Raltorish (Silvercrown)The life and times of Udib Rockfortresses.
In most dwarven settlements, everything is underground. The gods of the earth, the gods of war, fortresses, volcanoes, jewels, wealth... all of these are traditional, and communion with them is easily done within the deep tunnels. But some dwarves worship other gods -- gods of the wind, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars.... These dwarves are not always well understood by their peers.
This is the story of one such dwarf. Udib Rockfortresses was a faithful worshipper of Tunur the Amber of Charcoal, the god of the sky, the wind, and painting. After many years of unsuccessful attempts to convince the priests of The Glove of Winds to build a temple above ground, where she could properly commune with Tunur, she finally decided she would have to take matters into her own hands.
In the year 100, she set out into the mountains known as the Points of Weight, near the Glad Prairie, to build a temple. She brought with her 6 of her friends: Solon, Uvash, Rakust, Ustuth, and 2 dwarves both named Vabôk. None of the others were worshippers of Tunur, but such was Udib's charm, and so potent was the force of her devotion, that they were nevertheless willing to follow her into the wilds to help her achieve her dream.
Upon arrival, Uvash, Rakust and Ustuth took up the pick-axes and began digging a traditional suite of working and living areas. Rakust was also named the manager and bookkeeper, and Udib was named the High Priest and military commander. The others worked without the glory of titles: Solon the mason, Vabôk the planter, and Vabôk the blacksmith all took up axes to fell trees, and all dwarves (including Udib, who took pride in doing her portion of the work) shared the menial tasks of hauling, construction, wood burning, and so on.
Other dwarves came, over the following months and years. Most of them did not share the worship of Tunur, but a few did. One entire family of Tunur worshippers arrived in the Fall of 101: Nish and Degël, and their two children Zas and Ilral. But regardless of their individual faiths, all dwarves who were willing to work on the temple were welcomed. Two human mercenaries also joined the community, and were allowed to train with the temple's guards.
A few kobold thieves were scared off, but none of them ever managed to steal anything. No goblins were ever spotted.
Construction of the temple proper was begun in the summer of 101. The plateau's top surface was levelled, and the chalk and kaolinite were turned into blocks. The chalk blocks were used in a modest defensive wall surrounding the grounds. The kaolinite blocks were used to construct an above-ground tavern (not pictured).
Charcoal ramps, forming the perimeter of the base.
In the fall of 102, goblins conquered the capital of The Glove of Winds, and killed the monarch Logem Wheelmeetings. The dwarves of Raltorish were the only remaining dwarven settlement of their civilization. Udib was named the queen of The Glove of Winds. Her feelings on this matter were mixed. While she was enormously proud of her followers and friends, and their belief in her vision, she was also saddened. She would never again be allowed to train in the military arts, or to wear her bronze armor. A new suite of rooms were prepared for her, and an above-ground tomb. Zuglar the blacksmith/priest, a worshipper of Tunur, and an admirer of Udib, had built several statues of Udib, which were placed into her rooms. Honestly, the extravagance did not seem to matter much to Udib, who seemed to prefer to spend her time building the temple.
By the end of year 102, the temple's base was nearly complete, but the trees from the Glad Prairie were not numerous enough.
The charcoal base, incomplete due to a temporary shortage of charcoal.
Some logs were imported from elven and dwarven traders. After another year, additional trees grew large enough to harvest.
By this time, magma smelters had been constructed deep within the earth. The mountain was rich with tetrahedrite, silver and gold veins, and the silver was mined and smelted, and the silver bars hauled up to the surface to begin construction of the crown.
The inside of the temple crown, incomplete. Rose gold doors, silver walls. Chalk stairs.
The base was completed in the fall of 103, after an enormous number of logs were bought and charred.
The completed base. Miner Ustuth is laying the final block of charcoal.
With the base completed, the first level of the crown was also soon finished.
Level 1 of the temple/crown. The eastern part is new, and not yet designated for occupancy by worshippers.
The 4 levels constituting the solid silver part of the crown were completed by the end of year 103.
Level 3 of the temple: observation platform. Windows are constructed of locally-sourced semi-precious gems.
In year 104, work was begun on the top of the crown. Temporary scaffolding (stairs and floors) of kaolinite blocks was constructed to allow the dwarves to place the silver bars, reaching up to 7 levels above the top of the silver ring.
Kaolinite scaffolding for the upper part of the temple/crown.
Uppermost level of the crown, nearly completed.
Udib worked tirelessly in the construction and deconstruction of the temple. She was never happier than the times she could climb up into the sky and place a new block, dedicating each one to Tunur.
Work on the temple was completed in year 104, with the removal of the temporary scaffolding being the final step.
Temple Raltorish, artist's rendering. The charcoal road leads down the mountainside to the Glad Prairie.
Temple Raltorish, artist's rendering.
Temple Raltorish, artist's rendering. The tavern "The Tongue of Vessels" is visible to the southwest, and Udib's tomb to the southeast.
High Priestess Queen Udib Rockfortresses gave her life to this temple, in both the figurative and literal senses. While deconstructing the western scaffolding, she slipped and fell, opening three arteries. Dwarves rushed to her aid instantly, but it was too late. Her reign was brief, but she will be remembered as long as Raltorish stands.
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