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Author Topic: The Starless Valley  (Read 1393 times)

Handsome_Sorbo

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The Starless Valley
« on: March 23, 2016, 01:27:39 pm »

I'm finally taking the plunge and playing DF. I've read a fair amount about it, but have had trouble finding the time to play. Now the time is upon me and I have decided that it would be good for me to write a little story around my exploits in order to help me get into the game more. One of the most appealing things about this game for me is the lack of graphics and the potential for imagination (added to greatly by the procedural world gen/history etc). As such, I've spent a lot of time reading the legends viewer and coming up with a little story for my first ever embark. I really like the spot I've picked and the history behind it, and so the story will begin with that. I'll keep adding to the story as I play, hopefully getting the second part up soon where my fumbling attempts to establish myself in this cruel





                                                                       The Starless Valley

                                                                               Prologue


The valley had slept at the foot of the mountain since the world first awoke. Swaddled in trees and caressed by the southern wind, it lay hidden in deep shadows, still and dreaming. The only sound to trespass its silence was the murmuring of a nameless brook.

The brook had not always been there; the valley had once been a dry, and stony place. Then one spring, after the late thaw, it bled its way down the mountain. The valley had awoken then as the brook had brought with it a voice, and the sound of it trickling over smooth river stones was like summer music. It sang songs of the distant sun, which kissed the peaks high above the valley. It told of wild flowers, and fresh north wind. It was happy.

For centuries the valley lay awake, listening to the song of the brook, and though it remained in the shadow of the mountain, its heart was warm. Then there came a night without stars. After that, the song changed, died. The brook fell into a hushed whisper. Gone were the bright colours of summer. Gone were the fresh smells of spring. Now the brook rambled about shadows and darkness, about sorrow and loss. Although the little pools where the brook eddied and swirled were shallow, there was rumour of terrible evil in their depths.

Now, once again the valley sleeps, waiting for something to come along and wake it from its nightmare.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2016, 10:02:49 pm by Handsome_Sorbo »
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Handsome_Sorbo

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Re: The Starless Valley
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2016, 10:00:56 pm »

                                                                 Chapter 1: Blood in the Water

Shapes on the lip of the valley. They arrived with the graying sky: shadowed figures, cloaked in the morning mist. There were seven of them, and they scuttled like beetles down the slope. They were brazen, they were brash. They sang mountain songs and their voices rang across the valley, shattering the silence like a klaxon.  They brought with them industry. It was strapped to their backs with leather and piled on wagons pulled by snorting oxen. There were tools: shining copper picks, spades of iron, hammer and anvil. There was food: bags of mushrooms, barrels of meat and sacks bursting with grain. There was drink: casks of ale, kegs of beer and flagons heavy with wine. They were dwarves.

They pressed their way down the side of the valley and their singing grew louder. They smiled at each other and clasped meaty hands on shoulders: they’d made it. The song died as the oxen came to a sudden stop in front of a trickling brook.

The dwarf leading the animals nearly fell over as he slammed into their flanks.

“Oi, stupid beasts!” He brandished his crop at them but the animals didn’t see it. Their eyes were rolling back in their heads as they pulled desperately away from the water.

“What’s the problem?” one of the dwarves barked from the back of the line. He had a crimson cloak wrapped about his wide shoulders and his braided beard was black as the raven’s wing. When no answer came, he stomped forward.

The dwarf leading the oxen looked back, and his eyes grew white as the panicking beasts. “I’m sorry lord Logain, the animals, they refuse to cross.”

Logain brushed past the frightened dwarf and frowned at the braying animals. Then he looked at the brook and he scowled.
“It’s hardly a puddle,” he barked. “Drive them across.”

The handler looked at the animals, then back to Logain. “I’m sorry lord, they won’t, I’ve tried...”

Logain stalked over to the handler, his hand raised. The handler flinched but Logain only snatched the crop from his hand. “Move you dumb beasts!” He swung the hard leather mercilessly but the oxen refused to cross.

The rest of the dwarves watched the violence from under their hoods, exchanging only furtive glances.

Finally Logain’s arm grew tired and he spat. “Drag them across.”

“My lord,” the handler pleaded.

Logain found some reserved strength and lashed out with the crop. It took the handler on the cheek, sending him reeling. The dwarf clutched at his cheek and stumbled backwards before falling with a splash. As soon as he hit the water he scrambled to his knees. He glared at Logain with murder in his eyes, but his look only fell on his master’s back. He brought a thick hand to his stinging cheek and when he pulled it away he saw the slick red of blood. He tilted his hand and watched as the blood raced across his wet palm. A fat drop swelled and trembled before it fell into the brook and diffused like crimson smoke in the current.

Logain was growling orders to the rest of the dwarves but the handler didn’t hear him. The world had gone quiet. He could only hear the hushed whisperings of the brook as it trickled around him. He strained to hear its voice, its voices. There were thousands of them all talking at once, warning him, telling him to run. That night, there were no stars.
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Tarqiup Inua

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Re: The Starless Valley
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2016, 10:18:26 am »

Good read so far. I hope you'll keep writing. :-)
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Nuri al-Gnat - dwarven apidologist
notable works: al-Gnat's test (for determining the child snatcher's ability to pass undetected while getting stung by bees... or at least look human while at it)

TheImmortalRyukan

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Re: The Starless Valley
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2016, 10:47:45 am »

Very good, keep up the good work
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The Tale of Runlance - A Succession Fort in a Dying World

While the drink stocks run low and violence is rampant, the narcissistic tyrant demands a monument to his name

Sanctume

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Re: The Starless Valley
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2016, 10:54:34 am »

PTW - you may see these often, no comment yet but "Posting To Watch" your progress.  Good stuff.