User:FJH/fjh frtrss/str nishsigunkokeb/150limestone

Limestone in the Age of Heroes, 150

2 Limestone
There was an incredibly ugly encounter. A Giant Leopard crossed my path but it wasn't a Giant Leopard. It's eyes were sunken and its fur and flesh faded; it didn't move very well and smelled terrible. Additionally, it didn't bleed. I lobbed its front paw off but the thing didn't react to it in pain or surprise; the creature rebalanced itself on one front paw and tried to remain hostile in that condition. I bisected the Giant Leopard thing through the hip.

Burning it seemed like the only right thing to do.

3 Limestone
HELL WITH SELFCONTROL GIANT LIONS MUST GET DIZZY MUST GET DIZZY MUST LEARN TO WRITE WHILE RUNNING

4 Limestone
I came across a Dyansauri town today, though I am assured it's part of a larger Dyansauri community. Typically, the Dyansauri go through periods of being hostile with Dwarves and being trade-friendly with Dwarves; I think it might be because they get mistaken for Lizardman beasts too often and get bowled over before they can explain themselves. Or maybe it's because they are Lizardmen, except they can talk and do metalworking. All the same, they greeted me well enough. I suppose any Dwarf who can survive long enough to find them is acknowledged.

As per their warrior traditions, there are relatively few Dyansauri in Deidairaetieneenea without combat professions. This would probably be the most suitable place to form a band of ally fighters and give myself a chance at fighting the dragon when I found it. I just hoped they didn't give me a "you must defeat me in combat before I will follow you" routine. I think I read about those kinds of antics in a story once; I don't see how being able to beat someone I wanted to be allied with would look good for them in my eyes; it didn't make as much sense as it probably should have.

In any case the town leader a Spearmaster named Cainieye Uniiieaeta was insistent that I not recruit from her town's militia. Apparently, they were constantly harassed by the lions of the plains I just crossed (no kidding) and couldn't spare anyone to keep the community protected. She did assure me that any well-treated Dyansauri would be most eager in a fight against a dragon, suggesting that I travel west to their capital Insightlightnings for help.

12 Limestone
Roads do make travel easier. There are quite a few Dyansauri towns between Crushedlance and here.

When in Lyevaziyci, I first asked Ikiecaymae the Elite Crossbowman-sauri ruling the place for permission to find recruits and was permitted. I found two eager companions and one hesitant companion while in town:

While still in the mead hall, I found an Axeman-sauri downstairs having a drink. Eoreith Aaveæmeulieaysaekei turned out to be tougher to convince than I suspected she would. Though the prospect of a dragon did interest her, she remained stubborn against the idea unless I could find someone else. She would only go to protect another of her own. At least she had been clear about her meaning; I was worried I was going to have to complete some kind of clan initiation or fashion a Dyansauri costume.
I decided to head for the town keep and found someone outside the fortress. A female Swordsman-sauri was sitting against the wall when I pitched my offer to her. For a moment I was being studied by the beast person and regretted that I was doing this still with bloodstains covering me from head to toe. In the end, she accepted because of those stains. As she levelly told me, "Anyone who can acquire so much blood that is not his own is interesting enough to accompany." I hoped that doesn't mean she'd have also accompanied me had I been an Elf caked with mud, but didn't express that thought. Ueme Yurueaashiamieze.
While we talking, a Hammerman-sauri really need to come up with a better way of saying that ran up to us and asserted that she wanted to come "hunt a dragon" too. Aquaætaoti Oriideidairae was an eager find but I was unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing; Ueme was immediately against the concept, however, and they got into a fight, most of it expressed in their own tongue. Or maybe they were just hissing at each other in intimidation, I couldn't tell. I have no clue about Dyansauri ages but she was only as tall as me while others were half a head taller.
I dragged the two of them, still hissing to each other back and forth, to the mead hall and Eoreith. As soon as the other two saw her, they snapped their jaws (snouts) tight. Oerieth, for her part, only spoke in hisses towards Aquaætaoti, to which were much more strained hisses in reply. Finally she asked me if these two were going to accompany me. I was starting to have doubts about taking Aquaætaoti and said so. Somehow that remark turned into an acceptance. I didn't know what was going on anymore, save that I had was part of a group of four now.

13 Limestone
We are traveling off the main road back to Crushedlance, both of these at the suggestion of Oereith. She seemed highly skeptical of my map with the blueberry ocean and the bake sale on the back, given extra assisted direction by a BugBear Demon. Despite that, she suggested that if I was instructed to go north east north the shore of Amareromi then I probably should keep doing that. I probably would if people built their capitals in the same direction; everyone keeps telling me to go backwards to get where they suggest.

We've been encountering Jaguars, but I've thought to stand back and let the others kill it for the experience. Oereith seems to think the same and seems to be trying to stand only close enough that she could jump in if Ueme or Aquaætaoti should have any problems. More probably, the one who would have the problem is Aquaætaoti. Oereith confirmed my suspicions that Aquaætaoti was a recent recruit and only just became a Hammerman (note that they don't use a suffix; remember that). Even Ueme is more experienced. Oereith herself was a senior Axeman and was planning on retiring soon.
   Me: Have you ever killed a dragon before?
   Oereith: Everyone wants to have said they have. I won't.
   Me: That's why you wanted me to find other people who wanted to kill a dragon.
   Oereith: You don't set out to slay an animal in retribution. It's a pointless gesture.
The Jaguar the two were fighting was dead by that point.

22 Limestone
We arrived back at Crushedlance and Aquaætaoti wandered off to visit someone she knew despite Ueme trying to herd her back to stay with the group (strange behavior). Oereith and I met with Cainiege again, and Oereith convinced her to make the maps stored in their keep available to look over. When I asked about the maps and why I couldn't do this the first time, Cainiege said that map-making was not a skill of the Dyansauri so these maps they had were rare. For security sake, they were seldom brought out. With some work, we determined that my map was intended to depict the region far east the town and the point marked "dragon den" was around the foothills of haunted mountains. "What haunts them?" "The undead."

I didn't want to know what undead means. It doesn't sound like a word that should exist.

We encountered the others when back at the mead hall and Oereith told them about the destination. I think she did, anyway, as she spoke in hisses. Cainiege spoke to me in the common tongue, however, and gave me three pieces of advice. The first was to not trust the Demon; I don't even remember mentioning Drurumuth to her. The second was to stop carrying around flies in my backpack. Finally, she told me to--visit the capital. What's with people and their insistence on visiting the capitals?

27262524 Limestone
Ueme thinks we're lost. Oeireth agrees. At least I'm keeping track of the date this time!