Wields-Rulebook-Heavily
03-03-2008, 07:47 PM
It was some years ago that the expedition first set out upon the site of the new fortress. It had been properly surveyed, and the oracle consulted for a name; And she named the site Shammanmomuz, which struck fear into the hearts of many. Nevertheless, the seven brave dwarves set out with high hopes.
The land itself was swampy and inhospitable, and rainy beyond any sane dwarf to bear, but dwarves care most for what lies beneath the skin. Within a year, the fortress had found its footing in the mountainous hills, and its prosperity grew in such leaps and bounds that no fever than fifty migrants chose to brave the journey. Many projects were undertaken in that time; The famous legendary dining room, decorated with statues and engravings; The opulent throne room of the benevolent mayor; and the efficiently designed living quarters, spacious enough to house the citizens of a metropolis, the gods willing. Ores were found, gems were struck, And soon the artifacts began to emerge. The fortress enjoyed uncommon fortune when it came to artifacts. Of the ten dwarves that undertook their projects, only one failed to finish his.
This bounty of legendary items increased the fortress' wealth beyond measure. It attracted as many thieves and snatchers as it did migrants, but the fortress guard made it a point of pride that never was so much as a single item lost to a kobold sneak-thief.
It was in the winter of 1057, almost seven years post settlement, that the goblins came. At first, they were easily fended off by the legendary champions the fortress now boasted. Soon, however, their numbers became too great, and a few heroes met their final fate.
What happened next is unclear. Although each dwarf received a hero's funeral, it seems that the champions had become very popular in the fortress, and several of the warriors had married one another and multiplied. The death of one carried with it inconsolable grief to their spouse. It inspired a berserk rage, and that cost the fortress dearly, for three children and a tiny youngling were killed before the maddwarf could be locked away.
In the midst of this terrible event, another goblin siege arrived, along with a human caravan. The humans, who had come to rely on the road constructed some years before for their wagons, were ambushed and quickly cut down. The goblins then overran the defenses, stopped only by the remaining champions, of which the most notable heroes were Morul Islanamud, the moody yet stout spearsdwarf, and Cerol Tulonidith, who gave birth in the midst of the siege and carried on fighting. They were not quick enough to save their junior members, which caused another wave of grief to pass over the city.
All we know now is that a strange madness came over the city. Brother slew brother; mother struck child; several drowned themselves rather than face the bleak future. The dead soon outstripped their graves. Merchants ceased to arrive, either unwilling to face the mad place or struck dead upon arrival. Dwarves carried their brethren to their dishonorable rest, only to die upon arrival themselves from the grief that overtook them. Soon, nothing remained of the fortress' former glory aside from empty halls.
Thus concluded that fateful chapter of the city of shammanmomuz: In the common tongue, "Manycrypt". A single stick of cedar incense was lit in the King's temple garden, and the Oracle shed tears for the fate she knew was to come but did not prevent, for such is the way of dwarves to defy the natural order of things and make beauty from the dirt.
Now the King has issued a mandate; The fortress is to either be reclaimed and made glorious once again, or its artifacts recovered. Strike the earth!
A brief explanation;
For you jaded fortress builders out there, I'm offering up this fortress for exploration so that you don't always have to wander through corridors you made yourselves. A little mystery is worth it. Also, consider it a challenge (though not much of one) to improve upon what I built. :D
Why?
'Cause.
The reports from the site are somewhat unclear, but a few important facts emerge to serve as warnings or guides to potential adventurers.
The fortress was home to no fewer than nine artifacts, of which the most famous were The National Ship, a coffer constructed entirely from sapphire, and the mighty platinum spear Morul Islanamud, or "Woundthunder", named for its creator and wielder.
Several mass graves were hastily put together near the end. Any reclamation must put any corpses found within to a proper rest, including the poor human merchants so brutally slain in the midst of a goblin siege should their remains be found. They are in several locations throughout the fortress.
A goblin prisoner may have survived the carnage!
Although the chief architect did not fancy himself much of an engineer, complete with a distain for complex mechanisms, he had an inordinate fondness for exploiting stairs and the value of several layers of similar buildings, one on top of the other. The layout sometimes confused even him!
The legendary engraver Alath Litastsat apparently remained calm in the midst of the chaos and continued to engrave what he could to the bitter end. His work is prominently found among the noble's quarters and the crypts; the crypts especially house all his latest work.
There have been rumors of survivors. This seems unlikely, but if this is true then all effort must be made to aid them!
And now, here's Shammanmomuz! (http://www.mediafire.com/?j6pbceyh2nz) Have fun. Note that there's some other fortresses in there; explore or ignore at your leisure. They're pathetic but educational failures on my part.
EDIT; Don't forget to rename the folder Region1!
The land itself was swampy and inhospitable, and rainy beyond any sane dwarf to bear, but dwarves care most for what lies beneath the skin. Within a year, the fortress had found its footing in the mountainous hills, and its prosperity grew in such leaps and bounds that no fever than fifty migrants chose to brave the journey. Many projects were undertaken in that time; The famous legendary dining room, decorated with statues and engravings; The opulent throne room of the benevolent mayor; and the efficiently designed living quarters, spacious enough to house the citizens of a metropolis, the gods willing. Ores were found, gems were struck, And soon the artifacts began to emerge. The fortress enjoyed uncommon fortune when it came to artifacts. Of the ten dwarves that undertook their projects, only one failed to finish his.
This bounty of legendary items increased the fortress' wealth beyond measure. It attracted as many thieves and snatchers as it did migrants, but the fortress guard made it a point of pride that never was so much as a single item lost to a kobold sneak-thief.
It was in the winter of 1057, almost seven years post settlement, that the goblins came. At first, they were easily fended off by the legendary champions the fortress now boasted. Soon, however, their numbers became too great, and a few heroes met their final fate.
What happened next is unclear. Although each dwarf received a hero's funeral, it seems that the champions had become very popular in the fortress, and several of the warriors had married one another and multiplied. The death of one carried with it inconsolable grief to their spouse. It inspired a berserk rage, and that cost the fortress dearly, for three children and a tiny youngling were killed before the maddwarf could be locked away.
In the midst of this terrible event, another goblin siege arrived, along with a human caravan. The humans, who had come to rely on the road constructed some years before for their wagons, were ambushed and quickly cut down. The goblins then overran the defenses, stopped only by the remaining champions, of which the most notable heroes were Morul Islanamud, the moody yet stout spearsdwarf, and Cerol Tulonidith, who gave birth in the midst of the siege and carried on fighting. They were not quick enough to save their junior members, which caused another wave of grief to pass over the city.
All we know now is that a strange madness came over the city. Brother slew brother; mother struck child; several drowned themselves rather than face the bleak future. The dead soon outstripped their graves. Merchants ceased to arrive, either unwilling to face the mad place or struck dead upon arrival. Dwarves carried their brethren to their dishonorable rest, only to die upon arrival themselves from the grief that overtook them. Soon, nothing remained of the fortress' former glory aside from empty halls.
Thus concluded that fateful chapter of the city of shammanmomuz: In the common tongue, "Manycrypt". A single stick of cedar incense was lit in the King's temple garden, and the Oracle shed tears for the fate she knew was to come but did not prevent, for such is the way of dwarves to defy the natural order of things and make beauty from the dirt.
Now the King has issued a mandate; The fortress is to either be reclaimed and made glorious once again, or its artifacts recovered. Strike the earth!
A brief explanation;
For you jaded fortress builders out there, I'm offering up this fortress for exploration so that you don't always have to wander through corridors you made yourselves. A little mystery is worth it. Also, consider it a challenge (though not much of one) to improve upon what I built. :D
Why?
'Cause.
The reports from the site are somewhat unclear, but a few important facts emerge to serve as warnings or guides to potential adventurers.
The fortress was home to no fewer than nine artifacts, of which the most famous were The National Ship, a coffer constructed entirely from sapphire, and the mighty platinum spear Morul Islanamud, or "Woundthunder", named for its creator and wielder.
Several mass graves were hastily put together near the end. Any reclamation must put any corpses found within to a proper rest, including the poor human merchants so brutally slain in the midst of a goblin siege should their remains be found. They are in several locations throughout the fortress.
A goblin prisoner may have survived the carnage!
Although the chief architect did not fancy himself much of an engineer, complete with a distain for complex mechanisms, he had an inordinate fondness for exploiting stairs and the value of several layers of similar buildings, one on top of the other. The layout sometimes confused even him!
The legendary engraver Alath Litastsat apparently remained calm in the midst of the chaos and continued to engrave what he could to the bitter end. His work is prominently found among the noble's quarters and the crypts; the crypts especially house all his latest work.
There have been rumors of survivors. This seems unlikely, but if this is true then all effort must be made to aid them!
And now, here's Shammanmomuz! (http://www.mediafire.com/?j6pbceyh2nz) Have fun. Note that there's some other fortresses in there; explore or ignore at your leisure. They're pathetic but educational failures on my part.
EDIT; Don't forget to rename the folder Region1!