A little while later, when the chanting has finally run its course (actually nearly fifty minutes later- Dwarves are fond of chanting, and drinking, and chanting about drinking). Anyway... nearly an hour later Master Ignatius once more calls for silence.
“I'll be brief...”
A crude Dwarf in the crowd makes a joke about underpants, it gets a few laughs. Master Ignatius frowns and then continues-
“Each of the great clans and unions here assembled has provided the council with the name of their glorious volunteers (including you guys) who will lay down their lives in the service of this assembly. By dint of lottery we will, over the next few hours, draw forth the the names of those brave Dwarves who will be lucky enough to venture forth in to the no-doubt trap and monster-filled Lost Hold of the Tannheim- there to meet sudden death...”
A hush falls over the Great Hall- the Dwarves look a little worried.
Ignatius fumbles with the piece of parchment he is reading from- looks flustered, and then turns it over, he smiles- and adds-
“... or victory!”
The crowd go wild.
Slowly the noise subsides, and Master Ignatius continues- in a sonorous voice.
“I, Master Ignatius Earwax shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But those selected shall be remembered-
These few, these happy few, this band of brothers... ahem and/or, ahem... sisters;
For he, or ahem... she, that sheds his, or her, blood for us
Shall be our brother, or- as I say- sister; be he, or she, ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his, or her, condition:
And Lordly Dwarves, of either persuasion, in their fortresses now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods, or womanhoods- for that matter, cheap while any speak
That fought for us in The Lost Hold of the Tannheim"
The assembled masses, snuffle and with their beards wipe away salty tears.
“But until then... we drink!”
Ignatius raises his flagon, sloshing much of its contents down his tabard, and salutes the crowd- the assembly goes crazy.
OOC:
|
For those of you that have parked your PCs in the Rogues Gallery this is an opportunity to do a little light PBP role-play, nothing strenuous mind- just a bit of banter perhaps and a chance to see how this thing works. Read on...
|
|
Dwarves everywhere, of all shapes and sizes- stout, fat, big-boned, obese, a-little-on-the-heavy-side, and over-weight; several of them towering giants (height in excess of 4ft 6), here and there miniature versions (height less than 4ft 2). The chamber is packed with merry Dwarves- Bottom-dwellers convinced their world will someday very soon be turned upside down- that they will once and for all get their just rewards.
Joy abounds- in Dwarven form.
There are several bars here, and the ale is cheap, and free for those who have volunteered to serve this cause (that's you guys). There's also food aplenty- meaty haunches and stewed and steamed vegetables, heaving platters- free again for those for whom this may be their last supper (you lot again).
Dwarves dance, tell bawdy tales, swap tall stories about the size and number of Orcs, Giants and/or Dragons that got away, they measure their beards, feel the heft of each others mighty weapons (axes & hammers, for those with a smutty mind), they whisper dark secrets about the Tannheim and the Lost Hold, they drink and spew and cavort, and in the shadier corners do shadier things...
The heads of every one of the Bottom Worker's Guilds are present, as are all of the Council members, however the later are engrossed with the aforementioned lottery.
Important Dwarves that you can see include-
“They call me” Mister Rivet- head of the Riveters Guild, and wearing his million-rivet suit of armour- alas so impractical is the suit that Mister Rivet is forced to stand as still as a statue and watch the proceedings. It is almost impossible to move more than an inch at any time- so heavy is the suit of armour. Actually movement of any kind is not recommended, itching ones nose while wearing the suit produces a sound not unlike several kitchens being thrown downstairs.
Master 'Bob' Dung- head of the Nightsoil Champions stands alone- for obvious reasons, his aroma is breath-taking (not in a good way), and also eye-watering.
Rita Bigchippings- Miss Mineshaft 2011 is surrounded, wherever she goes, by a coterie of leering Dwarves, she's wearing nothing more than a chainmail bikini (spiked in all the right places), although it is rumoured that she always keeps two-or-three concealed mauls, mallets, greataxes and other two-handed weapons hidden about her person.
Lars Ulrik- from the Panelbeater's Union plays syncopated beats on the helms of passing Dwarves, Lars also plays drums for the latest underground sensation 'Metallico', who seek to combine the disparate elements of Dwarven musical tradition- Rock and Metal! At present he is engaged in replicating the thirty-minute drum solo from “Hit the Trolls”.
Other lesser known luminaries you spy in the crowd include-
Dick Gloom- from the Fire Beetle Wranglers.
Cog Robbins- covered in bandages, the inventor of the first fire burst flush toilet, his burns are almost healed now.
Rancid Al- a lowlife Dwarf, hated by many, head of the Barbers Guild- in general Dwarves never cut their hair, Barbers are therefore held in very low-esteem.
Lenny Stook- head of The Lumpers- they carry rocks from A to B, rumour has it that Stook is not even a real Dwarf, if he could straighten his back he would, it is whispered, stand over five feet tall. Alas carrying two-hundred weight sacks of stone every day has left him with a distinct stoop.
Granite Pete- Head of the Ornamental Rockeries Guild.
Flint Naybob- an impressionist of almost no merit.
And a myriad others...
OOC:
|
While we wait for the others to arrive, those with character sheets in the Rogues Gallery can take a moment or two to explore the room, or else chat to any of the above, or else try to find someone else to provide information, or trade, or anything else really. If you're looking for someone or something specific then simply state what it is OOC. If you want to chat or something else then don't hesitate to employ your various social skills (or any other skill) as part of your RP- this isn't a Skill Challenge, it is a chance for me/you to get used to the integrated dice-roller and how things work around here.
|
|
Slightly nervous, still on tenterhooks- waiting to see if your name will be called (it will of course, but that's for later), you head off in to the Great Hall to... well, that's up to you.