This is Part 2 of my turn where I found my wolf man character dead and body destroyed: Link to the first part:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=175875.msg8568298#msg8568298Part 2Razorbridge ad changed over the centuries.
The dwarven megaproject connected two continents and had enabled trade and contact between civilizations! Dwarves in isolated fortresses on the northern continent now had a way to reach back home. Then, as all dwarven things do, it decayed and while the bridge remained steadfast the town built on it had faded to a few stubborn survivors.
Then came an age of new war and extinction as elven forests, manipulated by goblin malice, declared war on dwarves and humanity. Peaceful elves fled as refugees to Razorbridge intending to create a neutral ground to foster peace between the many races of Orid Xem. They were joined by the last kobolds of the world and later, much later the wolf lord of Makbor would unleash his most dangerous experiment on the world: The fully revived angels of the goddess of death who now would serve him and the Walled Dye.
Razorbridge now became the hub of many peoples and the headquarters of a large counter-invasions of goblin territory to create a beach head of safety for people which led to its rise to the status of a county.
Lifetimes more have passed and yet the war has not abated and the dwarves moved on once more. Razorbridge has no dwarves left in it and the stout people have no interest in it, but the elves continue to fight as three enemy nations constantly press in on the bridge or attempt to use it to invade others. Now with countless legions of the dead returned to true life to wage a final world war the elves that were abandoned by their own, now abandoned by the dwarves are scared
and elves angry; they refuse to labor and maintain the bridge: Windows are broken and never replaced, tavern furniture thrown out completely, the forest overgrown and blocking wagons entering the bridge, even bedrooms for travelers have been emptied so they must sleep on the floor.
Graffiti marks the walls "Stand against dwarven oppression" "Remember the elves of the Walled Dye king Alath" Pictures of a great eagle in flight are painted in red on many walls as the symbol of elven outcry.
All of this was tragic, but ultimately irrelevant to Miaralei. She changed too much over the centuries and now her large pointed ears were deaf to these plights for she was now a mercenary and skilled assassin, and today she came to work in Razorbridge.
She had been working among the Nations of Honoring for decades. Their military was now led by a former elven law-giver now general who was returned by the great undying. Assassins had plenty of work in this time as suddenly ancient and fulfilled grudges were now reopened and war had reached a scale of destruction unimagined. An assassin ended these battles before they reached a ridiculous peak.
Still, Miara was approached as she was attempting to enjoy weak human beer(stronger than elven sure, but she had spent lifetimes enjoying dwarven brews by now), by a hooded dwarf far north of Razorbridge.
source:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/kLQ9xHe chose to conceal his name, which was fine, but it was obvious he was Walled Dye: No other dwarves traveled this far.
He dropped a sack of gold on the table before her and leaned in: "This is the down payment. Got a high profile target for you and she needs to die quick-like" he said as he looked around
He was attempting to be quiet, but there was no one seated nearby and the humans did not want to intervene in the legendary elf's affairs anyway
She grabbed the bag and began counting "Who and where? What resistance should I be expecting?"
The black bearded dwarf grinned "Sarvesh Afenolatar. Warriors of Udir and grand diplomat of the Walled Dye."
Miara whistled "Gonna need a lot more than this"
"Thought you were one of the best? Can get any job done?"
"I can. and that is why you're going to pay me more"
The dwarf grumbled and reached into his pack and began to bring out another pouch of gold, but he found an arrow poking at his side. He turned to look and Miara was using one as a dagger as she smiled wolfishly at him "Go ahead and dump everything else you have on the table and that will be your down payment"
The dwarf's eyes filled with rage "This is a robbery!"
"No, it's business." He followed her eyes as she eyed the bag and then the table "The bag. Now."
The dwarf dumped all his possessions which included another bag of gold and a engraved shortsword marking him as clearly working for the Walled Dye. She also took his wineskin
"Your payment is accepted. Sarvesh will die and you will pay me double this afterwords. Now the details sir dwarf."
Anger never left her new client's eyes "One of the first Warriors of Udir and a diplomat. She will be surrounded by guards of her own kind and is currently living in that pisspot Razorbridge"
"Good enough, sir dwarf. Have one last sip of wine before I enjoy the rest of it, will you?"
He did so, which was a precaution for her to avoid poisoning before enjoying her illicitly captured gains
"Meet in Makbor after for the rest of your payment, elf. Meet at the Smoldering Corpse bar in the lower city"
Thus the contract was begun and now she found herself in Razorbridge seeing the conditions of her people. The Warriors of Udir seemed unbothered by the state of affairs, she supposed working for a death goddess didn't lead to much better treatment than this. She had entered the town with no weapons as to not attract attention and had chosen a new name for the time: Liatha.
Now she had broken into the old armory and found her son's old gifts: Divine arrows and a bow covered in piles of dust. He was such a dutiful boy which made her feel almost sad to have not visited him. He was married now apparently and somewhere in this very town, but today was a bad day for that.
Her target caught wind of her sooner than she wanted, but what could one expect of immortal angelic warriors? The diplomat sprinted with endless energy reserves across the bridge and into the tunnels dwarves had long ago made on the beaches. This was almost certainly a trap, but the angel needed no food or drink and could wait her out for centuries if needed so Miara simply had to trust that she could evade this trap.
She creeped through the old mining tunnels and found it was stuffed to the gills with warriors of Udir: This was a trap!
She doubted her ability to win closer quarters combat with just one armored one, but there were like 20 of them in here. So, she had to trust her stealth.
She spent hours slowly creeping by patrols, hugging walls, waiting for beings who didn't need breaks to decide to move somewhere else as she searched floor after floor of the mine.
Finally she found her target standing in the middle of a large quarry room surrounded on all sides by warriors of Udir who looked outwards to protect their elder sister.
Miara prepared arrows as she made circles around the group, remaining just out of sight, but found now direct openings. She had to take a risk and if it went wrong she had to pray to Cacame that she could run faster than these warriors could break her legs.
She loosed an arrow and it flew true right past a guard and planted into the diplomat. The diplomat didn't even scream, only a grunt as her shoulder was now pierced and the guards went on alert. Miara continued to circle as she fired again and again, but this was a hardy species much larger than humans and the diplomat refused to cry out as she was shot again and again. Her guards began searching frantically! One came over and attempted to shield the diplomat's body with her own, but Miara circled and fired again and again past this shield: She was one of the best archers in the world after all.
The diplomat began shouting, but not at Miara or for her own life. She began shouting state secrets at her guard who looked frantic, but then began to nod solemnly. Miara continued firing again and again as the diplomat shouted more secrets for her precious guard to protect. The guard took her diplomat in her arms as her legs gave out, but she continued speaking as the last arrow punctured and she finally breathed her last.
Miara did not stay to watch the scene: She ran for her life! Once back from the quarry she found few guards on the bridge, all had been inside attempting to trap her, and now she bolted across it seeking to make clear for Makbor. As she was reaching the village that lived on the southern edge of the bridge she heard members of her own people huddled together speaking, likely of sedition against the Walled Dye, but she heard them say "Did you hear? The wolf man Maloy was murdered! Dwarf came in and killed him and said he was sent by the king!"
Another elf spat "Accursed dwarves would kill us all if they could!"
Miara was shocked, but could not stop to investigate this rumor. When she finally reached the safety of the forest she leaned against a tree and considered the news of the death of an ancient friend: She now had two reasons to go to Makbor.
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Topic: Museum III, adventure succession game (DF 0.47.05) (Read 527436 times)