairless Baboons
« Reply #67 on: April 23, 2013, 06:49:50 pm »

As Dumat prepared to make her final stand the earth split open and it's most fearsome demon crawled forth to walk the earth bringing and end to the empires of mortals. That was the nearest explanation she could fathom when a terrifying howl tore through the woods. A blur pushed passed her, she had just enough time to see the terror in the lead goblin's eyes before his head flew through the air. The wraith struck out with his incandescent blade and a spray of gore filled the air.  Their armor provided them no protection. Their shields delayed the inevitable but their mail may as well have been paper.  Dumat looked on shocked as body parts were let loose from their bindings and sent sailing into trees.

   Soon the wraith was joined by more of his ilk she recognized among them Feb One Eye and Ashmon. The goblin forces were reinvigorated by reinforcements but where the armies of Arrowstockades walked hell followed. Axes, swords, maces, and even a few picks all lashed out hungry for goblin flesh.

   Dumat froze like a frightened hare. To flee in any direction, even towards the fortress may mean stumbling upon more goblins. To stay may see her caught up in the battle. She tried to position herself as near the defenders as possible without warranting the attention of the goblin menace or falling victim to an errant swing of a friendly blade. She held Obok tightly and watched on in horror.

   The zest for combat left the invaders quickly. They sought the treasures of Arrowstockades but they'd earned it's ire. Now that they saw the true face of terror and they fled. But when they realized their foolish mistake they fled into the woods to no avail. Their pursuers were fleet of foot and fierce of temper. Overrun by the counteroffensive they were cut down to the last man. When the last enemy had been destroyed all that remained were the warriors of Arrowstockades with a few cuts and scrapes but wholly victorious.

   Their leader, the demon, was an enormous dwarf lapped in brilliant aquamarine armor decorated with spikes, bands, and rings of various metals, gems of all cuts and colors, and a generous spatter of goblin blood. In his left hand he held a shield as tall and wide as a fully grown dwarf and in his right hand he held an incandescent blade nearly six feet long. The bane of mortal men, the legendary Prowler of Rasps. An iridium zweihander menacing with spikes of fine black stone and hematite and on it's hilt three wildflowers carved from bone. The blade and it's keeper had taken fifty two lives and neither seemed interested in resting on their laurels. The being standing before her like the wrath of an angry god was no other than Cerol Sabershaft, The Oily Eviscerations.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2013, 06:58:28 pm by Broseph Stalin »
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Broseph Stalin

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Dumplin Lakewanders and the Hairless Baboons
« Reply #68 on: April 24, 2013, 07:43:18 pm »


 Once the last foe lied dead it was back to business and the militia either milled about lightly chatting or ran off to their work assignments.  Sickened by the horrors of war Dumat stood paralyzed for a few moments but trauma was no acceptable reason for work stoppages in the eyes of the fortress. Today in particular all hands would see labor.  Today began the festivities of her least favorite time of year.
   This bloodbath marked the beginning of Goblin Christmas. The origin of the name was wholly unknown and wholly undwarven, but every year when winter fell goblins laid siege to the fortress and every year their wholesale mass slaughter meant a joyous celebration and an exponential increase in the number of work orders for the haulers. The battlefield would become a free for all of filthy dwarves scrabbling in the muck for what remained of the siege. No matter how many perfectly fine suits of clothing resided in the stockpiles no dwarf could resist celebrating Goblin Christmas.
    Anything made of cloth or leather would be scooped up by dwarves eager to replace their threadbare rags.  Anything made of metal was melted down to be re-purposed for use within the fortress. Anything made of goblin was to be burned to ash and would become a reagent in the production of crystal  glass.
   With a black glee and blatant disrespect for the dead they would all gaily sing while they picked the decaying corpses clean of all valuables. All through the fortress there would be rejoicing while the special casks of Sunshine were cracked open and lavish meals crafted with the rarest ingredients were trotted out in celebration.
   What all this meant for Dumat was long days of the most unpleasant labor Arrowstockades had to offer. The bodies would putrefy quickly in the sun and the smell would result in the laborers inevitably vomiting. The slurry of blood, bile, muck and dwarf vomit would become slippery and soon there would be a pile of filth covered dwarves falling over one another trying respectively to sort and organize the weapons and armor and to loot the clothing of the dead. And after several days or weeks ,depending on the size of the invasion force, there would be a few bars of ash and metal, a bevy of dwarves with nice new clothes, and no evidence that a siege had ever taken place.
   This was not her first Goblin Christmas but it the first time she'd witnessed ,much less participated in, the actual killing. Uninterested in being party to what came next Dumat announced she was taking a break. Unlike the foolish dwarves who would throughout the year spend weeks at a time resting Dumat went on break for only a day or two when the caravans came through. She found that by being judicious with her breaks she could avoid the caravans and thereby ensure she would never be arrested for violating an export ban. Staving off the emotional hell that was Goblin Christmas was well worth the cost of one of her break days.
    However, as she was leaving a low, hollow voice called out “Hold.”
She turned slowly. Cerol eyed her through his helmet.
 “This one,” he said in his cold voice. “Sixth Rangers.”

“What?” Dumat asked.

Catsup

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Re: Dumplin Lakewanders and the Hairless Baboons
« Reply #69 on: April 25, 2013, 12:39:12 pm »

The being standing before her like the wrath of an angry god was no other than Cerol Sabershaft, The Oily Eviscerations.
dam...all my hero dwarves who got named only did so because they had luck and got the headshots on the most forgotten beasts/invaders while sitting safely behind fortifications. None of them could really spearhead an attack or even hold their own without getting seriously injuried/killed against more than 1 armed enemy. But then again my military are all marksdwarves...

Urist Mc Dwarf

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #70 on: April 26, 2013, 01:08:45 pm »

I have a "tragic" dwarf named Blackheart(by me)

CaptainLambcake

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #71 on: April 26, 2013, 10:24:39 pm »

dumat's being drafted!
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You wake up in (suddenly) your room not somewhere Armok knows where. Travels in deserts and goblin forests turned up to be a dreams borned by procreation of your autistic imagination.

Catsup

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #72 on: April 27, 2013, 11:48:06 pm »

dumat's being drafted!
hopefully she gets danger-room trained soon so they can bury her baby (or turn it into ash and slab it). That should harden her up a lil.

dam...all my hero dwarves who got named only did so because they had luck and got the headshots on the most forgotten beasts/invaders while sitting safely behind fortifications. None of them could really spearhead an attack or even hold their own without getting seriously injuried/killed against more than 1 armed enemy. But then again my military are all marksdwarves...

on second thought there is 1 or 2 of the named ones that are really strong, at least in attributes. This one guy i have called "Kikrost Spearboats the Charcoal Dominion of Visions" is my strongest. He has legendary marksdwarf and archer, novice shield user and hammerdwarf, and great dodger (not danger room trained yet, he came with it). He is virtually never sick, strong, tough, and agile. He has an unbreakable focus and a lot of willpower.

Broseph Stalin

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #73 on: April 30, 2013, 12:42:44 pm »

Wrapping up exams, updates will continue tomorrow or tonight if time allows.

laxori666

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Re: The Increasingly Tragic Tale of Dumplin
« Reply #74 on: May 01, 2013, 09:53:36 am »

Wrapping up exams, updates will continue tomorrow or tonight if time allows.
Exciting! Good luck w/ the exams
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