NEO|Phyte
2007-04-10, 08:21 PM
Athelmörul was founded in the early spring of 1050 by a group of 7 dwarves, sent forth by King Thîkut Atölurdim to find the riches rumored to be buried deep within the mountains. Despite some hardships early on, the city grew and flourished, luring traders from humans and elves alike, as well as the thieves and armies of the goblins and kobolds. After establishing their foundries along the magma, the Mayor of Athelmörul had their miners dig shafts through the mountains, searching for the ores and gems needed to fulfill their king's wishes.
The year 1058 started like any other. The farms were started up, melting snow caused the river to flood, and the watchdwarves kept their vigil, watching for marauding goblins seeking to avenge the loss of their ruler. Summer arrived, and with it came the humans, wagons laden with the alcohols prefered by their kind.
Shortly after the last of the human's wagons faded into the distance, the Colossus was spotted. Unsure of the intentions of this gigantic creation of metal, the Baron ordered the city's marksdwarves on alert, stationing them in the main entrance while ordering all civilians inside. The colossus took no notice of these happenings, and began following after a deer that had strayed close to it. The deer travelled north for a ways, before looping back south, coming close to the side of the mountain. As the deer neared the entrance to the city, the colossus finally caught up with it, and crushed its head into an unrecognizable mass with a single blow. Its expressionless face then turned towards the gates of the city.
Not wanting this monstrosity to make it into Athelmörul, the Baron ordered the marksdwarves outside where they could begin to open fire, while the rest of the military was called up to reinforce them. The bolts were like gnats to the thing, bouncing off with no effect, aside from a single lucky shot that was able to shatter one of its large glowing eyes. The colossus ignored the marksdwarves at first, concentrating initially on the swarm of dogs that now surrounded it. Few survived its initial blow, and fewer still survived being thrown against the unyielding side of the mountain. After losing its eye, its attention switched to the marksdwarves, who fared no better than the dogs. It then began marching towards the main gate, stopping only to chase after those that got near it. It passed through traps that had stopped entire goblin sieges with little more than scratches. It finally made it into the city proper, and the slaughter began. Civilians fell back into the deeper sections of the fort while the remains of the military forces fell before the metallic horror. The woodcutters were drafted, but their axes were as ineffective as the other weapons. The bearer of Fokáshlecad was called forth, in the hopes that the mighty sword, inspired by the whispers of fey creatures and crafted from bone, would be able to bring down the colossus.
It wasn't.
With the last of their military dead or dying, the people of Athelmörul ran for the mines, hoping to hide from the colossus until it left. A lucky blow had taken its other eye, and it followed the survivors in a blind rage, beating those it caught to death with its massive fists. Some of the miners hatched a plan to begin digging past the magma, in the hopes that the rumored demons that lay in the deepest depths of the mountains would be able to stop the colossus. Shouts from those still at the entrance to the city brought further ill news; the goblins were coming. In the following confusion, the colossus fell, although none were sure where or how. Since no body was found, it can only be assumed that it fell into the chasm in its blind chase after the dwarves.
The goblins fell to the traps in the entrance like so many others, but not before their archers were able to slay several dwarves that had gone outside to escape the colossus.
Before the colossus appeared, there had been over 200 dwarves and a comparable number of animals living at Athelmörul. A headcount after the surviving goblins fled revealed that there were 87 living dwarves, and only 55 animals remaining. The coming months will see the burial of many dwarves, and a messenger has been sent to inform House Råsh of what has occured.
http://img04.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176190199local_map-1-1058-16273.png (http://img04.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176190199local_map-1-1058-16273.png)
My fort before the bad stuff started.
http://img04.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176234685local_map-1-1058-21079.png (http://img04.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176234685local_map-1-1058-21079.png)
A picture of the carnage. There would be a lot more blood along the main hall, but apparently a season change happened, so the fort autocleaned. The colossus is the bright yellow C in my secondary dining hall next to the Chasm.
http://img02.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-21947.png (http://img02.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-21947.png)
The colossus has fallen, but the goblins approach!
http://img02.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-22416.png (http://img02.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-22416.png)
Morale broken by their losses, the goblins flee. My fallen dwarves are also starting to rot, causing the wonderful purple miasma.
The year 1058 started like any other. The farms were started up, melting snow caused the river to flood, and the watchdwarves kept their vigil, watching for marauding goblins seeking to avenge the loss of their ruler. Summer arrived, and with it came the humans, wagons laden with the alcohols prefered by their kind.
Shortly after the last of the human's wagons faded into the distance, the Colossus was spotted. Unsure of the intentions of this gigantic creation of metal, the Baron ordered the city's marksdwarves on alert, stationing them in the main entrance while ordering all civilians inside. The colossus took no notice of these happenings, and began following after a deer that had strayed close to it. The deer travelled north for a ways, before looping back south, coming close to the side of the mountain. As the deer neared the entrance to the city, the colossus finally caught up with it, and crushed its head into an unrecognizable mass with a single blow. Its expressionless face then turned towards the gates of the city.
Not wanting this monstrosity to make it into Athelmörul, the Baron ordered the marksdwarves outside where they could begin to open fire, while the rest of the military was called up to reinforce them. The bolts were like gnats to the thing, bouncing off with no effect, aside from a single lucky shot that was able to shatter one of its large glowing eyes. The colossus ignored the marksdwarves at first, concentrating initially on the swarm of dogs that now surrounded it. Few survived its initial blow, and fewer still survived being thrown against the unyielding side of the mountain. After losing its eye, its attention switched to the marksdwarves, who fared no better than the dogs. It then began marching towards the main gate, stopping only to chase after those that got near it. It passed through traps that had stopped entire goblin sieges with little more than scratches. It finally made it into the city proper, and the slaughter began. Civilians fell back into the deeper sections of the fort while the remains of the military forces fell before the metallic horror. The woodcutters were drafted, but their axes were as ineffective as the other weapons. The bearer of Fokáshlecad was called forth, in the hopes that the mighty sword, inspired by the whispers of fey creatures and crafted from bone, would be able to bring down the colossus.
It wasn't.
With the last of their military dead or dying, the people of Athelmörul ran for the mines, hoping to hide from the colossus until it left. A lucky blow had taken its other eye, and it followed the survivors in a blind rage, beating those it caught to death with its massive fists. Some of the miners hatched a plan to begin digging past the magma, in the hopes that the rumored demons that lay in the deepest depths of the mountains would be able to stop the colossus. Shouts from those still at the entrance to the city brought further ill news; the goblins were coming. In the following confusion, the colossus fell, although none were sure where or how. Since no body was found, it can only be assumed that it fell into the chasm in its blind chase after the dwarves.
The goblins fell to the traps in the entrance like so many others, but not before their archers were able to slay several dwarves that had gone outside to escape the colossus.
Before the colossus appeared, there had been over 200 dwarves and a comparable number of animals living at Athelmörul. A headcount after the surviving goblins fled revealed that there were 87 living dwarves, and only 55 animals remaining. The coming months will see the burial of many dwarves, and a messenger has been sent to inform House Råsh of what has occured.
http://img04.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176190199local_map-1-1058-16273.png (http://img04.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176190199local_map-1-1058-16273.png)
My fort before the bad stuff started.
http://img04.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176234685local_map-1-1058-21079.png (http://img04.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176234685local_map-1-1058-21079.png)
A picture of the carnage. There would be a lot more blood along the main hall, but apparently a season change happened, so the fort autocleaned. The colossus is the bright yellow C in my secondary dining hall next to the Chasm.
http://img02.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-21947.png (http://img02.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-21947.png)
The colossus has fallen, but the goblins approach!
http://img02.yourpix.org/thumbs/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-22416.png (http://img02.yourpix.org/view/04.07/10/1176245355local_map-1-1058-22416.png)
Morale broken by their losses, the goblins flee. My fallen dwarves are also starting to rot, causing the wonderful purple miasma.