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Difference between revisions of "ASCII art reward/G-L"

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(→‎Lord Herman: Added my latest art reward)
(→‎(4 November 2007): Added follow-up story from 2015)
 
(59 intermediate revisions by 20 users not shown)
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[[Category:Humor and stories]]
 
[[Category:Humor and stories]]
 +
{{unversioned}}
  
−
==[[User:Hellzon|Hellzon]]==
+
==[[User:Geoffrey|Geoffrey]]==
−
===(17 December 2007)===
+
===(14 July 2014)===
−
<pre>,.@@~~o~~~</pre>
+
<pre>@+U+++,,..,,.?S?</pre>
 +
"You must save us, Gunnar!" cried the dwarf Aliz.  "We of the fortress
 +
lack the military discipline that you have."
 +
 
 +
"The Plump Helmet festival is in three days time," said Gunnar.  "If I
 +
slay the giant cave spider, I would have my pick of the dwarven
 +
maidens to be my bride."
 +
 
 +
"Of course, Sir Wuulfhelm," said the dwarf after a moment's pause.
 +
"You will have whatever you want!"
  
−
A rock plopped into the cave river from the platform above.  There
+
The threat to the dwarf fortress was that great.  The spider must have
−
Durgal and the dwarf girl sat, above the murky waters.  Durgal
+
eaten half a dozen dwarven miners once it emerged from the underground
−
explained, in great detail, his plans for the future.  When the riches
+
layers.  It was a sign of desperation that the dwarves had turned to a
−
of the mountain were plundered, he would diagram the plans for a
+
human.  But all of the dwarf heroes had already been eaten! Gunnar
−
second fortress himself.  How the dwarves would love him!
+
Wuulfhelm was their only hope.
  
−
"But in your haste for riches," asked the girl, "would you have time
+
Sir Wuulfhelm had come from the great magician's city of Etwersbrot,
−
for the ones you love?"
+
but he knew little of the Art.  What he did know was how to slaughter
 +
giant monsters, a talent for which he was known far and wide.  Aliz
 +
knew that none of the dwarf girls would be thrilled to marry a human,
 +
but maybe they would make an exception for the bravest warrior the
 +
world had to offer.
  
−
Durgal's face became red as a cave turnip.  He looked quickly away
 
−
from her and stared into the dark water.  There, eyes gazed up to meet
 
−
him.  Durgal reached for his axe, telling the girl to warn the others.
 
−
A pale, slimy hand reached out of the depths and pulled the creature
 
−
upward.  It was an olmman!
 
  
−
===(3 September 2008)===
+
==[[User:Goblin Cookie|Goblin Cookie]]==
−
<pre>ff,@,.@,o~~~~~</pre>
+
===(21st September 2014)===
 +
<pre>NN|+++MD+++|</pre>
  
−
"Back!" cried Durgal, "back to the hall!" The dwarf girl turned and
+
Fire blasted from the great reptile's nostrils. The minotaur wasted
−
screamed.  Two blind cave fish men blocked the way out. Durgal turned
+
no time and lifted the tree trunk it used as a club and charged the
−
and swung his axe at the olmman, now completely out of the water.  It
+
dragon.  It smashed the dragon's chest before it could breathe fire.
−
deftly dodged his panicked swings.  The dwarf girl screamed as the
+
The dragon latched onto the minotaur's arm with its teeth and the two
−
cave fish men crawled toward her, arms outstretched, feeling their way
+
fell to the ground and rolled across the floor of the arena.
−
along the floor.
 
  
−
"By the power of the Lordaxe!" screamed Durgal, holding his axe aloft.
+
“All your pets are terrible, my lord,” said Destra. “It is because
−
The dungeon rumbled.  The sound of water crashed through the tunnel.
+
you teach them to fight from the moment they are born.  They know
−
The fighters were swept away.  The olmman grabbed Durgal's axe arm as
+
nothing of love.”
−
they were washed through the watery tunnel.  The dwarf pulled a dagger
+
 
−
from his belt and jammed it into the monster's guts.
+
“How does one love a minotaur or a dragon?” asked dread wizard Suffar.
  
−
"Gula!" cried Durgal, bursting above the surface of the water.  He
+
“I would find a way,” said Destra, “or you will surely pay for
−
pulled the axe free of the olmman's grasp and brought the pommel down
+
populating the world with monsters.”
−
on its head, knocking it senseless.  "Gula!" he cried again.  With
 
−
sudden terror, Durgal recalled where this tunnel led -- the chasm.
 
−
Only a few seconds until the ultimate terrible plunge.
 
  
−
"Durgal!" cried the dwarf girl, Gula.  With all his strength, he
+
The minotaur snapped the dragon's neck with a twist of its muscular
−
stretched to reach her in the crashing water.
+
arm.  Suffar would reward it with a feast and then send it back to the
 +
labyrinth before nightfall.  The wizard had invited the witch, Destra,
 +
to the contest thinking she would be impressed enough to share the
 +
secret of her magic with him.
  
−
==[[User:Janus|Janus]]==
+
“I would like to visit the labyrinth,” said Destra.
−
===(12 October 2006)===
 
  
−
<pre>BgB
+
“You have an eye for the magical,” said Suffar.  “The labyrinth was
−
B@g
+
once the dungeon of a great dwarf fortress. I have yet to explore all
−
gBB</pre>
+
of its mysteries.”
−
Beak dogs and goblins surround the adventurer! What will happen next?!
 
  
−
===(13 February 2007)===
+
===(3rd February 2016)===
−
<pre>gg...
+
<pre>kN|####  +++N++M+</pre>
−
.B.B=
 
−
..BB.
 
−
.%B@/
 
−
.-...</pre>
 
−
One of the five beak dogs pounced.  Rogar leapt, planting a foot on the beast's head and propelling himself toward the tattoed goblin.  Just as they collided, Rogar planted his dagger through the goblin's left eye.  They hit the ground hard, and Rogar rolled forward to his feet, spinning to face the remaining eight opponents.  The beak dog he had jumped on was still shaking its head, wincing.  Behind them stood a wiry goblin with a wild mane of maroon hair, brandishing a scimitar, and a lardy goblin holding an iron-studded club.
 
  
−
The beak dogs charged Rogar in unison.  His dagger was stuck back in the twitching goblin's face, but weaponless he stood his ground before them.  The first dog to reach him received Rogar's knee under its chin, the long cruel spike at the top of the warrior's half-greave piercing the creature's throat.  Two more beak dogs reached him as he twisted his leg in the air, trying to free it from his bleeding adversary.  The beasts slammed into him, one getting a hold of his right arm above the elbow, the other gnashing at his face.  Before it could tear his nose off, Rogar grabbed it by the neck with his left hand and held it back.  The other dog sank its beak deeper into the flesh of Rogar's arm.  Could this be the end?!
+
The ruins of the dwarf fortress stood on a hill at the center of the Forbidden Forest.  Great columns of stone stood alone, holding up nothing but the uncaring sky.  The gate was smashed open, inviting the adventurous to their deaths.  Destra looked down into the depths with excitement.  She loved Suffar's monsters.  Perhaps more than even he did.  The minotaur could be heard breathing inside his blackened maze.  Suffar invited the witch inside then collapsed the tunnel behind her!
  
−
===(5 May 2007)===
+
“You will pay for this, Suffar!” cried Destra.
−
<pre>|+@g+++</pre>
 
  
−
Rogar awoke in pain, his wrists in chains, his wounded arm throbbing.  He opened his eyes only to be greeted by an all-encompassing darkness.  This must be Shalthidon's dungeon, which meant that he was locked inside the Tower of Hate from which no man had ever returned.
+
All she heard outside was laughter.  The great stone blocks were too heavy for her to move, even with magic.  The minotaur had awakened and was hunting her now.  Destra had to think quickly or she would become the meal of a carnivorous human cow.  She ran through the labyrinth, trying to picture the twists and turns in her mind.  It was no use.  Soon she was face to face with the minotaur.
  
−
A dim light flickered some distance away, and he could see the silhouetted bars of his prison.  Beyond them, shadows danced, and he heard a grating sound.  The bars slid aside, and the lardy goblin waddled into the chamber holding a torch.
+
Far away, Suffar had just arrived at his tower on the back of a giant nuthatch.  He slid off of the bird's saddle and leaped through the window and into his secret laboratory.  It was a shame that he had to feed Destra to the minotaur, but she was not cooperating.  Not fast enough for his designs anyway.
  
−
The foul creature stood below Rogar where he hung, an idiot grin perking up the otherwise sagging jowls of its bloated face.
+
“Bacabadabis!” shouted Suffar.
  
−
"The master says you are to be entertained," it croaked as it continued to smile.
+
Out from a crevice in the wall came the wizard's pet kobold.  It carried the latest scroll the kobolds had pilfered from the dwarves' trade caravan.  Soon all the pieces would come together.  He was trying to learn the ancient language of Axolar, the foundation of all magic in this dimension.  The key was the dwarves.  They had all the clues, but were unwilling, or too stupid, to put them to use.
  
−
"I do not desire such pleasures as Shalthidon has to offer," Rogar answered.  "Be off with you.  The larder has grown lonely."
+
Soon Suffar would be the last wizard left in the world.  Once he had the power, the dwarves would bend to his will and create for him the ultimate artifact.  He wanted to create life, not another monster, but a companion worthy enough to be his partner.  Only then would he be at peace.
  
−
"The master says you are to feel the fire," the thing chortled. The goblin lifted the torch and took a step toward Rogar.
+
===(27th March 2018)===
 +
<pre>kN|kN|#### +++N++M+</pre>
  
−
It was enough.  Rogar lashed out with his legs, hooking them around the goblin's neck.  In a feat of strength that would become legend, Rogar strained against the chains on his arms, lifting the massive goblin and all its corpulence from the floor.  There was a sickening crack, and the fixtures in the ceiling gave way.  Rogar fell into the goblin's lardy folds, pushing away desperately until he regained his feet, ready to fight, but the goblin was already dead with a broken neck.
+
“Yes,” said Destra, “I promise you revenge.”
  
−
Fortunately, the torch had not been smothered.  The warrior picked it up and held it high.  There was nothing else in the cell.  Aside from the chains, the torch was his only possession.  Now it's the master who'll be entertained, Rogar thought, as he strode out into the passageway.
+
“I will eat him,” said the minotaur.  “Then I will eat you.”
  
−
===(7 August 2007)===
+
“It's a deal!” said Destra.
−
<pre>@+++"E"</pre>
 
  
−
Rogar strode toward the great iron doors, leaving a trail of blood that was not his own.  In his hand he held a scimitar and from each of his wrists the chains still hung.  All of the servants of Shalthidon that lurked within the Tower of Hate were now dead, save whatever was in this room at the pinnacle of the tower.  The sword he had seized from the maroon-maned goblin, who had led the goblins in the tower barracks.
+
The monster guided the witch out of the cave.  With all its strength, the minotaur pushed the boulders aside and he and the witch stepped out into the night air.  The witch cast a spell and traced the wizard's path through the ether.  They followed the magical trail north.
  
−
The warrior pushed hard on the iron doors and they opened inward with a groan.  There, surrounded by brightly colored flowers, was an elf.  The sun shone down on the tower top through windows in the elegant curved ceiling.  The entire room sparkled.
+
Over stream and under the trees the pair closed in on the wizard's tower.  Meanwhile Suffar order his kobold to hunt for dwarven treasure once more.  He was on the brink of a breakthrough.  All he needed was one more artifact, one more vision into the true nature of magic.
  
−
"Are you a prisoner here? Where is Shalthidon?" Rogar asked urgently.
+
It had been several days, and the kobold had yet to return.  Suffar was becoming concerned.  Then there was a knock at the door.  The wizard made his way down the long spiral staircase. “I'm coming.  I'm coming!  Settle down!” grumbled the wizard as he reached to door at last.  Opening it, he saw a tall, cloaked figure.
  
−
The elf chuckled pleasantly.  "Child, Rogar, I am Shalthidon.  My parents named me Lilarilqua, but my attempts to hold the goblins under my sway with that name met with disaster.  Are you cold?  Let me fetch you something warm."  Shalthidon fished around under a dresser and pulled out a plush cloak with lacy frills.  "The material was all offered freely from the feather trees, Rogar.  You don't have to worry about the animals."
+
“I have come for you,” said the stranger.
  
−
Rogar was still stunned.  Shalthidon, the Bringer of Ruin, murderer of his parents, lord of the evil of the creeping wastes that had engulfed half the world, was an elf.  Dispelling the cloud over his mind, the warrior focused.  That will only make killing him all the more satisfying, he thought.  Rogar lifted his blade and advanced.
+
===(3rd January 2020)===
 +
<pre>kN|++N+M+U+N+k</pre>
  
−
==[[User:John Tait|John Tait]]==
+
“Oh Lady of Darkness,” whimpered Suffar.  “I meant to summon you earlier, but it was my kobold's birthday and I...”
−
===(4 November 2007)===
 
  
−
<pre>+@++\M+</pre>
+
“Enough excuses!” said the demon mistress.  “I knew you were collecting magic powers to bind me, but you are too late.  I have arrived.”
  
−
The young adventurer stepped up to the statue, torch in hand.  After a quick inspection he grasped the stone minotaur's horn.  He gave it a sharp yank and just as Albert foretold, the rock hand opened dropping the Sword of Fire into the adventurer's waiting hands.  The stones in the ceiling above began to rumble, as if the temple itself was being rocked from its foundations.  Throwing his cloak over his head, the young man made his way to the entrance, dodging the falling stones.
+
“But how?” asked Suffar.
  
−
==[[User:Jevon|Jevon]]==
+
The kobold appeared from behind the demon's robes.  That rascal had intoned the rites of summoning without him.  Now all was lost. 
−
===(13 June 2011)===
 
  
−
<pre>,.gg,.\@,.ggg</pre>
+
The wizard groveled before Mistress of All Evil. Maybe there was still a way out of this nightmare, something in the contract he had signed to make the legal mumbo-jumbo null and void.
  
−
Waves of arrows rained down on Aliz's machine.  It was not a machine, in truth, but a suit of armor, powered by its user to great strength. Aliz himself wore the machine now, wading into the goblin ambush to check the kinks in the system.  Once he returned the king would reward him handsomely and he could continue his research well-funded.
+
He had to think.  Then to answer came to him.
  
−
The goblins came out from behind the rocks to inspect the curiosity. The thing was the shape of a dwarf, but made of metal.  It held an axe but was far from threatening because it moved so slowly.  The lead goblin snatched the axe out of the dwarf's hand.  As the other goblins laughed, the chief kicked the contraption on its side.  Aliz wondered how he might escape alive.
+
It was the nature of demons to play the long game.  Their machinations took decades to resolve.  Suffar didn't have that kind of time.   
  
−
==[[User:Jibz|Jibz]]==
+
He knew that sooner than latter the demon would find him of no use and send him spiraling down into the Netherworld. His only chance was to find Destra, if she still lived.
−
===(25 December 2011)===
+
 
−
<pre>###N,.,.o@,.@</pre>
+
So when the demon locked the door to the library behind her, Suffar slipped out of castle.
  
−
Far below the pond grabbers in the underground seas in the depths long
+
The ruined dwarf fortress was only around the next bend in the road.  Suffar began going over the language that he would use to convince Destra that feeding her to the minotaur was just a big mistake.   
−
forgotten, a beast awoke.  Scratching, itching, biting.  It was the
 
−
little ones again.  The beast put a claw over its aching head.  Didn't
 
−
they remember the last time they pulled this?  The beast was still
 
−
trying to get the taste out of its mouth.  With a turn of its tail,
 
−
the monster rose from the murky water.
 
  
−
"Are you going to the mead hall after work?" asked Aliz.
+
When he arrived at the entrance to the labyrinth he found the the stone had been rolled away.  Now he was in serious trouble.  Someone behind him cleared their throat.
  
−
"Nah," said Mokez, chipping off another piece of microcline, "I don't
+
“You have a lot of nerve coming back here.”
−
think those guys understand me anymore."
 
  
−
Suddenly, a crack formed in the end of the tunnel.  Mokez started.  It
+
It was Destra alright, and with her was the hulking minotaur looking hungry as ever.  His jaw jabbering, Suffar tried to quickly describe the trouble he was in. Nay, the trouble they were all in.
−
was unlike him to miss cues like this.  Call it ‘female trouble,' he
 
−
thought.  Aliz scuttled up to see.  A hole was forming before them.
 
−
Quickly the dwarves rushed back up the mineshaft.
 
  
−
"You saw it," said Aliz.
+
“Your kobold summoned the Princess of Darkness?” asked Destra.
  
−
"Re-wall," replied Mokez.  "Dwarves have been here before."
+
The pair of magic users and the reluctant minotaur returned to the castle.  The cow man was none to happy to arrive back at the place where he had been created.
  
−
"But it must have been an age ago," started Aliz. "You saw the rock…"
+
The minotaur wiped the tears from his eyes and promised himself he was have his revenge.
  
−
Crash!  A huge claw shot up through the shaft and landed in between
+
“Bacabadabis,” said the demon, as she stirred the thick goo inside the magic cauldron, “I think this is the start of a magical friendship.”
−
the miners.  Aliz ran to call the guard, while Mokez stayed behind
 
−
throwing rocks.  The monster was a giant black newt with external ribs
 
−
and massive claws.  Mokez stared into the creature's third eye and
 
−
dropped his stone.  There was a connection.
 
  
−
==[[User:JoystickHero|Joystick Hero]]==
+
Yapping with alarm, the kobold pointed over the demon's shoulder. Before she could react, the monster lifted her up by the neck and tossed her into the black metal bowl.
−
===(14 September 2010)===
 
−
<pre>%W%%W%    ,.,."","@@@@".,@</pre>
 
  
−
Fires burned on the high mountain.  The wind carried the cries of the
+
Suffar was relieved that he was now free, until he looked up to see the cow monster standing over him.
−
dwarves as all they ever cared about was destroyed.  But one dwarf had
 
−
not given in to despair.  It was Malvedar, slayer of dragons and
 
−
veteran of a thousand famous battles.  He watched the dwarf fortress
 
−
burn from his hiding place in the wooded slope.  There would come a
 
−
time when the enemy was not so lucky, when his schemes failed.  That
 
−
would be when they remember what they did to the dwarves this day and
 
−
would expect no mercy.
 
  
−
"Lord Malvedar," said a dwarf soldier, "I think the werewolves have
+
“Your bones will make a good stew,” said the minotaur as he mixed the substance that was Suffar and the demon with a giant ladle.
−
caught our scent."
 
  
−
The dwarf warlord nodded.  Together, the ragged band of dwarven
+
Watching with horror, the kobold bolted toward the door.  Destra pointed her finger and a bolt of lightning struck the tiny monster.  After the dust cleared there was nothing left behind but a long, pink-tailed rat.
−
survivors made their way down the slope.  The road back to the
 
−
mountain homes was long and full of danger, but there was nowhere else
 
−
left to go.  While others cried, Malvedar resisted the urge to throw
 
−
himself on the enemy.  He would kill many, but not enough before he
 
−
was brought low.  No.  It would be a hard time, and a long time, but
 
−
he would have his satisfaction.
 
  
−
==[[User:Kosmos|Kosmos]]==
+
“Are you going to eat that?” asked the minotaur.
−
===(11 September 2007)===
 
−
<pre>T+TT@C +</pre>
 
  
−
"Twist my arm, why don't you?  You louse," Doran had complained as Bomtek continued to bother him.
+
THE END
  
−
"Come on, Doran! It's just a bottle of whiskey.  The Baron won't miss it.  When you deliver his table, just take a little something for yourself.  And share it with me."
+
==[[User:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]]==
 +
===(7 January 2011)===
 +
<pre>aa,.a,.W,.%,%%,.T</pre>
 +
 
 +
The wizard walked barefoot along the sandy lake bottom, schools of
 +
axolotls swimming around his toes.  Through the murky water, the
 +
wizard could see the remains of a wrecked ship.  The salamanders
 +
guided him through a hole in the wooden hull.  In the darkness the
 +
wizard noticed the faintest light. It was coming from a chest half
 +
buried in the sand.
 +
 
 +
Before the wizard could open the treasure chest a shock wave shot
 +
through the water, knocking the wizard flat on his back.  The ship
 +
tore in half revealing a huge monster covered in waving aquatic
 +
plants.  It was the titan of the lake.  The axolotls scattered in all
 +
directions.  The wizard scuttled backward.  He could not speak, making
 +
his charms useless.  It was to be a battle of flesh and steel.
  
−
Now Doran was standing in the Baron's dining room.  It already had a fine granite table at its center; the noble had just wanted an obsidian corner piece as an accent.  As the dwarf set the table down, Bomtek's repeated needling suggestions still echoed in his mind.  It was just one bottle.  There are so many in the cabinet.  The Baron won't miss just one of them.
+
===(24 December 2014)===
 +
<pre>|oW++|#######N#N#N#NN#NN#NN</pre>
  
−
The dwarf had to pass the cabinet on the way out.  With every step toward it, he felt the whiskey within calling in his heart. Doran's face flushed hot and his stomach felt as if it were being squeezed and twisted.  Maybe I'll just look, he thought.  Just look and go.  He reached out his hand and gently opened the cabinet's door. There was only one bottle inside.  Bomtek, you fool, he thought.  Yet the whiskey still beckoned him forward, and he continued to gaze on the bottle in silence as it drew him ever closer.
+
Many of you remember the tale of the lake.  Your dwarf mothers and
 +
fathers warned you not to go near, lest the giant axolotl eat you.
 +
Now that the wizard had tempted fate by entering the lake titan's
 +
domain, all were in danger.  The wizard was clever, transforming
 +
himself into a fish and gobbling up the magic pearl, then swimming
 +
away before the giant salamander could find him.  When he emerged from
 +
the waters, he changed his shape into that of a pelican and flew away.
 +
The titan was furious and took out its frustrations on people who
 +
lived near the shore.
  
−
==[[User:Laod|Laod]]==
+
“Forgive us, mighty Hetain,” screamed the villagers.
−
===(15 October 2006)===
 
  
−
<pre>T..o..T</pre>
+
It was too late and they knew it. The poor people hardly protested as
 +
Hetain transformed them into horrible, bloodthirsty monsters and sent
 +
then on their way to find the thieving wizard. They stretched their
 +
new wings and launched into the night's sky. There wasn't much time
 +
before dawn, and the newly reborn night creatures could not travel
 +
during daylight.
  
−
Trolls are playing dodgeball with a boulder!  Who will win?!
+
“Father,” asked one of the night creatures, “do you think that mighty
 +
Hetain will allow us to die after we return the pearl?”
  
−
==[[User:.Jim|Jim]]==
+
“Our lives,” said the older night creature, “have always been those of
−
===(29 December 2008)===
+
service and toil. Before Hetain, we served the dwarven king. All we
−
<pre>,.U\U,.....M,.UUH..</pre>
+
can do is serve our betters faithfully. Then, perhaps, we shall
 +
receive our just reward.”
  
−
So unsteady was the rule of the land that no one walked the halls of
+
Arriving at his tower, the wizard threw off his bird shape and reached
−
Castle Sanazar alone.  It had become fashion for the lords to stab
+
into his mouth, withdrawing the magic pearl.  The old man had spent
−
each other in the back, or perhaps poison each other's beer steins.
+
most of his life searching for enchanted artifacts such as this.  It
−
Not even a squire was safe.  Rumors of war spread as did the news of
+
was a goal of his since youth to be the greatest wizard the world had
−
Sanazar's weakness.  The king called an audience of all the knights of
+
ever known.  For this end, he had to take chances.  Stealing the pearl
−
the realm.  A quest was called for -- something to prove the kingdom's
+
was no small thing.  In belonged to one of the Four Titans who had
−
legitimacy.
+
existed since the world was young.  He knew the pearl was cursed, but
 +
it had to be his all the same.
  
−
The tables of the great hall filled with mighty knights as squires
+
===(7 May 2015)===
−
rushed back and forth filling cups.  The king looked on silently
+
<pre>|++%++|####h####</pre>
−
through sunken eyes, having recently lost his ability to speak.  He
 
−
motioned his consort to stand forth to deliver his proclamation.  She
 
−
was a handsome woman, recently bound to the king, from a kingdom far
 
−
to the north.
 
  
−
"The flower that is Sanazar," she said, "is wilting and sick.  While
+
“Die in the name of Hetain!” howled the ape-like creature as it leaped through the window of the wizard's tower.
−
we fight amongst ourselves, hungry jackals vie for their part of the
 
−
carcass.  What we need is a hero, and what better to prove a hero than
 
−
a mighty quest!  Far to the east lays Forgotten Quilts, an ancient
 
−
dwarf fortress abandoned long ago.  It is said that within can be
 
−
found Gilded Lunch, the golden artifact boot. Return with the boot,
 
−
and return a hero!  Who will take the challenge?"
 
  
−
"I shall!" boomed a voice from the end of the hall.
+
Speaking a charm just in time to confuse his attacker, the wizard ran to his sword which he kept leaning against the wall of his laboratory.  With a slice and a thrust, the monsters was undone, laying in pieces on the floor.  This was certainly a first, attacked by a night creature while relaxing at home.  The titan, Hetain, meant business.
  
−
Through the door came Bram, mighty barbarian warrior, a squire
+
Dressing himself in his magic robe, the wizard stepped out of the tower window.  He let himself fall for a few seconds, letting the refreshing breeze blow through his long gray hair.  Then he transformed into a red tailed hawk.  His idea was to travel to the capital of Assura and hire a hero or two to slay the titan.  Just getting to the city would prove a task difficult enough to call on his considerable skills.
−
following behind, eyes downcast.  The hall erupted into Chaos.  How
 
−
could this outsider be given the quest?  The king's consort looked on
 
−
the barbarian, heart racing.  "What makes you think you are up to the
 
−
task?" she said.
 
  
−
"May I know thy name Madame?" asked the barbarian.
+
===(13 June 2015)===
 +
<pre>""",.Gm,."",</pre>
  
−
"Scandala," said the consort, brushing a blond hair from her face.
+
It was impossible, even for a hawk, to reach the capital before nightfall.  It was suicide to stay in the air after sundown.  The titan, Hetain, controlled an armada of flying night creatures.  Instead, the wizard dove into the trees and landed in the jungle.  There he took the shape of a mighty gorilla.  The night creatures would be foolish to mess with him now.
  
−
"Lady Scandala," said Bram, "I have slain dragon, cyclops, and ogre.
+
“Hey, gorilla,” said a voice in the evening wind. “I know what you are carrying.”
−
There is nothing under the sky that I fear."
 
  
−
That same day, Bram found himself on a horse on the road to Forgotten
+
“Show yourself,” growled the wizard.
−
Quilts, his squire Dolphin on a mule trailing behind.  The lords of
 
−
the realm had not taken it well.  Without the Mandate of the King,
 
−
returning with the boot would be useless.  Bram must die.  No knight
 
−
knew this better than Crusier, cruel black night of Petoun.  That very
 
−
night he left the castle with his squire, taking the fast roads to
 
−
arrive on the trail before the hero.
 
  
−
"Help!" cried the boy, "Oh help!"
+
A tiny rodent scurried out of the brush and onto a patch of moss next to one of the wizard's impressive forearms.  Closer inspection revealed that it was actually a mouse man, servant of one of the other three titans.  The wizard told the mouse man to speak his piece quickly, for any minute they would be mobbed by vengeful night creatures.
  
−
"Don't trust it Bram," said Dolphin.  "I recognize that boy, a squire
+
“I serve almighty Domon and his chariot in the sky,” said the mouse man.  “Lend me the pearl and I will ensure your victory.”
−
from the hall."
 
  
−
"A countryman in distress is just that," said the hero dismounting his
+
===(22 July 2015)===
−
horse and drawing his sword.
+
<pre>""."",.G->g.,.,~~~~~</pre>
  
−
As he approached, he found the boy laughing.  "Let's see how fast you
+
So, Domon sought the pearl as well.  The wizard should not have been surprised that the word of his conquest had spread so quickly. Now the wizard must be doubly careful.  While Hetain controlled the night, Domon ruled everything under the sun and the eternal vault of sky. 
−
can complete your quest without horses!" yelled the boy.
 
  
−
Bram spun around to see Crusier leap upon Dolphin and, a knife to the
+
The giant gorilla shifted his weight unto his knuckles and howled at the mouse man. It was clear that the wizard had made his decision.  He would trust no titan.  The mouse man ran for his life.  This move would not go unanswered, for Domon was a vengeful titan.   
−
boy's throat, ride away on Bram's horse.  The evil squire laughed
 
−
until Bram turned and brought his sword across the boy's face, leaving
 
−
a deep gash in his cheek.  "I have marked you," said the barbarian,
 
−
"for you are mine now.  Lead me to your master's den.  Know that if he
 
−
harms a hair on Dolphin's head, there won't be enough of you left to
 
−
fill your god forsaken tomb!"
 
  
−
==[[User:Kuroneko|Kuroneko]]==
+
The wizard couldn't stay in the jungle forever, hiding from the angry rays of the sun.  He moved to the edge of the final treeline and looked out over the rolling plains of Slusia. Assura was there, just beyond the horizon. Stopping to think for a moment, the giant gorilla scratched its forehead. At last the wizard decided on a shape, transforming himself into a speedy gazelle.
−
===(29 October 2009)===
 
−
<pre>.,.UUOW.,</pre>
 
  
−
Thunder shook the crumbling shack as the old crone stirred the
+
===(20 August 2015)===
−
steaming black cauldron.  Across from her sat mighty warrior Johns,
+
<pre>ccc.,\W,|@</pre>
−
resplendent in his shining armor.  Behind and to the side squatted his
+
 
−
squire, Toolsman.  The metal pot began to glow.  Images began to form
+
Not one.  Not two.  But, three cheetahs took off running after the wizard as he bounded across the plain.  The titan, Domon, meant business.  As Hetain controlled the night, Domon ruled the day.  None of it would matter if he reached the dwarf fortress of Assura.  Jumping just in time to avoid a pouncing wild cat, the wizard narrowly avoided death.  He ducked and rolled and transformed once again into human shape, wielding a longsword.  The cheetahs stopped where they were as the wizard had reached the gates of Assura.
−
above the bubbling stew.  Fighters and monsters danced in the wispy
+
 
−
smoke.  Toolsman gasped and took Johns's arm.  The knight lord drove
+
“Open the gates, I say,” boomed the wizard.
−
his elbow into the squire's cheek. The warrior leaned close and
+
 
−
questioned the shriveled hag.
+
“Who gives a command to free dwarves?” answered the guards-dwarf.
  
−
"Tell me of black knight Scroder," commanded Johns, "as you promised to do."
+
“It is I,” said the wizard, “Suffar the Mighty.”
  
−
The witch woman raised her face to stare into Johns's eyes.
+
Even the dwarves of Assura had heard tales of the great Suffar.  Not all good, it must be said.  Suffar was a rogue and a trickster.  The dwarves watched as the cheetahs circled the wizard, waiting for the moment to strike.  Maybe they wouldn't have to open the gates after all.
  
−
"He waits for you," she said, "in the Valley of Ultimate Despair.
 
−
You shall not live to see him though, for you are already betrayed."
 
  
−
Toolsman looked fearfully to his master, but the crusader's eyes were
+
===(23 September 2015)===
−
ever on the crone.  "It is you who betray!" shouted Johns as he seized
+
<pre>Wo+++@|</pre>
−
the old woman and forced her into the pot.  Black smoke billowed forth
 
−
and the air was filled with wicked laughter.  In the end only Johns
 
−
and Toolsman remained.  There was no sign of the spiritual guide.
 
  
−
==Lord Herman==
+
Holding up the magic pearl, Suffar demanded to be let in a third time. The greed of the dwarves was not easy to measure. It seemed they would do anything to acquire the smallest treasure. Suffar stepped through the gates with a final sneer at his pursuers. As the gates shut, the cheetahs disappeared in puffs of smoke.
−
===(Early 2009)===
 
−
<pre>=&]RR,...\@@@,.,.++++||\^^^^^</pre>
 
  
−
The chariot roared through the battle plain, towed by two giant black,
+
“Is that Hetain's magic pearl?” demanded the noble dwarf.
−
slathering rats and carrying the dread lord Sarumak, kingdom smasher
+
 
−
and orphaner of children.  The dwarves held out the pikes but Sarumak
+
“One and the same,” said Suffar, dropping the pearl back into his pocket.
−
swept them aside with his cursed broadsword, Emilplec.  So he reached
 
−
the gates of the dwarf fortress.  The dark lord stepped down from his
 
−
chariot and surveyed the masterwork of architecture.  The gates were
 
−
tall and wide, braced from behind, and no doubt rigged with dozens of
 
−
traps.
 
  
−
It wasn't long before the dwarves were swept from the field.  Now only
+
“The titans would offer a king's ransom for that treasure,” said the dwarf.
−
their citadel remained.  Sarumak ordered his siege engines brought
 
−
forward.  As they reached the wall the dwarves dropped down fiery
 
−
liquid and forced them back.  The evil king was growing frustrated.
 
−
He ordered his sappers to dig under the wall.  It was turning into a
 
−
long campaign, and his army of evil beasts wouldn't hold together long
 
−
without a victory.
 
  
−
===(5 December 2009)===
+
“And I will offer twice that amount to the hero that slays Hetain,” countered Suffar.
−
<pre>,..,..@.@@@@@@@@@@@,.||+++++</pre>
 
  
−
"Eat lead goblin scum!" shouted dwarf warrior Joan as he overturned a
+
It was much to consider, coming between titans and wizards.  It meant almost certain death to the dwarves involved.  This mattered little to the hero class, a group of dwarves raised since birth to laugh at danger.  It was at the Temple of Bravery that Suffar met Kogan, the mightiest of the dwarves.
−
bucket of heavy metal blocks.
 
  
−
It would seem that terror would strike the hearts of dwarves like
+
“Will you kill Hetain for me?” asked Suffar.
−
Joan, now trapped in their fortress tomb.  This was far from the
 
−
truth.  Joan grew bolder the harder he was pressed.  The deeper the
 
−
goblins forced their way in, the more horrible their deaths would be.
 
−
Joan's father had devised most of the traps in the south market
 
−
burrow.  A dwarf shouted in his ear and beckoned him to come off the
 
−
wall.
 
  
−
"The goblins have dug under the wall," said the guard captain.
+
“I have been waiting for a challenge worthy of my blade,” said Kogan.
  
−
"That's impossible," said Joan, "The rock beneath the wall descends
+
===(24 October 2015)===
−
into the root of the mountain.  It would take hundred years to breach
+
<pre>###NB######|W+@|##</pre>
−
that way."
+
 
 +
The two never actually agreed on a price.  Kogan instead offered to go with Suffar if he led him to glory and death.  The wizard agreed, knowing it was not a quest for a hero who still possessed reason.  There would be no coming back from the titan's lake.  All Suffar could do was help his new friend along his final journey.
  
−
"None the less," said the captain, "It is said that Sarumak has power
+
“Is it far?” asked Kogan.  “These legs weren't made for walking.”
−
over giant moles and possesses the secret of dragon fire.  We have
 
−
analyzed the threat, and there is a danger.  We need an elite unit of
 
−
dwarven commandos to sally forth, determine the nature of the enemy's
 
−
plans, and put an end to them."
 
  
−
"You can count on me, Captain," said Joan.
+
“Fear not, little one,” said Suffar, “I will summon the appropriate steeds.”
  
−
"Good show," said the officer in command.  "Assemble the squad before
+
Standing on the tallest tower of the castle, Suffar spoke to the wind, whilst Kogan watched with interest.  After a time, the wizard pointed to the horizon.  To specks appeared which grew steadily larger.  They were a pair of giant birds.  One was an enormous female nuthatch, while the other was a bushtit, the size of a bull.  The dwarf stood back, wielding his axe.
−
the gate at the day's last light."
 
  
−
Torches and campfires sprang to life in the invader's camp as the sun
+
“Fear not,” said Suffar.  “These creatures will take us to the hated lake of Hetain.”
−
sank behind the mountains.  The captain passed in front of a line of a
 
−
dozen dwarves dressed in black, strapped with all manner of weapons.
 
−
They were a mixed bunch.  A few were adventurers looking for glory.
 
−
Some were drunken toughs looking for a brawl.  The rest were released
 
−
fresh from prison, where they were promised freedom if they fought for
 
−
the king.  Joan stood at the end of the line, his right arm across his
 
−
chest.
 
  
−
"My axe is yours," said Joan.
+
“Fear is not in my vocabulary,” said Kogan. “I will do anything to speed the march of doom and final destiny.”
  
−
The captain looked at Joan, appraising the dwarf hero. "Keep it," he
+
===(30 November 2015)===
−
said.  "You will surely need it before the night is through."
+
<pre>,.@*W,.   ?D?</pre>
  
−
The captain signaled the catapults to begin their barrage.  The
+
It was more than a day's journey back to the titan's lake and the giant birds would be no good against the creatures Hetain had prepared for them.  Kogan watched the terrain unfolding beneath him with wonder.  The world seemed so much smaller than it had been.  The birds flew quickly, knowing that at any moment, Domon might spy them from his chariot in the sky.
−
raining balls of fire were just enough to distract the goblins as the
 
−
gate opened just enough to let a dozen dwarven soldiers out into the
 
−
night.
 
  
−
===(15 January 2010)===
+
“Dive for those trees, Kogan,” said Suffar.  “I fear that Domon has found us.”
−
<pre>[,.&]TT,..@,.</pre>
+
 
 +
The dwarf kicked the sides of his giant bushtit and the bird dove for the forest canopy.  Kogan looked behind him to see a bright green dragon pursuing him.  Suffar was nowhere to be found.  Jumping off his steed before the jet of flames hit him, Kogan grabbed at tree branches as he fell through the air.
 +
 
 +
“Wake up, brave dwarf,” said the wizard.
  
−
Silently the dwarves wound their way between the campfires around
+
Opening his eyes, Kogan found that he had indeed survived.  Suffar had built a fire in a small clearing beneath the stars.  Here they waited for Hetain's creatures to attack.
−
which danced the goblins in their orgies of bloodlust.  Ahead was the
 
−
grand tent of Sarumak, six-armed demon from the pit of Thamusula.  Two
 
−
trolls guarded the entrance.  Joan looked to his dwarf Hogan, a
 
−
professional soldier, just let out of prison for failing to meet a
 
−
noble's mandate.  Summoning him closer, Joan whispered his plan into
 
−
the warrior's ear.  Hogan stared into his leader's eyes and blinked
 
−
once.  They both understood the seriousness of the situation.
 
  
−
Hogan had been born the tallest of eight dwarven children.  Freakish
+
===(18 December 2015)===
−
in size, he was shunned by the others and spent all his spare hours in
+
<pre>,A.,\@*W</pre>
−
the barracks, smashing sparring dummies.  Now he stepped in front of
 
−
the enemy's headquarters.  Two giant furry trolls stared down at him.
 
−
Hogan threw down his helmet and shouted at the top of his lungs.
 
  
−
"Where is that coward Sarumak?" he said.  "Dare he come forth and face
+
The first night creature to attack was an ape-like creature with a single eye in the center of its forehead.  Kogan was ready, battleaxe in hand.  The creature huffed and puffed.  Its issue was not with the dwarf, but with the scheming wizard, but Kogan would not allow the creature to advance.  Finally, the creature sat back on its haunches and held its arms in a pose of tranquility.
−
a true opponent!"
 
  
−
A huge black head appeared through the opening in the tent.  Its
+
“Shall you let us pass?” asked Suffar.
−
nostrils snorted fire.  Hogan's jaw went slack and he ran for his
 
−
life.  The huge six-armed demon ran after him and the trolls ran close
 
−
behinds.
 
  
−
===(23 April 2010)===
+
“You have my master's property,” said the ape.  “You must die for your crimes.”
−
<pre>++@@@+@/++@||</pre>
 
  
−
The dwarven commandos watched as the demon ran after the intruder, the
+
“What if we returned the treasure in person?” asked the wizard.  “I'm sure my friend here would love to meet the great and mighty Hetain.”
−
two troll guards following soon after.  Joan ordered the dwarves into
 
−
the tent.  Inside, the ceiling was hung with all manner of bones and
 
−
rotting meat.  Joan stared at a pyramid of severed heads and wondered
 
−
if he had known any of them.  A commando took him by the arm and
 
−
pointed to the table at the center of the tent. On it were Sarumak's
 
−
battle plans!
 
  
−
"Master Joan," said a scruffy looking commando, "what do we do with
+
The ape struck like a snake, but Kogan was faster.  The night creature hit the ground, bleeding from a savage and mortal wound.  The adventurers watched with wonder as the creature's body transformed into the body of a dead dwarf.
−
this?"  In the dirty ex-prisoner's hands lay Emilplec, the infamous
 
−
broadsword of the demon prince.
 
  
−
Smiling Joan snatched up the blade.  He was sure to be named Champion
+
“What have I done?” asked Kogan.
−
now.  With a great sweep of his arm, Joan gathered up the battle plans
 
−
and led the dwarves on a mad dash out of the tent.  All around,
 
−
goblins cried out in alarm.  Halfway on the slope, a runner joined
 
−
them.  It was Hogan.
 
  
−
"How did you fare?  Where is Sarumak?" asked Joan.
+
===(22 January 2016)===
 +
<pre>W@.T"T"~~~~~~~~~</pre>
  
−
Hogan breathed hard and said, "Not far behind Sir! The mission, did
+
“It is because of Hetain that this poor dwarf suffered,” said Suffar. “You have only done him a mercy.”
−
we succeed?"
 
  
−
Joan held up the sword and smiled.  Hogan looked at him, questioning.
+
“You said nothing of killing my own kind,” protested Kogan.
  
−
--
+
“It will get worse before the end,” said the wizard.  “You must be strong.  Don't let Hetain's evil confuse your heart and mind.”
  
−
Stones fell from the ceiling of the great hall as the enemy
+
That night they buried the dead dwarf and Kogan prayed for his soul.  Strangely, no more creatures attacked.  It was as if Hetain knew he now had the upper hand and would toy with the adventurers.  Suffar wondered if he had made a mistake enlisting the help of a dwarven hero.  Maybe a true mercenary was called for.
−
bombardment pounded on.  It had been a relentless barrage ever since
 
−
the commandos returned.  The dwarf king stared out into the empty
 
−
room, deserted save for the commandos and their captain.  The old king
 
−
lifted his heavily lidded eyes and spoke.
 
  
−
"You have news, Captain Willard?" said the king.
+
“Hetain will pay for what he has done,” said Kogan. “You can rest assured of that.”
  
−
"We have raided the enemy camp," said the captain.
+
The lake was just on the other side of a screen of trees.  Kogan had the look of grim determination but Suffar wasn't entirely sure he trusted him.  Taking on the titan was an act for the insane brave.  While Kogan was clearly not stable, Suffar still didn't know which way his blade would cut.
  
−
The king raised an eyebrow. "What have you brought me?" he asked.
+
===(28 February 2016)===
 +
<pre>W..@.,.,NNNNN~~~~A~~~~~</pre>
 +
 
 +
“Who are they?” asked Kogan.
  
−
Joan stepped forward and threw down the blade.
+
“They are the dwarves of the once powerful fortress of Etwersbrot,” said Suffar.  “They worship Hetain now.”
  
−
"We have captured Emilplec, hated sword of the enemy!" he shouted.
+
A horde of misshapen monsters ringed the lake, holding hands.  Some them had three arms.  Some had two heads.  They were all monstrous and terrifying.  Kogan knew that they were once dwarves.  He wished with all his might that he could forget that knowledge and slay them cleanly.  Now every dead monster was simply murder.
  
−
"Fool!" yelled the king.  "Now he will never loosen his grip on our fortress!"
+
The chanting of the monsters intensified with the rising of the moon.  There was a bubbling vortex at the center of the lake.  Soon the giant axolotl appeared, rising magically above the water.  The monsters prostrated themselves before the titan.  It was Kogan's chance.  Suffar tapped him on the shoulder and he rose, stepping out into the moonlight.
  
−
===(16 September 2010)===
+
“Hetain,”