(a scholarly note at the start of the scroll mentions several conflicts between this dwarven creation myth, and the teachings of the human priests in the libraries at Zamorra)
-1-
In the beginning was Ao, known to Dwarves also as the Lonely God. Who can understand the effects of the solitude and silence that must have afflicted Ao, alone since time began? In need of company, Ao conceived of new creatures to share the multiverse with him. And thus the gods were made, as Ao divided His essence among them. Gods in great number, and of many aspects.
But none were content to remain children of Ao, they demanded realms of their own, and for this they would need something as far beneath them as they were beneath their Creator. They met and schemed, and laid plans to create a world and people it. But since no two could agree on how the world would be, or who would people it, they acheived nothing.
Only the dwarven gods stood apart from their squabbles and plotting, being too wise for that kind of foolishness. They watched, and waited, and kept their own counsels, in unity of purpose then as they are now. Thus did our gods give us the first great lesson - unity is strength, and woe to the Dwarf that forgets it.
The other gods learned nothing from our gods, and argued for so long that Ao himself could take their babbling no longer. Seeing that the Dwarven gods stood aside from the conflict, Ao came to Moradin, in his holy forge.
"Why, Moradin, do you not join your brothers in their bickering, why do you instead toil in solitary labour?" He said.
"I am not alone, my Father," Moradin replied, "My family are all around me. And I do not bicker with the rest of the gods, for I have the solution to their problem, and I will show them when they have run out of breath."
And Ao looked into Moradin's forge, and Ao saw what Moradin and made, and Ao smiled.
-2-
With their power spread wide and far, the many gods could not create a world, so they followed their Father's example and sacrificed of their essence to give life to something new. They created nine titans, creatures more powerful than them, who would do the true work of creating a world. The heavens were split asunder, letting the sky flow in. The sea was dug out, and the rocks piled up in rough mountains. Great hammers beat at the ground, shaping rudimentary rivers and lakes. An abundance of life was spilled forth from the Titan who came to be known as the Earth Mother, covering the land with green.
The gods were pleased with what they beheld, as they watched the labours of the Titans, and they made peoples of their own to live on the new land. But when Moradin saw the Titans at work, He wept.
"My brethren," Moradin said "What have you done?"
"What is wrong?" asked one of the other gods.
"These Titans will bring you no end of grief," Moradin replied, "But even gods must face the results of their actions."
And thus Moradin taught us the second great lesson - none can avoid the consequence of their actions. Alas, its import was lost on the gods of the orcs and the goblins, who cackled and laughed at Moradin. With great anger he stood before them, and as cowardly as the creatures they had made, they became silent.
"Behold," Moradin said, "Here is what I would have brought to you, when you were ready."
-3-
Moradin opened a sack and sprinkled the land with Dwarves. The rough shapes of the Titans' work was smoothed out as the Dwarven mastercrafters went to work, bringing order to the haphazard work of the Titans.
Where the seas met the land, the Dwarves carved cliffs and promontories, and with the dust and rubble they laid out gleaming beaches.
Where the footprints of the Titans had fallen, the Dwarves made gentle valleys to shelter the new made peoples from the howling winds.
Where water puddled inland, the Dwarves dug rivers and streams, to let it flow to the sea in an orderly fashion, and to bring water to farms and plants.
Lastly, the Dwarves turned to the broken piles of rock thrown up when the seas were dug. These were chiselled into proper mountains, while the gathered gods looked on. The elven gods, like their minions, prefered the greener areas of the world, but even they were forced to acknowledge the beauty of the mountains the Dwarves made.
Moradin looked at the work of the Dwarves and was pleased, and blessed us.
"These mountains are yours now," Moradin said, "For you have worked well this day, and it is right that you should have a reward."
And thus we were given the third great lesson - all labour will be rewarded. And to this day, we Dwarves continue to labour, building, forging, and crafting, as is our purpose.
-4-
In jealousy of our work, the Titans grew angry, and in pride they refused to give up the world they had laboured to create. Though our gods had taken no part in the creation of the Titans, they joined in the eventual war against them.
Through aeons as we measure time, the gods and the Titans struggled, and great was the damage done to the world. The Titans and the gods were of such a close match
that no side could gain a final victory.
We Dwarves watched from our mountains as the great war went on, safe from the chaos that was unleashed, and the other peoples of the world took refuge in such safe places as they could find. It was during this time that the Giants first warred upon us, wanting our mountains for their own hiding place. That enmity persists to this very day.
The gods' victory was eventually acheived through treachery - unwilling to see the destruction of her children go on any more, the Earth Mother turned against the other Titans. With her aid, the gods were finally able to defeat and imprison the Titans. Deep beneath the earth they were chained, and still the Earth Mother holds them.
But we must continue to be wary, even as we Dwarves continue our work. The Titans are not dead, only gone, and if the Earth Mother ever fails, they may be released once more.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
From Draven's Journal
For some reason, the lands around that cesspool of a town Zamorra seem filled with weapons and artifacts of the cursed, evil, and just plain foul variety! Is it merely my sheltered upbringing? Or is it the teachings of Moradin that cause me to take offense where many turn a blind eye? First the corrupt bastard swords - oh how appropriate that name now seems... then the life draining axe wielded by the goblin chief, and the pit of slime that changed him so. That a wretched goblin would turn to such foul magic to make up for his weakness and stupidity, is not so surprising, I suppose. But what madness came over the gnomes to craft those bastard swords, I may never know...
But as Moradin gives me strength, I will fix their mistake. Shadowfoot and Thokk must be released from the curse that has bound them, although as yet Thokk's blade has shown no need to drink the blood of the fallen. Instead, his peculiar obsession with breaking weapons instead of killing his enemies. Fair enough when fighting an honourable foe, perhaps, but I'd rather face an armed goblin than one that's trying to get up close and personal with me! His curse can wait, I think, as he has not turned to dark gods, but Shadowfoot must be persuaded to end this madness. Or forced.
I should have taken the blade from him as he lay passed out, after the first time I saw it feed on the blood of a fallen goblin. Instead I waited, and when my prayers revealed no evil I dropped my guard. Drinking blood is no more evil than spilling it, I suppose... but worshipping Malar... this must stop.
-starts fresh page-
Many a long year I've known you, and I call you friend. Because of that I cannot let you turn to evil ways. Making sacrifices to a god like Malar cannot lead to anything but evil, and I must make you see this. I regret forcibly confining you like this, but I feel I have no choice because of the magical compulsion that has been laid upon you. I also feel guilty that I stood by and let you take up that accursed blade in the first place, so I will do what I can to right that wrong.
There are many gods both good and evil, we all know this, and it is well to avoid offending any of them. But devoting any kind of ritual to any one of them is dangerous indeed, especially to one so wild and depraved as Malar. Not for nothing is this animal god known as the Ravener - it's favour is as likely to be fatal as it is helpful. And that's when you actually do worship it, rather than pretending to as you do now, or so I hope at least. If you have in fact decided to worship this foul god, then can only hope that this too is a result of the curse under which you labour, and that it shall pass when we have destroyed the blade.
For destroy it we must. Thokk's too, though he will no doubt be harder to wrestle into submission than you. On the other hand, I doubt he'll be picking the locks or wriggling free of any ropes we tie around him. But I ramble...
I'm sorry, my friend, but I do what I feel I must, as do we all. I can only hope that if a similar madness ever befalls me, you will act to prevent it.
-starts fresh page-
And now I must persuade the rest of my friends that we should ambush Shadowfoot, and take the cursed blade from him. I wonder how well that will go... If we confine him with the note I have just written, and manage to find a way to dispose of the sword, perhaps then he will be freed. If it works, then we try the same plan on Thokk, if not, I will have to ask the priests at Hammerhome for assistance.
But as Moradin gives me strength, I will fix their mistake. Shadowfoot and Thokk must be released from the curse that has bound them, although as yet Thokk's blade has shown no need to drink the blood of the fallen. Instead, his peculiar obsession with breaking weapons instead of killing his enemies. Fair enough when fighting an honourable foe, perhaps, but I'd rather face an armed goblin than one that's trying to get up close and personal with me! His curse can wait, I think, as he has not turned to dark gods, but Shadowfoot must be persuaded to end this madness. Or forced.
I should have taken the blade from him as he lay passed out, after the first time I saw it feed on the blood of a fallen goblin. Instead I waited, and when my prayers revealed no evil I dropped my guard. Drinking blood is no more evil than spilling it, I suppose... but worshipping Malar... this must stop.
-starts fresh page-
Many a long year I've known you, and I call you friend. Because of that I cannot let you turn to evil ways. Making sacrifices to a god like Malar cannot lead to anything but evil, and I must make you see this. I regret forcibly confining you like this, but I feel I have no choice because of the magical compulsion that has been laid upon you. I also feel guilty that I stood by and let you take up that accursed blade in the first place, so I will do what I can to right that wrong.
There are many gods both good and evil, we all know this, and it is well to avoid offending any of them. But devoting any kind of ritual to any one of them is dangerous indeed, especially to one so wild and depraved as Malar. Not for nothing is this animal god known as the Ravener - it's favour is as likely to be fatal as it is helpful. And that's when you actually do worship it, rather than pretending to as you do now, or so I hope at least. If you have in fact decided to worship this foul god, then can only hope that this too is a result of the curse under which you labour, and that it shall pass when we have destroyed the blade.
For destroy it we must. Thokk's too, though he will no doubt be harder to wrestle into submission than you. On the other hand, I doubt he'll be picking the locks or wriggling free of any ropes we tie around him. But I ramble...
I'm sorry, my friend, but I do what I feel I must, as do we all. I can only hope that if a similar madness ever befalls me, you will act to prevent it.
-starts fresh page-
And now I must persuade the rest of my friends that we should ambush Shadowfoot, and take the cursed blade from him. I wonder how well that will go... If we confine him with the note I have just written, and manage to find a way to dispose of the sword, perhaps then he will be freed. If it works, then we try the same plan on Thokk, if not, I will have to ask the priests at Hammerhome for assistance.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Thoughts of a troubled Dwarf
As i sit here in a tavern drinking fine Dwarven ale, my mind wanders back to resent happenings. Firstly there was the coming of age ceremony. The dwarf Zhed running the ceremony seemed rather troubled by some of the young people he was to initiate. When it was our time to stand before him things started to happen very fast, humans changing into shadow shapes and attacked the crowd, this sent shivers down my spine. The stange fungi creature we encountered after falling through the stage, brought all the training my father had given me to life, the axe i was given found its mark with ease, and the secret training i recieved from my mother in how to find unusual things like traps and secret places with hidden treasure became usfull too.
Then there was the Gnomish tower, the absolute evil that was used to destroy the Gnomes troubled me greatly, the sickening sights i saw of the slaughtered Gnomes made my blood boil and vengence was on my mind, this vengance was granted but at the cost of destroying the great portal that my friends the Gnomes had built, some of my friends thought this was for the good of all but i am not so sure. The dream i had a few days after haunts me still, the evil i felt inside had subsided but the dream was truely dreadfull.
In Bingly the dwarves i met in the tavern were looking at me strangly for not following in the rituals of Moradin, although i hope i have shortened the rift between us with some carefully placed marked arrows they gave me to slay the goblins. The woman who's husband had been captured by the goblins was obviously versed in the use of weapons but some of my group did not realize this, i suppose you have to use a weapon to spot these things.
Then there is the group i travel with to think about, we were raised in the same place, our parents new each other and wanted us to be friends and take the coming of age ceremony together, but do i truely know these people i am not so sure. Draven being dwarven i am close to in some ways, but his desire not to plunder the spoils of battle and adventure annoy me somewhat, but his skill with his axe, and his prayers of healing have become very usefull to us all. Then there is Thokk the half bread as a child i did not like him much, but his speed and stealth have proved usefull and his strength and courage in battle have surely save at least one us from dieing i now fell regrete for not likeing him as he is a true warrior. Breyen being human is still young and his desire to fight with his hands seems somewhat odd to a dwarf like me, give me a stout axe i can swing and i am happy, but to go into combat with bare hands that is surely death waiting to happen. But saying that i have witnessed him deliver some mighty blows with his bare hands, i my not have been able to deliver with my axe, he may yet become usefull although he suffers from blows in battle more than the rest. Teuvdar another half breed is a very usefull compainion his trusty owl gives us all added chances in battle as it destracts the foe, his spells are also usefull but his desire to be amongest the trees and not undergound is alien to me. Then finally the flightly Elf Shadowfoot his skills in steath supass mine and i feel a little envy in this regard, he is good with his bow but a little week in hand to hand combat, the sight of him trying to weild that cumbersome sword with two hands is funny to see, although when he did use it one handed he had some success.
So we come to the ambush and mines our last great adventure, oh how i hate goblins and love to kill them but some of these goblins were deformed and had strength greater than most goblins, they oozed puss, bleed for longer than was natural, inflicted acid like wounds with their touch, goblins should be easier to kill than these were although they did not count on the mighty Thokk and the courage of us all.
Teuvdar made the plant growth around the cave to come to life and entangle some of the goblins, which made it easier for us to kill the ones who could fight, how the lust of battle grabs you and gives you inner strength, we took many wounds but slew 45 goblins and one huge bugbear as well, i scalped them all for the bounty i knew i could collect in foxton. But the evil in the cave almost killed me, that pool of green slim radiated evil and nearly overpowered me but my will was strong and i survived as did we all to tell the tale to the priests of Moradin in Foxton.
So now i sit amongsts Dwarfs drinking there fine ale and wonder what we are to do next, will Zhed send word of another errend he wants us to do? will the Dwarves have some news? what i do know is this, i am hungry for adventure and the treasure that comes with it, the group i travel with all have proven themselves to be sturdy, good company and resourcefull so i raise my flagon in silence too Kord.
Another one of your finest ales please barman.
Then there was the Gnomish tower, the absolute evil that was used to destroy the Gnomes troubled me greatly, the sickening sights i saw of the slaughtered Gnomes made my blood boil and vengence was on my mind, this vengance was granted but at the cost of destroying the great portal that my friends the Gnomes had built, some of my friends thought this was for the good of all but i am not so sure. The dream i had a few days after haunts me still, the evil i felt inside had subsided but the dream was truely dreadfull.
In Bingly the dwarves i met in the tavern were looking at me strangly for not following in the rituals of Moradin, although i hope i have shortened the rift between us with some carefully placed marked arrows they gave me to slay the goblins. The woman who's husband had been captured by the goblins was obviously versed in the use of weapons but some of my group did not realize this, i suppose you have to use a weapon to spot these things.
Then there is the group i travel with to think about, we were raised in the same place, our parents new each other and wanted us to be friends and take the coming of age ceremony together, but do i truely know these people i am not so sure. Draven being dwarven i am close to in some ways, but his desire not to plunder the spoils of battle and adventure annoy me somewhat, but his skill with his axe, and his prayers of healing have become very usefull to us all. Then there is Thokk the half bread as a child i did not like him much, but his speed and stealth have proved usefull and his strength and courage in battle have surely save at least one us from dieing i now fell regrete for not likeing him as he is a true warrior. Breyen being human is still young and his desire to fight with his hands seems somewhat odd to a dwarf like me, give me a stout axe i can swing and i am happy, but to go into combat with bare hands that is surely death waiting to happen. But saying that i have witnessed him deliver some mighty blows with his bare hands, i my not have been able to deliver with my axe, he may yet become usefull although he suffers from blows in battle more than the rest. Teuvdar another half breed is a very usefull compainion his trusty owl gives us all added chances in battle as it destracts the foe, his spells are also usefull but his desire to be amongest the trees and not undergound is alien to me. Then finally the flightly Elf Shadowfoot his skills in steath supass mine and i feel a little envy in this regard, he is good with his bow but a little week in hand to hand combat, the sight of him trying to weild that cumbersome sword with two hands is funny to see, although when he did use it one handed he had some success.
So we come to the ambush and mines our last great adventure, oh how i hate goblins and love to kill them but some of these goblins were deformed and had strength greater than most goblins, they oozed puss, bleed for longer than was natural, inflicted acid like wounds with their touch, goblins should be easier to kill than these were although they did not count on the mighty Thokk and the courage of us all.
Teuvdar made the plant growth around the cave to come to life and entangle some of the goblins, which made it easier for us to kill the ones who could fight, how the lust of battle grabs you and gives you inner strength, we took many wounds but slew 45 goblins and one huge bugbear as well, i scalped them all for the bounty i knew i could collect in foxton. But the evil in the cave almost killed me, that pool of green slim radiated evil and nearly overpowered me but my will was strong and i survived as did we all to tell the tale to the priests of Moradin in Foxton.
So now i sit amongsts Dwarfs drinking there fine ale and wonder what we are to do next, will Zhed send word of another errend he wants us to do? will the Dwarves have some news? what i do know is this, i am hungry for adventure and the treasure that comes with it, the group i travel with all have proven themselves to be sturdy, good company and resourcefull so i raise my flagon in silence too Kord.
Another one of your finest ales please barman.
Monday, February 12, 2007
"The Mines of Ichor"
Part 1: In the town of Bingley
We join our party as they enter a tavern in the town of Bingley, having just traveled from the Gnome tower. Immediately on entering, they are aware of some sort of commotion. A hysterical woman is wailing to the patrons of the bar, begging them to help her. It seems her husband was captured by goblins while traveling on the road from their home city. She managed to escape, and made her way to Bingley. Sadly, her pleas are falling on deaf ears in the bar. Even the local soldiers cannot be bothered to look up from their drinks. Our adventurers fan out around the room, some of them approaching the woman and attempting to calm her down, while others move to various circles in an effort to gather information.
Breyen manages to calm her down a bit, the party learns that the woman's name is Ling Talresh, and she comes from rather wealthy stock. She offers a string of pearls to the party, the only valuable she has left, in exchange for their assistance. In between hysterics, it is further learned that the ambush occurred on the road between Bingley and Foxton, about 2 weeks ago. As far as she knows, the husband was taken alive, along with several of their guardsmen.
Meanwhile, the shorter members of the party locate their fellow Dwarves and make enquiries of a different kind. The party's reward and loot, acquired in relation to the Tower incident, needs to be exchanged for proper currency. Bingley is too small to accomodate this need, but it seems that the Dwarvish city of Foxton has banking facilities that can exchange gold bars. Foxton is also known for being a city that deals in another unusual commodity: scalps! Bounties are paid for scalps of all kinds of creatures. The more dangerous the creature, the greater the reward.
Fortunately for Ling, no reward is necessary to attract Dwarves to hunt goblins. The decision is made to assist her, and the party makes plans to leave in the morning.
Part 2: Ambush on the Path
Early the next day, our heroes suit up and prepare for the rescue operation. The plan is to have Ling drive the cart along the road, with some of the group on horseback along each side, while the remainder ride in the back concealed under blankets. Ling is determined to go along, and her request is honored. She is armed with armor and weapons from the loot stash, but warned to be careful. Little do they know, she is well trained in combat and will prove to be an asset before the day is through.
They depart early, and drive for quite some time. The road is silent. Too silent. Suddenly, a wicked goblin squeal echoes from the roadside. A tiny goblin runt calls out from the side of the road, shouting to his hidden companions. Without delay, Hazelclaw the owl launches herself from Teuvdar's shoulder and gives chase to the creature. Horrified, the goblin races away into the wilderness, the owl hot on his trail. Believing an attack is imminent, Draven leaps out from under the covers and announces his readiness for battle! He feels rather silly for a moment, however, since nothing seems to be happening. But they know it is coming.
The silence is broken by the sound of arrows whizzing past, and the clank and clamor of goblin armor as they emerge from their roadside hiding spot. And with that, twenty goblins race towards the party! They are large and small, and it is clear that many of these goblins are not 'normal'. Some appear grotesquely deformed, their limbs out of proportion and strangely shaped. The largest goblin is fierce indeed, with a single massive arm that wields an equally enormous mace-like weapon. Thokk faces off against him and is nearly bested, but manages to bring him down. Meanwhile, Shadowfoot wields his newly acquired magical blade, which seems to sing to him in satisfaction each time he takes a life. Teuvdar notes with both approval and concern the way the blade behaves. Even Ling gets into the action, her lust for revenge most apparent with each sweep of her sword. In the end, the ambushing goblins fall, and not a single one survives the onslaught. Torrig takes great pleasure in collecting the scalps, and also fulfills an unspoken favor for the dwarves he met in Bingley.
Silence returns to the road, broken only by the soft whisper of bird's wings as Hazelclaw returns to the scene. Teuvdar senses that the bird failed to get her prey, and warns his friends of the escapee. In the distance, the sound of howling goblins can be heard, revealing their nearby camp. The adventurers stow the wagon well off the path, camouflaging it carefully. There is some discussion of Ling's further participation, but it is short lived. And with that, they head into the woods to finish the job they started...
We join our party as they enter a tavern in the town of Bingley, having just traveled from the Gnome tower. Immediately on entering, they are aware of some sort of commotion. A hysterical woman is wailing to the patrons of the bar, begging them to help her. It seems her husband was captured by goblins while traveling on the road from their home city. She managed to escape, and made her way to Bingley. Sadly, her pleas are falling on deaf ears in the bar. Even the local soldiers cannot be bothered to look up from their drinks. Our adventurers fan out around the room, some of them approaching the woman and attempting to calm her down, while others move to various circles in an effort to gather information.
Breyen manages to calm her down a bit, the party learns that the woman's name is Ling Talresh, and she comes from rather wealthy stock. She offers a string of pearls to the party, the only valuable she has left, in exchange for their assistance. In between hysterics, it is further learned that the ambush occurred on the road between Bingley and Foxton, about 2 weeks ago. As far as she knows, the husband was taken alive, along with several of their guardsmen.
Meanwhile, the shorter members of the party locate their fellow Dwarves and make enquiries of a different kind. The party's reward and loot, acquired in relation to the Tower incident, needs to be exchanged for proper currency. Bingley is too small to accomodate this need, but it seems that the Dwarvish city of Foxton has banking facilities that can exchange gold bars. Foxton is also known for being a city that deals in another unusual commodity: scalps! Bounties are paid for scalps of all kinds of creatures. The more dangerous the creature, the greater the reward.
Fortunately for Ling, no reward is necessary to attract Dwarves to hunt goblins. The decision is made to assist her, and the party makes plans to leave in the morning.
Part 2: Ambush on the Path
Early the next day, our heroes suit up and prepare for the rescue operation. The plan is to have Ling drive the cart along the road, with some of the group on horseback along each side, while the remainder ride in the back concealed under blankets. Ling is determined to go along, and her request is honored. She is armed with armor and weapons from the loot stash, but warned to be careful. Little do they know, she is well trained in combat and will prove to be an asset before the day is through.
They depart early, and drive for quite some time. The road is silent. Too silent. Suddenly, a wicked goblin squeal echoes from the roadside. A tiny goblin runt calls out from the side of the road, shouting to his hidden companions. Without delay, Hazelclaw the owl launches herself from Teuvdar's shoulder and gives chase to the creature. Horrified, the goblin races away into the wilderness, the owl hot on his trail. Believing an attack is imminent, Draven leaps out from under the covers and announces his readiness for battle! He feels rather silly for a moment, however, since nothing seems to be happening. But they know it is coming.
The silence is broken by the sound of arrows whizzing past, and the clank and clamor of goblin armor as they emerge from their roadside hiding spot. And with that, twenty goblins race towards the party! They are large and small, and it is clear that many of these goblins are not 'normal'. Some appear grotesquely deformed, their limbs out of proportion and strangely shaped. The largest goblin is fierce indeed, with a single massive arm that wields an equally enormous mace-like weapon. Thokk faces off against him and is nearly bested, but manages to bring him down. Meanwhile, Shadowfoot wields his newly acquired magical blade, which seems to sing to him in satisfaction each time he takes a life. Teuvdar notes with both approval and concern the way the blade behaves. Even Ling gets into the action, her lust for revenge most apparent with each sweep of her sword. In the end, the ambushing goblins fall, and not a single one survives the onslaught. Torrig takes great pleasure in collecting the scalps, and also fulfills an unspoken favor for the dwarves he met in Bingley.
Silence returns to the road, broken only by the soft whisper of bird's wings as Hazelclaw returns to the scene. Teuvdar senses that the bird failed to get her prey, and warns his friends of the escapee. In the distance, the sound of howling goblins can be heard, revealing their nearby camp. The adventurers stow the wagon well off the path, camouflaging it carefully. There is some discussion of Ling's further participation, but it is short lived. And with that, they head into the woods to finish the job they started...
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