Don't laugh..... it's here.

[Hairy Minotaur]

Spacehulkster, you don't remember because you missed that session (the riddle session). Paquito's participation in all 4 door riddles is entirely ad libbed.

and the text for your minotaur states "is never lost". Whether that means you know you are north of "home" or whether that means you have a GPS hook up in your horns is up for speculation. Of course with your fiendish influence maybe "is never lost" for you means you always know which way to hell?

And here's a little something special for the readers and party:

The city was under siege, titans battered the outer wall while their little demonic minions ripped the bark off and shredded the roots of the tree. Defeat seemed imminent, every time one of the elven mages stepped forward to defend their home they were beset by dozens of imps and mephits. The demons tossed the mages from the tower and their falling bodies were reused against the tree as ranged attacks by the titans.

Undaunted, Baeluath called forth to his devout and bade them to pray with him for protection from the dark forces as they assaulted the sacred church. For hours they prayed, as the onslaught continued all around them. Inside the church itself, dozens of worshipers were crushed by debris falling from the ceiling or tossed through the open windows by the attacking force.

Then as the titans brought forth the storm of their fury and the sky was blackened and cooked by a thousand bolts of lightning, in the midst of the maelstrom a beam of light shone through. Where the holy deliverance struck the ground, a huge winged being was born. It unfolded it's wings as white as the sun and stood defiant to the titans. It opened it's eyes and spoke only one word "begone" in high elven and the demons withered to dust.

A cheer arose amongst the city as the chosen protector of Eyther Amrea strode forth into battle against the titans. The titans hesitated and showed fear, but their was no mercy for them, Eyther Amrea's blows resonated throughout the valley, the city shook and heaved with each strike. Trees uprooted themselves and sought safer ground, the forest fauna fled deeper into the woods.

Eyther Amrea cleared the battlefield of every titan and stood victorious amongst the defeated, then it arrived. A titan clothed in blackest armor that reflected no light, chained to his waist were four celestials manacled around their necks. Eyther Amrea beheld this sight and cried out for the death of this titan the one she called Nhagh. The bound celestials wailed in pain as Nhagh strode towards Eyther Amrea, Nhagh's mighty ax dripped with innocent blood as he dragged it's edge along the ground creating a gash that erupted with legions of the dead.

This mockery of life force rose up and besieged the city anew. Eyther Amrea lashed out at Nhagh but as her divine sword cut into the foul titan, one of the imprisoned celestials withered and died. Nhagh stood unscathed from Eyther Amrea's attack, stunned Eyther Amrea was unprepared for Nhagh's return attack and she was struck down by his massive blow.

Her power fading fast, Eyther Amrea thrust her sword through the chest of Nhagh. Another celestial withered and Nhagh laughed down upon the broken power of Eyther Amrea. Eyther Amrea knew however, that she had already beaten Nhagh. With the last bit of divine power within her, Eyther Amrea was absorbed by her sword and her power traveled up the pommel and into the blade. Divine energy coursed through the wound she had given Nhagh. Nhagh ceased laughing and watched as his defeat erupted through his skin, thousands of beams of light ripped through the essence of Nhagh and tore the titan inside out. The resulting explosion of divinity blinded all who watched the triumph of Eyther Amrea.

When the battle was over, nothing of Eyther Amrea nor of Nhagh remained, even the undead force had been wiped from the valley. The remaining elves who could see, poured onto the battlefield and rejoiced. The blind elves, sightless but not without faith, reported they could see a small glowing object when they were placed in a position to view the battlefield. Helped into the valley, the blind elves led the rest of the elves to a small white feather that rested on the spot where Eyther Amrea infused her power into Nhagh.

Taking this as a sign from their deity, the elves placed the feather inside a seamless glass sphere and placed it within the church for all to view. The blind elves were tasked with watching over the Feather of Eyther Amrea, even in death, as their eyes continued to see and watch over the Feather of Eyther Amrea. The eyes of these faithful were removed upon their death and placed around the artifact so that they could continue their chosen duty even after their spirits were alongside Eyther Amrea


Half of this text has come into play already (in game, not yet in the story hour).

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

So what if she's from out of town?

The ever growing party moves on and two cell doors down, Gronar's efforts reveal a solemn figure chained defiantly to the floor in the center of the cell.

"Books?" Korg intones "Books that you? Korg see you fall in water and not come up."

A confused look washes over the stout figure, unsure what to make of his rescuers.

"To whom are you speaking of?" The dwarf prisoner asks

"You not Books? You look like Books." Korg answers

"I am Endrin, King of Hammerstone. I am most assuredly not a stack of books. You overgrown goblin."

"OK, Korg sorry to bother puny human's meditation."

The giants continue on to the next cell door.

"Hey! Aren't you going to free me so that we may have a fair fight? Or at least grant me the dignity to die with a weapon in my hand!" Endrin shouts

Gronar stops and turns to face Lothred, "Elfy know puny human in there?"

"Surely you do not expect me to believe that you are in fact that dense as to mistake me for an elf? I am insulted by your insinuation." Lothred answers

Gronar grabs Lothred around the neck and pulls him to Endrin's cell door, "Elfy get good look at puny human, puny human look like friend?"

"Well, I guess I know who the alpha male is here, and that is a puny dwarf not a puny human." Lothred chokes out from between Gronar's massive fingers

"Maybe we should let him go?" Omar speaks up

"Uh.... No. That would be cutting even more into our treasure haul, you wouldn't want me to have to kill him after I give him all his stuff back would you? No?" Paquito replies

The party continues on as Luciann and Finrod pass before the cell door.

"Hey you tree huggers, I know something about the rest of your tribe. Free me that I may stand again against my captors and shall impart my knowledge of your fellow grass eaters." Endrin shouts

Luciann and Finrod debate for a few moments before acquiescing to the dwarf's request, Finrod slams his sword down upon the iron chains and in time breaks each one off.

"Return to me my belongings and I shall tell you of what I have seen and heard." Endrin demands

Finrod runs to find Paquito, only to trip over the dwarves belongings which were piled outside of the cell door. Looking down the cell block, Finrod locates the party near the end of the hall patiently waiting for the elves to come and check for secret doors. Finrod returns the dwarven king's items to Endrin, who in turn tells the elves that a score of elves were led from the cell block this morning on their way to be sacrificed to the troll's deity, that was about three hours ago. The elves thank him and Endrin stomps out of his cell and turns back towards the way the party came, intent on destroying a few trolls before his time is up.

The elves reach the rest of the party, and commence searching for secret doors at the end of this cell block as well.

Paquito wanders off down the south side of the cell block, peering in through the cell door windows. He passes the first door and looks up at the second door and notices that it is unique to the other cell doors. This door has large silver seals adorning the four corners of the door, and silver bars block egress from the cell door window. A warm soft light seems to glow from under the cell door and through the cell door's window.

"Found it!" The elves shout as a jubilant Gronar and Korg pound the wall trying to loosen the hold on the secret door.

Paquito saunters up to the intriguing cell door, he thinks about peering in through the window but, decides against it and instead bends over as he walks in front of the door and looks through the key hole in the door. Looking in, Paquito sees the most beautiful creature he's ever laid eyes on. She sits on the floor, in the middle of a binding circle, her modesty covered only by red down feathers which sprout from her back and wrap around her like a blanket. Her eyes are the color of the deep ocean, blue, green and bottomless. Her teal hair cascades down and around her shoulders like a waterfall as she shifts a little towards the door.

"Free me." Her melodious words pluck at Paquito's heartstrings, and he lunged for the cell door's handle.

Paquito pulls with all his might, but cannot get the door to budge. Frantic, he tightens his grip on the handle and places both hooves on the door frame and tries again to yank the door off it's hinges. Again he fails to move the door.

"What is your name my soon to be hero?" The woman's voice soothes Paquito's racing heart.

"I am King Paquito Flaccido, Mariner of the Swallowing Sea, Sage of the Tauran Inquisition, and Leader of .... well... my own harem. Perhaps my great deeds have reached your fine auditory appendages even here in this dark, dank, dingy dungeon? Yes?"

"My, you have an enlarged ego. By chance that wouldn't be to make up for your surname would it?"

"Flaccido is my name, it is not what I do. Yes?"

"Show me."

"Gronar! I need your help!"

"Pokey, Gronar going through secret treasure door. Gronar not have time to open more doors."

"But I need this one open! Please! Pretty please!"

"Pokey pathetic excuse for giant, Pokey need to grow muscle and open door by self."

"I already did part of that, but it's not helping me open the door."

Frustrated, Gronar goes to see firsthand what all the trouble is for. "Why Pokey not look in window?"

"Uh.. The view is fine down here, helps my back. Yes?"

Gronar shrugs his shoulders and grips the door frame preparing to tear the door free, he glimpses inside the room however and stops his intended goal, and releases his grip on the door. Inside Gronar sees a red bat winged, red devil tailed, demoness with horns adorning her black haired head.

"What? What's the matter?"

"Pokey want Gronar to let demon out?"

"Wha? No, I want the beautiful one out. If there's a demon in there it can stay in there, plus all the more reason to free the damsel in distress. Yes?"

"What is you name, you big strong man. You look like you can handle all that I have to give."

"Gronar not going to tell demon lady what Gronar name is! Demon lady leave Pokey alone."

"But, I seek what you seek, to be alone with the flaccid poking one. Free me so that I may attain that goal."

"Yes! Free her so that goal can be attained! Yes?" Paquito cheered as he shoved Gronar's hands back onto the door frame.

"Gronar not going to free demon lady."

"I am not a demon, what you see is an illusion placed upon me by the hateful trolls. Free me and I shall show you I speak the truth."

"See, she's not a demon lady. You have no idea what it's like being on the road with all guys, or.. maybe... you do. Just let me in for a little while, I'll be good."

"Look in window Pokey. Look at demon lady."

Paquito stands up a good distance from the door window.

"Pokey not see anything from back there, Pokey get closer." Gronar says as he shoves Paquito's head into the cell door window, however physical forces kept the rest of Paquito's body from getting any closer. The force of Gronar's shove slammed Paquito's head into the cell door, and Paquito fell to the floor.

"Elfy! Come here." Gronar whistled at Lothred

"I am...." Lothred caught the look in Gronar's eyes. "Yes, coming right away."

"Elfy what you see in room?"

"A succubus." Lothred replies

"Lies! All lies, get up Paquito and free me so that I may prove them wrong as I ravish you in right in front of them."

Gronar helps Paquito to his feet and turns him towards the cell again. "What Pokey see now?"

Paquito's vision clears and the form of beautiful bat winged demoness with horns and a tail come into view. "Okay, so she's a demon. Nobody's perfect, let me in anyway. At least now I'll know ahead of time what I'll be waking up next to."

"No, we go now Pokey." Gronar says as he drags Paquito away from the door.

Lothred peers into the cell at the succubus and studies the pentagram she is imprisoned within.

"Ooh, does the tiefling think he is man enough to free me? I want to see you succeed, unlike you flaccid friend."

"No, actually I was studying your little magic circle there. I think I can add two symbols and have your skills transferred to my service. I think I will remember where to find you, I'm sure you're not going anywhere anytime soon. See you around slave." Lothred walks away amid screams of frustration from the succubus and Paquito.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

An elven point of view. History part 1

As requested..... here's part 1 of the campaign background:

Copied from ancient elven scrolls, as no other text remains from the time before the chaos:

1472YR-6-18
Our temples report strained communication with our deities. Some have even fallen silent. This does not bode well, even the forest spirits seem agitated. The priests speak of sequestering themselves in the temples until an answer can be sought. The humans either do not notice or do not care, or more concerning, maybe they are not experiencing the same problems as we fey are.


1472TR-6-19
All of our communes have gone silent, even Belasarda does not answer our prayers. High priest Tallienne came to me this morning with grave news that he had prayed for a holy word this morning as he does every morning to place upon our tree of life in praise of Belasarda. However he did not receive the requested blessing this morning. He asked that all elder priests be immediately called to the temple, and that none may refuse this request. The elder priests remained in the temple the rest of the day. News came from our forests scouts that the humans seem to be experiencing something out of place as well. Fawyllere has ordered that an ambassador leave for the human city this evening in hopes of gaining us knowledge of their plight and if it is the same as ours.


1472YR-6-20
The sun did not rise this morning, the elder priests have yet to emerge from the temple and the remaining healers have all confirmed that their prayers for higher healing went unanswered, only the most basic of healing powers were granted. Panic has stricken the human city, at what would have been high sun, we could see the smoke billowing into the dark sky. The elder priests emerged some time later and declared this a Day of Forsaking. The gods have left us, we were instructed to close all access to the forest by other races and prepare for what is surely to come.


1472YR-6-21
I wake today colder than I have ever felt before. Our mages have made rounds and cast protective measures for all city inhabitants. The sunless sky has embraced the warmth of our earth and keeps it for itself. The lighting of the first ever fire within the forest by us seems to have resolved those of us who still had faith, that this was truly the end of all. Word has come back that our defenses were tested by some humans fleeing their burning city. They were dealt with. The Southern sky has a soft golden glow from the human's city, due to the length of time we suspect the city has been ablaze, we can only assume the humans have given up even trying to maintain order.


1472YR-6-22
The nurturing earth has left us, the freezing air brought snow, wind, and sleet with it this morning. Our mages struggle to keep the communal fire going while maintaining the cold protection for the city's inhabitants. The human wizards must have scryd our position as more and more humans try to break through our defenses. Today marked the first time human magic was used as they tried to burn down whole sections of our forest with their fire spells. Triumphantly we turned them all back however. Our priests continue to report no communication from any of our deities, though they still receive minor blessings at daybreak. The elder priests wonder if this is not some sort of test.


1472YR-6-22a
This night has been filled with storms the likes of which our bards could never have dreamt. Lightening courses through the clouds overhead like spreading water. I fear what the morning shall bring , our druids and treants have been unable corral any of this freakish weather. They also fear the earth has turned it's back on us.


1472YR-6-23
This first blast awoke the city, the second terrified it. The clouds poured their liquid light unto the earth, everywhere blazing streams of electricity punched holes through the dry canopy above us. Homes were set afire, trees were burnt to smoldering twigs in an instant. I witnessed elves evaporated by lightening strikes before my very eyes. Even our children were not safe from the onslaught. The elder priests fell to the earth and begged for mercy. Our mages strived in vain to keep the angry light at bay, only to end up like so many of our homes, burned to the ground. Without warning the clouds abated, the sky cleared and the hidden sun shone brightly overhead once again. The gods had showed mercy, we were to be spared after all. I set about helping to make repairs to the temple, we had just removed the burnt and fallen wood when the ground shook in angry might. Dozens of shakes came one after the other, screams of horror arose from the southern side of the city. Peering over the tree tops and above the treant protectors stood humans of immense size. Towering over the forest like it was an ant hill, the treants rose up in protest and were met with streams of lightening and blows so powerful they ripped the treants apart with one swipe. Mercy had delivered us into the hands of destruction.


1472YR-6-26
The titans have forbade all writing utensils and supplies. I write this in secret beneath Belasarda's temple, our priests have made contact with an agent of Belasarda. In an hour we have been promised a sign that we have not been forgotten. The titans entered our world like children with new toys. We were no match for their power and our spirits too broken to withstand their might, within an hour the city surrendered. What little we could save, scroll and book wise, has been transferred here, demons run amok through the trees and it is not safe to be out without a titan escort any longer. The elders were all killed in one massive blow and our mages are either dead or in hiding amongst the rest of us. The sign came in the form of confusion amongst the titans, first shouts of disbelief rang out, then one of the titans was felled. The titans gathered their forces in search of whatever had befallen one of their own, as they became inattentive to us hundreds of halflings streamed into our city. They claimed to have felled the titan and were told to amass hear for deliverance. To say I was confused what be too light of a point, however I could not deny the glow of divinity that rose from the ground and encased us all, halfling and elf, just as the titans turned their attentions back to our city. With a great roar of anger, the titans struck the golden orb, the blows at first echoed through our bodies and threatened to kill us as we stood. Then the blows became softer and father away, then silence. Then a voice "You are safe here, I will watch over you until it is time for you to return." The orb disappeared and the form of a vast forest beneath an unfamiliar sky came into view. There was much rejoicing, as the four hundred halflings introduced themselves to the remaining three hundred elves.



There will be 4 parts Elven, Dwarven, Giant, and Human. Each one with their own take on what happened. The end of this Elven transcript happened over 1800 years ago.

 

[Graywolf-ELM]

Hot Dawg, this is cool to hear about the background of the setting. Much thanks for posting this. I look forward to the other parts.

GW

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Grandma Teifling's recipe for roasted gnome.

Gronar and Korg force open the hidden door, it scrapes along the dirt floor and halfway through their task, Gronar spies two trolls standing against the far right corner of the room.

"Stinky Trolls!" Gronar shouts and shoves the door the rest of the way open.

Gronar bounds into the room and catches two other trolls in the back left corner as well. All four of them seem to be waiting for Gronar to advance. The hill giant doesn't make them wait for a charge either. Gronar rushes towards the middle of the back wall, hoping that when he ends his sprint all four trolls will be within reach of his spear.

Gronar shoves his spear through the second to right troll and shouts a challenge to the other three trolls. The trolls stand firm and watch as a tongue of flame flicks itself from a burning hearth on the wall behind Gronar. The flame licks at the back of Gronar scalding his flesh and burning through his hide shirt.

Gronar spins around to counter attack, but finds the twenty feet to the wall behind him empty. Paquito pushes his way in and throws magic missiles into the far left troll. Korg enters next and moves to cover the only visible exit to the room, that being a door in the near southern wall. Finrod enters and sends an arrow shaft into the troll Gronar gave an appendectomy to. The rest of the party hangs back behind the door's threshold watching the giant's go to work.

"Korg! Something in fire back there, kill it." Gronar orders

Korg shifts his attention to the hearth and watches it intently. Gronar skewers his previous target into the troll on the far right, and manages to stick both trolls on the end of his spear. He then slams the spear tip into the ceiling causing his latest catch to whack the top of it's head. The two remaining trolls charge Gronar, the hill giant swings his spear down on the nearest one and causes that troll to fly into the North wall. The other troll makes it's way under Gronar's swing and slices a wicked cut under Gronar's left arm.

Concern for his friend, causes Korg to forget about the hearth and move to within arm's reach of Gronar. Focused on his friend, Korg fails to see the hearth slap a whip of fire into his ribcage.

"The stove, there is a fire creature in it. No?"

"Thanks Mister Obvious, why don't you be helpful and use your body to smother the flames?" Finrod replies

Paquito draws his spear and stands next to the hearth looking for movement within the red-orange coals. Finrod leaps up to the troll Gronar flung into the wall and cuts into the creature's chest, the wound made all the more impressive due to the severe bruising Gronar gave it.

Gronar discards his shish-kA-bob of troll meat and brings forth his sword upon the shoulders of the troll that cut him. The giant's blows cause the troll to lose the use of it's right arm, Korg then finishes the troll with spear shot through the head of the creature. The hearth licks out again along the back of Gronar, Paquito sees the thin whip-like flame snap out and tries to sever the strand with his spear but his attempt is met with another flame strike from the hearth into the minotaur's left thigh.

Both Gronar and Paquito cry out in pain, as Korg applies healing to Gronar and Rachet moves up to tend to Paquito's heat blister.

"We need to get that fire out." Finrod shouts

"Gronar get door." The hill giant responds, pointing to the southern exit and the metal door which stands in the way.

Paquito limps back into the cell block and Luciann helps him sit against the wall. Lothred moves in next to Ratchet as Finrod moves up to cover the hearth.

Gronar rips the metal door off it's hinges and hands it to Korg, Gronar then peeks into the short hallway beyond, long enough to see the reddish glowing ball of energy hanging in midair and growing by the second.

"Hey Elfy, you see anything like th.."

KABOOM!!!!

The delayed fireball explodes, the force of which sends Gronar tumbling backwards into Korg. Gronar's massive girth shielded Korg from most of the blaze, but Gronar felt the full brunt of it's force. Dazed and nearly unconscious, Gronar's eyes roll around trying to regain focus, Finrod sees this and fears for what might come through the door and attack the weakened giants. Finrod rushes to the scene of the explosion, but as he runs past the downed giants, the hearth licks out and burns Finrod with it's fire. The elf howls in pain, yet manages to make it to the open doorway.

Lothred watches as the fire tries to engulf the elf, and knowing that the hearth must be snuffed out, picks up Ratchet and tosses the gnome onto the burning coals. The gnome's screams fill the room, Ratchet manages to roll off of the coals and takes some of the hearth's fuel with him. Korg whips his head around to see the smoldering gnome and rolls Gronar off of him, then twists over to smack the gnome, trying to help put out the fire on him.

"You Brawny, fetch one of them trolls and stuff it's body into the hearth." Lothred calls out to Korg

Not knowing who the teifling was speaking to, Korg looks around for someone behind him. Gronar comes to, and shakes the smoke from his head trying to clear it up.

"Grunt, get one of those trolls into the hearth!" Lothred shouts at Gronar this time

"Gronar name is Gronar, not Grunt."

"Semantics. Get a troll." Lothred answers

Gronar reaches over and tosses the teifling the troll Korg had speared, Lothred then heaves the creature onto the hot coals. The hearth soon dies down to a smelly, greasy, smoker.

Lothred goes to assist Ratchet to his feet.

"Don't touch me! You tried to kill me."

"What? I saved the party, the hearth had to be extinguished. You were perfect for that role, if you're too shortsighted to see the brilliance of the plan, then maybe you should become and giant."

"Don't play righteous savior with me, the troll saved the party, not you."

"I came up with the plan, you seemed to not be doing anything constructive, hopefully you have seen the error of your ways. An idle mind is Grazz't's play thing."

"You're a sadistic jerk aren't you." Ratchet hefted himself from the floor and went to check on Gronar.

Ratchet and Korg brought Gronar to near full health. The party decides to hold up in this room until the clerics could recharge their spell energy. Gronar heads back into the cell block to see if there are any other occupied cells, he passes Paquito, Luciann, and Omar on his way down.

"It doesn't look that bad, you'll be fine after a good night's rest." Omar advised Paquito

"My strut, it will be unaffected. No?"

Luciann and Omar eye each other trying to ascertain the meaning of Paquito's question.

"The ladies love to watch me strut. No?"

Luciann and Omar leave Paquito resting there, complaining they needed to find someone who was physically injured. Paquito hobbles up to his feet and hops along after Gronar. They pass the succubus' cell and Paquito implores again to Gronar for him to open it. Gronar presses on paying the minotaur no attention. Gronar works his way down to the second to last door and rips it off revealing a prone body laying against the rear wall of the cell. Gronar and Paquito hear the sounds of forced breathing and yell down for help. Omar wobbles down the hallway and arrives at the cell door.

The dwarf turns the body over, and applies a cure light wounds to the individual. Omar removes the hood portion of a cloak the person was wearing and Paquito's face lights up as the visage of a beautiful elf is revealed. Thinking for sure this one wearing ear rings and a tiara must be female, Paquito bends down for a closer look, he recoils backwards as he catches a reflection of light upon blue scales that cover her throat.

"She is diseased, we will all succumb to it's wasting effects. No?"

"It's not a disease, it's part of her. It's on her arms too." Omar replies

"Gronar can take off scales if Dorf* need it off."

"If one were to touch her, you would get scales too. No?"

"No, I don't think she's full elf." Omar replies

"Well, as long as she is all woman, that is good enough for Paquito. No?"

"I think we should bring her back to the rest of the group." Omar states

"A fine idea, I shall carry her. No?"

"Gronar will carry sick Elfy. Paquito open last door."

"Heh, if there's going to be a rescuing of a fair maiden, it should be done by a real hero. Paquito Flaccido, Champion of wenches and harlots everywhere. No?"

"If the lady is not fit enough to walk out under her own power, then she should be left here. She'll just slow us up and will be the first killed in a rear ambush assault anyway." Lothred interjects, having wandered his way down the cell block.

"Gronar you carry her." Omar says lifting the elf into the giant's arms

"Have you even considered that maybe she's in here dying for a good reason, perhaps she was convicted of treason against the troll, perhaps she's a murderer, or even a horse thief?" Lothred asks

"He has a point. No? I think Paquito should stay with her and give her a thorough interrogation as soon as she regains consciousness. No?"

Gronar however carries the elf back to Korg as Omar, Paquito, and Lothred continue their argument. Finally Paquito offers a solution.

"Lets go ask the succubus, at least it's driven by a valid motive. No?"

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Campaign History part 2. Dwarven

Dwarven oral history of recent events as transcribed by Gurnt Stonestrike of Clan Red Granite.

Hammer-4-19
So it was spoken, so it shall be written. Forever a day of sadness amongst the noble proud, remembered as the day the earth screamed. Our Grandfathers felt the earth shake as the ground wailed in pain beneath the oppressor's feet. Giant's among giants had come to do battle with our noble race. The cowards they were agreed to meet the noble upon the field of battle, only to crack the very foundation of the ground and split our mountain home. The proud refused to concede and fought the titans anyway. Their sacrifice saved the lives of many a dwarf that day. However victory would not be on the plate of the noble that day. The noble proud suspect the elves with all of their sorcery or the humans with their reckless abandon. Especially since neither came to the defense of our home when we stood against the titans.

Anvil-11-19
So it was spoken, so it shall be written.
Forced to dig alongside our cousins the gnomes for decades. The noble sought a way to free us from the titan's grip. Prayers to Moradin and Ummtharr were prepared, wives and children were informed. At high sun the hymn was sung and the proud were delivered unto freedom when the earth sang and opened it's heart to the noble proud. The earth never trembled in elation so great as that day, when five thousand noble proud servants of the earth strode forth with their gnome cousins and into the mountain. When the earth's song was over it's mouth closed and sealed the noble proud away from the titans. The titans shouts of anger were still heard days after the noble proud were beyond even their long grasp.

Sparking Mithral-2-29
So it was spoken, so it shall be written.
Centuries of crossing the gut of the earth had brought distrust within the gnome stragglers. So filled with lust for the surface they were, that they ever sought out arteries that flowed towards the surface. The noble proud would not be dissuaded by the weak of faith and marched ever valiantly at the goal Moradin set for the noble proud. This day we call The Fissure. A black rock was discovered unlike any the noble proud had or shall ever hope to see. The noble conferred and agreed it was not the sign set forth by Moradin, the noble proud continued without giving the strange rock a second thought. The devious gnomes however thought themselves better than the noble proud, thought their gods greater than Moradin who had given them their freedom. They claimed the rock as proof of their god's power and refused to leave it's side. The noble proud left them there knowing they would follow eventually.

Defender-9-2
So it was spoken, so it shall be written.
Day of Treachery. Two more centuries of marching had brought us within sight of our destination. The proud had gone forth to the artery's mouth and reported that the backbone the noble proud waited in would be able to provide ore and fire for hundreds of generations to come. But, somehow the gnomes had beaten us to our home. They sealed up the artery and enspelled the proud who were guarding the artery's mouth, and they were transformed into mockeries of the earth itself. They attacked their former families and the artery began to collapse around the noble proud. With heavy hearts and a fire that that from that day would forever be lit in the forge of the noble's hearts, we retreated.

Clang-1-1
So it was spoken, so it shall be written.
The new year brought with it a new chance, Moradin had led us to an alternate artery one far to the north and west of our home. Cold to the skin, but warm to the faith. The noble proud set about immediately building the finest of homes, every detail was checked thrice and within the year what was five thousand built a home for ten thousand. Farms were built and armies were trained. No longer the noble proud, the Citadel of Frostforge became our resting destination, but it will not be our final destination.

Three centuries of rebuilding what the titans took from us and searching for the dishonorable and treacherous gnomes have led us to speculate they still hide. We will find them, and we will take back what was ours. We search tirelessly for the home that was taken from us, we search endlessly for an enemy that will meet the cleaving end of a Frostforge Ax.


Next will be the giant's history.

 

[Graywolf-ELM]

Excellent. I'm enjoying the background from different perspectives.

GW

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

History part 3

Recorded twenty years ago from a commune with ancestral sprits by all the shamans of Clan Avalanche.

Grtuck't of Clan Remembrance:

When the storm lords came to us, and asked for us to join them against the titans. We thought better of it, we did not wish to commit our tribe to the whims of those who wished to use us as fodder. We declined and sent them on their way, telling them to keep their trifle squabble away from our homes. But the storm lords would not listen, they fought the ever losing battle, too full of themselves to accept the titan's terms.

When the last storm lord was laid low by Kairntheus' hammer the titans bade us to join them in wiping out the sky lords floating castles. Again we declined, preferring instead to continue our mastery of the stone we worked and lived from, seeking to remain oblivious to the conflict around us.

The sky lords proved deceptive and they hid their castles far from Kairntheus' reach. We thought the conflict had ceased when the titans left our realm and faded into the mists in which they came. Years passed and the sky lords peeked their heads from under their clouds and were set upon by great winged things in the sky. The sky lords were unable to retreat and they were felled by mounted titans on the backs to creatures greater than even the mighty dragons.

Kairntheus came to us again and bade us to fight or surrender. Wishing to do neither, we conscripted the dwarves in our home to build us a place to hide until the titans became bored and left. The dwarves built a great house of stone and placed it within our home. All of the clans prepared to move away from the titan's ever present gaze, only to have our home cleaved in twain by Kairntheus' demonic lackey Nhagh. The monster had unearthed four of our children and wore their corpses like jewelry around his infernal waist.

We fled in earnest toward the house the sturdy ones had made for both our race's clans. Kairntheus caused the blood of the earth to erupt within our home, it spread out through our tunnels and once reaching the severed top of our home it bathed the mountain in it's fury. Our sheltered house floated in the middle of the caldera. I leapt for it hoping to gain entry and save myself. I did not make it.


Hurmthud of Clan Severed Rock:

Those of us still alive when Nhagh stopped swinging his mace, were huddled and chained together along with some of our brethren from the hills below us. We were led to the coast an arduous journey that took nearly three open moons to reach, it also took nearly fifty of the clan with it as well. When we reached the shore the seven-hundred and so of us remaining were shoved onto great floating barges by Nhagh. For many moons we sat huddled for warmth on the deck, while every other day Nhagh would truss one of us or the hill giants up and dangle then over the side of the barge to be used as bait for various sea creatures. When the beasts took the bait they were pulled up from the sea and beaten and then eaten by the titans. We were fed the stomach contents, nearly always containing some of our brothers. Many tried to dive overboard, only to be crippled and left on the deck to starve to death in the face of their families.

When we reached shore we were led off the barge through an enormous city built for the titans. Both humans and orcs were ushered through the streets by minotaurs who seemed to whip their entourage indiscriminately. We were then brought out of the city and led upon a broken path to a large mountain. Our hopes were lifted when thoughts of a new home crept into our heads. Alas, we were told we were now slaves and were tasked with helping our hill brothers and some of our less civilized cousins to dig into the mountain and to follow the pattern first laid out by dwarves who were apparently there before us. We were told any deviation from there initial tunnels would result in immediate and never ending torture.

We were not allowed to stay in the mountain however. We were given a strip on land on which to sleep, eat, and perform bodily functions on. If the work in the tunnels did not kill you, the disease of your new home did. We were forbidden to write or to practice any of our crafts, open worship of our deities was forbidden. Depression killed off whatever hope the titan's oppression had left. Only the ogres seemed to thrive in these conditions.

We learned later from the orcs that the dwarves and gnomes fled the from the titans into the tunnels and were never found. Soon after learning of that, Durnngh of Clan Broken Hearts exclaimed that he had unearthed the pattern that we were digging out. He told us all to gather at high moon and he would reveal why we should not dig anymore and that death was a better option than the horror we would soon release. Unfortunately he was taken from our pen at sundown and was never seen from again. After that random disappearances began to occur within our clans, brothers you were digging with the day before would vanish overnight never to be seen again.

Paranoia replaced the depression and my people resolved to not sleep for fear of where one would wake up. During these trying days I was summoned to the titan taskmaster to answer why we were running behind schedule. As I waited there I caught a glimpse of an ogre, only not an ogre. This creature looked to be a cross of ogre and lizard. Tall and gangly like an ogre but with a tail and claws. It fled once it realized it was being watched, it brought this matter up with the taskmaster and was beaten and tossed into a bowl of greenish ichor and left to die alone screaming in pain for days.



History part 4 will go from soon after this account from the stone giants, to the present.

 

[Graywolf-ELM]

So this is a serial history from different perspectives in the timeline?

GW

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

So this is a serial history from different perspectives in the timeline?

GW

Sort of, the elves version was halted at that particular point for a reason that shall be revealed in part 4. The dwarves history for the most part leads up to the near present. The giant's one takes over where the dwarves left off (as far as the elves and humans are concerned) and continued to about 500 years ago. All that's really missing is the past 500 years for the non-long lived races. The orcs, ogres, and elves play an important role in part 4 of the history.

The elves and dwarves overlap in the begining as will the humans.

The stone giant's history alludes to a campaign hook and I'm an anticipating some very interesting interactions from Omar and Ratchet in the near future.