40d:Stories/Archive 16

Kelilrom - The short lived dream^DF

At the year 134, Urist and his team of skilled dwarves arrived at Kelilrom, the wonderful twin peaked-mountain that the prospectors told contained so many riches that a new adjective would be needed to describe the vast amounts of minerals.

It was mid-winter when they had arrived, so it was extremely cold out, and there was no running water, however they had a decent supply of booze. The men said they'd be happy to drink booze alone for a while. Urist started drawing up a plan for the fortress he wished his men to dig out. He drew a main stair-well, a secure entrance and some decent temporary bedding and workshop areas. He told the mason to set up a short-term workplace just outside, and to make a single door. The surrounding areas were the most sinister he had seen. The skeletal elephants eyeing at him from across the pit of magma. He wanted to make a front door, to keep everyone safe.

The men were working well. The stair-well had been dug downwards as far as any dwarf could, and would dig, ere they strike hell itself. The front-door had been installed, and locked, making Urist safe at mind. Urist told the diggers to start digging upwards, so they could eventually get some bedrooms.

Urist was deadly thirsty, he didn't get to have a drink that morning because he was scared the skeletal elephants were just a bit too close. He unlocked the door, and saw the elephants were far away, so he locked the door up again and went to get a drink. Suddenly, a cries of fear and shock came from inside the fortress. He heard some of the men banding on the door. He tried to get his key out to unlock the door, but he was so fiddly he couldn't get the right one. The yelling stopped. He stood back, key finally in his hand. He went forward to open to door, dreading the worst.. whatever the worst would be. As soon as he turned the handle, water came pouring out. He struggle for breathe as he tried to escape the flow. He stood to the side, seeing 5 of his comrades' dead bodies. He was speechless. Suddenly, his 6th comrade came flowing out of the fortress. He stood up, taking his bearings, when he saw the dead bodies. He was stunned for a moment. The two men stood there, looking onto the men that had spent at least 10 months with. The comrade suddenly when insane, chucking a tantrum. He proceeded to beat in the head of Urist while calling out the name of his now dead lover, crying. He sat for a moment, hating Urist for planning the fort the way it is. He then decided to jump into the mamga pit. He ran over there with an aimless step. With a tear on his face, he went to the edge, ready to fall. Then he decided not to. First, he would make a burial for his lover. He began walking over the to wagon, when a skeletal elephant charged into him, breaking his lower spine.

As the elephant came to finish it's job, he said with an expressionless face: "Life is not fair.".

The real story^DF

I accidentally made an upward staircase into the bottom of an underground river. I didn't have enough time to rewall it, and I had forgotten that I had forbidden my main entrance. 5 of my dwarves drowned. My woodworker was inside at a higher level when he had a tantrum. He ran around, killed Urist, then ran outside through a different entrance. He then ran around outside, near the magma pipe, until he got too close to a skeletal elephant and got kaplowied in two shots.

---

Ducim Kizesttulon Etagzunek, Champion^DF

This is the story of Ducim Kizesttulon Etagzunek's rise to champion status and earning the respect of his fellow dwarfs.

Ducim entered Ostoslan (Foldedwound in human tongue) as a simple peasant. At that time, the outpost was in need of a small defence force to protect the hard working dwarves from the dangerous wildlife in the area. So, Ducim was drafted into the unexperienced force of recruits as a marksdwarf. However, before Ducim was able to train in the art of the crossbow, the fortress was attacked by a party of goblins. Because the dwarven force was still green, none of the recruits had any experience with their weapons. The dwarves still managed to hold out against these weak goblins, taking 4 casualties with Ducim killing 3 goblins. Seeing Ducim's success in smiting the goblins, many dwarves where turned into marksdwarves and trained for the next year.

Early next year the dwarves where visited by a human caravan with many great warriors which the dwarves looked up to, but while the fortress traded for extra food and animals, the Dragon Usmok Karaostri Palathmistrum arrived seeking to take the riches that the fortress held. Seeing the Dragon coming Ducim prepared the troops for battle but some where still recruits and many where scared by the sight of the approaching Dragon. The Dragon raced at the troops and started roaring fire at the scared recruits but the marksdwaves (seeing as that was what most of them where) all opened fire at the ferocious beast striking it all over but it was Ducim that scored the killing shot which struck the Dragon in the head. Ducim was promoted to legendary status after that shot and was loved throughout the fortress for it, evening winning the heart of one of the first settlers of the outpost.

After one season, the fortress was attacked by the next siege. This time 3 squads of goblins came. This outnumbered the force of dwarves ready to fight for the fortress. The battle that followed was a bloody fight. All of the recruits were killed by the merciless goblins and even all the trained dwarves could not survive the force of the goblins. The only survivor was Ducim. She emerged wounded, taking a shot to the head from a hammer and a bolt in the arm. She was quickly raced into her room and stayed there, unconscious, for 3 years while her wounds healed. Her husband spent every spare second looking after her and caring for their 1 year old son.

When she woke up, the fortress was a different place. The population was nearing 100 and the dwarves where all new and unfamiliar to her. With her husband by her side she was shown down to the new barracks, and was quickly informed of the 3 battles that had passed with all but one being succsesfully defended. The loss of life was huge, however, and Ducim new that this fortress needed proper defences. With her as the guide, the fortress was equipped with a moat and traps to prevent the vile goblins from getting into the fortress. But before the defences could be completed the fortress was attacked by the largest siege yet: 12 squads of goblins. Duncim rallied the troops and prepared for another battle with the goblins she hated so much. The goblins stopped at the edge of the half prepared defences and their leader Hammer Lord, Estrur Astruksodur stepped forward and called at the dwarves "Is this it? The fortress that has been defying my attacks has been a half developed hole in the ground?" The goblins behind him laughed wickedly at their leaders remarks. The dwarven recruits where scared stiff by this display of power, but Ducim was not shaken. She simply drew out her crossbow aimed at the ugly creature that stood before her and fired. The shot hit the ugly face of the goblin leader and his body crumpled forward, falling into the half dug channel that surrounded the fortress. The goblins around the Hammer Lord stared in silence at the dead body of their leader and quickly turned tail and fled. The Dwarves cheered for Ducim and she was instantly crowned a champion. The rest of the goblins, now unnerved by the death of their leader, charged at the dwarves but they where cut down by the now up-lifted dwarves.

Duncim still lives to this day and is the leader of the military at Ostoslan. She is admired by all the recruits. Since that battle the goblins have been sending out small squads, which are cut down by the defences that Ducim finished. Since the construction of the defenses, there have only been 10 casualties in battle. Duncim the Champion, the Lover (she has 7 kids) and defender of Ostoslan.

---

They Tried, Anyway^DF

The small outpost of Complexgate, founded by the Syrup of Murders, was founded far from the old mountainhomes of the Iron of Indignation, and its inhabitants expected to get plenty of harassment from the local goblins and kobolds with little support from the rest of the kingdom. What they didn't expect was to be beset every year by as many goblin warriors as there were dwarves in the fortress, envious of dwarven wealth and dwarven beards. Traps alone would not suffice to hold off the encroaching raider bands, and the Fortress Guard had to be kept in reserve as a last line of defense should the tunnels themselves be breached. The first batch of recruits came, of course, from dwarves who lacked any useful talents. With nothing else to lose, these soldiers accepted that they would be expected to lay down their lives for the fortress.

After months of drilling and training, the militia came to be good friends, with each other and with the Fortress Guard, and love blossomed amidst the camraderie in more than one instance. Two of these star-crossed lovers were Domas Oddomegast and Dodok Athelerib, a pair of noble, full-bearded souls who were admired and well-liked by the whole fortress. Alas, tragedy befell when the fisherdwarves were ambushed by a lone goblin maceman before Complexgate's southern entrance (the Syrup of Murders has more than lived up to that name; it's very easy to get lost in Complexgate). The first to arrive on the scene as Bomrek Risentashem breathed his last was Domas, gripping his steel hammer with determination no softer than the cold metal. The goblin scarcely threw its shield up before Domas crushed it to the ground, smashing its chest in through its thick iron mail.

Yet no sooner had Domas claimed victory, lifting his warhammer and shield in exultation while Dodok and his fellow soldiers looked on with smiles and cheers, when a iron-tipped arrow zipped down from atop the westward cliff and bounced off the rocks at Domas's feet. Cold horror gripping his heart and slowing his thoughts, the hammerdwarf could only look up the unsympathetic chalk rock face, to the dark figures standing atop, silhouetted by the setting sun. Finally urging his sluggish body to motion, he made a desperate dash for the fortress doors, but it was too late. Clever goblin eyes picked out the chinks in his formidable steel plate, and cunning goblin fingers sent cold metal piercing through those gaps; in a hail of goblin arrows, Domas cried out and fell, never to rise again, hammer and shield falling from his lifeless grasp as his lover and friends looked on helplessly, in horror.

Dodok was never quite the same after that. She threw herself into every sparring match; soon she surpassed poor Domas in mastery of arms, becoming one of the mightiest soldiers of Complexgate. Yet perhaps she worked too hard; it was not at the hands of goblins that she met her end, but her fellow dwarf and friend, the morose Hammer Lord Rith Rithodgub, who accidentally struck her down while they sparred. Rith had lost his own lady love, Ber Rithkodor, to the goblins before killing one of his remaining friends. Already inclined to sadness and melancholy, Rith lives on, though almost all of his comrades from the old days have perished in battle, and the thin-bearded striplings who have taken their place cannot understand why his voice quivers sometimes, and his hands shake pathetically when they are not clutching hammer and shield.

Urist the Engineer ^DF

Chapter 1 Palmsword

"A round of the finest rum for all! there she is! The infamous palmsword!" Exclaimed my more than eager companion. It had been months on the road, we left the mountainhomes almost instantly when the liason returned from the newest outpost. I remember it as clear as day.

"We are leaving this place", my wife said "We need to leave for palmsword, for our son."

"But, We can't! their leader is absolutely stir crazy! honey, they have settled inside the bottomless pit!"

"Don't you think I know that! I have been waiting to tell you this, but on one of my recent rounds with the troops, I spotted a goblin scout. He told me of a great siege that is to befall this mountainhome, We can't tell everyone, for they will flee as well. But this fort may be our last chance."

"....Okay." I said with a grim look on my face.

"Pack your things, I have arranged for a spot in a caravan who is to be leaving with the elves on their yearly trading route."

And here we are, with 5 other families who have also left, each with their own reasons. A small hut came into my view as we approached. We entered the dimunitive structure and saw many dogs, a few cats and one dwarf.

"Why hello! welcome to palmsword!" Exclaimed the dwarf whole heartedly "We have been expecting you, let me show you to your rooms, and we can get you all a job to do."

We entered a staircase in the middle of the hut. That is when the whole fort unfolded before me. The entrance broke off into two hallways.

"Down the right hallway we keep our food, and our irrigation systems are located there as well. Down the left hallway is the bottomless pit, you have all heard of our forts layout, I assume?"

The group following the young miner all nodded their heads with anticipation.

"Good! follow me then."

We delved deeper into this strange outpost. down one level was a giant expanse of activity, carpenters, masons, mechanics and animal trainers were all working hard.

"Oh don't mind them, you will soon enough be assimilated into the work force, let us first show you to your rooms so you can settle in."

This was exciting to many in the group, for in the golden era of the mountainhome, death rates had gone down extremely, this resulted in a huge demand for rooms. shared rooms and barracks life had been a regular thing.

"Here we are!"

That's when i saw it, a big black pit of nothingness with the outer edge carved out and two bridges connecting each side. All around the edges were doors, no doubt where we will be sleeping for our stay at this fort. the group stepped out onto the bridge and looked over the edge. I'm pretty sure one person threw up, but I was too busy watching a curious bat flying towards me. I extended my hand and like he had been trained he landed on it. I think i'm going to like it here.

Chapter 2

We entered the room to see a meager setting. Rough rock floors and walls paired with a single bed. However, the room felt cozy, and most of all, private. We stayed, and got used to our surroundings until finally we heard a knock upon our door.

"Hello.... Urist?" said the fort manager, looking up from his notes.

"yes, that's me."

"You are to be the forts mechanic"

thoughts swarmed through my head, only slightly experienced I had no idea what to do.

"Don't worry" the manager said, seeing the look on my face, "I run a tight ship around here, every time we need you we will send a work order. until then just help with the hauling jobs."

"And what of me?" said my wife, curiously

"Ah," the fort manager said as he looked down at his sheet once again "Judging by your military records, we will be placing you as the head of the guard."

"What an honor!" my wifes face brightened "so many questions! first, where is my office?"

"Well, its still under construction, but follow me. Urist, go to the construction layer and await instruction."

I stood up, dumbfounded from the surprise of our job assignments. This move has worked out so well it is almost eerie. Before I could gather my thoughts, another knock came at my door.

"Message for a.... urist?" said the message boy

"That would be me," I said as I took the letter

It was my first job order, so soon! "Build 30 mechanisms" I guess they have big plans for this fort.

Chapter 3

Life at the fort has been going smoothly, Finding my way around is fairly simple, the food is good and the work is fulfilling. Work orders have taken a strange shift lately, however. My wife has issued fourth a new mandate for 30 grates, and 60 mechanisms. The fort has been working tirelessly to fill out these orders which she has put a deadline on for the spring. inspired by my surroundings, and this fight against nature that is the bottomless pit fort, I have started a masterpiece. a mechanism so perfect that it rivals even master mechanics. I have started drawing up plans for this creation and plan on building it soon.

my wife, who is the only person who i have told, seems excited as well. The military is progressing in the fort as the goblin threat is looming. my son, now of age, has been recruited in the army to train as a wrestler, and eventually join the boys on the field as a hammerdwarf. I am so proud, and so is my wife. He works hard every day and is a credit to our name.

However, Morale has been suffering, recent attacks have ravished the fort and many have died. my wife says she has the explanation for this but the peoples hope lessen.

I can never give up on my wife, but I can not help but have some terrible thoughts.

Chapter 4

its early spring, my masterpiece and the rest of the mechanisms are all finished, and my wife has begun to preach again about her solution for the military. My son has recieved his first iron warhammer and is now an active guard of the people. Channels have been dug all around the entrance to our fort. and grates have been put around them. A force of novice engineers have hooked up the mechanisms to my master mechanism, which is now a pressure plate that detects the presence of animals. I still don't see the major goal here, and my wife seems odd lately.

Then, upon the creation of the great project, a great siege. Bells have rung for the dwarves to come inside. and the newest troop run out to meet the threat. but as soon as they step out of the fort, the pressure plate sets off, the grates retract, and they all fall. They fell right before my eyes. down into the bottomless pit. I saw my sons last look of disbelief before i saw him crack his skull on the edge of the cave wall.

"What is the meaning of this!" I exclaimed enraged. "Where is my wife!"

I stormed into her office and took her by the collar

"There was no threat! That.... That thing was just a trap to stop indruders isn't it?? and you tested it on your son. our son damnit! you killed all 5 of those boys. why? why?"

She just laughed. "Don't you see? all our problems are gone! the goblin threat is no more!"

"Goblin threat? There is no damn goblin threat! just troupes of raiders looking for a meal! what you have done, it isn't dwarven. no. this isn't right."

She looked at me with a stone cold face "get out of my office" she said, and continued her giggling and ranting about goblins. disgusted, I fled the office.

Chapter 5

The decay of the fort's morale has increased. Parents of those recruits have started to lose their mind, all those hours of working, the days of turmoil. to make a death trap. In fact, many dwarves have broken down, putting themselves down the pit and taking others with them. my wife still sits at the head of this fort, if you can even call it that anymore. we see animals, traders, and goblins alike fall down the pit just like the recruits before them.

slowly we run out of food. for nobody is working. I lay awake at night, starving and heartbroken, listening to the cackling of my wife. the bonechilling sound is sent across the entirety of the fort. what is more awful than that is some still follow her words. they lock themselves in their rooms, alone, fearful of the goblin threat. Many have died of starvation or worse. The graveyard is now just a pile of bodies, talk around the fort is that they plan to dump them down the pit.

"WAAAAAAGH" a terrible cry came from the center of the fort.

A bloodthirsty enraged dwarf plowed through the fort. The champion of the main squad swung his hammer with a deadly force towards one of his comrade's heads. Crushing it with a single blow.

"Wh.... What? No! No no no! not you too!" Exclaimed the elite hammerdwarf, his now insane murderdriven leader towering over him, "please, stop this! we can change the fort! we can cha.."

The cold killer swung his mighty hammer down with a force so extreme it would break adamentine. He proceeded to dump the bodies down the pit.

"Murder never changes" He began to repeat, as he continued his slaughter. "Murder never changes"

that was it, the most powerful dwarf had gone completely over the edge and there was nobody able to stop him, except the monster that was my wife. I saw this as my chance, my chance to eliminate the evil that corrupted this fort. I slipped away as the hammerdwarf killed all those who haven't killed themselves. I knocked on my wifes door and hid behind a statue. She peered her head out with caution.

"Hello?.... Was there an attack?" she whispered at first, her voices volume increasing steadily "Was there an attack? Was there an attack?!?! Bahahaha!"

With that I smashed the rock above her head, knocking her unconcious.

Dragging my wife i reached the edge of the pit. with great effort I lifted her on my shoulder. I looked one more time upon her face, wondering what it was that turned her this way. why, I asked myself, why has this happened? what has become of the mountainhomes of where we once dwelled? But most of all, I wonder if this was her plan all along. I try not to think of that as I shove her down the pit. I listen as she bounces off the walls with a loud cracking sound. Just as she escaped my site the fort filled with her malicious laugh one last time. I cringe as I hear this noise, paired with the murder happening just two levels up.

"Goodbye Palmsword, may your walls be covered in blood. Goodbye son, may you find your path in the next world. Goodbye..." I said as I stepped over the edge. Blackness never moved so quickly. At first exhilirating the walls of the cave blended into a singular color and it felt as though i was still. This was the most relaxing feeling in the world. Acceptance, simpleness, bliss. However, that would come to a swift end as a edge came into site. Almost as soon as I could see it I had crashed into the edge. Blood surrounding me and half dead I tried not to move. Death so close, but yet, so far. The pain was unbearable, the grief of losing everything was even worse.

"What is this" A local cave swallowman said as he approached me "one of those little dwarfeys from above! yes, yes, yum! yumm!"

He said this as he approached me with a dull blade in his hand. Out of the darkness came one, then two or three more. They surrounded me and thrust the blade into me. Once, twice, three times. I started to cough blood they stopped laughing and looked at me in disgust. I had been littering their homes for months, years even. He picked up his foot and smashed it down into my face.

And so is the story of Urist, who engineered the destruction of palmsword and himself unknowingly.

---

Adil Abansulus, "Adil Constructcraters", Rampant Shieldmaiden ^DF

Adil had always wanted to fight creatures of great size and strength. But having grown up in a time where many a beast were known only in stories proved to be very trying indeed. Eventually, when she was old enough to venture on her own, she asked the Warlord of her village for a quest. He instructed her to go to their sister city, to the south. And so she went.

Slaying many a hoary marmot and goat on her way, she finally reached the city she sought. The leader there told her that a Hydra had beset his people, and asked her to slay it for them.

Adil had found her calling.

Now her axe knew no bounds, and countless animals were left slaughtered in her wake, all innocent, but easy practice nonetheless. When she came across the hilltop where the Hydra, "Slet Toptook the Mucks of Spurting", lay in wait, she searched high and low for an entrance. Upon finding it, she eagerly delved into the deep.

Down, down into the earth she trudged, with naught but her armor, axe and shield as her companions. She had known no others, and had not thought to seek help. This was her calling, her baptism of blood, her right of passage.

Suddenly, Slet bellowed out before her at the bottom of a ramp. "I have killed many a dwarf before you, and shall kill many after!" This, of course, was a challenge already accepted.

The battle began at once, and mere moments in, Adil lost her right hand, and with it, her only weapon. Knocked to the ground, she fought off the Hydra with only her shield. Now she was angry. Now, her fury knew no bounds. For nearly an hour, she bludgeoned the nine-headed Beast of Old with her shield, bruising and crushing with all her might, her face the epitome of rage and frustration. Slet Toptook vomited copiously and passed in and out of consciousness, only being awakened by the feeling of a flat object colliding with it's lungs.

Eventually, the Hydra fell, exhausted and worn, and Adil laid the final strikes. The creature had been unable to breath for some time, and had suffocated during the last throes of the battle. The dwarf stood for the first time since she had met the Hydra, pale and tired, but Victorious.

Upon retrieving her axe and dismembered hand, her memory was fuzzy. Where had she entered? The battle seemed like days in her mind, and she could barely remember being elsewhere. Stumbling blindly around the cave, her body still weak from having bled so much, she beat down a Troglodyte as she struggled to find an exit. Turning a corner, she was beset by a fearsome-looking Draltha, which hooked it's teeth into her midsection. Another Troglodyte came from behind and began thrashing her back, as the creature in front of her slowly tore her body asunder.

Adil Abansulus was now no more than a Legend herself. But she had slain the Hydra, Slet Toptook, and marked it's death as her highest achievement as she passed on.

The Real Story ^DF

First time playing Dwarf Fortress: Adventurer, and still pretty new to the game. Decided to play a chick, and just random named it. Went out and killed some wildlife to test out the mechanics, and thought it well. Warlord was all, "Oh, hey. There's some Hydra out there, being a dick. Go kill him." And with gleeful joy I set out to kill the thing.

Get there, get hand chopped off, and proceed to almost vomit ((from continual laughter)) as my character proceeds to beat this Beast into submission, with piles of puke and blood Everywhere. I kept seeing the message "The Draltha has been caught up in a web!", so I decided, "Hey! I killed a Hydra without taking any damage, aside from losing a hand, SO LET'S DO THIS."

Find Draltha, have torso torn from body, laugh even Harder. Close to puking.

Smells like Dwarf Fortress.

The Abbey of Apples, and the alligator catastrophe ^DF

Urist had been planing this journey for months. He had planed out the perfect location, supplies, and even the perfect 6 comrades to bring with him. These comrades were Urist C, Urist F, Urist S, Urist M, Urist W, and Joker Persona 5. Urist even trained a dog before they left. With preparation complete, Urist and his party of 5 identical clones and Joker Persona 5 set off.

They arrive at the site to find it serene, unlike many other sites that fortresses are built on. There are flowers blooming everywhere, and they could see patches of sand in the distance. They started by dismantling the wagon and moving everything into stockpiles, while Joker Persona 5 went to the river to fish. As Urist was laying out his plans for the fortress, Urist F and Urist S went to check on Joker Persona 5, only to find him gone, and the river red. They were then pulled into the water by an alligator. In their final moments, they saw the mangled corpse of Joker Persona 5, and knew that's what they would become. In an act of heroism, the war dog Urist had trained jumped into the water, but they alligator cared little, he set his eyes on the 4 remaining dwarves, and went after Urist first. Urist, filled with rage at the alligator dismantling months of preparation, attacked the alligator with all he had. They alligator was quickly overwhelmed, a retreated to a nearby desert. But one of his allies wanted revenge. Another alligator ambushed Urist, but he was far more experienced after the first fight. They alligator became exhausted, but Urist let him live. This proved to be his downfall however, as they alligator ambushed him again as he was rescuing the war dog. Urist was unable to land a hit, but his opponent was to weak to do significant damage. Urist smiled at his opponent as he drowned.