The following story is based on actual in-game and Legends Mode events from Dwarf Fortress.
In the world of
The Domain of Visions, the dorken race is dyeing. Spreading evil along with centuries of constant encroachment and warfare with the goblinoids has reduced the once mighty dork civilization to little more than a ghost of its former glory. No bastions where truly safe anymore.
Deep within a north-western mountain range, the last dorken civilization,
Gold of Bones, gasped for breath in the unforgiving sea of time.
Within the dorken fortress of Laborbristles, where goblins outnumbered dorks 38 to 1, lived Domas Puremine. He dreamed of one day building a great dorken fortress, dedicated to showcasing the craftsdorkship of olden days. Domas desperately wanted to be a hero to all dorks to look up to and be inspired.
Getting in the way of those hopes and dreams were the ever innumerable goblins, who would repeatedly attack any dorken settlement that was rumored to contain wealth.
After many years of careful planning, Domas Puremine came up with what seemed line an insane plan. Build a secret stronghold, populate it with highly skilled dorks, and slowly restore dorken civilization right under the long bent noses of the goblins. The best place to build, he reckoned, would be in an abandoned section of one of the many sprawling goblin fortress complexes where no one would expect it.
It had taken a while to find others willing to undertake this crazy expedition, but, eventually, Domas found 6 others willing to go. They decided to call themselves
Crazydwellers of Towers, and had to make a decision on where to settle.
Across the world, the dark goblin fortress of
Shootvice was chosen due to it's enormous size and how many disused areas there where. A corner in the south-east was scouted and selected.
On the first day, of the first month, in the year 571,
Crazydwellers of Towers set off on their 6 month journey across the world to their new home.
They arrived under the cover of darkness, hiding in one of the deep narrow clay canyons. Around them where 3 dilapidated watchtowers, a ramshackle tavern still in use, and an extensive underground military complex long left to ruination.
Living here where many outcasts and criminals from the goblin civilization
The Tall Ticks.
Domas ordered every dork to immediately dig into the soft walls and establish themselves as quickly and quietly as possible.
To any outsider it seemed like the group of dorks was like any other outcasts trying to scratch a living in the outskirts of
Shootvice, but the
Crazydwellers of Towers where actually building an extensive compound underground, christened
Badeggs. They worked hard night and day digging, building, and expanding.
By the third month all the essential elements where in place, allowing the dorks to start practicing their craftsdorkship while secretly recruiting others to join them. Trade for desperately needed goods was kept hush-hush at great cost, and local undesirables quietly disappeared over time.
Soon more dorks arrived, forcing Domas Purmine to place a strict limit of 30 dorks so that their true purpose could be kept concealed.
Deep exploratory mine shafts where eventually sunk into the earth, searching for rare and valuable minerals. In one of these mines, were rocks started to get warm to the touch, a prospecting crew ran into something completely unexpected. They pierced a very long adamantine tube. A deafening, blood curtailing scream was heard throughout
Badeggs, and reverberated in the canyons beyond.
SOMETHING had awakened, and SOMETHING was coming. A skittering noise was heard a moment before the prospectors ended up torn to bits.
A demonic hoard had arrived into the lowest levels of
Badeggs, butchering any dork they found.
Upon receiving word of what was happening, Domas Puremine gathered 9 volunteers and ran down into the deep mines. He ordered that barricades where to be quickly erected behind his militia squad once they reached the overran sections, and then to build very thick walls to seal the lower mines off from
Badeggs.
Domas reached the base of the main stairwell, facing down the mineshaft at a chinchilla monster named Hailtrees. Puremine raised his battleax, issued a loud battle cry, and charging down the corridor at the head of his squad of brave dorks.
This suicidal maneuver bought the handful of survivors enough time to construct walls thick enough to keep the demonic hoards out.
Life became difficult for the remaining dorks. Of the 9 survivors, 2 could not cope with what happened and went insane. To make matters worse, no dork wanted to join
Crazydwellers of Towers due to the demonic incursion.
Onol Showerroads was chosen as the new leader after he proposed a dangerous, yet genius plan to eliminate the looming threat in
Badeggs.
The scheme was to dig magma flood tunnels down to the affected areas of the fortress in the hopes that the monsters would be pushed back into the underworld, and a large reservoir of water was to be constructed directly above the adamantine tube to plug it.
At the same time this project was started, an uptick of goblin attacks throughout
Gold of Bones civilization meant that plenty of refugees were willing to go to
Badeggs in hopes of refuge from further conflict.
It cost the lives of 2 dorks to build all of the necessary infrastructure, but it was finally done. The lever was thrown, causing a constant flow of magma into the lower mines.
Over a year later, all of the monsters were pushed out, allowing the dorks to stop the magma flow and dump water reserves down the tube at the correct time, causing it to become plugged at the bottom with obsidian.
Cleaning up the mess was tedious and slow, but
Badeggs was still standing. Onol Showerroads suggested that maybe the dorks prepare to breach the abyss, claim a small part for themselves, and build a shrine to their hero, Domas Puremine.
No dork argued against this.
Special trap laden hallways where made to great anything that wanted to crawl out of hell. Many precautions where implemented just incase something went wrong. Close proximity stocks where piled high in anticipation of very frantic construction efforts that was about to occur.
Hades was breached once again, this time favorable to the dorks. Demonic hoards scrambled up and abruptly where smashed apart in the deadly dorken labyrinth.
Once the all clear was given, a group of dorks lead by Onol Showerroads headed toward the opening, grabbing building material on their way. A staircase was excavated from the obsidian, as dorks threw steel bars down the hole to their friends so that construction of strong walls could be built as quickly as dorkenly possible.
Before the walls could be completed, a group of demons snuck around, attacking the workers. 11 dorks, including Onol, was killed before any dork could be evacuated.
Crazydwellers of Towers where stubborn, and no dork wanted to abandon this project so close to completion.
As soon as this bunch of demons where pulped, another group of dorks rushed down the hole to close off the wall.
They did it! A small part of the underworld was claimed for the dorks! A staircase was dug down into the slade so that a shrine with special tombs could be constructed at the bottom of the world.
.
.
After this was completed, the dorks of
Badeggs paused. They had just accomplished what was only told in bardic tales of old. No dork had ever seen slade, let alone mined it, in centuries.
The dorks where proud, and wanted to share what was done to the rest of dorken civilization so that others might follow their example. Athel Specialfountain was chosen as the next leader of
Crazydwellers of Towers, who immediately ordered that all dorks practice their chosen profession and master it.
The little fortress suddenly became a very busy place. Workshops, magma kilns, and magma forges hummed nonstop turning out thousands of exquisite dorken made goods of all types. Armor, weapons, tools, jewelry fit for nobility, fine silken clothing and more flowed freely. Traders of the still secretive caravans oftentimes left overflowing with great wealth.
Many years passed by, mostly uneventful. The dorks at
Badeggs became expert in producing many things. As the days passed, a majority of
Crazydwellers of Towers became tired of hiding away in their little hole. A special meeting was held, appointing Goden Gorgeluck as Barron of
Badeggs.
The construction of a grand guild hall to each major craft was ordered, followed by a great temple to each god the dorks at
Badeggs worshipped.
Next, secretive missions to find mythical lost tomes were sent out so that a marvelous library could be made. Finally, the old tavern was to be rebuilt, showcasing nothing but masterwork dorken made items. All this was open to anyone visiting.
Once all the preparations where made, not many visitors came at first. When word spread of the amazing craftsdorkship and incredibly valuable items on display everywhere, diplomats, scholars, entertainers, and curious travelers showed up in droves.
The dorks of
Crazydwellers of Towers, in their pride-of-accomplishment, had forgotten about where they lived, and the times they lived in.
All of the visiting goblins belonged to
The Tall Ticks civilization, many of them living in the dark fortress of
Shootvice, same location
Badeggs was formally hidden.
A mighty storm was coming for the unaware dorks living in
Badeggs. The first hammer blow came swiftly, followed by another, and another, and another, and another. The goblin onslaught was relentless. The dorks that resisted where slaughtered, their masterworks stolen, everything they had done was stripped clean by goblins.
5 dorks have survived the 11 overwhelming attacks carried out mostly by goblins from
Shootvice. They are sealed away deep underground in what was once the area magma powered machinery operated non-stop. No outside help is coming, and their food is running dangerously low.
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Topic: Tale of Domas Puremine and the Crazydwellers of Towers (Read 717 times)