(Roll, Does Yorri stay?: 80, DC 75)
You watch as Gotri goes about packing your belongings onto the wagon, Gotrek off somewhere helping Snerra and Dolgi pack their things. In the decades since, Jorri's gone and expanded his caravans into a transport service for dwarfs as well as goods now. He tells you there'll be an uptick in jobs once everyone's gotten sorted out from the Incursion. What're a few centuries really?
You glare at Jorri, the idiot dares to beam right back at you, his stump of an arm doing nothing to hinder his joy. An arm or a son, a simple choice so he told you.
Hard to disagree really.
"You know the
rules, this comes dangerously close to bungling them," you snipe.
"Not my fault
all three of your charges got invited to the Conclave, something that only
Masters can go to freely and
very exceptional journeymen get invited to. Drowning in success and he's complaining Master Yorri, can you believe him?" Jorri says, snorting in faux offence.
"Aye lad, absolutely
shameful," Yorri says, nodding in agreement.
"You're both terrible, absolutely terrible. If my hairs weren't already snow white I'd say you're giving them to me early," you grouse, purposefully keeping away from both apprentices.
But for all that you grumble and grunt about it, there is a part of you that is happy to see the rest of the Runesmiths guild is taking notice of the talent you saw in them.
(Roll, Snerra: 58)
Snerra has continued her work in building her name and repertoire of Runes. She'll be heading out and aiding in the cleansing of the North soon from what you've gathered, you wish her luck. Not that she'll need it, given that she's gathered quite the retinue of allies and protective Bryggeroot bodyguards almost entirely by accident. Like Dolgi, she ends up befriending many dwarfs unintentionally, her sunny demeanour doing wonders in the dark days of the siege just like her banners
Speaking of your other apprentice.
(Roll, Dolgi: 93 +5[Omake] =98)
You cannot help but puff up with quiet pride.
In a feat quite similar to one of your own, young Dolgi saw fit to repay the Griffons of the newly christened "Drongkaraz," translated to Stormpeak, for saving him on multiple occasions by gifting them armour and weapons. Of course, Dolgi's been saved many a time, more than even
you have realized, and consequently made
very many suits of armour and Runic weapons for his rescuers. Enough that he personally made over a third of the total amount of equipment delivered to the Griffons of Drongkaraz.
Good lad.
"By the by, I'll have your replacement arm done soon enough," you tell Jorri.
"Take yer time! Gives me time to hang about the grandchildren, regale them with stories about my valorous exploits!" Jorri replies with a chuckle.
"For their sake, I'll make it a rush job," you reply.
…
The caravan travels quietly in the Underway, the crackle of torches and the quiet noises of the ponies and goats pulling you along are the only source of sound, for no craftsman would dare make a
squeaky wagon wheel. Some folk may think that, as creatures of the surface, the humble pony and the ornery goat would fare poorly down in the depths. And as always, your people have come up with a solution. Breeding the best specimens possible for calmness and other traits that make them excellent for use traveling under the earth as they are above ground. Diligently working to curb any unwanted mutations that occur from prolonged subterranean existence, save their silky albino pelts.
Your folk may not appreciate the sky all too much, but they damn sure hate looking at most of the creatures that are native down here.
Horrible really. It says a lot when giant naked mole rats are the nicest looking things that tunnel through the rock your folk have made a home in.
Not even a proper mole, with fur!
Shameful.
"You done contemplating the inherent ugliness of underground critters?" Yorri asks from the back of the wagon.
"Aye," you reply, suppressing the shudder.
No hair on them!
Unnatural is what it is
.
"Well if ya are, mind passing that salt over there?" Yorri says, gesturing to the bag you'd been using to season your jerky.
You toss it back to him with a grunt, hearing the wuff of air as the sack slaps against his chest.
"BAH!" Yorri grumbles at you.
Ignoring your master's whining, and thoroughly unwilling to continue contemplating mole rats, you use your free time to take stock of the rebuilt defences. From the stories you've heard in the years since, the battle for the Underway turned the entire approach into a mass of rubble and dead bodies as your people made the enemy bleed reservoirs for every centimetre of stone. Using the tight quarters and your own traps towards erasing the daemons' ability to outnumber your people, which Prince Gloin abused to stupendous effect. Tales of clever ruses and merciless encirclement tactics employed by the prince have become legend throughout the hold. From the crushing of a bloodthirster under a statue of Grimnir, the encirclement of Khabadaz the Blood Drinker, to the constant push and pull that centered around the first of the five defensive layers.
Signs of the conflict are still evident, though not in the way you imagined.
The road beneath you is repaved and re-tiled, the tally of the dead slain on that piece of ground etched onto each piece of stone. The walls of the tunnels are restored in fine bricks, the names of the fallen etched on each. Fallen pillars are righted, remade to depict one of the many battles fought underneath the stone ceiling, every loss and victory remembered in stark clarity.
You pass a statue, the very one used to crush a bloodthirster underfoot with its fall actually. The stone boots remain, though the destroyed sections are replaced with a fine steel replica of Grimnir, the head of that very same daemon clutched in His hand, and the arm stretched out so that the head is like a great chandelier in the tunnel.
Your keen eye notes the telltale signs of machinery in the massive arm. Likely to make the giant steel daemon's head into an impromptu trap should anything dare attack the dwarfs through the Underway once more.
…
As you continue down southwards Jorri's caravan grows larger as other caravans, some he owns others he doesn't, join up with yours to form a large wagon train. The unofficial tradition in less dangerous times now canonized as safe and sound tactics during the horrors of the siege your peoples all endured. Harder to prey upon caravans traveling the depths when they get large enough to count as a throng in their own right ya see.
Many carry goods and products, but a solid amount also carry Runesmiths of all ranks, each and every one headed in the same destination as you, Karaz a Karak and the Grand Conclave. Over the days of travel you notice Gemlin Steeleyes and Orri Silverbrow join your wagon train as you pass Vlag and Ungor. Both elders nod gruffly, but not unkindly at you from their own wagons. Gemlin especially considering that, in his words, you put up stiffer competition than expected with your armour. Though the elder makes sure to poke at the differences in your beards in good fun to show no hard feelings about it, simply good old fashioned competitive spirit.
In your opinion you beat the dwarf, his, admittedly better, beard notwithstanding.
You also see many a young Master Runesmith and a few other Journeymen on the trek south, all of you headed to the same place and for the same reason.
Well technically, you're going to Rhunkalbrogg, which is different from the Conclave but also not.
A bit of head wracking, but not that difficult to understand.
The Grand Conclave and Rhunkalbrogg are the two official events specific to your profession. The Former usually happens every generation or so, during times of lesser conflict, while the latter is less punctual. The Grand Conclave happens whenever it can, but Rhunkalbrogg only happens when the Grand Conclave does, but not all the time. The reason lies in its purpose, the Grand Conclave is meant for Master Runesmiths to connect and network while Rhunkalbrogg is reserved solely for Runelords to elect new members on the rare occasion one of your number dies or on the even rarer occasion that the realm grows to such an extent that a new Runelord needs to be elected. You imagine this year's Rhunkalbrogg will be exceptionally large and paradoxically smaller compared to before. Given that so many of you have died, in the North especially. You are the last Runelord of the North, as you overhear your youngers whisper in the bars, but you won't
stay that way. The House of Runelords don't like leaving single Runelords in " charge" of entire regions, which can potentially lead to a lot of radicalization and echo chambering.
A truth about the position of Runelord, there was far more to consider when selecting a new member, at least unofficially. Skill was obviously the largest and only official factor, but there are many Masters on the same level of skill that simply do not become Runelords for many reasons. Mostly because the house of Runelords is full, but there are also those like Master Yorri who want nothing to do with the unofficial and official responsibilities a Runelord is tasked with. Back to the point of the election though, those other factors were and could be varied, but usually boiled down to location, personality, wealth, and things like that. Because for good or ill, time has shown that Runelords find themselves as pillars of dwarf society with a bevy of responsibilities thrust upon them. The house of Runelords then has simply responded in kind by ensuring their representatives are the best of the best among them. A Runelord was no king, no Loremaster, and certainly not a General in an official capacity or understanding, but could find themselves placed in such positions should worst come to worst or simply through happenstance. All alongside their
official duties with making sure the local Runesmiths of their hold, and maybe even region, weren't getting too foolish. Of course, that doesn't hold true for all of you, seeing as a number of you hole yourselves up to do nothing but research, but the House of Runelords
tries to make sure to keep that in check. If an ornery bugger with no sense of tact is a Runelord you can bet your beard or plaits it's because they're simply too skilled to be ignored, or have gotten so old that their natural prickliness has become an impenetrable wall of thorns. Metaphorically speaking of course.
Minor note, all of that is
another point of contention between the so-called radical and conservative factions. Whether skill alone should decide worthiness just as Thungni dictated, or if other factors should also be taken into account. You had no stake in it frankly, you weren't going to
ignore those other factors, but a dwarf of high enough skill ought to have no real reason to be denied entry into the House of Runelords. Besides Master Yorri, but the man has shown no interest in the position himself. Didn't stop him from taking you out on a night of celebration once you
became a Runelord of course, he, like any sane dwarf, would never turn down the chance to drink.
There's also the unofficial apprentice meetup but that's just the Grand Conclave for the beardlings that get dragged along by their masters, but aren't allowed entry into the Conclave proper. Same idea, but usually ends up with a lot more fool hijinks and pub crawling.
Ah, good times.
"You better keep all of that in mind apprentice, I'll be testing you o-," you mutter, before blinking and realizing that you are in fact...apprentice-less. Technically at least.
You've been lecturing nothing but thin air for who knows how long now, haven't you.
Bah.
You hear Yorri snort behind you.
"Do go on lad. I want to see if half the things I taught actually stuck in that fool head of yours. What did ya say once to your wife all those centuries ago? Ironclad memory?" your master finishes with a good long chortle.
"It was Gromrilclad for your information!" you reply hotly in well-hidden embarrassment.
Bah!
…
- [Simple] Weaponized Wings completed! Dolgi Embermane and the Runesmiths of Kraka Drakk have, in a fevered rush, completed the armament of the Aerie of Kraka Drakk. Your young apprentice personally made a good third of the total amount of armours and Runic weapons himself.
- The jubilation of victory bears fruit. Young beard and plaitlings, barely out of their first decade, can be seen leaving the safety of the clan home and into the wider hold for the first time. Under heavy watch and guard of course, and definitely not outside! The same can be said for the Griffons of Drongkaraz, whose numbers replenish a bit faster than your folk do, but nowhere near fast enough to recoup losing two-thirds of their total number.
…
You have (5 -1) =4 actions this turn and [Special] Yorri prods x0 which can be used in some actions.
General:
[ ] Odd Places 6/10:
[Cost: 1 action] Roll for usefulness. Look on Master Yorri's map and try and discover one of his marked locations. The locations will certainly be odd, but whether they'll be useful will remain to be seen.
- Prod Yorri:
[Cost: 1 prod] Gain +15 to Odd Places Roll. Master Yorri probably knows a few things and secrets. Given he found these parts in the first place.
[ ] Apprentice Hunt:
[Cost: 1 Action] Apprentice Vote after Turn Results.Go out and trawl through the local and regional populace to find a beardling or two worth your time. No stone unturned, no clan unchecked, no record unread, even the Foundling Wards!
[ ] Boon from the Sky:
[Cost: Start Request, [Difficult] Plated Skies Pt. 1:] Write-in what you want from the King of the Skies. He can do a lot but be reasonable. In exchange, he expects a suit of armour.
[ ] Prod for Prod:
[Cost: 1 action] Gain x3 Yorri prods. Master Yorri is most certainly more learned and experienced than you are, but mayhaps you have something worth his time as well? You've taught a good amount, Adamant included, but there are still a few things Yorri himself is interested in.
[X] The Grand Conclave/Rhunkalbrogg:
[Cost: 1 action] Once a generation the Master Runesmiths, and a few select journeymen, gather together in a grand meeting from across the holds to meet old friends, network, argue and generally talk as much shop as one could expect a Runesmith to. While the location has changed from hold to hold, this year it will be held in Karaz A Karak. You haven't been in a good long time. Not since you became a Runelord actually, but this year's conclave forces your hand. You've been summoned to participate in the naming of the replacement Runelords in the aftermath of the Great Incursion as it is now being called.
- [ ] Optional Write-in: Anything you want to take with you?
Requests: Denote which simple request will receive the Apprentice Action in your plan.
[-] [Simple] Apprentice work:
[Cost: variable apprentice actions] Roll for usefulness. 1 Roll per apprentice action. Locked due to no apprentices. Your not
that young, but still young, charges are now of an age you feel it acceptable for them to do a bit of exploration. Send your apprentices out into the hold and pick up a few tasks from whoever offers it to them. Give them a bit of experience for their upcoming task as journeymen and let them build a reputation in the hold. You'll of course critique their work and use it as a learning experience as any good master ought to.
[ ] [Simple] Warded Aeries:
[Cost: (2 -1) =1 actions] Productivity Like No Other will proc. The Griffons of the Skarrenraz Ankor suffered terribly defending the skies of your hold. The decade-long siege has seen many an oath of friendship sworn between your folk and theirs. An entire generation of "Clutchlings'' as they are called, has been raised alongside your own youth safely within the halls of the Karak. Their nests are high above the world, but they are ill-suited to protecting them from that which can fly as well. Rectify this, at least for the roost in Kraka Drakk, and aid in Otrek's work to repay these odd but dependable allies. Morgrim Himself has given the blueprints for the final structure, and His followers have completed the structure in its entirety. But the Runes to be used, you are told, were left purposefully blank by Morgrim. His words something akin to, "Let Thungni's scions decide if it's worth their time," you are told.
[ ] [Simple] Vent Venting Pt. ?:
[Cost: 2 actions] Productivity Like No Other will proc. Well the clergy have cleared the usefulness of the water that comes from...Valaya's Mystical Vents, but the site itself is rubble and covered in tonnes of material. You could certainly hire a crew to clear the area and get everything going. The Temple is willing to pay you for the right to use the land.
- [ ] Petition the Hold:
[Cost: 10 favours] Gain 1 progress. keep control over the land for whatever you want to do with it. You can also use that same offer in your own way. Petition the Hold to aid you in constructing this place and in return offer fair compensation in fee reductions and the like. It gives you control over the site itself, and whatever it is you want done with it.
OR
- [ ] Religious Donation:
Gain 2 progress. if taken no action input required, but can add actions to overflow if desired. Lose rights to the land itself, Temple of Valaya will pay and provide material.. Any dwarf may offer a libation to the Ancestors as is their right. You could, therefore, offer the land to the Priesthood then potentially work
for the Priesthood in the construction of whatever it is they'd like built here and in exchange they do almost all of the heavy lifting. In reality it's a much more complex process, given Dwarf property law is obviously very extensive, but that is neither here nor there! You'll lose the ability to do what you want with this place, but you doubt you'll ever lose access to getting some of the water whenever you want.
[ ] [Simple] Cave Clearing Pt. 1:
[Cost: 3 actions] The cave system you've discovered has been left untouched in the decades since. Now that most of the reconstruction is done, you're actually able to find work crews to hire and help you fix this place up for something useful! It'll be a lot of work and the caves themselves are extensive, and who knows what other opportunities await?
- [ ] Petition the Hold:
[Cost: variable favours] Gain 1 progress per 10 favour, can be taken multiple times to autocompletion. You can also hire out a few work crews for the hold, certain that at least several of these caves can be put to use as winter grazing land. Something the herdsdwarfs would be keen to exploit as you've been told many a time.
[ ] [Difficult] A Princely Panoply Pt. 1:
[Cost: 1 action] If a rune you want requires special ingredients that you don't have access to I will alert you. Choose 2. Otrek has come to you with a minor request, seeking your expertise in armouring the scions of the King of the Skies in fine Gromril armour capable of keeping the Griffon's legacy alive as a gift to be given. He who Thinks and He who Remembers have different philosophies over the kind of armour they want. The former wants to retain his speed and dexterity while the latter wishes to improve his already formidable endurance and toughness. a multi-work project.
- [ ] Choose: choose three runes you want on the weapon.
- [ ] Theme: write in a theme for the weapon. (I will roll to see if you find a new combo)
- [ ] GM: Leave it to the GM. (I will roll to see if you find a new combo)
[ ] [Difficult] Write in, A Miner's Brother Pt. 1:
[Cost: 1 action] If a rune you want requires special ingredients that you don't have access to I will alert you. Since returning from the campaign you've been reflecting on Grimnir and how he fought, twin axes flashing. Sometimes you found yourself looking at the Miner while these thoughts tumbled through your mind, and now they've all fallen together. You could make it a Brother, a Warrior. A twelve-meter tall Gronti forged from steel polished to a wondrous shine with twin axes of Gromril, mighty and doughty to set before the Inner Gate of Kraka Drakk, whose king is descended from the Valiant One.
- [ ] Choose: choose three runes you want on the weapon.
- [ ] Theme: write in a theme for the weapon. (I will roll to see if you find a new combo)
- [ ] GM: Leave it to the GM. (I will roll to see if you find a new combo)
[ ] [Difficult] Write In Pt. 1:
[Cost: 1 action] If a rune you want requires special ingredients that you don't have access to I will alert you. You've had an idea! This is the template for write in item request! Please put down the name, description and type of equipment/item you want made. Pt 2 of the item will cost differently depending on the number of items and potentially the size of it as well. A base guideline for Pt. 2 costs will be at the bottom of the post.
- [ ] Choose: choose three runes you want on the weapon.
- [ ] Theme: write in a theme for the weapon. (I will roll to see if you find a new combo)
- [ ] GM: Leave it to the GM. (I will roll to see if you find a new combo)
Research:
[ ] Dragon Ogre Autopsy:
[Cost: 6 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. You've found yourself with a bevy of corpses to study. Dragon Ogres aren't an
unknown foe, but you've never been privy to the results of the few limited autopsies done in the long history of your people.
- [ ] Destructive Research:
[Cost: 3 Shaggoth Corpses, 9 Dragon Ogre Corpses] Gain 2 Progress, can be taken multiple times. You have very
many corpses. Being a bit more invasive in your understanding will mean more work gets done, but will cost you.
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost: 1 prod] Gain 1d3 of progress. See if your master has something in his noggin, he spent a decade fighting these things.
[ ] Chimaera Autopsy:
[Cost 4 actions] Damn things are odd monstrosities, three heads, two hearts, four brains. Neither one is entirely alike. A part of you wonders how much of this is usable and how much more is tainted krut. You'll have to wear some protective gear when dealing with these bodies.
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost 1 prod] Gain 1 progress. Your master had to fight these things in his mad dash to Kraka Drakk. He may very well have an insight or two.
[ ] Silverwood:
[Cost: 4 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. An entire forest odd silvery Wutroth is now under your ownership. While a large profit driver as you are well aware, there's an odd feeling in your belly when you look at the stuff. Beautiful like nothing else, and stronger than regular Wutroth as well. You know a few runes that require Wutroth to make, but maybe this has something special to it as well?
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost: 1 prod] Gain 1d2 progress. Your master never managed to see these trees up close the first time, but in his time spent waiting for you to find him he did manage to do
some digging.
[ ] Hearthstones:
[Cost: 4 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. This deep orange gem glows with never ending heat, never enough to boil water, but enough to sleep comfortably at night and keep a bowl of stew warm long after it's left the stove. You have a few theories about how useful the material will be, but you can't ever be sure. At least it's likely to be a profitable resource when you can get some actual production going though.
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost: 1 prod] Gain 2 progress. Your master worked well with these at least somewhat. See what he knows.
[ ] Voidstones:
[Cost: 5 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. You have three shards of the material left. You aren't sure
what it is, or if there's even more of it out there in the world, getting gobbled up by other Runelords inconspicuously. You'll have to do a bit of investigation as well as your more normal battery of tests.
[ ] The Secrets of Light?:
[Cost: (8 -5) =3 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. That moment with the shield and sunray, the light of your torch glinting off the crystal, both sparked something in your mind. An ember that refused to be burned out. You've done permutations to the standard Rune of Light and a few on Master Yorri's Rune of Reflection, but maybe there could be more?
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost: 1 prod] Gain 1d3 +1 progress. Master Yorri may have some knowledge he'd be willing to share.
[ ] The Movement of Things Pt. 2:
[Cost: (8 -3) =5 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. The Rune of Waking or Animation as some would call it is a rare rune. How Master Yorri knows both the regular and Master Rune could be explained by either a harrowing adventure full of terror, beasties and treasure or by something as mundane as asking a friend, you could never be sure with the man. Yorri's given you a few pointers but something he said nags at you. Why
is it that only bipedal golems work for the Master Rune of Waking?
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost: 1 prod] Gain 1d2+1 progress, can be taken multiple times. Master Yorri, by his own account, has a good idea about how gronti and their ilk function.
[ ] The Mind of Things Pt. 1:
[Cost: 8 actions] Student of the Odd will proc. Master Yorri's Rune of Prosthesis allowed the bearer to mentally control the appendage with startling precision. Something that you aren't quite too sure how he managed. You can
feel the dwarf chortling somewhere at your confusion.
- [ ] Prod Yorri:
[Cost 1 prod] Gain 1d2+1 progress, can be taken multiple times. Master Yorri simply chuckles mysteriously at you.
[ ] The Rune Metal Pt. 5:
[Cost: 12 actions] Student of the Odd and Mind for Metal will proc. You've done it. Adamant is now, slowly, being made from your forge! It is an achievement of your lifetime by the reckoning of most dwarfs, but yet the glittering white stays in your mind. There is
more still.
[ ] Understand a Master Rune:
[Cost: 16 actions] Depending on the choice, Student of the Odd and/or Mind of Metal may proc. The same idea as studying any rune in theory, in practice it takes a lot longer and there's often a large chance of explosions.
[ ] C-c-combo Tester!:
[Cost: 1 action] If a rune you want requires special ingredients that you don't have access to I will alert you. Write-in format for a Rune Combo you want Snorri to test. Format is as follows: [Placeholder Combo Name] Equipment type: [Rune 1, Rune 2, Rune 3]
Order: You can Order 1 new item a turn freely, but can have as many orders ongoing as you want. Don't hoard mats.
[ ] ORDER: Write-in
- [ ] Kingly Expedite:
[Cost: 5,10,15, Favour from King Otrek, depending on tier] -1 turn taken on order, can be taken multiple times. You may petition King Otrek to flex his political muscle to expedite the process.
[ ] Kingly Authority:
[Cost: 5,10,15, Favour from King Otrek, or Buradarr depending on tier] +1 Order. You may petition King Otrek to flex his political muscle to order something for your use.
- [ ] Kingly Expedite:
[Cost: 5,10,15, Favour from King Otrek, depending on tier] -1 turn taken on order, can be taken multiple times. You may petition King Otrek to flex his political muscle to expedite the process.
[ ] Princely Hunting:
[Cost: 5, 10 Favour from Prince Gloin depending on tier] +1 Order of T2 or T3 monster mats only. It would be ridiculous for you to ask your King to go gallivanting around the North to find something for you to make a Rune out of, but a Prince or Princess? Well, that's just you helping them build their legend through the slaying of monsters and aiding their elders.
Write in Equipment Action Costs:
1 Action - 1 standard piece of equipment.
2 Actions - Multiple pieces of equipment or Large individual items
3 Actions - Very Large individual items or a full/near full set of items.
How to vote on Multi-Piece Difficult Requests.
[Y] Dowry Pt. 1
- [Y] Choose/Theme/GM: For Item 1
- [Y] Choose/Theme/GM: For Item 2
- [Y] Choose/Theme/GM: For Item 3
Adamant Costs, General Guideline:
1 Piece of equipment or hypothetical Rune requiring Adamant - 1 bar
1 Suit of Armour for a Dwarf - 3 bars
1 Suit of Armour for a Human or Elf sized being - 4 bars
1 Piece of Ogre sized Gronti equipment - 2 bars
1 Suit of Ogre sized Gronti armour - 6 Bars
Anything larger just ask me, it will also appear in applicable actions.
Remember to vote by plan. There will be a two-hour moratorium for discussion.
AN: I've reformatted stuff to make it easier for you guys to make slimmer plan votes. Tell me whatcha think. Thanks for reading and don't forget to C&C. :^)
