Zorrin_Drake - Heh, yeah, I have left you in a bit of a quandary.
It should be said,
and this goes for everyone, just gonna make a little PSA:
If something's happened to your character, don't be afraid to just PM or the like to just ask about more info on what happened. I won't spill plot secrets or such, everything I give is probably due to be shown in the next update, but can certainly give more info if you want to write something. As terrible as I am for failing to update on a regular basis, part of what I enjoy the
most about writing Nomekast is the IC responses (well, OOC too, naturally). I'm perhaps a terrible person for it, but characters who make journals and such often get featured more often, simply because I know more on how to write them, what they're aiming to do, their thoughts to other characters/events, plans for them, and so on. It can also give plot ideas, don't be afraid to push boundaries a bit! In some ways, this is a bit of a collaborative thing, the more you put in, the more I can do with that.
15th Malachite 679 - Evening"The crowd is still outside, Stronghammer. They don't want to wait, they want you to act. Now," Bax grunted, slouching back in his seat as he ran a hand through his hair.
At the head of the table the mayor grimaced. "We have idea what in all the hells just occurred. What do they think is going to happen?"
"You can't temper a mob by doing nothing," Derm sighed, the sheriff looking completely ill at ease. The single lamp hung from the ceiling illuminated the mayor's as they all sat around the table, the "first citizens" of Nomekast, as it were: Stronghammer, Derm, Bax, Fori, Tarran, Rovod, Ibruk, Reg, and Bounce, all those who either held an office or had proven their trust enough to join in the make-shift informal 'council' Stronghammer had convened.
"Do we even know if there's any point?" Reg spat. The chief medical dwarf had been of a sour mood for a long time. The deaths that had passed through his hospital had hit him hard. "What did we have? Giant Nothings, explosions, snow, ghosts, people going insane. What will be next? You think we can hold if the militia are the ones to go crazy next time?"
Stronghammer said nothing, musing for a while as he stared down at the report Bounce had compiled before him, his hand fiddling with a small ruby between his fingers. Twelve dead, all with families and friends in the community. Stories of what they had seen above were spreading like wildfire, distorting such that people were made to believe 50-foot monsters were tearing at the walls of Nomekast now. A smart rap on the door stirred him from his thoughts as everyone turned their head.
Meinhard Adelrick strode in, the human Jager giving the mayor a nod. "De Noffing are gone now, no giants, not even li'l vuns, hyu can rests easy," he reported, a toothy grin on his face.
"That makes no sense. Why appear then simply leave?" Fori said. The elf was still not recovered from the poison she had been afflicted with, muscles still slow, but she seemed eager as ever to join in and help. A far cry - Stronghammer mused - from the likes of Imiwa who only stoked racial tensions.
"I-" Another knock on the door interrupted the mayor. This time it was Baffler moving in, a dwarf who had become rather prominent in Ibruk's congregation as well as the Alliance for Dwarven Survival, Stronghammer knew. The jeweler moved down to Ibruk, his face rather pale as he whispered something in his prophet's ear. Ibruk's mouth became a thin line and his hand became white as he seemed to clutch his cane rather strongly. "Something, Ibruk?"
The dwarven priest took a moment to answer before giving a slow nod. "Aye, Brother Stronghammer, I fear so. It appears someone broke into the temple vault, where that accursed jewel Nimemnokzam was safely bound away."
"Someone stole it? The Thieves' Guild?" Bounce piped up, a scowl on her face as she clutched her pads of papers.
"Ah no. It is still there, but knocked from its position of safety. Someone - or something - attempted to take it. I fear that this is exactly what caused everything."
"Touching a shiny rock killed twelve people, rose a ton of ghosts, summoned Nothing, and set half the forest on fire?" Tarran said, a frown on the commander's face.
"That is not a mere 'shiny rock', pilgrim Tarran. That is an artefacts, but not one blessed of the gods, rather a cruel mockery from the demons. Such things have power, remember how the Lich Princess of Abanaved left behind a goblet she'd imbued that the heretic queen Atir used to raise the dead simply by touch. We much seal Nimemnokzam away once more, more securely if we are to prevent this from happening once more."
"The crowd know now I fear, Stronghammer. Even many of the elves want action taken about Nimemnokzam." Baffler added.
Stronghammer gave a small irritated rumble. The mentality of a mob was impossible to deal with. It didn't matter if just a day earlier they'd scoff at the idea that a damned gem could do anything, now they were all baying for it to be dealt with. What a way to end his festival day. "You say this thing is useless?"
"Not useless, dangerous-"
"Then we will do like Opeya's heart. Toss it into the magma, let it burn or be abandoned where no one can touch it again. And then we will try and see just what has happened. I fear your explanation is too simple, Ibruk."
That drew a sharp gasp from both Baffler and Ibruk. "You cannot be serious! You would throw that foul aberration into holy magma? What do you think that will achieve? If it should break, who knows what might be released? Or worse, if it sinks down to the depths of Hell, would you allow demons to take hold of such a thing?"
"My chief concern is the safety of this fort and the well-being of its people, Ibruk. Not metaphysical questions. I will not let something so dangerous - or at the very least, so divisive - remain where any might tamper with it again."
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The crowd had dispersed by nightfall, most going to eat, rest, or mourn after such a dark day. Many were in the tavern, drowning their fears and worries. It was here that Sheodir Redsage came to, the priest dressed rather inconspicuously. He was new enough to not be bothered, yet old enough to not stand out, just being a man vaguely known for joining the militia. He sidled up to the bar, taking a drink before scanning across the room, finding just who he wanted over at the side, just as he'd directed. He sat himself down besides him, setting his tankard down with a smile to the figure opposite.
"Well? What did you want that it needed a letter and a meeting?" Juggernaut grunted as he took a swig of dwarven ale.
Sheo took a few seconds to answer, taking a sip of his own drink. "You are a man of Armok, yes?"
"I am a warrior of Armok, so what of it? You from some pansy human cult here to lecture me on peace? Already had at least one elf do that."
"Not at all! Rather I'm here to say just one thing to you: blood is our prayer-"
"-our temple is war," Juggernaut finished automatically. Sheodir leant back, resting on his chair as he took another small tip, drumming the fingers of his free hand on the stone table. That was certainly a good sign. If Juggernaut was educated enough to know the Armokian prayers, then it would be easier to gain his confidence for what Sheo had planned. "You a man of Armok yourself? I know you've joined the military, already a good sign, too many cowards round here wanting to sit around and let others keep them safe."
"I...was vaguely involved in the temple before the Nothing." He left off that said temple was not the state temple of Armok, rather a more heretical cult. If he was to convince Juggernaut of the truth he had to keep his cards for the right occasions.
"Well that's good. I was beginning to fear I would be the only one who actually knew the right rites for the Blood God, heh," Juggernaut remarked, taking a long gulp of his ale. "The elves treat Him like some secret, kobolds don't even seem to have any gods beyond their little kobold statues, hell, the closest to understand the purpose of a god of
blood are the goblins! Not even the dwarves treat him like anything more than someone to bring up in crises, nothing more."
"The dwarves know nothing of Armok." Sheo almost spat at that. The coldness in his voice must have been too obvious, for Juggernaut simply stared, before shrugging and taking another gulp. He'd have to be more careful. "Well, the point I'm here to make is that I need your help, and I think you need mine."
"I need only my axe and hammer."
"You just said yourself: no one knows well of Armok here. Are you to simply shrug and let that continue?"
"They'll learn-"
"Not if they are not taught. This isn't the Empire of the Humble Nations anymore - or wherever you're from - if we are not active we cannot rely on others to do it for us. This isn't the old world, we can't just do things like we used to and hope for the best. How many Nothing have you killed?"
"I don't count them."
"And yet they never end. And for what? So Armok can be denied his share of the blood? So the dwarves - and others - can heap all the praise on their gods and deny the Blood God himself the offerings that are his by right?"
"What exactly are you suggesting to do?"
"I...am not sure for now. But
something. That's what it means to be a servant of Armok, to be active, not passive, you know that as well as I do. If you'll help me, I can help you, we can help the entire community by bringing Armok's word as it was meant to be, not some dwarven heres-
misunderstanding of His word."
"The elves won't like it, the dwarves under that Ibruk neither."
"Do the Nothing like it when you show them the true wrath of Armok?"
Juggernaut snorted into his drink, a smirk on his face. "A good answer."
"If you'll help me, I am looking to start where it all begins: a shrine."
"Our temple is war."
It was Sheodir's turn to smirk now, leaning back again as he nodded. "You misunderstand. This is not some gaudy stone thing like the dwarves put up, to hide in and bow and recite little pithy prayers. No, Juggernaut, Armok is the Blood Father, the lord of war. This shrine will serve that war and train His soldiers." He finished his drink, stretching as he stood up, giving a little incline of his head. "I will leave you to think. Come see me if you agree."
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Topic: [Community] Nomekast - At War with Nothing (Read 175028 times)