From
adamdavis64 at hotmail.com Tue Feb 19 08:46:48 2002
(OOC: Sorry formy long absence; I became emeshed in politics here and am only now emerging. I'll try to be more reliable from here on out).
IC: The elder dwarf nodded to Sol, and then turned his attention to Granite. "Father, I have a gift for you as well. A relic I think you will find to be of interest." He reached under his chair and extracted a small bundle wrapped in smooth cloth. Unwrapping it, he held out to Granite a peculiar device, a short, fat rod twice the thickness of a thumb and just over a foot wide, amde of smooth white stone shot with veins of gold. At one end was a tiny malachite pyramid, chased in gold; at the other, a small crystal globe. Embedded in its depths by some unknown craft....the crystal was seamless....was a tiny hourglass, crystal bound in malachite, with gold dust in the bottom of its bowl.
"This rod in an ancient device, removed from the ruins of the fallen city-state of Darkstone Forge some five hundred years ago by an expeditionary force sent to recover lost dwarven relics and lore," said the thane. "I need not tell you that Darkstone Forge once housed the largest temple of your god ever consecrated, and this item was found in an apsical chapel to the left of the Great Altar of the Book. Its purpose is unknwon, but clerics of Rorun on the expeditionary force claim they feel the power of the god pulsing strongly within it. We know only its name, which was inscribed on the pedestal which held the item in the chapel: "The Heart of Time." No myths or records the priests of Rorun have scoured have alluded to such an item or its powers." The dwarf nodded to Granite. "My clan has held the item these five hundred years, but it is little use to us or dwarvenkind resting in my treasure hall. I bequeath it, therefore, to you. May you use it well in the service of your divine mission."
Turning at last to Flood, the thane spoke again. "My young friend... please forgive my impropriety in Gifting the cleric before you. But his situation is a difficult one, and I deemed it best to honor the dead of his clan with that gift before the living." Another trunk was bourne in by the serving dwarves. "I have for you a gift as well, to welcome you and Nod Geldar into my halls." The trunk he bore was smaller than that of Sol, and less elaborate, but still fine: crafted of creamy green stone and bound in brass, its three dwarvenlocks gleamed in the torchlight. The thane spoke the words of Gifting as he had to Sol, unlocked the trunk, and handed the keys to Flood as the serving dwarves opened it.
Like Sol's trunk, this one held a pile of golden coins; presumably, three thousand measures, as Sol had received. Atop them rested a round helm, low and dull, of burnished gray steel. A golden bear was inlaid into its frontispeice, and a projecting bit of diamond-shaped steel guarded the wearer's nose.
"This helm was forged by my ancestor Gavron Steelbiter, son of Thelin Steelbiter," saod the thane. "It bears no magic, but has been worn with honor by warriors of my clan in seventeen great battles, and not a one lost by Copperwell. The lineage of the helm is engraved inside it in runes. I pray that you shall wear it into further victories, and it shall aid Nod Geldar as it aided us."
From
justincryder at yahoo.com Sat Apr 06 18:45:37 2002
OOC: Apologies to everyone for my prolonged absence.
Flood looked upon the gifts which he had been given and bowed his head, as he felt truly humbled. He turned to the Thane and thanked him in the traditional Dwarven manner befitting of such a great gift.
From
newlaz at excite.com Wed Apr 17 20:40:14 2002
Granite's eyes flash for just a moment, and he reaches out quickily, and realizes how undwarflike he is behaving, and takes control of himself and the strange magic item. As it catches in his hands it anti-flashes, sucking in the light around it, and with as little warning, it stops. A trace of a smile crosses his stern face, the years have settled in, the edges sharpen, the wrinkles deepen, and his pale yellow hair turns into a deep snowy white, the white of purity, age, and the tops of the mountains. Granite stumbles back into his chair, settling his once ample form into the stone seat. The missing pounds are far more revealed in the small amount of area his backside takes of the chair. He looks more like a gnome sitting in a dwarven chair, then a dwarven senchel attending his liege.
His short stature has always given talk to a gnome in the family line, but the line is pure, proven time and time again. Without the added wieght of plentiful eating, he is small and wirey. The scepter like magic item seems both too large for his hands, and too small. To stare at it in his hands brings a headache to the magically disinclined dwarves. Granite stands, and address the noblity.
"Thank you, it has accepted me. There are many things yet to speak of though, and time is short."
OOC Quantity vs. Quality. I think that
Dwarf Group embodies that well.
From
cfrankert at hotmail.com Fri Apr 26 19:29:58 2002
Sol sits in amazement as the artifact handed to Granite appears to come alive. He can not guess the awesome power this one item must hold, powerful enough to seemingly age Granite well beyond his years.
After Granite takes his seat, Sol sits pondering the implications of this one item. What affects will it have on himself? What affects will it have on the dwarven people and the world?
After pausing for a few seconds, lost in his own thought, Sol's gaze turns to Coros. "My lord, our thanks many times over for the gifts you have present to us this day. We will honor your name in their use. I pray to our Lord Shatterstriker that we may ebb the tide that has come against our people and turn the war to our favor."
After bowing his head in honor to both Lord Shatterstriker and Thane Coros, Sol continues. "Coros, I hope you will be able to help me with one more thing before we continue. I am hopeful that my cousin Belack Hammersmith and my father's seschal Veit Blackstar have arrived in Copperwell and are safe within your hold. "
OOC: The plan was for both Veit and Belack to go to Copperwell with the survivors of Dol Geldar. The Majority of these dwarves would live closely together. Coros would most likely know the general section of the hold in which they now live.
Also, the item that Granite was given (The Heart of Time) has been tentatively slated as an item of great power (i.e. able to travel through time with some restrictions/criteria to be set at a later date).
From
adamdavis64 at hotmail.com Fri Apr 26 21:32:23 2002
The Thane, still recovering from the sight of Granite aging as the Heart of Time darkened the room, blinked. He had been hoping to avoid the very issue Sol now asked about directly.
"The Dol Geldar dwarves are here," he began. "They have set up temporary quarters in the Western Deep, an area long since mines out and essentially unoccupied. The city's best smiths and engineers are working hard to mkae it fit for their habitation, and helping them set up their own workshops so they may practice their crafts in accoradance with the traditions of your clan."
He closed his eyes, sighed, and continued. Honor would not let him hide what he wished not to say. "Your cousin and the senseschal arrived safely with the rest of the clan. The vassal of Tycus is aiding in the administration of Dol Geldar's wrought-passage [[OOC: A term roughly equivanlent to neighborhood]]. But your cousin...is not here." He forced hbimself to meet Sol's glance. "The Council of Thanes...deemed him unfit to stand among them, and ruled that he could not speak for Dol Geldar. In anger and shame, he left the city. I have sent tracers seeking hi, but they know not where he has gone."
*I have told him the worst...I think,* the old thane thought. *I fear the Council may have to tell him the rest...I cannot speak it...*
OOC: With regards to the Heart of Time, I like some of the ideas being tossed around about it. I know a little of its history and function, though, myself. Discovering how it works will have to come in the course of play. Suffice to say the temples of Rorun in Copperwell won't have any books on it, and the god isn't telling very easily. Give me a few days to think it through, and then we can hash out details of what it does. I want you guys to be involved in the plotting of it and I like the time travel notion, but I want to add a few caveats, and I want to keep a few secrets of the Heart concealed until such time as they are good for the plot.
From
cfrankert at hotmail.com Sat Apr 27 15:31:48 2002
Looking at the Thane in shock
"My lord why did the council deem my cousin unfit to rule in my name, and when is the next council meeting to take place? I must speak to them personally.
During his speech Sol has risen from his chair. The anger is clearly shown in his eyes as he glares at Coros "Forgive my anger, my lord. This news you have brought to me just now is worst than any I have heard in the last year. The council throwing out a dwarf of clearly noble birth, but I still must speak to them at their earliest convenience."
At this time, Sol is getting an idea of what is to come from the Council. They have clearly denounced his entire family, and will probably want nothing to do with him.
From
justincryder at yahoo.com Sat May 04 06:54:44 2002
The feeling of hope that had filled the room when the Heart of Time was presented to Granite had now quickly exited the room in which the four dwarves resided, replaced by feelings of shock, anger, and confusion.
The young Dwarven representative from Nod Geldar felt a little uneasy with his presence in this intensely private and emotional conversation. At times he felt inclined to speak up, but Flood remembered his place and bit his tongue. Clearly he was a fly on the wall in this conversation, but years from now when the history books would record what happened here on this day in this room, the young Dwarf would feel privileged to have witnessed this potential turning-point in Dwarven history first-hand.
From
c.frankert at attbi.com Sun Dec 01 21:16:25 2002
Sol closes his eyes as he awaits Coros' response, his head slightly bowed.
The trouble has only just begun. My cousin, Belack, dishonored by the council and than leaving Copperwell. That bothers me more than anything. Belack had the coolest head in my family. It makes no sense for him to run off from a fight when he knew I would be here for this conference. I must speak to Veit before I speak to the Council. Succession for all thanedoms is now in question. The current leaders are the last thanes and kings that the dwarven people will ever see. I pray The Council see the situation we have brought upon ourselves.
Beyond that, there are those within the city that know me and possibly what remains of my family (going off of past experience with the one human who recognized Sol). I must warn Granite to stay on his toes at all times
OOC: Belack is a cleric of Deepflame, would they not be able to contact him through clerical means without trackers?