On Thread Etiquette:
I'm not going to weigh in on the logic of either side's arguments, but I will ask that everyone read over what they write and really consider if the words they used are polite and won't be inflammatory intentionally or not. You cant account for people's tolerances perfectly but at least try to say your piece without saying things that can be easily construed as overly dismissive of the other side of the argument, thank you.
Note: All choices in this part synergize with each other to some degree, some more than others.
Master Yorri's odd ways and odd runes:
Along with your expected education, Master Yorri saw fit to have a dash of extra learning he believed any dwarf should have under their belt. Mostly in the form of runes, life advice and oddly enough a large library of troll related recipes. Gain:
- [Talismanic] Rune of Reflection: This rune allowed Master Yorri to bend the angle of any light that hit this rune towards a single point.
- [Talismanic] Rune of Sound: This rune allows the user to propagate sound in the direction it was facing.
- [Engineering/Talismanic] Rune of Animation: this rune allows you to animate golems.
- [Engineering/ Talismanic] Master Rune of Animation: Somehow Master Yorri knew of this most prized rune. Rise living earth, stone and metal, the Ancestors call upon you to aid their people. The stuff of the Earth given motion. Strike like an avalanche, endure like the peaks you were hewn from...
- [Weapon] Master Rune of Currents: A rune that enhanced the weapon's speed, cutting ability and gave the user an enhanced ability to see openings in their foe's movements. Like the howling wind at the mountain's peak, it may be diverted, shoved or ignored, but no weapon bearing this rune will ever truly be denied its course…
- A bunch of other minor weird runes.
- A Bunch of weird knowledge and life lessons.
- Troll-based Recipe book
- Student of the Odd: Researching Talismanic and Engineering Runes applies a free action's worth of progress every 3 actions. Legendary Deed: Gift Giver Good Snorri the Gift Giver worked like a dwarf possessed for two straight months and made toys that were like no other. Each and every one unique from the last, made with care and precision that boggled even the most critical longbeard. The sight of haggard dwarfs dragging bulk orders of wood, metal and stone to his workshop only to run back out for more was constant during his mad rush of inspired creation. So heavy was the traffic that it led to the hold's guilds growing in wealth by 15% from his actions alone, and led to new and more efficient ways of managing the foot traffic of the hold itself. To the beardlings however, Snorri's gifts were treasured and appreciated, heirlooms that have been passed down and held in high esteem. Holding a toy made by the Gift Giver is a sign of some minor prestige and a symbol of a shared past. While less famous than our people's ability to remember every slight, so too do the Dawi remember every gift and kindness and seek to repay it. Now these beardlings are grown, with families and careers of their own, but like any dwarf, they will never forget. If any aid can be rendered, if they are called, they will answer as best they can. Gain:
- Productivity like no other: Every two actions spent on fulfilling requests will add one more free action of progress. Ex: A request takes 3 actions to complete, Snorri uses 2, it will instead count as 3.
- The Debt of the Young: Snorri will be shown greater deference by youth and elderly, the former for the debt owed, and the latter for the sheer skill of the act itself. Mostly Narrative but a chance to procc in some scenarios.
- +2* Standing with Both Radical and Conservative Runesmiths (Distant Relation + Deed itself compounded)
...
The workshop is brightly lit, runes in strategic locations that maintain a consistent level of brightness throughout the chambers. The area itself is temporary, only a decade or two really, a more permanent version to be done once you've settled into your new home for the foreseeable future. In one corner, currently unpacked is a trunk full of paints, and woodworking equipment.
You swore you'd never do that madness with the toys again, but that didn't mean you would stop making toys forever. Just, not as much, Ancestors please never that many again. As it is, you've found a small hobby creating toys in your off time, then every month or so, covertly selling them off at the nearest temples of Valaya or local Foundling homes. It's good practice for the hands, what with the careful and precise movement, a good way to unwind after a hard day's work, and it's not like you could hoard toys in your house like some madman. It's good, practical sense, certainly not because you enjoy bringing cheer to beardlings, no sir.
Next to that however is another trunk full of Pots and Pans. You've grown used to Master Yorri's odd cooking that you've actually lost the taste for most regular dwarf cooking. That simply would not do, as Master Yorri once said, A preference is normal, but a specialty is a crutch, so you've taken the effort to make your meals yourself. It isn't a difficult thing to do, but you've found that you have a preference for baking, finding that baking had enough commonalities to runesmithing as to be understandable. It definitely wasn't because your stews tasted horrid or because you had grown a tad too isolationist as to not enjoy being surrounded by other dwarfs. No sir.
But right now, your thoughts were not even remotely near that part of the shop, instead, your entire being was centered around the forge, embers flying off the anvil head while you hammered away at the glowing metal. In your mind, the chant rises unbidden, centuries of routine coming into play once more.
Sing the hymn of Throkki the Bold, and on the third stanza strike the hammer with four times the force.
With steady hand and iron will lift the weapon skyward glinting in moonlit night and quench it in freshest snowmelt.
Hold it there for five heartbeats then raise it once more, strike eight times while the metal steams.
Let fire and steam fill your forge, then at dawn's light strike the last time and let the rune be sung onto the firmament.
The ancient chant fades slowly into the background of your mind as you gazed upon the rune glowing brightly on the surface of the axe head. The necessity of the chant for a dwarf of your skill was minimal to non-existent. As all runesmiths eventually learn, the chants were not truly necessary; they were but waystations, guideposts left by the ancestors to aid the bumbling beardlings of future generations get things right. The wording and rhythm of each individual chant passed on from one generation to the next with an exacting precision that only a runesmith would demand. Done over thousands of times in one's lifetime the rhythm became ingrained, the movements second nature and the chant less necessary. A chant for each and every rune, and there were plenty of runes, to be memorized, stored and brought out from the depths of the mind without erring; there were reasons why apprenticeships took decades for most. A necessity for your craft, for runesmiths rarely wrote anything down for a myriad of reasons, pride and paranoia only being the two most prominent.
The official reason is to keep our enemies from stealing our secrets, the real reason is that Runesmiths don't like sharing with just anyone beardling, Master Yorri's voice echoed from your mind.
And mind that troll liver, you're leaving it in the pan too long.
But enough wool-gathering.
You lower the axe gently down onto the wheeled weapon rack, the set of five now ready for the customer to pick up in three days' time. Then with an ease born from experiencing hundreds of winters, you take off the armoured apron with all its myriad of straps and layers in a manner of seconds, putting the runed piece of clothing away
[ ]Apprentice: Yourself.
You huff as you carefully slide the apparatus onto its rack. An apprentice would undoubtedly take too long and you'd be stuck waiting an extra four seconds for the beardling to catch up with you, but in comparison to lifting a good few dozen pounds of metal, four seconds didn't seem like such a bother. Not that you'd ever let the apprentice know that of course, no elder would be caught dead calling an apprentice useful unless they'd done something truly magnificent, and even then there'd be a criticism to go along with it. Bah! Despite anyone's claims otherwise, most dwarf masters enjoyed the free labour and chance to teach, rant and grumble at someone who took their word as law. (Gain: Freedom! Actions that would otherwise be done by your free labourers apprentices are instead left to you to do.)
[X]Apprentice: for your apprentice(s) to put away.
It'd be good for the beardlings to get more experience with proper maintenance and device care. A runesmith, nay, any good dwarf would never mistreat their tools! You carefully school your expression and make the effort to look unperturbed as you head to the door, taking your precious time to wait for them to put away the protective gear. You don't show even a hint of relaxation, doing the time-honoured tradition of looking incredibly grumbly and impatient as they rushed over to await further instruction. (Gain: opportunities or favour, with who or what depending on the apprentice's background and possible action bonuses. Lose: an action a turn is devoted to teaching. Beardlings/Plaitlings! These wide-eyed little relatives of yours depend on you to teach them the proper way to do things like a Runesmith ought to do! A Runelord with an apprentice is uncommon, but not so uncommon that it is considered odd! Triggers Apprentice sub vote:)
Patting yourself down a final time you huff in a manner approaching contentment and with a simple tap of your hammer, the runes on the door glow brightly. A solid wall grows a seam down the center before both sides slide away from the other. Opening the chamber to the outside for the brief moment it takes you to step past it before another smaller tap sends both sides crashing back into each other to fuse back into a solid edifice of granite and metal.
Nothing makes you happy the way seeing good, solid runework performing its function properly does.
Arms on your hips you gaze out across the whole of
[ ]Home: Karak Azul.
The forges never cease in the Iron Peak, the scent of charcoal and ore waft through the halls of the hold like the scent of bread in a baker's shop. The great roadways are clogged with the orderly traffic of dwarfs going about their day and the heavy carts that haul the earth's bounty up from the mines to be refined. The telltale sign of the runes that strengthen bridges, light the paths and keep the air clean is everywhere. This is no piece fresh out of the forges, Azul has been active for a good few centuries and it shows. With Izril to the south and Eight Peaks to the west, you lack for very little in terms of material, and though dwarfs are never one to put something for sale less than it was worth, the density of smiths and metalworkers in Azul means that quality worth a hefty pouch of coin in other holds is simply the base standard for any craftsdwarf worth their beard or plaits. A Runesmith will always have work in Azul, but it isn't particularly novel work. Often enough it's a blacksmith who seeks to have one of their pieces enchanted to be strengthened and improved in the way only the runes can achieve. Though there are rumblings about a colonizing convoy following the mountains northward coming from Izril in a few decades. Planning takes time as all dwarfs know. (Gain: The Iron Peak, the hold is established and well connected. There is always work for a Runesmith in a place so famed for its tools and crafts. The majority of requests will be weapon and armour-based. Few chances for unique rune events. Convoy heading northeast from Izril)
[ ]Home: Karaz a Karak.
Valaya, wife of Grungni, is very fond of this place and it is here where her husband rules, though he isn't currently present, off completing the founding of Karak Ungor. It is Snorri Whitebeard, heir apparent, who rules in his absence, as fair and just as any king could hope his eldest to be. Karaz A Karak's central location in the greater realm along with its status as the hold the ancestors are most often seen in has given it a bit of cultural traction as it were. While it's getting along fairly well there are a great many tasks yet to be done, work that requires a dwarf of your expertise along with the many other runesmiths who have taken up residence here. Anydwarf with half a brain can tell this place will be important to your people in the future, and you have a chance to be part of its foundation. Though you're likely to compete amongst your fellow runesmiths for the chance. Most of these beardlings will probably be no trouble and you're likely to get along with the runesmiths here, doesn't look good to argue when Valaya could stumble in on you competing over the number of grey hairs in your beard. Embarrassing yourself in front of an elder was one thing, some would say a right of passage in its own odd way, but one of the Ancestors? You could only shudder. (Gain: The Everpeak, the future Capital of your people (not that you know that yet) and currently in the midst of construction. While many of the basics are already built, several pieces of infrastructure are looking rather bereft of any runes. You and your fellow smiths are likely to tussle it out for the honour to do so, and in the act maybe gain the approval of the most important individuals of your race.)
[X]Home: Kraka Drakk.
The winter chill gives you another in the long list of reasons you're thankful for your beard and the runic enchantments on your clothes to keep you warm. Around you, dwarfs bustle about with purpose and dignity, following the traditional steps in which a hold is founded according to Valaya, a rather barebones town on the surface is where most of you are holed up until the main halls are built. Many of the families here are young by the standards for your people, only fullbeards really, with enough elders to keep everything proper and make sure things are done right. Many of the older runesmiths, your fellow Runelords included, who were part of the initial convoy have continued on further north. You've volunteered to stay here and keep an eye on things with plans to join your fellows up north in a century or two. Couldn't be having these youngin's bumbling about without proper guidance, a three-hundred-year-old in charge of anything outside his workshop was poppycock. Really, you're one of the oldest dwarfs in the entire settlement now, and with that comes a level of responsibility any self-respecting dwarf would shoulder for the sake of their people. You suppose it should settle down in a century or two when you get more longbeards coming up to knock some sense into these beardlings, but for the time being, you'll likely have far more work than even YOU can handle at once, and that says a lot. (Gain; The Dragon Hold, the potential future capital of the Norse dwarfs, right now it's a hovel of a town built at the site where a great Frost Wyrm was slain. Magic blows strongly compared to the south, but you're not likely to do anything to harness it while the hold is in its current state. Work is plentiful and material in short supply.)
and snort. There is work to be done, but first a small drink break.
Shoving your hand down into the pouch hanging off your belt, you pull out a piece of troll jerky and take a bite, chewing quietly as you walk towards the nearest Bar.
You made your own food, but Ancestors be damned if you'd ever try making your own Brew.
Snorri, what've you done Beardling? All you had to do was tap the barrel boy, how did this happen?! Ancestors preserve me and get the mop, we have to clean this up before Okri sees this mess and we're both shamed.
No good would come of it.
AN: Here it is folks, gonna be updating the front page with your goodies. The turns for realsies are coming real soon, so if there's any confusion about how legendary deed's buff works please save the question till then and see if my explanation in that post answers it. (who am I kidding I'll probably answer it anyway, do whatever?)
Anyone who's plan voting please put the choices of the plan inside an indent, and anyone who votes for that plan, just copy the plan name instead of the whole vote, just so I don't hurt my brain. Thank you. SIDE NOTE: Turns will probably be plan based mostly. Ill note if a decision should be made outside of a plan vote.
anyone who wants plan big beard just posts
[ ] Plan: Big Beard
to someone who knows how the tally system actually works please let me know if that actually does anything, I'm just following what was on some posts in other quests I follow. :^( Pls also let me know if you see any errors, unlike Snorri I am not a dwarf.
come on guys, an apprentice means extra work, less freedom to do whatever adventures we want, someone we have to protect. If the Daemons are a-coming, that's a liability.
to someone who knows how the tally system actually works please let me know if that actually does anything, I'm just following what was on some posts in other quests I follow.
[X] Apprentice: for your apprentice(s) to put away.
Fewer actions, but with higher chances of success per action.
[X] Home: Karaz a Karak.
Tell me nobody wants to make a laser defense grid for Karaz a Karak. More seriously, our nonstandard expertise should help us to stand out amongst the crowd, and become a legend amongst runesmiths. Kraka Draka will make us too busy to experiment
