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[RabidAnubis]

Either way, finals are this week.

It'll be hard for me to post, if anything at all that is of quality.

Once, Xmas break starts though I should be getting one- maybe two- a day.

[Eric Blank]

Damn finals... I'm suffering right now too. English itnerrupting study for geology, geology preventing study for math. Women interfering as much as they possibly can... Looking forward to the brief hiatus before next semester starts. Keep up the good writing, and I might actually survive it!

[Loud Whispers]

Damn finals... I'm suffering right now too. English itnerrupting study for geology, geology preventing study for math. Women interfering as much as they possibly can... Looking forward to the brief hiatus before next semester starts. Keep up the good writing, and I might actually survive it!

Erik blank
07/09/2009
~
13/09/2011
Became one with English, Geology and Maths.

[RabidAnubis]

Damn finals... I'm suffering right now too. English itnerrupting study for geology, geology preventing study for math. Women interfering as much as they possibly can... Looking forward to the brief hiatus before next semester starts. Keep up the good writing, and I might actually survive it!

As long as you can make it to Friday.... you'll be fine.  I also have been trying to think about the chapter for the humans but then I realized there was Stonehand's chapter.

No wonder I had no inspiration.  Something did not feel right.

[RabidAnubis]

Goldenhold
Chapter 15: For the Fortress

   He woke, bolting straight up from the floor of the road.  His home had been overtaken by invaders.  He carried a covered axe, which confused him.  However, there was a hallway ahead.  It was the hall of kings, a place that he had never seen before.  Six massive columns supported the gigantic rectangular halls, booths of administrators running back and forth constantly.  Gems were everywhere, the walls of solid gold, the floor of silver.

   It was godlike in architecture.  But something in him knew that wasn’t why he was here, simply to admire sights.  People were scarred, the door barricaded by the few remaining guards.  A shove forced them back, the door splintering into a million pieces as a horde of goblins broke in.  They flooded the hall, not even bothering to kill anyone.  They stared at the ceiling, nearly half a mile high, the walls for their wealth.  But most of all, they stared at the adamantine throne of the king.  “It is ours!”  A goblin dressed in red armor said, commander of the evil invaders.

   An urge filled Stonehand.  He walked out to the middle of the room, standing alone and proud, covered axe in one hand, wearing a light blue cape.  He felt like saying something- totally confident in his words, despite the hundreds of goblins pouring into the halls, white foam frothing in their mouths of sweet victory.  Out came four simple words.  “I don’t think so.”   

   The army noticed him, standing alone.  The goblins stared for a long moment before bursting out laughing at him.  “What are you going to do?  Stop us?”

   Rather than running away like a sane person as they all faced their bows and arrows, spears and swords, shields and armor towards him, he stood there, not responding for a whole minute.  Sweat poured down the faces of the administrators, nervous for their lives.

   This time, Stonehand said something with sync, knowing what to say without any words.  “You combat us.  We have done nothing to you.  Leave now or face the wrath of Armok.  He stands with me and Goldenhold right now.”

   The commander laughed.  “Really?  Armoks with you?  Do I need to fill barrels of your brew with dwarvern blood to prove you wrong?  Laughable dwarf, laughable.”

   The next words though, were spoken by seven people at once, all one and all separate.  For the first time ever in a dream, he felt the thoughts of others’ consciousness.    “So be it.”  They said together, voices blended coming from a single mouth. 

   They pulled off the cover to the axe, and revealed was a weapon with a body of gems, a handle of gold, and imposing twin blades edged with adamantine.  The top of it menaced with spikes of silver, engraved with various images of the history of the fortress up to that point.  The gems in the body were arranged into a pattern, rubies and sapphires, diamonds and onyx, emerald and opal, all shining in the shape of a pickaxe of diamond, crossed over by the image of an onyx bladed sword, the background of the pattern was made of glorious sapphire.  The hilt of gold was bottomed with an obsidian orb, the frozen liquid of life. 

   The goblins looked taken back by the confidence as THEY walked forward in a single body.  The next five words, grand and glorious, would be heard throughout the world.  They yelled, another voice added in that came from every direction, every stone, every particle of air, every mist of the ocean, and the sound was even being heard by every single deaf in the whole world.  Everyone paused what they were doing.  Wars stopped for a moment, traders in various markets hushed instantly, and the world was at peace for a whole five seconds.

   They weren’t heard through ears, they were heard through every living and un-living thing’s consciousness, their soul.  The words were of desperation, triumph, love, hate, and everything in between.

“FOR THE FORTRESS!  FOR GOLDENHOLD!”

   A troll pushed through the crowd of goblins, stopping in front of the dwarf.  They swung the axe in a flash of lightning, cutting it in half at the waist, they stepped over it’s remains casually, as if it was nothing.  The whole goblin force took a step back.

   And after ten steps of THEM walking towards the invaders, they started to flee, running, pushing, shoving.  But even in their desperation, not a single one of the three thousand goblins that stood then would make it to the two massive gates.  The stragglers were beheaded, a single swing seemed to kill twenty of their number.

He remained in silence at the bloodlust....

   Stonehand woke up once more, walking out of the room, and out of the family compound to head to one place, his eyes solid gold, without pupils or whites.  He was going to the forges.

[Mitchewawa]

Lovin' the story so far!

“FOR THE FORTRESS!  FOR GOLDENHOlD!”

Capital 'L' on Goldenhold 

[RabidAnubis]

Lovin' the story so far!

“FOR THE FORTRESS!  FOR GOLDENHOlD!”

Capital 'L' on Goldenhold 

What if it was intentional.  Maybe the l isn't important.

And good Armok, you posted 10 seconds after me.  I fixed it.

[Eric Blank]

Lovin' the story so far!

“FOR THE FORTRESS!  FOR GOLDENHOlD!”

Capital 'L' on Goldenhold 

What if it was intentional.  Maybe the l isn't important.

And good Armok, you posted 10 seconds after me.  I fixed it.

I've heard plenty of people whine about hemorrhoids, but never a goldenhoid. Must be painful.

Still a good read and hopign for more.

[Loud Whispers]

He carried a covered axe, which confused him.

Sheathed would be better than covered, unless it was explained what the axe was covered with. I hope it was booze and royal jelly

People were scarred

Either they were covered in scars (which sounds BADASS), or you meant scared :£

covered axe in one hand

^

not a single one of the three thousand goblins that stood then would make it to the two massive gates.

MY FPS NOOOOOOO

Quote taken out of context for the day is....

white foam frothing in their mouths of sweet victory

“What are you going to do?  Stop us?”

CLICHÉ MOMENT

   The commander laughed.  “Really?  Armoks with you?  Do I need to fill barrels of your brew with dwarvern blood to prove you wrong?  Laughable dwarf, laughable.”

Badassery rhetoric from the goblin. That's surprising

[RabidAnubis]

Loudwhispers, I would say sheathed but it wasn't on his waist... I meant covered with a cloth.  I'll try and fix it. 

A goldenhoid would be VERY painful.

I think I like scared now that I think about it... I meant scarred but the thought of nobles with wounds and burns....

Every good story needs a few good cliches!  And you know it!  And personally, I think goblins would have the most BA personality- they are creatures of hell for the sake of armok.  They aren't going to act like elves.

By the way I got this email....

"7 dwarves of ntoe survive.

Community fort can start or a succesion game, depending. That way, your tail enters the community a bit with some of the best back story known.

Just a suggestion ^^
will love to see how it turns out, love your work." -From tim.

I don't know what that means really.  I guess we could make a spin off if we wanted to, perhaps one of Goldenhold's outposts...

[RabidAnubis]

Goldenhold
Chapter 16: Sea of Ichor

   A hundred wooden battle junks rode the waves, all made of wood.  Each one was easily two hundred feet long.  At the front of all of them they had oversized ballistas, the bending parts going over the edges of the ship, the string extending back over ten meters to fire a massive ballista bolt.  They had many stories to them, ten in each ship.

   Only one ship was different, and it was at the lead.  Easily over eight hundred feet long, with four massive ballistas to it, it was the Bronze Scourge.  And for good reason- the whole ship was protected by a foot thick layer of bronze, shaped to deflect any shots at it.  It stood only five stories out of the water- but that was because fifteen were hid below.  Smaller ballistas were lined along the stories, and the shots from them would be devastating.  The only standard military ships that were larger than this one was those of the Floating Fortress class, employed by the dwarves of the Mountain home Wavecresent.   

   In these ships were goblins, and hordes of them.  There was at least a troll on every ship, and the Bronze Scourge was packed with the beasts.  The Challenges had received word from a goblin that was attacked by an elf that Goldenhold was under siege by an impressively competent human military- one that somehow managed to break through the gates.

   That did not matter to the goblin commander Amud Ikled.  What mattered was that they would be able to take the city from those who have ruled too long.  He ordered the oarsmen to heave faster.  It was highly ironic because most of them were kidnapped slaves, happy to help destroy their own races.  A lot of them had even helped in the construction of the Bronze Scourge.

   But as they pulled up, the commander went to his better protected bridge, and ordered everyone off the deck and into the lower levels.  He waited for the sounds of a battle.

   They didn’t come.  The tower that soared above Goldenhold’s peak was.... not doing anything.  WHAT?  Although a ballista bolt eventually headed into the air at them from the massive bunkers by the water slide, but it was too late.  Amud was about to what no other goblin had done in many, many years.  He was about to break into Goldenhold.  “Return fire.  Destroy their defenses.  Let none live.”

   They shot, unorganized and at many different times- but they were accurate, hitting their marks precisely.  Within moments, most of the bunkers were totaled, the short dwarves running out of them quickly to alert everyone of the attack.

   The bottom of the junks began to hit the sea bed it was the sign to jump out.  A ramp went off the front of each junk, and the trolls led the charge, goblins following behind.  However, on his barge Ikled jumped out first, accompanied by elite troll warriors on each side of him, each creature carried a massive iron tower shield along with a massive granite maul.  Six trolls followed behind them, and they carried a total of four ballistas and two massive barrels of greek fire...

   As the Challangers ran up the surf, parts of the mountains were flipped up, revealing rows of dwarvern crossbowmen, and at the sound of a trumpet they fired.  In sync, what seemed to be a thousand bolts fell upon the rightmost flank of his army.  They did not matter to Ikled.  He had so many men that it wouldn’t have mattered to him if a hundred times as many went down in the wakes of the beach.

   The army was forced into two sides, one on each side of the slide.  The ocean here was shallow, but it was still over a thousand feet easily to the shoreline, where a seawall waited.

   They fired again, destroying more of the right flank, blood of goblins and ichor of trolls filling the sea, dying the water a brilliant red.  However, he couldn’t help but notice the inaccuracy of the dwarves.  Must be their militia.... the humans have done well if they the scoundrels had to call for help....   He gave off a smirk, running forward.  “Fire back you idiots!  Don’t just stand there!”  Some of the trolls managed to shoot the ballistas from both the boats and their arms at the city, and they returned fire onto the well protected crossbow men.

   “Keep going!”  On of the goblins had stopped behind his shield, cowering.  He was decapitated by the leader as an encouragement to the others.

   His whole regiment sped up.  They didn’t go fast enough though.  Ikled’s troops were fired upon, but the elite trolls jumped in front, their massive shields blocking the bolts as they ticked against the metal, useless.  They charged forward, returning fire.  More and more dwarf shooters shot from the barricades, and more and more of the new invader’s army fell.

   The bolts fired again and again as the Challenges’ army moved forward.  Many fell, bolts sticking out of them and turning them into humanoid porcupines.  By the time the massive army arrived at the shore, treading blood from the red ocean, over five thousand had fell outside the barge exit.  But, they were goblins and trolls.  The sea may have been dark red, but even the prospect a sea filled with their own blood as a toast to Armok was not going to stop them.  And Armok would drink his fill.

[Loud Whispers]

I'm a Goblin? With Ships?  Porcupine trololols? THAT WORSHIP ARMOK??

BEST GOBLIN EVAR.

[RabidAnubis]

Goldenhold
Chapter 17: Cut In Earth

   A ballista bolt slammed into the invaders infantry, plowing through three of them before stopping finally.  The siege was commenced, and it was starting to slow down from it’s initial rage. 

   It is going to take a while for the enemy to cross this place- if they even do.  Karakzon thought, but he was still worried.  He had been promoted to captain of the guard for two days while Stronghammer was out and wounded, for his overall success in the deeps of the caverns.  However, he had recently received a letter from the elder that gave the order to lower the bridge and take them head on now that the militia was with the defenders.  It would be glorious at the worst, and at the best a route against the humans.

   The new captain seriously did not give an Urist about glory, and cared more about returning home to his children.  He, along with everyone on the planet, knew that Goldenhold could wait a century behind it’s walls before having to leave.  The fortress was close to impenetrable, and with a proper commander could defeat any intruder.

   He was still trying to figure out why in the name of Armok Stronghammer had opened the fucking gate.  Perhaps it had to do with his “pride” as the captain of the guard.

   He was keeping the silver bridge that spanned the fifty foot wide gap up.  No one was going to cross it while it was under his watch.  Fortifications ran along the edge of the defending side, crenellations providing cover for the crossbow dwarves behind it, and short circular towers stuck out of the side and over the canyon, ballistas and catapults and the such on top of them. 

   The ceiling was over four hundred feet high for this chamber, and defenses ran along the walls.  Areas only accessed by dwarf size stairways were high above the entire battle, dwarves able to lay down in small crevices and set up large crossbows with bipods.  They were accurate, able to enter the slit of a helmet with a good shot. 
   
   These specialists were called Zykor, named after the fourth champion of Goldenhold who made a full diamond crossbow with 5 levels, firing once for each time the trigger was pulled, and reloaded by a small cartridge within a few seconds.  Each Zykor couldn’t have that, but they did manage to give them three shots along with the speedy cartridge reload.

   Either way, the ability for them to fire onto the head of the enemy was invaluable- they couldn’t hide behind the massive shields they had set up along the other side of the thousand foot drop into the heart of the earth.

   It was an easy decision for Karakzon to send down the infantry to guard the deeps against the weakly armored foes at close quarters, while keeping all the crossbow users where they could have a comfortable range to fight.

   The humans had at several times shot large ropes across the pit but met with almost no success.  As soon as the rope latched into the crenelations as the humans began to cross it, the unstable bridges were cut down by the accurate bolts of the Zykor.

   He sat in a small, dusty, oval office that overlooked the gorge from directly above, the thin, sapphire, see through floor was supported by obsidian beams, and was much more sturdy than he expected.  No one had been in the office for a while, so the books were all unused along with the bronze desk.  He laughed to himself at the thought that having a bronze desk was a serious sign of wealth in Goldenhold a few thousand years ago. 

   Otherwise, the siege was going rather excellently by this point.  The humans had started to move back and be more cautious.  Then an engineer slammed through the door, breaking the valuable rubies, and yelled, “We are under attack from the ocean!”

   “What?”  Karakzon asked, confused and stunned.  His expression went from a smirk to a frown instantly.  This was not good for him.

   The lesser paused for a moment, catching his breath.  “Goblins come in hundreds of barges from the oceans.  The Bronze Scourge is attacking!  We are doomed!”
   
   Karakzon stood up, slapped the man across the face and scowled.  “We are fine.  Close the gates to the ocean....”  He frowned at the thought of the next order.  “Don’t exaggerate.  How many barges are there?” 

   The engineer thought for a moment.  “I think there was at least seventy five....” 
Karakzon cursed.  “What are they loaded with?  Goblins... trolls.... fairies?  I need to know.”

   The engineer’s breath stabilized as he caught it, and he said, coughing for the last time, “Goblins sir.  By the thousands.”
   
   “The decision is easy.  Send out sixty of the hundred marksdwarf squads to the ocean entrance to try and thin their numbers.  Send a message to leave minimal guards to the caverns, close all access to them, and move the infantry up here.”

   The poor dwarf started to walk, but Karakzon through a knife from the table into the wall next to him, and the engineer sprinted off at a godlike pace. 

   He noticed the humans artillery regiments were pulling back, then the rest of the army with them.  But as they left, he swore he saw smiles on their faces.  What are they doing?  He shrugged it off, having no clue of Zeon’s plans.

[Loud Whispers]

ABSOLUTELY WINNING. And that's not because I've become an immortal super villain with an armada at my control.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

One thing, threw, not through

[RabidAnubis]

Goldenhold
Interlude 3: Nauseated Nobility

   Argon thought he had gotten over the sea sickness a few days ago.  Apparently he hadn’t.  He vomited over the side of the deck, the green chunks splashing into the ocean.  Wait a moment.....  he noticed the ocean was a very deep blue, with a red undertone to it. Why the hell is there any red in the water though?  Is there darker soil here or... maybe the dirt under the ocean is red, and a faster current picked it up?  Maybe the captain will know...  “Captain!”  He spoke, but then he realized he wasn’t heard over the sound of the massive waves.  “CAPTAIN!”  He screamed, his lungs burning with the effort.

   The captain passed an order to someone, a lesser who had the responsibility to take the sick noble back to his quarters. I know I always ask for the highest man’s help, but this is more important than that.  I am curious anyways, and a baron’s knowledge must be satisfied.  He smiled at himself, thinking about his recent promotion.  It was a glimpse of happiness in a sea of hopelessness.  Almost literally.  “I don’t want you, I want the captain.  I need to ask about the ships’ construction.”  The soldier had to follow orders, even though he knew that the noble really meant “Why the hell is it so uncomfortable”.  For once in this trip, it didn’t.

   Argon went to the bridge, lifting his robe up with his hands as he entered the small room.  How should I ask this..... Hmph.  “How far are we from Goldenhold?”

   The captain sighed, rolled his eyes, and then replied in an overly happy tone, “We are within twenty minutes sir if the wind is with us.”

   Argon shrugged.  “Okay then....”  Twenty minutes?  We shouldn’t be above that deep of water.  We should be able to see the bottom....  “...Why aren’t the oceans clear?”

   The captain was actually stunned at the question enough to drop his telescope.  “Probably just an illusion.  Maybe there is too much foam, which puzzles me.  Perhaps dirt from the ocean floor?  Sea-floaters?  I surely hope not, they would only slow us down.”

   Argon smiled, knowing the next thing would only surprise the captain.  He stood there for a moment, and then realized he wasn’t selling anything to the captain so there was no point to amaze him. I might as well enjoy it anyways...  “None of those things are red captain.”

“WHAT?”

   “The ocean has a slight tint of red.  I was thinking we were close to the floor bottom and some red dirt was picked up....”  The baron replied, slowly and carefully, crafting each word to make sure the captain could hear him over the ocean.

   The captain shrugged.  “Maybe.  I don’t think there is any red dirt here.  Maybe where you were looking a sea monster ate something and that was the leftovers.”

   The baron left again to get a clear look at the ocean.  But this time, it was pinkish.    Must have been a big fish?  Oh my gosh... it’s almost purple.  It’s getting darker and we are APPROACHING the red area where something died?  He returned to the cabin.

   “It’s purple captain now.  What does that mean?  A REALLY big fish was eaten?”  He said, his voice cracking slightly now that he was a little afraid of what ate it. 

   The captain chuckled a bit.  “Funny Baron!  Why aren’t you a comedian?  There would have to be a massive battle to make the sea that red!”  He pointed to the water, and then realized he was pointing at actual water that was completely red.  “WHAT?”

   The baron cringed slightly.  “WE AREN’T ABOUT TO DIE RIGHT?”  He yelled, making sure he was heard over the captain’s screams.  Aren’t I supposed to be the one cowering in fear?
   
   The captain calmed slightly.  “Well the fight is....”  He squinted in the distance, then put the telescope to his eye, and with an analytical tone he said calmly.  “... There’s a few hundred barges pulling up to some unfortunate place.  Probably a dwarf fortress by the looks of it, not too many other races can afford silver linings in their bunkers.  Also, the gate is opened partially for some reason, and there are bodies everywhere by the bridge.  Poor bastards.”  He smiled, happy to have given a satisfactory report to the Baron, who was nodding.  That meant a possible pay raise.

   The baron nodded in response.  Wait a second.  “You said there are barges right?”  The captain nodded, slowly.  “You said there was bodies, right?”  The captain nodded, even slower.  “This is Goldenhold, right?”  The captain nodded, but his head went up and down less than an inch, and his skin was growing slowly more pale.  “And we are visiting this place to trade?”
0
The captain fainted.

   The baron grabbed the telescope and looked through it, gazing into the glass.  Why the hell is the Bronze Scourge here?  THE SCOURGE IS HERE?   He realized the blood was that of thousands of goblins.  He vomited.