Part 59: Silento Boborachi: Update 9
Page 9
While going to enjoy a meal, I was accosted by the mayor, bobthethurd. He was quite visibly annoyed, and had quite a large piece of felsite. Said something about those so-called spawn creatures, it was largely unintelligible. It was really quite odd. On a hunch, I browsed the journal of "S", and sure enough, there was an entry for the dear mayor. It seems "S" was trying to run an experiment of her own using a concoction in the mayor's drink. Seems that with the death of "S", the sudden lack of concoction must have driven him mad with the withdrawal. I had him sent to jail to cool off, but I think it would be a fitting side experiment to see how long it takes the dwarf psyche to recover from severe addiction. Though I must say I do have my regrets about the whole thing, how can this be a true memorial of "S" when I don't even know the exact ingredients in her concoction! Life is cruel sometimes.
However, life has been going extremely well in The Essence Experiment. The inaugural forging of a so-called "spawn" skull was initiated.
And completed.
The resulting sword is issued to Drakenel.
The dragon's skull is forged as well, and issued to That Guy Bob
With the test weapons in place, I have had the device from Armay Arasay placed above the main magma chamber to better utilize what I believe could be a potential communication route of our intended targets.
Passing the time, I have some mining done, and order the bridge over a chasm in the rear of the fortress walled, so that we may utilize it without fear of, what I am told, are "fearsome attacks from the pitch black air itself". Whatever.
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Side note: The test champions are showing signs of their weapon's effect on their personalities. Drakenel has been seen staring into the magma beneath the smelters, and That Guy Bob has been seen hoarding golden items in his room
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Barely fifteen days after the device began transmitting, our marks arrive.
I order the north and south bridges closed, but keep the main bridges open, to put the weapons and their owners through proper experimental rigors, though I cover to the dwarves by citing what I've heard of the demise of Royal X and SWATJester, that bridges will not be moved once battle has officially been joined.
Drakenel does not even wait for the first wave to cross the last bridge before leaping into the first group of spawn, swinging her obsidian sword. As it is swung, an unholy voice screams, I cannot tell whether it is from the spawn, the sword, or Drakenel herself. No sign of hesitation comes from Drakenel in slaying the spawn, it seems that the sword is actually helping each swing, cleaving misshapen flesh and decayed dwarven muscle from twisted bone.
Tehsid runs to aid Drakenel, but has to constantly dodge severed limbs and chunks of spawn flesh. Alius is the only one able to help in any fashion, laying down a barrage of crossbolt fire.
Possible future experiment: Have Alius's crossbow jam in the heat of battle. How dependant is he upon the artifact to fight? How would his mind be affected by having the artifact fail in his time of need?
Spawn that are not vivisected by Drakenel's sword are simply shoved off the bridge by her swings.
A general form of attack for Drakenel is to stab then twist. A lot.
Tehsid and Tinny Turtler take on the wrestlers who manage to slip by, quickly taking the spawn out of the battle.
One of the wrestlers becomes enraged, probably after seeing one of its comrades given flying lessons by a swing from Drakenel.
Before leaving the martial trance, Drakenel starts to spin, flinging the remaining spawn around the landscape, giving their last moments on this plane some air time.
The next waves combine together and advance as one, attacking just as she leaves her martial trance, but Drakenel does not hesitate. With Tehsid, Tinny Turtler, and Alius covering her flank, she gets to work as a invader population control specialist.
She begins to tired quickly though, and goes from tired to over-exerted at astonishing speed.
Could it be that the sword, engorging itself on the slaughter, may have started drawing upon the life of its holder as well?
Tehsid, Tinny Turtler, and Alius get a share in the glory, (and the gory) as more and more spawn go after them and avoid the pile up on Drakenel. War hammers wielded by Tehsid and Tinny Turtler being caving in spawn skulls as Alius begins crossbow-whipping spawn across the face. As the three corner the last wrestler to escape Drakenel, the beast bellows a sound that made a puppy near me die upon hearing it.
Tehsid and Tinny Turtler swing their war hammers from opposite sides, obliterating the spawn's head between the steel heads. Alius shoves his crossbow into the creatures gullet, and fires a bolt through any remaining unholy organs.
But in the melee, Drakenel has gone unconscious from exhaustion, and the spawn take the opportunity to attack. They sever off her left arm and begin to claw at her chest. The other three champions come and strike fast, flinging the creatures off into the mountains. Only the four champions remain on the site of the old depot. One of them is gravely wounded.
With her heart pumping out more blood onto the ground than into her body with every breath, Drakenel grabs Alius and the champions, and says something, but I am too far away to hear.
I must take another drink.
Chance II wrote :-
I guess I'll post this now as it seems appropriate.
"Risk Spirits" By Chance II.
Back Row: Manuel Calavera, Weskerdorf, Vox Nihili, YOTC, Tehsid
Front Row: yours truly, Sirocco
I tried to make Sirocco's dorf look more like his own submission. Oh and guess the homage! this one may be a little more difficult since it isn't Rembrandt again.
Skullbuggy wrote :-
It's dwarves!!!
Shown here: Markus_cz, Weskerdorf and Chance II.
Bobbin Threadbare wrote :-
The gods only know if I was spotted, but the mysterious figure did not react to my presence. Instead, I heard him mutter softly to himself, perhaps as a way of keeping notes, or else as a cultist will whisper his blasphemous litanies during a ceremony. Then, without seeming to pause for breath, the figure shouted, loudly and clearly,
"Lower in the bones!"
At his command, an unknown creature at an unseen winch allowed a cauldron full of pale objects to slowly descend into the forge. With a growing sense of terror, I recognized one of the bones--the sideways mandible could only have come from one of Them, from the remnants of a Spawn! The silhouette issued a second command, and the flood gates opened, the magma pouring slowly into its receptacle. For long, endlessly long minutes, the bones swam through the molten rock, seeming immune to the incredible heat thrust upon them. Then, finally, their outlines wavered and ran, until their solidity finally gave way and the bones melted into the flow.
"Pour the water!"
The figure shouted again, and the floodgates closed, only for another door to open. Water poured into the forge, and a screeching hiss, unnaturally loud, filled the room. I cannot tell you if it was fact or merely the imagination of a dwarf shaking in fear, but I swear to you I heard the selfsame scream the Spawn of Holistic made on the glacier coming from the forge that was its tomb. I am not ashamed to admit that I fled in terror from that room. Indeed, it was likely a serendipitous decision, as the bilious steam and hideous screech did a wondrous job at concealing my escape.
And concealed it would have to remain. For in that lightless pit, I happened to realize the name of the darkened figure, the one who seemed to command the creation of this dark form of obsidian. It was none other than the leader of the Parasol division which had laid claim to SyrupLeaf, Silento Boborachi. The very one whom many have now come to call simply "the Weskerdwarf."
64bitrobot wrote :-
From the Diary of 64bitrobot, Captain of the Guard
Oi, what's this!? This new overseer of ours took away some of our military's nice steel weapons to give them swords made of rock?! What the hell is he thinking.
Drakenel died in the latest siege, apparently also one of the dwarf's who was given one of those stupid rock swords. This new overseer is going to be the death of all of us, I swear.
Our mayor was dragged in today, not sure why, the overseer just said he needed to cool off. I'd let him go, but he seems to be a bit out of it. Hope he can recover, we need our mayor in this time of crazy overseer.
...and why did they move the trade depot? It was fine where it was, you just have to make sure to close it up when the spawn come around.