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Thread: At the Edge of Humanity {IC}

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    Default Re: At the Edge of Humanity {IC}

    As the three of them descend the stairs, they pass by numerous statues of dwarves in victorious poses. Each has a plaque that, if you focus on it, impresses the relevant history into your mind. "Chamra Stoneheart, founder of her clan, was a miner long before the Dwarves found their freedom. She was one of the first to find the Shardmind, the being that has granted all Dwarves their powers on this world. Before her the Dwarves were merely slaves to many monstrous races. She…."
    "Thungrin Steelbeard, Ulma ‘Greataxe’ Steelbeard, Mörua Stonefist, and Hamarr Granfoot are the leaders of the first successful revolt against Neogi known to us. They were the first ones to scribe magical runes onto their bodies to mask the spells they imitated, and thus fool their captors…."

    They pass several more that have busy looks on their faces, and hold tools instead: "Lurgin Marblehand, Morra Hopsblood, Rory Malachmind, and Durum Ashmount wasted little time when the Dwarves had found safe haven in the mountains, and guided our people to build homes, craft tools and brew the first great beers from the mushroom-hops we found and managed to turn what would have been poisons into life-giving brews. They gave all of the escaped dwarves hope and jobs, things to do while we waited and prayed for our warriors to return home safely."

    Finally, the three of you pass a carving of the auditorium on both sides. A series of voices fill your heads: "The Gemsmoot is our meeting of the organizers of our kingdoms to decide, as a collective voice, how to respond to drastically changed lives for our people. Reflect on the needs of our people before you step into these halls. Reflect upon your memories, your conversations, and the sadness in your heart that you wish to change into hope."

    As you walk forward, the low-handing and poorly-lit hallway opens from its typical conservative height to curve upwards and downward into a light-filled hall. You now come to a series of stairs, bounded by pure and clear crystal, that lead downwards to the meeting chamber. The descent takes several minutes, and you hear nothing but your feet walking against the stone. Even the voices ahead of you are impossible to hear.

    The Dwarves look up to the entering three people, and many smiles shift into concern when they see Watt. The dwarf that you saw earlier clears his throat and says, "Androl of the Stoneheart Clan, and his two chosen advisors for his first gemsmoot. Surely, this crafty war hero has many excellent stories about the world. Please trust him with all the gravitas that his clan deserves." What would have been a reasonably uncomfortable silence stretches for a few moments.

    "Aurora," says an elderly female dwarf in a rainbow-colored robe, "would you begin the Rite of Unification?" Across the table, a white-haired female dwarf dressed in Orange robes (of Orvos, the gem of Worship, faith and connection), shakes her head in consternation, clears her throat and speaks slowly. "I…don’t believe that is possible, Chancellor Ashmount. The Shardmind is…fracturing." Every head turns to Jerid, Verin and Watt.

    "Is it possible? Is it time?" A dwarf in yellow (Knowledge gem) has spoken up this time, and his other companion, a wrinkled woman of considerable age, pulls out a scroll that looks yellow cracked and fragile and traces along the scroll as she reads to herself as murmers around the room begin. She clears her throat and speaks for all to hear, "…we shall know the Fracturing when Dwarves that are not come among us. And they shall tell us that this it is neither a betrayal nor an attack, though they be among our greatest enemies, and we will know it is but a sign that The Journey must begin again, for our home within this world shall be soon be Forsaken."

    A dwarf in purple turns to an orange-robed dwarf sitting next to him. They nod to each other, and chant the words to two spells, one of which Verin recognizes as a very complex True Seeing spell, suddenly replicated ten times. As they complete there are eleven gasps as the dwarves look at Jerid and Verin with what could only be fear.

    "Outsiders, this is a perilous time for us. Tell us, what exactly transpired with you and Ealo since you met its previous owner, Bromin? Do you have his body?"
    Last edited by ~Corvus~; 2016-06-01 at 07:37 PM.
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