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[Holy Mittens]

If you replace http://homebasecomics.com/ with http://goldendaydreams.com/homebasearchive/ in the URL for most of the images, they should work properly if you really want to see them all again. At least for images I posted originally.

Ey, you can't just link a thing with 3 years of backlog like that. I have just been stuck reading a bunch of comic pages of variable but increasing quality for 2 hours.

Hah. Glad someone out there has enjoyed it at some point! I'll let my old roommate know, since he did most of the work on stuff that was part of that "increasing quality".

[endlessblaze]

I don't think it's just those. A lot if the art has vanished, and df wiki is also expired so we can't check there. Please tell me someone saved all those other images.

[Man In Zero G]

I don't think it's just those. A lot if the art has vanished, and df wiki is also expired so we can't check there. Please tell me someone saved all those other images.

The wiki is still around.

[Holy Mittens]

I saved most (all?) of the fanart that people posted as well. If anyone knows something missing that isn't on the Wiki, post here and I'll see if I can locate it.

[Ancalagon_TB]

Hell I'm interested in the campaign itself, and how Cacame bricked it with his force of personality

I have *hundreds* of pages of notes, so I will have to skip a lot, but as briefly as I can:

The campaign world is pseudo earth, in 1153.  I've replaced certain groups with fantasy races and modified history accordingly.  Egyptians are elves.  Turks are hobgoblins *but never to their face*.  Etc etc.   The egyptians/elves have been locked in a long war with an "Enemy" - the kind that has a capital E - in the south.  Casualties of this war sometimes have their memories wiped out by foul sorcery.  This is very painful for the survivors of such attacks, and some leave Egypt, finding it too painful to remain there with most of their memories gone.  Some return, other never do.  Cacame is such an elf.

Anyway, the party is on a big quest because they messed up in Turkey and freed the *evil bad* (not the Enemy) and now must follow the Silk road in search of a legendary being that can defeat the *evil bad*, because no one else can.

While on the road a bit past Ray (modern day Tehran, Iran), they start hearing rumors about King Cacame, who is uniting the dwarven tribes.  Then they start hearing rumors that he is an *elf* - a wandering warrior who hired himself out for food.  His fierce courage and cunning was remarkable and he grew in fame until he became the old king's champion.  When the old dwarven king died, he was proclaimed the new king by acclamation.  Cacame remembers almost nothing of his elven culture, and had fully adopted dwarven ways.  His followers are fanatically loyal.

One of the players has a dwarven character, and is very intrigued.  Another, an elf, is also very curious.  Later on the road, they find a disturbing scene - several men, slaughtered, along with a sign that says:

"Here are the remains of the wickeds, who were punished for the Hudud of Highway Robbery, in concordance with Asharite laws, and by the will of Cacame, King under the Mountains.  May all just men rejoice and evil doers know fear"

This is a bold statement - it's basically saying that the local rulers aren't doing their job, so he is doing it for them!   The players are impressed.  The party presses on, and reaches the Karakum desert, on the way to Merv, one of the largest cities to exist at that time.  They also see a sign proclaiming this spot to be the end of Cacame's territory.

I, as the DM, was just messing with them.  It wasn't the end of the Cacame story!  The party was going to arrive in Merv and get dragged into local intrigue that involved Cacame having sneaked in the city to convince the local dwarves to leave and join him.   Buuuut the players thought that the sign was the end of Cacame's involvement in the game, and were so upset they wanted to *turn back*.  I had to privately contact half of them and tell them to have faith in me

That's how awesome Cacame is

(I can detail the events in Merv if anyone care, but that is the end of the derailment story)

[endlessblaze]

Yes. A altered version of the great king he may be, but the incredible power and awesome of cacame aewmedinade resonates through his representatives.

Give us more details of this great journey.

[SimRobert2001]

Hell I'm interested in the campaign itself, and how Cacame bricked it with his force of personality

I have *hundreds* of pages of notes, so I will have to skip a lot, but as briefly as I can:

The campaign world is pseudo earth, in 1153.  I've replaced certain groups with fantasy races and modified history accordingly.  Egyptians are elves.  Turks are hobgoblins *but never to their face*.  Etc etc.   The egyptians/elves have been locked in a long war with an "Enemy" - the kind that has a capital E - in the south.  Casualties of this war sometimes have their memories wiped out by foul sorcery.  This is very painful for the survivors of such attacks, and some leave Egypt, finding it too painful to remain there with most of their memories gone.  Some return, other never do.  Cacame is such an elf.

Anyway, the party is on a big quest because they messed up in Turkey and freed the *evil bad* (not the Enemy) and now must follow the Silk road in search of a legendary being that can defeat the *evil bad*, because no one else can.

While on the road a bit past Ray (modern day Tehran, Iran), they start hearing rumors about King Cacame, who is uniting the dwarven tribes.  Then they start hearing rumors that he is an *elf* - a wandering warrior who hired himself out for food.  His fierce courage and cunning was remarkable and he grew in fame until he became the old king's champion.  When the old dwarven king died, he was proclaimed the new king by acclamation.  Cacame remembers almost nothing of his elven culture, and had fully adopted dwarven ways.  His followers are fanatically loyal.

One of the players has a dwarven character, and is very intrigued.  Another, an elf, is also very curious.  Later on the road, they find a disturbing scene - several men, slaughtered, along with a sign that says:

"Here are the remains of the wickeds, who were punished for the Hudud of Highway Robbery, in concordance with Asharite laws, and by the will of Cacame, King under the Mountains.  May all just men rejoice and evil doers know fear"

This is a bold statement - it's basically saying that the local rulers aren't doing their job, so he is doing it for them!   The players are impressed.  The party presses on, and reaches the Karakum desert, on the way to Merv, one of the largest cities to exist at that time.  They also see a sign proclaiming this spot to be the end of Cacame's territory.

I, as the DM, was just messing with them.  It wasn't the end of the Cacame story!  The party was going to arrive in Merv and get dragged into local intrigue that involved Cacame having sneaked in the city to convince the local dwarves to leave and join him.   Buuuut the players thought that the sign was the end of Cacame's involvement in the game, and were so upset they wanted to *turn back*.  I had to privately contact half of them and tell them to have faith in me

That's how awesome Cacame is

(I can detail the events in Merv if anyone care, but that is the end of the derailment story)

I'd love for you too.

[Twinwolf]

I've been needing to PTW this.

[Holy Mittens]

I have *hundreds* of pages of notes, so I will have to skip a lot, but as briefly as I can:

That sounds pretty awesome Ancalagon. I'm currently preparing to run a campaign in my own world set in Cacame's kingdom about 500 years after he finished driving all the elves off the continent. I'm glad that this crazy story inspired you! I am still awed every day that people still have fond memories of Cacame and this crazy thread.

[Ancalagon_TB]

I'm glad you guys are enjoying this! 

Now the Cacame section of the campaign was only a few dozen pages, I meant the thing as a whole.  (At the moment the party is in the Taklamakan desert.  They found the legendary being but... he's lost his memory!  They must help him before he can help them).

After placating my players and "re-railing" the campaign, the party crossed the Karakum desert, dealt with pesky trolls on the way, and reached Merv, which based on some historians was the largest city in the world at that exact moment (only to get sacked later...)

Merv went through several "generations", with the better and newer ones being where the well off lived, and the semi abandoned ones being left for industry, the poor and the second class citizens. 

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/merv/gallery/rotating/merv_map_roads_un

The dwarves of Merv are cramped into Erk Kala, where they manufacture crucible steel (a historical fact, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv#Economy ). 

The party rests, buys supplies and do research for their quest.  The dwarven party member makes contacts with the local community, and manages to get himself invited to a secret midnight meeting - where Cacame is present!   Cacame tells the dwarves:

"Dwarves of Merv, heed my word.  I bring news, both dark and bright.  The winds of war are blowing.  Sanjar grows old and weak, and so do the Seljuk.  Alliances against them are being formed.  New warlords are rising, looting, burning cities.  The moon grows dark.  The walls of Merv are either faded hills, or fancy constructions of brittle mud.   You have no safe shelter here.

But there is hope.  South of Nishaput, there are several ranges of hills and mountains.  7 clans have claimed these hills.  They have formed an alliance - the Confederacy of Ferns  (Ferns culturally significance - symbol of endurance and community).  I am Cacame Awemedinade, the Immortal Onslaught, and I lead the confederacy.  I have come to offer you all safety in our hills.  There is room for all of you.  The hills are rich with copper, iron and turquoise.  This offer comes from all the clans - we will provide you shelter and protection.  I know that this is very different than living in the shadow of Merv... but let me tell you, the shadows cast by a mountain are far fresher - the air is clean and the moon closer.  Join us!"

This causes great excitement and consternation among the dwarves of Merv, but the meeting is interrupted by alarming news:  Soldiers of the local Seljuk ruler are surrounding the dwarven quarters.  They claim they are imposing a quarantine due to a plague - but there is no plague.  The dwarves deduces that the Seljuk Governor somehow learned that Cacame is present, and wishes to imprison him.  The quarantine excuse is but a cover story.   Cacame is confident that he can break through... but he will have hundreds of soldiers hot on his heels. 

The dwarven party member (Wutzi), with the help of a grubby "dwarven" follower of Cacame (Grasnol... a goblin disguised as a dwarf with a mixture of a fake beard, a pillow under his shirt and a few illusions) manages to sneak out of the dwarven quarter.  Wutzi rejoins the party and concoct a grand distraction -they break in the army's stable, slay the guards and "liberate" over a hundred warhorses into the city street, causing mayhem.  The confusion and commotion is enough for Cacame to break out and gain a league's lead over his pursuers... which is enough. 

The party promptly leaves Merv as well, never to return.  The local authorities investigate and discover it was them... but they too have a long lead, and the Seljuk never manage to catch them as they flee past their influence.

And that was Cacame in my campaign

If you want to see Cacame's kingdom, look at Neyshabur in Iran in google map and turn on the terrain mode:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Neyshabur,+Khorasan+Razavi,+Iran/@35.4050303,58.0508447,7.5z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3f6d0c76740474f5:0x577fdd5ae6c4d8c3!5m1!1e4?hl=en

You'll note all these small moutain ranges.  Each dwarven clan controls ones.  Cacame  has united them all.

Lastly, I'm surprised no one asked whom the dwarves were meant to be

[klefenz]

Just noticed Cacame is in this video at 0:46

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzeeV_Dl9gw

[Holy Mittens]

Just noticed Cacame is in this video at 0:46

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzeeV_Dl9gw

HOLY SHIT.

[SimRobert2001]

Just noticed Cacame is in this video at 0:46

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzeeV_Dl9gw

HOLY SHIT.

That is sweet. It took me a couple of times for me to spot.

[Ancalagon_TB]

Just noticed Cacame is in this video at 0:46

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzeeV_Dl9gw

Now that's awesome

That being said, this song is far far dwarfier (but no Cacame)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWz0qVvBZ0

[LordPorkins]

Man, i just rereread this thread. I love how all it takes for dwarves to accept their arch enemies as leaders is drinking problems and tragic backstory. Though the Magma plan probably helped