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Author Topic: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Rise and Fall of Fortress Stonemane  (Read 8950 times)

Railick Stonemane

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----------I'm not such a good writter, but I have a lot of free time that I can either spend staring at a wall or writing so . . . Here is my little story aboot a crazy dwarf named Railick and the founding of a mountain home. This is just the first part of it. If there is a slight demand I will continue, though I'm guessing most of you will beg me to stop :P --------------

The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane
The Rise and Fall of Fortress Stonemane



     The ancient dwarf sighed, releasing pent up emotions along with his warm breath into the damp cavern air. The white haired patriarch once again sized up the younger dwarves about him, seeing the eager look in their eye as he prepared to tell the story of Clan Stonemane’s origins.
   
     “Let us begin, young ones, with a small disclaimer. I will not, for the benefit of nobility’s ego, hold anything back. Never will I taint my tale with their false histories and never will I tailor my accounts to flatter the aristocracy.” The disdain in the old dwarf’s voice was apparent, as spittle flew from his wrinkled lips onto those collected about him. The unmistakable warm scent of prickle berry wine wafted through the small performance chamber as the dwarf went on.

     “The truth, as blunt as I can tell it, is that this fortress you’ve spent your entire lives in was not forged by the blade of your “glorious” king’s battle axe. No, these halls were forged with the sweat, blood, and picks of our clan’s ancestors! King Shatteredstone the Dawning did not lift his celebrated voice and command the mountains to open. No! Railick and Bailick Stonemane struck the earth with their picks; they rent it open with their indomitable will at the behest of their God! Seven determined dwarves shaped our magnificent mountain home from the deepest stones of Mount Frostbeard!” He was drunk again, but the young dwarves knew he told his best tales when he was wasted out of his mind. As his tale began the younglings were pulled back in time, lost in his story as if they were truly there to witness these momentous events.

   “It ain’t slanted I tell ye! I carved it with me own hands, it be perfectly level!” It was painfully clear that the newly carved doorway was anything but perfectly level. The foreman looked Railick in the eye for a moment, waiting for him to twitch. His dark concerned eyes sweeping Railick’s body in an instant as he did.

   “Yer only wearing one boot ye git! Did ye not notice the squishing feeling betwixt yer toes when ye were tramping round in the mud?” The foreman struck Railick firmly to make his point, causing him to stagger back a few steps in the mud. With a side ways grin the foreman struck the stone with his elegant adamantine pick. The strike rang out through the cavern as the stone exploded from the doorway, obliterated into a fine powder that rained down upon them.

   “It be perfectly level now! Go get yerself a boot an get back to work you goblin loving kobold fancier!” The comment was as fatherly as anything the foreman had ever said to Railick, who could only smile as he brushed dust and powder from his eyes. It was true; after all, Railick’s boot had been lost not long before. The sucking mud had ripped it straight from his foot and he hadn’t even noticed. Both of his boots had been full of the crud to begin with.

    With a shrug the undaunted dwarf hefted his inadequate copper pick axe over his shoulder, heading off to the stock pile which contained various items of clothing stuffed into ancient wooden bins. Wood, Railick thought, it had been ages since he’d been to the surface and seen a tree. Putting these thoughts from his mind he selected a random pig tail boot from the bin. The dirty dwarf threw his newly found boot to the ground and slammed his disgusting foot into it without hesitation.

     With a soft grunt the dwarf trudged back down into the newly dug tunnel, looking directly at the now perfectly crafted doorway. It was now his unenviable job to mine out a tunnel connecting this chamber to one several hundred feet away, through solid rock. In the other chamber his brother Bailick, who having had two boots all along, was already one fourth of the way to him. They were to meet in the middle, but Railick was already behind schedule.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2009, 11:39:09 pm by Railick Stonemane »
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Armok

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2008, 08:05:00 am »

Good, Good.
This is promising. very dwarven.
Continue.
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Skanky

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2008, 09:08:00 am »

Indeed. More.
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Fenrir

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2008, 09:43:00 am »

Good stuff, man! Please continue!
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Railick Stonemane

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2008, 01:20:00 pm »

The dwarven brothers had a game they loved to play when they mined together, something to keep their minds focused on the job at hand. Railick pressed his grubby ear to the rough stone wall, and waited for the vibration of his brother’s digging. After moments of listening and timing the blows Railick was ready. As Bailick’s pick rang out against the stone Railick’s followed.
   

Bailick could feel the force of his brother’s powerful blow through the stone, and smiled his queer smile. “It be about time,” he thought to himself, following his brother’s blow with his own. Like this the two continued to mine, tearing the stone walls into pebbles. Behind each of them followed dwarves with support beams and various other stabilizing techniques that would keep the raw tunnel from falling in on their heads. The brothers Stonemane were oblivious, their job was to mine!


   In this way the brothers worked through-out what they could only assume to be the day. This deep in the mountain there was no natural light and no real way to keep track of time. Only sweat and fatigue mattered now, and after hours the two where spent. It was time for rest and as they took a short break in one of the main tunnels their foreman happened by on his rounds.


   “What are ye two still doing ‘ere? Ye were supposed to be off work six hours ago!” It was hard to tell whether this dwarf was seriously angry or just being fatherly again. The brothers looked at each other for a moment, then back to their foreman.   


   “Oi wait a second! Just a minute ago ye were on me about making a crooked door, now yer saying I should have been off six hours ago? What are ye on about?!” Railick shook a stubby finger at the foreman, his rough eyebrows raised a bit to indicate disbelief.


   “That was twelve hours ago you magma blasted fool! We ain’t paying ye over time I hope ye be knowing that!” The foreman grabbed Railick by the shoulder and shoved him roughly towards the exit hall. “Now get the ‘ell out of ‘ere and get some rest! Yer gonna have to take tomorrow off to make up for all this extra work you two ‘ave been puttin in!”
   

   A pare of intelligent eyes observed the exchange from the shadows and the calculating mind they belonged to took great interest. Had this figure not been hidden in darkness he would have stood out like a diamond in a pile of coal. Down here, in the deep mountain, there were generally two kinds of dwarfs. There were the miners, who were constantly covered in dust and broken stone from their trade, and the managers. The managers too were filthy at all times, but compared to their workers they were spotless.
   

This dwarf, however, was different. His beard was stroked with a brush, perfumed, and braided to his waist. His cave spider silk robes were opulent and some how spotless even after spending time down in the mines. With his long red hair braided a thousand times upon a thousand times he could almost be mistaken for female human. On his nose sat a pair of glasses with rare enchanted ruby lenses that allowed him to see in the darkness as if it were day light. His ears and wrists and neck were all adorned with the finest jewelry. Even his boots were excessive, made from the hide of a felled dragon no less. This dwarf stood with an air of superiority, even as he spied on the brothers.


   “Yes,” he muttered under his breath, “These two will do nicely.” As the brothers began to make their way towards the exit hall this rare dwarf emerged from the shadows. He stood in their path and announced himself with a cough. The brothers were frozen in their tracks as they looked upon this dwarf. Their attention was not caught by the cough, or the sudden movement. Their beady eyes were riveted on his form, for never had they seen such a dwarf.


   They were literally born in the deep mines, their rugged mother only halting her stone hauling duties for a moment to give birth to the twins. It was said in these mines that Railick and Bailick Stonemane were born with long red beards and pick axes in their hands. Thus their entire lives had been spent deep in the mountains, with extremely sparse trips to the surface for odd jobs which required it. Even then they had been forced to use access tunnels, and so they had never seen the glorious halls above them which many a dwarf called home.


   The dwarves in the deep mines were considered an under class. Both literally and in a figurative sense they were forced to live under the rest of dwarven society. This didn’t seem to bother them however, for they worshiped and loved the stone. Never had they had an unhappy thought at being forced to work all day, and in fact they enjoyed their work so much that working countless hours past their shift was common for them.


   This was the quality that the noble dwarf saw in them, a quality he knew that he could exploit to its fullest potential. As the brothers absorbed this dwarf’s lavishness he took the opportunity to break the ice with them. He came close, but never too close. Only then did they notice a small elephant bone nose pin had been placed to protect him from their putrid stench.


   “You know my brothers, where I come from there is but one way to tell the difference betwix a dark dwarf and a mine dwarf. First you insult their mother, then you wait a few seconds. If remain standing then you had better call the guard because you have a dark dwarf on your hands.” The dwarf smiled, in a fake and condescending way that neither brother was accustomed to. In their ignorance they could only assume this dwarf was being genuine.       

   “Are ye insulting me mudder?” Bailick’s eyebrows raised as his powerful hand tightened on the haft of his pick. There was insanity behind those eyes, one that was only awakened with such insults. Railick gently placed his hand on his brother’s chest and smiled, his gritty teeth hardly showing through his filthy beard.  


   “You know M’Lord, we ‘ave the same trouble down ‘ere telling a nobledwarf from a little sissy girl. What with all their pretty hair and frilly dresses it can be hard to tell ye understand. What we do, just to be sure, is take their dollies away and wait for them to finish crying and throwing their fit and rolling around on the ground. Now, if they come back with the Hammer to rescue their pretty dollies ye know ye ‘ave a noble dwarf on your ‘ands.”


   The brothers broke into a roar of laughter like the noble had never seen before. The joke wasn’t very clever, in fact it was about as crude as the brothers themselves. Still, it stung the dwarf to hear it, and he had to force himself to remain calm as he put another fake smile onto his lips. His hand shot to a large pocket on his robe, where he hid a doll he’d made years ago in a fitful trance. Since this feyish mood had compelled him to craft this strange object it has never left his side. Thus he controlled his anger, when the time was right he would have his revenge.


   The two dirty miners began to roll around in the mud, laughing and kicking their feet in the air. It was apparent they were both so exhausted they’d lost control of their minds, or at least that is what the noble dwarf told himself. He took a step back as the mud began to fly, and before long the uproar of laughter turned into a muddy fist fight.


   The noble’s eyebrows rose as he observed them and he shook his head in
distaste at what was taking place. Finally, after the fight went off for a few moments the two brothers broke apart and lay in the mud breathing heavily. A look of pure satisfaction lay beneath layers of mud and stone. The brothers were truly at peace with the world and had totally forgotten they had a guest.


   “Yes, well isn’t that a clever one . . . well allow me to introduce myself. I am Baron Shatteredstone, and I have come down here to your . . . ‘wonderful’ mines to meet you. I would like you both to come with me, when you are ready, and meet with me in my office. My servants will see to it that you are both given a warm bath, food, and clean clothes before hand of course.” The two looked at each other, a simple turn of their head in the mud to make eye contact. Neither of them could fathom why they’d want to take a bath, or get clean cloths. They had, after all, never needed to wear clean clothes in the past.


   Still, they both knew it was unwise to refuse a noble dwarf when given a command. The brothers Stonemane forced themselves up out of the mud and tossed their pick axes into a pile of tools next to the exit. Railick mustered his best manners and bowed to the Baron, using his grubby hand to motion to the ramp leading up higher. “Please, lead the way M’lord. We are both more than happy to be your guests this evening.” Bailick snickered under his breath at his brother’s display, but did his best to keep his composure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <edited per Lazy's Request to make easy to read>

[ January 11, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

[ January 14, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

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Fenrir

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2008, 01:41:00 pm »

Excellent!
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Armok

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2008, 02:08:00 pm »

Ahh! How wonderfully dwarven!  :D
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Railick Stonemane

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2008, 02:40:00 pm »

Never in the history of Fortress Understars the Abbey of Faithfulness had so much hot water accomplished so little. Even after an hour long bath both Railick and Bailick remained filthy, indeed to many they looked worse than they did before. So it was that as they stood there dripping and freezing in cold water there was a knock at the door. A servant had arrived with two giant mole dog hair brushes that were normally used for cleaning the king’s elephant pets.
   

Railick looked to Bailick, who returned his uncertain glance. It was too late for them though, and soon they found themselves being scrubbed and almost downed in a fresh batch of soapy water. When all was said and done the brushes could never be used again, and the brothers were as clean as they were ever going to be.


Their beards were shining red and puffy, but soon the servants had oiled their hair and beards with expensive imports from elven lands. Their teeth were brushed and, in some cases removed by the local dwarf dentist, though here in we will spare those gruesome details for the weak of heart. For the first time in their lives they were dressed in what some would consider common middle class clothing. The brothers felt like kings, as the Baron had intended, and for all the world they looked like wealthy merchant dwarves.
   

Soon the time for the meeting was upon them, and they were ushered into the upper halls of the fortress. Here the walls were all engraved by the most legendary artisans the mountainhome had. They depicted the entire history of the fortress, from its founding forward. Near the entrance to this grand hall two engraves were working, even then carving out the history of the mountain that was most recent. The door leading into the baron’s luxurious office was engraved with an image of the Baron himself driving a spear into the heart of a giant red dragon.
   

The brothers were in awe, never in their weak minds had they ever dared hope to see something like this. In their tunnels the walls were rough but functional. The engravers never came down there, and in fact most of the dwarves were ignorant of the lesser moments of their history. Down there stories were told of dwarves great and true, but here even something as simple as the founding of a farm was displayed.
   

“Oh do come in, there is no need to knock my fine friends! That’s right, close your mouths and shut the door behind you, there will be time enough for you to explore our wondrous halls of legend later.” The baron stood behind his desk, which had been carved from the finest obsidian. It seemed to absorb the light and suck the heat from the roaring fire straight out of the room. It was ridiculous of course, for such a small being to have such a large desk. In this case, however, it was useful.
   

Before the desk there were seven thrones carved from lesser stone, and five of these thrones were currently occupied. All dwarves present were dressed according to their station, and two thrones stood open for the brothers. The Baron was standing on a raised platform behind the desk, making him seem taller than those present. It was an old trick the nobility had learned ages before, but it was still effective. All those in attendance were in awe to one degree or another.
   

“Now that we are all together, I believe that some introduction is warranted.” The Baron leaned across the desk and motioned with his clean and manicured hand towards the first dwarf on the right. “This is the most esteemed clerk Jiram, who has for the past thirty seven years insured that my personal accounts are all in order. Never has a dwarf existed before that has such natural talent for asset management and book keeping.”
   

Jiram was better dressed than the rest, and it was clear that those clothes were his own. He wore a smart hat with a strange feather in it, tilting slight to one side. His beard was short and graying as well as perfectly groomed. In his lap there was a thick book with leather bindings that he held onto like an only child. He nodded to the other dwarves as the brothers took their seats on the far end.
   

“To his left is Enza, a beautiful dwarven maiden who’s craftsdwarf ship is unmatched in all the world. With her dainty hands she can turn a hunk of stone into a masterpiece in moments. I dare say everyone in this room owns at least one piece of work that was created by her skillful hands.” Of course this was not true, for several of the dwarves present didn’t own a single piece of stone craft. Still the dwarfess blushed under her beard and held up a hand in greetings to the others.


Edit Notes : Corrected a glaring grammar mistake (to me at least. I know my grammar is horrible guys I'm sorry to subject you to this   :) Just try to ignore my mistakes and enjoy the story if you can. Again, if you want me to stop I will :P)

[ January 10, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ] Edit again to make easy to read

[ January 11, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

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Armok

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2008, 04:03:00 pm »

There is nothing wrong whit the grammar, this is brilliant!   :D
You have captured the spirit of dwarven society in a magnificent way, maybe better than anyone on the forum, this has a very great potential!
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Railick Stonemane

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2008, 04:04:00 pm »

This rare dwarven beauty was short, even in dwarven standards, but beautiful. She wore her blond hair in a long braid that nearly swept the ground and her beard was short and soft. Many dwarfs had attempted to win the love of this maiden and many had failed. It was true that she was a masterful craftsdwarf, and in fact the beautiful dress that she wore at that moment was her own creation. Still her work had been exploited by the nobility and she had been paid little, so little that her dress was a gift from the Baron.
   

Still, in comparison to the remaining dwarves she was rich, and her personality reflected this. She was more akin to the book keeper than to the mining brothers. Though she could not normally afford such fine clothing, she was naturally used to wearing above average quality dresses.
   

“And to her left? Here we have a rare dwarf indeed. To many he is known only as Ranger Dod, but his full name is much more apt. This is Dodinadale Forestblight, a title bestowed upon him by his elven counter parts. It has fallen upon him, in times past, to keep the forest surrounding our fortress safe for travelers, and it is thanks to him that for that last twenty years not a single trader has been attacked on our lands.” The Baron’s perfect finger nail indicated the dwarf as he spoke, his eyes traveling back and forth between those present.
   

This dwarf was rare indeed, both in appearance and reputation. For this vivacious young dwarf spent the vast majority of his time gallivanting around through the forest causing as much havoc as he finds possible. To the dwarves of Fortress Understars he known as Ranger Dod, but to the elves that live in the forests beyond the border lands he is known as Forest blight.
   

It is true that the forest has become a safe place since Dod has taken to his quest, but this isn’t due to any noble intent on his part. Indeed the animals and natural inhabitants of the forest fear him most of all, for if he happens upon anything even slightly dangerous he takes it upon himself to personally send it to its maker.
   

His leather armor had many patches across it, proof of rounds of repair that it had undergone in the past. A huge steel war axe was strapped across his back, the blade resting gently against the back of his head. Indeed the dwarf used the wide blade as a head rest as he leaned back in his throne. Long obsidian black hair flowed forth from his head, a mane fit for a lion. He also wore a specially crafted hooded cloak that assisted him in sneaky through the forest lands.
   

“I sure we are all honored to have him in attendance to our little get together.” The baron then clasped his hands together behind his back and leaned away from the table. “Now we have a dwarf that is single handedly responsible for feeding our entire fortress, the legendary farmer known only as Seed. If not for him I dare say many of us would have gone hungry long ago. As you know, Seed is the grand foreman over all the farms in our kingdom, and see to it that we all have food and liquor on our dinner table.” Of course, again, several of the dwarves in attendance had no idea who Seed was. All the brothers knew is that they ate, sometime, and sometimes they didn’t eat.
   

This dwarf was dressed in plain leather garments, and took himself very seriously. Without a hint of arrogance or pride he gave a nod to those around him and gave a look of “just doing my job.” to the Baron. He too had a leather bound book in his lap, though he seemed to ignore it by comparison to the clerk. His boots were stained with dark mud and his hands were grizzled from years of hard labor. This was the kind of dwarf that believed in leading by doing. Even though Railick and Bailick had never heard of this dwarf, they had instant respect for him.
   

“Beside him, sits a modern legend in his own right. This dwarf is called Tindel the Grand Architect. Much of what we now call home was only a rock wall before he came along. He is responsible for the planning and building of everything in my barony.” This dwarf too demanded the brother’s respect, for his hands were scared and rough. He wore a pair of leather overalls and had a coal pencil behind his ear. With a brief nod the dwarf passed the attention on to the brothers, not wanting any accolade for himself.
   

“Last, but not least, we have two dwarfs that can only be introduced together. The brothers Stonemane are two of the most talented and dedicated miners in the entire Mountainhome. They have dug more tunnels and mined more stone and ore than anyone on record. Indeed several of the engravings in the hall outside depicted them mining away.” With this the brothers were stunned and looked into each others eyes. Why had no one ever told them that there were engravings about them? The rest of the dwarves clapped this time, as if they were in the presences of two famous people.   
   

The two looked to the baron, and then down to the rest of the dwarves sitting beside them. Still taken aback by the telling of their achievements the brothers remained silent. It had never occurred to them that there were above average, even famous for what they loved so much to do.
   

“Now that we all know each other, I will introduce myself. I am Baron Shatteredstone and I have brought you all together for a reason.” The Baron began to pace back and forth behind his desk, losing himself in the telling of his story. “As many of you may or may not know, the King has recently made a declaration. It would seem that his high priest has been given a vision by the gods. This vision, or so its told, was a warning that we are on the verge of digging to deeply. The gods claim that if we continue to dig down into the earth that we will soon become very well acquainted with an ancient evil the likes of which hasn’t walked the land for thousands and thousands of years.”
   

“The King has mandated that all mining in the deep shafts be halted permanently, and that all digging be limited to the upper mines where we can only access common stones and a few above common gem veins. This will put a stop to the very lucrative obsidian trade that we have developed and the veins of adamantine that we recently discovered will go untouched. In short, this will destroy our economy in a matter of years. As such the King has seen fit to authorize charters for outposts to his Barons. In order to give us an incentive to establish our own outposts we have all been stripped of our lands here. . .” With his remark the Baron’s eyes grew cold, and one of his hands shot into his robes to find the comfort of his doll. There was a gasp from those dwarves who were employed directly by the Baron, and the rest looked slightly shocked at the news.
   

The brothers were hit worst of all, for they lived in the deep mines. The news that they would no longer be aloud to dig up the pretty silver and black stuff for a living was devastating. They both sat silent in their thrones, listening to the Barons next words very carefully. There was a hint of hope in those words, it seemed to them the Baron had a plan.
   

“In regards to this, I have claimed the charter for a mountain known as Frostbeard. This mountain is most distant charter issued by the King, but in my mind is also the best opportunity for expansion. As you may have guessed, I have called you here to press you into service. As subjects of my pervious Barony I retain the right to draft you. Hence forth you seven are to travel to Mount Frostbeard and establish in my name, an outpost. I have already prepared for the journey, and you are to leave tomorrow morning with the dawning of the new day. “This comment shocked all dwarves present, for many of them were very comfortable with their current life style. The idea that they were now going to be forced to leave their home was offensive, but there was little they could do.
   

All dwarves knew, from childhood, the laws of the land. They could not contest the will of their liege and to resist would only lead to death. The seven dwarves were resigned, and with that last statement the Baron was nearly finished with the meeting.


   “It is clear to you all now what your roles will be. Jiram will be the leader of your party, and it will fall to him to be outpost manager once you arrive. He will handle all the trade, bookkeeping, and management issues. The rest of you will be delegated to physical labor as he sees fit. You may be asked to do things you are not familiar with, and I beg you all be prepared to be as flexible as possible. If you fail it will cost me very little, but I think it is obvious that it will cost you your lives.” With that the Baron nodded slightly, and walked out of the room through a back door. The dwarves were left then, with the harsh reality that there lives would never be the same again.


   Railick snarled and charged out of the room, followed closely by his brother. The rest of the dwarves began to quietly discuss the events, and what they were to do. Jiram seemed most prepared for the news, but never had he imagined that we would actually be required to join the party. He was under the impression that he would organize it only. Now it seemed this had already been taken care of, and he was to thrust into the lion’s mouth with the rest.
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[ January 11, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

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Torak

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2008, 04:16:00 pm »

The Wheel Clan betrayed them and let the elves destroy the mines, right?
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Railick Stonemane

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2008, 04:38:00 pm »

Shatteredstone’s words hung heavily on the hearts of all the dwarves that heard them. The brothers had returned to their home, stripped themselves of their fine clothing, and prepared for the journey. It was to their dismay that they realized that they owned nothing, not even the simplest clothing. Their entire room was filled with kingdom property that was standard issue to all miners. There was nothing they could take with them other than the fine clothes they’d be dressed in earlier.
   

The two didn’t even have a pick with which to mine, for the tools were the property of the mine itself. Still, they had the night to themselves to do with what they pleased. Instead of moping around the rest of the night the dwarves went directly to the local dinner hall/bar. Here they met many of their best friends and spent the night in celebration.
   

As next morning found the bar completely destroyed and all the stock piles of rum and beer had been totally drained. All across the room were scattered unconscious dwarfs. Obviously some had passed out in the act of drinking themselves to death; still others had been knocked out by their overzealous comrades. Still, the two brothers were wide awake and as drunk as one could ever possible hope to be. They stood in one corner, surrounded by broken furniture, passed out friends, and empty barrels of rum. Each one had a mug of rum in one hand, and their brother in the other. They were swaying back and forth singing at the top of our lungs and were totally unaware of everything around them.


   “Swing high the pick, strike low the earth! Bring down the mountain afor ye! To mine the earth, to bring her up, is the only job for me! And again I say to ye my brother that we shall forever be, in debt to her for what she gives to you and to me!” This song that had sang, along with others, through-out the night. It was to their surprise when four heavily armed royal guards appeared at the door.


   “Railick and Bailick Stonemane? You were required to be at the eastern access tunnel gate twenty four minutes ago. If it weren’t such a pitiful sight I’d punish you for your tardiness!” It was the Hammer himself, the steel gauntlet of the law. The sight of his insidious armor and dragon winged helm struck an instant cord with the brothers. There was no dwarf who did not know the law, and the Hammer WAS the law.


   The two threw themselves down, their mugs flying into the air as they begged for forgiveness.  Instantly sobberd by the sight of his dwarf they had no thought to defend themselves with words. The adamantine hammer in the Hammer’s hand shone bright even in the dim light of the bar. They crawled across the floor of the bar, over the bodies of their unconscious comrades until they were at his feet. Each brother kissed the obsidian greaves of the Hammer in turn, a sign of fearful respect.   


   “Get up you two drunken fools! We’ve no time for your nonsense. I just told you I wasn’t going to punish you, now get the ‘ell out of here! If you’re not at that gate in ten minutes I will punish you!” With that the Hammer hefted his weapon in his hands, his eyes glaring at them from within his dragon helm.


   Never before had two dwarves ran so quickly for so long. Those that saw them running by where alarmed, looking behind them to see what was so fearfully chasing them to keep them at that pace. If the fear on their face wasn’t so apparent the sight would have been comical, with their beards flapping behind them over their shoulders as they ran.
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[ January 11, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

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"And call a dog a cow-that don't change the way the thing'll taste!" Bruenor Battlehammer

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Railick Stonemane

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2008, 04:39:00 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by Torak:
<STRONG>The Wheel Clan betrayed them and let the elves destroy the mines, right?</STRONG>

what? :P     :eek:


At this point I would like to post a quote from Fortress Understars The Abbey of Faithfullness closest elven neighbor Windermeld.

"All dwarves are as frightful children before the Hammer, and he their abusive father." - Serondal Carano, Elf of Windermeld <On>

[ January 10, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

[ January 10, 2008: Message edited by: Railick Stonemane ]

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Railick Stonemane

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2008, 05:02:00 pm »

Should this be in this forum or in the dwarf fortress mode forum? I noticed the kobold quest II was over there and began to wonder. Also, any constructive crit is more than welcome  :) This isn't going to be perfect and it may not even be any good but I'm bored out of my mind here at work and I need something to do.
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Fenrir

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Re: The Chronicles of Clan Stonemane - The Horde Prepares
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2008, 05:24:00 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by Railick Stonemane:
<STRONG>Should this be in this forum or in the dwarf fortress mode forum? I noticed the kobold quest II was over there and began to wonder. Also, any constructive crit is more than welcome   :) This isn't going to be perfect and it may not even be any good but I'm bored out of my mind here at work and I need something to do.</STRONG>

Nah, this forum is fine.

You haven't been satisfied at work lately? Don't go berserk on us!

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