You look down at the diminutive child, her bright blue eyes staring back up at you in wonder.
"Snerra, greet your uncle Snorri, girl!" Jorri whispers, pushing the little girl forward just a tad.
"H-hello Uncle!" the small child squeaks at you.
You sniff not unkindly at the child, a small grin on your lips as you stare at her. A small dress of red and blue with a little cap atop a head of deep brown hair.
You pat her on the head as you glare at your brother.
"What in Thungni's name are you doing bringing a
child out of the hold? On a Caravan! In the north! Where there are trolls! Does Magna know?"
Jorri, the tosser, simply nods.
"It took a lot of cajoling, but the Rangers have been clearing the north of these
Greedy Trolls as they're called with gusto and the fact that I came here with a good amount of the Clan convinced he-" he says before you cut him off
"-You have eight hundred dwarfs with you here Jorri. This isn't a good amount of the clan, it's
most of the clan. Look, Uncle Kraus is right there!" you say, pointing at one dwarf in a group of elders sniffing in approval at the hold's defences.
"Brother please, Magna only agreed to bringing Snerra with me on the condition I bring adequate guard. It's not my fault that two-thirds of the clan was what she considered adequate guard!" Jorri pleads.
You scoff, absentmindedly handing a piece of troll jerky to the
child at your feet to nibble on.
"What's the
real reason Jorri. I appreciate seeing my niece and I appreciate seeing so many familiar faces, but you don't up and move eight hundred dwarfs and send them off on a
whim," you say
"Jorri, stop yanking Snorri by the beard, and Snorri stop pointing out your brother's foolishness. He didn't
ask for us, we came here of our own accord. If your father was here he'd knock some sense into you both," a very familiar voice says.
"Yes mother/Mother?" you both say at the same time, looking at the grim visage of an elderly dwarf matron. Her pure white hair bound in thick plaits that looped around a good five times before ending a few inches from the ground. She wears a conservative dress in the clan colours, only four rings on her fingers and the necklace your father made her for their 80th anniversary on her neck.
"Yes,
mother. What Snorri? No hello? No 'oh its been years, how have you been ma?' I certainly didn't teach you to be so disrespectful!" she chides you with no real heat, poking at your chest with a finger.
"Yes ma, hello ma, sorry ma," you blurt out, centuries of repetition making the phrases a reflex.
"Bah! Come here son, you too granddaughter, it's been a good century since I've seen you and two minutes too long without the other. Letters and gifts just don't compare, too busy to visit your mother now that you're a Runelord hmm?" Iggun Frostbraids says pulling you and Snerra into a tight hug.
"What are you doing here ma?" you gasp out, the bone-crushing force of her hug stopping you from breathing properly.
"Magna asked me to come and make sure Jorri didn't cock it up, and to my shame, it seems I've failed. Look at what you've done Jorri, shamed your mother in public!" she says releasing you both after a while, then swatting your brother's arm.
"Yes ma, sorry ma," the four hundred something-year-old apologizes, bowing his head.
"Now, I'm only here to visit and do some shopping, but most of the Clan's here to move in. Heard a tale of Pure Gromril that
you helped make possible and decided this was a good place for the younger folk to settle down like Kraus over there. Elders got sick of their rowdiness you see," she says.
Uncle Kraus was an elder of eight centuries, but then again your father was his older brother so it tracked.
"Jorri! Go get your brother's order will you? Snerra girl, go follow your father and get Gotri and Gotrek to help you make sure he isn't being a daft lad now will you?"
"Yes Grandmother!" the youngster says, following after the retreating and defeated form of your brother.
Your mother meanwhile claps your face, hands pushing and pulling at your cheeks.
"Look at you! All skin and bones, have you been eating? I know your type gets caught up in your work, but that doesn't excuse improper nutrition! Do you know how much it hurts your mother seeing you this thin?" she says worrying over you, ignoring the fact that you're larger and taller than most dwarfs here.
"I've been eating mother," you say, trying to placate her.
"Not enough clearly!" she says lightly, poking your cheeks harder.
"Ma, please," you beg.
"How've ya been? Hows Fjolla? The girl been doing alright by you?" she continues, heedless of your distress.
"Fjolla's fine ma, barely almost adequate as an apprentice, and I'm fine, there's no need to worry!" you say, pushing her hands away from your sore face.
She only squints up at you, only the fact that you are being honest keeping you from wilting under that familiar glare.
She takes your hand in hers.
"You're old enough I suppose that I can tell you. Your father would be proud of you,
all of you. But don't tell Jorri, he can do with a little more pushing still."
"Yes ma."
…
You sip the ale conservatively, mind ablaze with the knowledge you now possess. Gromril, even Pure Gromril was impure by the way it came into the world. The vileness of Warpstone, unhappy at its inability to corrupt Gromril's physical properties instead corroded the metaphysical spark of the metal.
Just another reason to hate the stuff really.
You idly pat your young niece's head, the little plaitling following you like a limpet as you trained your apprentices and told her stories.
"Then Thungni came upon a cavern one day, and entering it he found a great glittering realm of such beauty that it left the Ancestor speechless. The Ankor Brynn, the source of
all Runes, there Thungni found wonder, beauty and power. Like Wutroth seeds, he plucked the earliest Runes from that place and brought them out with him, giving all dwarf kind the wondrous gift that is Runecraft," you narrate, internally delighting in the look of pure wonder in her eyes.
The story itself was only partly correct. None knew how Thungni found the Ankor Brynn, and the Ancestor deigned never to tell anyone save the other Ancestors.
"Then Thungni found those worthy and capable of following in his steps, and found that only those who shared his blood could wield the Runes in the same way as he did. Then he trained these first few as his apprentices, teaching them himself and bidding them to spread their knowledge. These earliest Runesmiths were the greatest of the kind,
Agra Silverplaits, Yorren Thunderblow, Belglum the Vast, and many more. These would be the first of the Runelords, and several would join the vaunted ranks of the Burudin, greatest of their rank and are still there to this day! And it is through that bond, Snerra, that I also possess the talent."
"Uncle, do I have the gift?" Snerra asks, eyes wide.
You sniff.
"Too early to say plaitling, mayhaps you do, mayhaps you don't. None can say until a dwarf is past her second decade at the earliest, and even then it is usually during the Kumenought when the Elders can say for certain," you explain patiently.
She nods vigorously.
Bah.
Looking away from your youngest, temporary, ward you snort in the direction of your apprentices, both shivering slightly less than last time, as they inscribed the pattern of Runes they kept bungling up while sitting in the snow.
"Fjolla, you've fixed the third strike, now how about you fix the other twelve and the four more you've made doing so? Dolgi! That Rune of Burning has a better chance of melting the machine with the terrible fate of being under your fumbling ministrations!" you shout just a tad quieter as to protect your niece's small fragile ears.
The two of them had been progressing well beyond your expectations, not that they'd ever know you remind yourself. They had progressed so much that you were even considering entrusting them with a few more tasks, nothing much, still no runes of course, but more than they would have been able to handle before. About halfway there now, soon you may even allow them the chance to take a few small commissions on the side. But that was a good few decades away, even at their pace.
"I'll be back, the both of you'd best not slack off while I'm away!" you shout a final time before standing and turning to look down at the plaitling next to you and saying much more softly, "Come along now Snerra, let's see if your grandmother has finished chewing out your father."
…
The two of you walk past the bustling forms of dwarfs in the market district, your niece carefully holding on to your hand so as not to get lost in the crowd.
All around you conversations range from mundane tasks, exciting news from the south and the ever-present grumbling of Longbeards complaining about the youth.
You walk slower than usual so as to not overburden the small dwarf walking alongside you, your eyes and ears searching for your brother and mother.
On your way you hear quite a few stories, some boring some bland, but one stands out some. Apparently, the traders say, Grimnir's efforts a decade ago are bearing fruit. Many of the major and minor holds have been fortifying their entrance to the Ungdrin Ankor, unwilling to shame themselves before the ancestor, but a few have taken to the task with gusto. In many of the places Grimnir has been to, numerous minor holds he has saved, like the still rebuilding Karak Rikkaraz, and major holds like Ungor, Everpeak, far-flung Azul and oddly enough Karak Kadrin. That last one surprised you, it being a hold known for trading and its famous Kadrin steel, much of Kadrin's defences were surface-bound on account of the pass it presided over.
Odd but not unwelcome. Always good to have defences and never need them as opposed to the opposite in your opinion.
Eventually, you catch sight of your family, Jorri and his sons carrying bags and bags of goods while your mother haggles with some poor merchant for all they were worth.
You give a gentle tug on your niece's arm and gestured towards the sight of her father and grandmother. Understanding your intent she begins to walk faster, face scrunched up in effort.
Feh.
...
You bid Jorri and your mother farewell by the month's end, standing before them as the last carts are loaded up and put away. Your mother is off nagging Jorri for his poor packing practices when you arrive.
One by one you offer them parting gifts, all bearing Runes of course; Jorri a talisman, your mother a silver and sapphire necklace, your nephews a matching set of axes and other personal items to each and every one of your brother's children until you stop before the youngest of the eight.
Kneeling down, you lift the necklace in front of the girl's delighted eyes. A simple thing of polished silver, engraved with the Rune of Stone, Warding and Light. A trinket really, something for her to ogle and be amazed by in her youth.
You watch with quiet satisfaction as she takes it in her hand, finger tracing the Rune of stone.
You chalk it up to luck when she traces the etch marks in the proper order, then grow interested when she does the same for the Rune of Warding and Light. Then you are shocked, internally of course, when you catch her mouth mumbling what looked like the chant almost on reflex. The words are wrong, not even close really, but the tone, the intonation, the rhythm are scarily accurate for an eight-year-old.
"Snerra, where'd you learn that chant lass?" you say, spooking her out of her reverie.
"What chant Uncle?" she says, honest confusion on her face.
You raise your brow, "the one you spoke when you were running your fingers over the Runes Snerra."
"I...I'm not sure. I just thought it up! Honest! I swear on my plaits!" the girl says tugging at her hair for emphasis, growing distressed at your expression of disbelief.
Well.
"Swearing on your plaits are you?" you say, voice serious, "Well, I'll believe you, because good dwarfs don't swear on their plaits lightly, and you're a good girl aren't you lass?" you say ruffling her hair as she nods vigorously.
You leave her to finish her packing before you head over to where Jorri was working.
"Jorri," you call seriously, grabbing his attention, "we have to talk."
"What about?" he says, confused by your sudden shift in emotions.
"Girl's got the gift Jorri, the strongest I've seen. Stronger than Fjolla even," you say, patting him on the arm.
His eyes grow wide.
"You have a lot to decide when she turns of age." you say simply, "If you want I can send simple things, tests we use to determine the gift, let her try them and report what she does to me. Guild secrets, you understand."
"Aye, aye I can do that brother," Jorri nods, gaze splitting out into a grin, "Pa would be gobsmacked we got
three great Runesmiths in the family now wouldn't he?"
You raise a brow, a smile on your lips as you reply, "Three? I can count one, the other's an apprentice and one's a lass of eight Jorri. Counting your goats a bit early aren't you?"
"Call it faith brother, call it faith!" Jorri shouts, clambering to the seat of his wagon.
"Nonsense more like!" you shout back, staying the entire time as the caravan disappears from view, waving all the while.
Well then.
…
- Grimnirs actions the last decade have spurred the holds into action, several major and minor holds especially take to it with gusto.
- Your niece is crazy good with runes dawg, rolled a crit on her natural ability.
- Magma Dragon's blood received.
- Your slightly less shoddy beardlings have progressed to such a degree that they have been given even more work you consider them incapable of failing! What a mark of honour +1 Apprentice action, same restrictions apply.
...
You have (5 - 1) = 4 actions and 2 apprentice actions this turn:
General:
[ ] Odd Places 1/10: 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.
[Cost: 1 action] Roll for usefulness.
[X] Teach your apprentices.
[Cost: 1 Action] Locked in for 6 turns.
Requests: Denote which simple request will receive the Apprentice Action in your plan.
[ ] [Simple] Runic Warmachines: The Engineer's guild has come to you with a request to improve the hold's war machines with the power of Runes. Their losses at the Battle at the Dragon's Maw is a stinging blow that shames them. Not that any dwarf blames the engineers or claims they didn't do their part, not much can be done when a bunch of daemons spawn on top of your position and destroy your artillery after all, but the event has lit a fire under their collective arses. The previous decade was spent cranking out bolt and grudge throwers by the dozen and what better way to make even deadlier machines than with runes? Well, it's sound logic, runes always make things better.
[Cost: (2-1) =1 actions] Productivity Like No Other will proc.
[ ] [Simple] Defence. In. Depth Pt2: Now that work is done on the outer walls of the Karak, the hold can now focus its efforts on turning the massive clearing into a deathtrap worthy of song and saga! Piping needs to be laid, reservoirs dug, tunnels excavated, stores for food and ammunition packed full for the far-flung barracks and watchtowers. Acres of land, mountain passes to be scouted, blocked off or rerouted if need be. It will be a task that will take decades of labour and hardy dwarfen determination. And all of that construction, every last building, artillery piece and tunnel. Needs. Runes.
[Cost: 3 actions] Productivity Like No Other Will proc.
[ ] [Difficult] Trollslayer Pt. 2: With both you and Thane Ironarm in agreement, and the reagents here, all that's left to do is build the weapon itself. A large two-handed bearded axe with a shaft of darkly stained wutroth. The Pure Gromril head engraved with the image of a falling comet, the Runes inside the sphere of the comet's body. The shaft to be contrasted by fine silver knotwork, and the entire piece interspersed with the finest sapphires from the hold's mines.
[Cost: 1 action, Magma Dragon's Blood] Productivity Like No Other will proc.
Research: Your career and your honour demand you hone your craft, and it's usually done through poking at runes and seeing what works.
[ ] The Greedy One's Heart: This thing has been transferred to a warded container because you don't really trust anything that came from
that thing. You're all but certain you could make a truly potent Rune of Healing or Fortitude with this thing, but perhaps there are other uses for it you could come up with that a battery of tests could reveal.
[Cost: 4 actions.] Student of the Odd will proc
[ ] The Secrets of Light?: 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?
[Cost: (8-2) =6 Actions] Student of the Odd will proc
[ ] The Movement of things: 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. Still, this was a rune that, to your frustration, you haven't had much chance to tinker with. Maybe just a peak?
[Cost: 8 actions] Student of the Odd will proc.
[ ] The Rune Metal Pt. 3: The Gromril isn't pure, well metaphysically. You need to first devise a Rune or Runic array necessary to draw out the magical impurity from the Gromril itself before you can even
begin to tackle the actual physical makeup of such a procedure. You're lucky there's a large body of Runework dedicated to removing or stopping magic cold in its unstable tracks, otherwise, this would have taken far longer. Your gut tells you nevertheless, that nothing short of a Master Rune will cut it.
[Cost: 12 Actions] Student of the Odd and Mind of Metal will proc.
[ ] Understand a Master Rune: 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.
[Cost: 16 actions] Depending on the choice, Student of the Odd and/or Mind of Metal may proc.
Order: As well as the normal system, I'm willing to experiment with this. You can order 1 Rune's worth of an item a turn but can have as many orders going as you want. I'll ask you only to order if you think you'll use that material for a Rune in the future and not horde a bunch of materials.
[ ]Write-in:
REMEMBER TO VOTE BY PLAN, THERE IS A TWO HOUR MORATORIUM.
AN: crit that baby when I let other people roll for her on a whim. Grimnir Memes are something the dice are still pushing and I'm all for it. Anyway, don't forget to C&C and thanks for reading. :^)
