Winning Vote: said:
[x] Aid: All that you are able to.
[x] Zharrvengryn: Ties
━<><><>< 221 A.P. ><><><>━
You see, in that minuscule span before you are blinded by the light, a myriad of incomprehensible visions. Many simply go by too quickly for you to recall a bombardment of inputs, but one, one vision you manage to retain. An abstract lesson conveyed through thought and imagery. You see beings and events, bound with and tied to many strings that all fly skyward. Some are tied to sticks held, squabbled over by an infinite number of hands, the figures below puppeted, jostled and moved by their whims and machinations. While yet more flow into a loom that weaves a tapestry of infinite size and proportion, a grand story of endless possibilities writ large. Then a blinding flash of light as one of the figures clothed in black lifted a torch to his strings, burning them off before moving to do the same to others. The figure is harried, assaulted in its quest, destroying monsters whose strings demand they not die yet can do nothing against his flame. An eternity cutting as many threads as it can through effort and force of will before it crumples to the ground. The puppet masters are enraged, the sea of strings half-burned and destroyed, the tapestry of
Fate frayed.
Visions of a swirling vortex, a lone figure standing in the cold, the burned threads above them that would have made the image of a ruined world.
A Bull of Iron, a Griffon of Ice and lightning, their threads ripped in half and tied to another respectively.
A voice, a lesson, echoes to you before blinding white light consumes you.
We are only as bound as we wish to be. With enough Will
, with enough effort, one can break the Yoke of Destiny, the Ties of Fate, and deny what was meant to be.
━<><><>< 222 A.P. ><><><>━
Was there any other option?
These Dawi had suffered long enough, and you had the means to aid them. What hypocrite would you be if you didn't match your own expectations of a Runelord?
"While I appreciate many of your offers, our stay in whatever lodgings we find shall only be until the site of a new Karak can be found." Valka insists.
Another round of grumbling ensues.
"Then you have my
oath, Grimvala,
" You say, voice cutting through the noise,"That I will do all in my power to aid in the building of your new Karak."
You do not speak for the rest of the meeting, seeing no need to say anything more.
Let others politick and jostle over something so simple. Why they could not see the solution to such a simple problem was doubtlessly beardling foolishness. Cut to the heart of it you say, if they lacked a Hold, then help them
make one and be done with it. Of course, there was a great deal of nuance to it, and you'd doubtlessly have to busy yourself for a great deal of time to see it done, but that became irrelevant the moment you swore the oath. It would be done, one way or another.
━<><><><==><><><>━
It is the eve of your departure back home, the camp bustling as Dwarfs go about the business preparing for the big pack up come morning. You walk through nonchalantly, the grumbling spewed from your lips an incomprehensible series of general complaints so far-reaching that any Dwarf that heard them could easily attribute it to themselves. The effect is clear enough, as the youths begin to act with more vigour, their pace buoyed even after you passed by the residual grumbling that arose as their own elders emulated you.
A shadow stalks through the camp.
Valma's tent isn't difficult to miss, what with her decision to park all three of her Gronti in a circle outside of it as a means to deter any untoward guests.
The tent is found.
Well, you suppose it
works.
The reward is dropped off.
Lifting the flap you enter and see Valma sitting at a table with two chairs and a corresponding tankard of ale.
━<><><><==><><><>━
Lord Klausson enters her tent, that armour shining in the Rune light. Before she had found it curious, the work of her elder and doubtlessly powerful, but she lacked the proper context to understand just how powerful.
No longer.
A silver figure wades through the enemy, fire and light erupt from his hammer while he shrugs off everything thrown at him with contemptuous ease.
Now she understood, she thinks.
Whatever her Elder deigns to trade with her, Valma is sure that it holds some kernel of truth to just
how he tapped into the Deep Magic. He takes the seat opposite her, the clink of his hammer bouncing off of the wood of the chair leg. It takes all of the will she can muster not to swallow in nervousness in the face of his inscrutable gaze.
With a purposeful slowness that emphasizes each word, he asks her a simple question.
"What exactly, do you think I know Lass?"
Was this a test?
Of
course it had to be a test, an obvious one in hindsight. There was no way he would simply trade his hard-won knowledge with her without some proof of her own competence. Internally she cringes at the memory of her blunder in the tunnels and how he'd been forced to rescue her and Kemma from certain doom.
Foolish, she berates herself,
be thankful he's merciful enough to give you a chance despite that!
No, she couldn't fail those expectations a second time.
"Enough that you've figured out how to draw up the Deep Magic purposefully, to use its power to infuse your own creations to empower them further," she responds.
He knows, he knows you know nothing fool girl, her mind screams.
The Gift Giver says nothing for a long while, her dread mounting with every second of silence, simply staring down at her.
"Hmmph," he grouses after what feels like an eternity, "Then let's get this business done with shall we?"
In her mind, Valma heaves out a sigh of relief.
━<><><><==><><><>━
You have 1 point and 0/2 Hesitance
Sell List:
- Master Runes:
-- Waking, Non-Dwarf Body Plan Variant, Worth: 4 points
-- Currents, Worth: 4 points
-- Blizzards, Worth: 4 points
-- Infernos, Worth: 4 points
-- Valaya [Armour], Worth: 4 points
-- Unyielding, Worth: 6 points, +1 Hesitance
-- Traversal, Worth: 6 points, +1 Hesitance
-- Wandering, Worth 4 points
-- Grimnir [Weapon], Worth 3 points.
- Regular Runes:
-- Refraction, Worth: 1 point
-- Speech, Worth: 2 points
-- Prosthesis, Worth: 3 points
-- Forged Limb, Worth: 3 points
-- Sound, Worth: 1 point
- Research:*
-- Mind of Things, Worth: 2 points to get her started down the path, +1 point per extra progress, max 9 points total (so 2 + 7 points of extra progress hypothetically).
- Combo:**
-- Mountainsouled, Worth: 8 points, +2 Hesitance (Requires Unyielding)
-- Makerstrike, Worth: 4 points
Buy List:
- Master Rune:
-- Vitality [Talismanic]: The bearer gains Regeneration and improvement to toughness and endurance), Cost: 4 points
-- Lightning Strikes [Engineering]: The war machine bearing this Rune fires ammunition with thunderbolt level destructive power, Cost: 4 points
-- Waking, Improved Variant [Engineering]: (Improved speed, strength and overall performance of Master Rune of Waking), +1 to Movement of Things, Cost: 4 points
-- Waking [Weapon]: Allows the weapon to follow orders or act under its own power, but is still subject to the laws of physics( so a sword won't levitate and a crossbow can't reload without an existing mechanism though a bit of engineering mitigates such issues.), +1 to Movement of Things, Cost: 3 points
-- Waking [Armour]: Allows a suit of armour to follow orders or act under its own power, or aid the wearer, +1 to Movement of Things, Cost: 4 points
-- Waking, Improved Variant [Talismanic]: Allows talismans to act under its own power, activating effects on their own and under pre-set conditions with perfect control and timing without input, +1 to Movement of Things, Cost: 4 points
- Regular Runes:
-- Empowerment: Boosts linked Gronti performance for a short period of time, Gronti become sluggish for an equivalent amount of time afterwards, Cost: 3 points
-- Waking Improved Variant [Engineering]: (Improved speed, strength and overall performance), +1 to Movement of Things, Cost: 2 points
-- Perception [Engineering]: Crew are more aware of their surroundings, Cost: 2 points
-- Quick wits [Engineering]: Crew have higher reaction speeds, Cost: 2 points
- Elgi Magical Textbooks:
--
The Readings and Insights of the Winde of Metal/Order/Chamon by Avalrith of the House of Serantor, most esteemed Maige of the Kingdom of Saphery, Cost: 2 points
-- In Progress Book Translations, Cost: 2 points per book, delivered when complete(Currently: Tomes on Azyr, Aqshy, Hysh, and
Understanding Elementales/Constructs)
-- Right to buy or trade for all future translations, Cost: 8 points, -1 Hesitance
- Research:*
-- Movement of Things, Cost: 1 point per progress, max 6 points total
Every 5 points not spent = +1 Standing
* These will be copies of notes and maybe some discussion,
not you two collaborating on research.
** You will inform Valma that you used special reagents for both regarding Barak Azamar and Zharrgal but not what those ingredients are, if you choose to trade the combos that is.
━<><><><==><><><>━
You leave Valma's tent in good spirits and note that the camp is fairly silent. Many having gone to bed already, with only the sentries and a few stragglers up and about.
Quietly, you make your way to your own tent, nodding at the two Hearthwardens who stand outside the entrance before entering. Walking toward the bed is a bit of a hassle, and you find yourself tripping on something that
shouldn't be there in the darkness.
"Bugrit, Bugrit, Bugrit," you mumble out of habit more than any actual pain or discomfort.
Reaching for the Rune Light, you activate it and the inside of your tent is now properly illuminated. Now with proper lighting, you look down at the offending piece of debris and find…
… a lamp?
It is a fine lamp certainly, the black stained steel contrasting nicely against the golden knotwork and glass, the handle fits perfectly in your hand as well. Your eyes roam over it, and find it is entirely mundane in terms of construction. It is only when you light it that you eventually spot something. There, imprinted on the glass so lightly that even your keen vision could barely make it out, was the, entirely mundane, Rune of Gazul staring back at you.
You look up from the item and stare around the room confusedly, looking for any sign of forced entry and, as a part of you expected, find none. Asking your Retainers would prove an exercise in futility you think, Gazul won't be found if he didn't wish to be, so you simply shrug and put the lamp on the table in the center of your tent.
Taking off Barak Azamar, for the first time in what feels like an age, you suddenly feel it. Oh you are most certainly fresh, awake and alert, but compared to the infinite energy your armour provided…
...well it's like being able to actually see the bottom of the borehole so to speak.
You slip on a comfortable set of clothes then move to turn off the lights, first the Lamp and then the Rune, before finally tucking yourself under the covers and falling into blissful slumber for the first time in a long time.
6/7
━<><><>< Khazalid Trivia ><><><>━
Bugrit - An invocation against ill-luck uttered by a Dwarf who has banged his head, hit his thumb, stubbed his toe or some other minor misfortune. Usually repeated three times for luck.
━<><><>< Gain ><><><>━
- A vision.
-- Insight, Research unlocked.
-- +3 Progress The Mind of Things Pt. 3, new totals: [Cost: 10 -3 =7 actions]
- A mundane Lamp of blackened steel.
Vote Format:
[Y] Plan X
- Sell:
-- thing to sell
- Buy:
-- thing to buy
There will be a two-hour moratorium for discussion.
AN: A short doot, but theres a bit here to chew on methinks. If you have any questions or need clarification about what's being traded, don't be afraid to ask! I probably missed something I think. I'll go back to being busy updooting Informationals now. Anywho, thanks for reading, and don't forget to C&C. :^)
EDIT: OH DIP AN OMAKE! Welp, let me go over that.
