Prelude - Hedra

[Ismaels-Legacy]

"One Hundred and Fifty-three years has passed since the world turned dark. The realms of fey have all but fallen and the homes of man have burned. Only we dwarves, stout of arm and strong of heart, have persevered. In our ancestral halls, with crypts of stone, the First Race has survived. When the threat came to our home, we shut the doors, but it was too late. The curse had infected our ancestors remains. Lords were forced to defend their houses from their own sires, risen again with a thirst for living flesh.

"Yet, we are a strong people. With grim efficiency, the People were mobilized. Systematically, all dwarf-kind united and moved from Hall to Hall, destroying the threat that faced us all. The Grand Purge united all dwarfdom and made us stronger. When our task was complete and our halls were safe once again, we opened our doors, sending out ambassadors to the surface realms. They were in need of our skills, both in defense and in fortification. And so, cities such as Haven and Holgrim became massive fortifications where life could persevere.

This is your task, young Hedra: go out into the world. Defend those who cannot defend themselves. Help rebuild and seek to restore balance once again."

The Arch-Priest finished his litany, lifted his cowl to hide his bearded face in shadows, and snuffed out the single candle that illuminated the alter before which you kneel. He slowly shuffles around the side, and beckons for you to rise. Placing his hands upon your shoulders he gives you these final words; "Go now, and be strong. Become the legends of tomorrow."

[Breila]

Hedra nods solemly, then goes down the aisle to the entrance of the chapel-cavern. At the exit, she turns once again, rises her head to where she knows the altar to be, and whispers:
"Oheah, gipmmr wassi braoch, umdai arbet zommdoa" - "Lord, give to me what I need to do thy work"

She then goes into her room to gather her belongings. Last, she puts a ring on the little finger of her left hand, It's made of silver filigree and set with a blue stone. Last night after dinner, her father had given it to her in front of the whole family.

"Hedra, you know that our clan used to make the finest silverware. Now we, like everybody else, must struggle to survive. But we must not forget our arts, nor lose the love and appreciation for beautiful things. A gemstone of the same color as this has brought devastation over our lands. You have received the gift of a voice fit for the chanters, and you have taken upon yourself the tasks that wait for them. I am very proud of you. We all are. So take this ring when you leave us tomorrow, to remind you of us, and to reassure you that our prayers will always be with you."

As the night wears on, more family members come forward, each publicly giving Hedra gifts of their clan's making. Due to the circumstances at hand, though, many of these gifts tend toward the practical; a spare pair of boots, a belt pouch with the inverted hammer emblazoned on it, spare traveling food, and raw materials with which to trade when she reaches the surface.

As the families depart, a distant uncle pulls Hedra aside and pulls a small box from beneath his cloak. "Hedra, the first town you encounter when traveling South will be a place known as Gimmr's Heath. There is a shop there run by a funny little man who wears purple upon his head. Please, deliver this to him in my name. For....services rendered." He smiles and winks as he claps Hedra on the shoulder and departs for the night.

The next day Hedra awakes to find her family's home empty. She eats food she prepares herself, and gathers her items for the journey. She exits the home and looks around to see the 'streets' empty as well. Each home and shop is bereft of dwarves. Wondering at the cause a slight shiver runs down her spine. He pace quickens as she takes the twisting tunnels to the surface. As she rounds the final bend, she stops in mid-stride. Every member of her community is lined up on either side of the tunnel, shoulder to shoulder. Each smiles a knowing smile for their departing daughter.

As Hedra slowly walks to the surface, everybody greets her with a silent bow, a salute to the chanter setting out. As she goes out, Hedra blinks a few times in the sun, then readjusts her backpack, straightens the surcot with the emblazoned warhammer, shortly touches the real one in his holster on her hip, and sets out. Behind her, she hears the sadly familiar sound of a stone door grinding shut.

Her first destination is Grimmr's Heath. She has been given only a few day's provisions and no money, but a few prized dwarven-made items she can sell. In Grimm's heath, she goes to the trader's shop.

"A good day to you, Sir! I have brought new things from the hills. Would you be interested?"
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Edit: Additions made by I-L. Don't jump ahead too far! You'll ruin my plans! LoL

Edit 2 (by Breila) : Sorry - thought I had to make up for time lost because I'm in a different time zone (everybody else's main posting time is midnight to 2 a.m. my time). Will be more patient now.

[Ismaels-Legacy]

The bearded man in a Lavender turban gives a broad, though clearly false, smile in reply. "Welcome hill-dweller! What goods have you brought me today? I see you are a newly initiated member of a reverent order! What occassion brings you to this blasted heath?"

The whole time he speaks, his hands continue to move, rearranging and sorting objects on his shelves so that certain objects will be more visible to you. He anticipates you to be enthralled by certain knick-knacks not typically found in the Dwarven realms.

[Breila]

Hedra already has about as many things as she can carry, so she's more interested in selling (to get money) than buying. However, to stay in the trader's good books, she asks about a few of the items he so obviously displays. She's interested in information on the situation in Grimmr's Heath, but doesn't yet want to ask openly.

After a while (especially if pressed to buy something) she says: "Oh, my uncle, Sigur Oloffson, has asked me to give you something, for services rendered, he said. Let me set down my backpack and get it out."

The backpack is packed so that to get at the gift, she has to take out the items that have been most in demand the last time one of Hedra's clan has been outside. She hopes to pique the trader's interest and sell something.

When she finds the box, she holds it out to the trader. "Here you are. As I said, it's from my uncle Sigur, with thanks for services rendered."

[Ismaels-Legacy]

"Sigur Oloffson.....Sigur....." the merchant thinks hard, his brow knitting in concentration. "SIGUR!? My! Let it not be said that the hill-folk do not have long memories! I have not encountered Sigur in nearly thirty years! I suppose that is a short period of time for those such as yourself! Why, I prevented him from getting a knife in the back during the Bread Riots! Please, thank him for his remembrance when next you see him!" The merchant places the box upon the closest shelf to the counter and begins to look closely at your possessions.

"I do not hope you wish to trade such items. It would be a disappointment if you did. You see, even though we are in a time of strife, styles and fashion still change like the wind. Many of these items, beautifully crafted though they be, are at least 10 years behind! Again, I attribute that to your people's long lifespan and.....elongated...sense of time." He rifles through several different works including some simple silver jewelry, some iron utensils, some pocket whetstones, a fistful of forged nails, and a knife with a finely-honed razors edge.

"The knife will always be in demand since weapons are not easy to forge on the surface given our current predicament. Utensils are also welcome, and nails are rather useful, though I feel you may get better trade further from the hills themselves, especially for the whetstones. In exchange for the knife I can offer you store credit or write you some notes of credit if there are provisions that you would perhaps need from town."

[Breila]

"The only things I need right now are food and lodging for the day, for a few days at most, and information as to the situation here. As you have said, we in the hills tend to be a little behind the times. So if you cannot give me money, but only credits to be spent in town, the knife is probably too valuable to sell. Would the nails be acceptable?"

[Ismaels-Legacy]

"Money? Have...have you not been outside the caves? Did tell you why you were given gifts of material goods? Money has little value any more. The only function it serves is in the form of silver coins which are really only funerary tokens. The clergy uses them as their own form of credit, really. They are 'favors' and an assurance of a proper conflagration upon your demise!" The man looks visibly shocked that you were not told about this before leaving your home.

"I will certainly take the nails, but for the knife I can give you Notes of credit good for 3 days worth of meals and lodging if you so chose. In addition, I can give you four silver coins (Two for you and two for any unfortunate soul you may encounter), and a small sack of grain (Which I must point out is extremely rare and expensive at this point in time given the raids). Do we have a deal?"

[Breila]

"Yes, we do have a deal. You mentioned raids, could you tell me more about them?"

[Ismaels-Legacy]

He scribbles out a quick series of notes and seals them with hastily melted wax seals. When you receive them, you notice that the wax is a mish-mash of different colors and textures. It appears he has run out of sealing wax and is not forced to reuse stubs and old seals.

"They are raids only in the loosest meaning of the word. It is simply that caravans are arriving without food. Noone knows why. The caravans themselves leave one stronghold or town WITH the food, travel to our town, and find that their food stores are empty! They executed the guards of the first caravan this happened with, flogged the second caravan's guards within an inch of their life, and simply didn't pay the caravans after that. So far there have been a half dozen that have arrived without their supplies."

[Breila]

"This is very strange indeed, and very worrying.
I have to thank you so much for your kindness and information. You have given me a lot to think about.
Goodbeye, and may the Lord be with you."

She turns and begins to walk out of the shop, then she stops and turns back again. She reaches into a belt pouch, and produces a piece of chalk which she shows to the trader.

"This is consecrated chalk. It is made in a ceremony similar to making holy water, and it is used to write a blessing symbol onto doors or lintels. Would you like one?"


ooc:/ for background, see ooc chat

[Breila]

As the trader accepts, Hedra looks for a suitable spot (out of the weather, but close to the door and well visible) and draws a symbol on the wall, chanting as she does this:

"Oheah, eebitty" "Lord, I pray to you" (the central rectangle)

"Sekkne sells haos" "Bless this house" (the diagonals and horizontal line)

"Diawo ganget nai" "Those who go in" (the three lines on the left)

"Un'diawo kummet naos" "And those who come out" (the three lines on the right)

[Ismaels-Legacy]

"My thanks to you!" the shop keeper says with a slight smile and a brief bow of his head. "May the Light guide you!"

Leaving the shop you find that the brief period of daylight is drawing to a close already. There are several destinations in town that you could visit. The first being a message board in the town square. There are also the various shops that would take your notes of credit. Finally you could track down a place to stay for the night, though that will take some asking around to locate.

[Breila]

Hedra goes to the town square to read the message board. Aside from reading the messages, she hopes to find people there to talk to and ask fo a place to stay for the night, and an evening meal.

She walks slowly, taking in the "feel" of the place. How is the housing, are there (makeshift?) gardens to grow vegetables? Are people walking around? (if so. Hedra greets them politely, ready to talk if someone approaches her.)

[Ismaels-Legacy]

The housing seems to be mostly stone, though there's little clutter around. Mostly because anything that could be burned for heat HAS been burnt for heat. Some of the roofs seem to be made of shingles or thatch, but most of the residential buildings appear to be entirely stone, though you can't quite see the rooftops.

Some of the back alleys have piles of what appears to be manure and garbage, but on closer inspection you see that it's probably a compost heap. That makes you wonder about gardens since there's none visible at ground level.... People around aren't exactly unfriendly but they certainly aren't going out of their way to say hello to you. In fact, on a few occasions when you speak to them, they just stare at you as if they're unsure of how to react. Chances are they haven't seen or interacted with a dwarf before.

There's a small handful of people crowded around the message board (Which isn't a board at all, but a short wall made of stone with papers glued to it). There's various postings written in barely legible script, mostly calling for food or advertising various trade skills. One catches your eye, though; a notice for caravan guards seems to have been recently posted. It has a person's signature at the bottom, as if that's enough to locate the man. Apparently he's well known around town if that's all it takes to find him....

[Breila]

Hedra memorizes the name from the notice. Guarding a caravan would be a means both to earn a living and to help the people survive.

Seeing that the sun has set, Hedra walks to the end of the town square opposite the sunset, turns around and extends her arms, so that the cloak falls apart and the inverted hammer on her surcot is clearly visible. She then begins to chant:

"Oh Lord, the sun has set, the su - uuuu - uuun has set
and daa - aaaa - aaaarkness falls, darkness fa-a-a-a-alls.
We pra-aaaay to you: gua - aaaa - aaaard us thru - uuuu the night."

If there's a negative reaction, she'll end the chant after this verse, if not, she'll repeat it, then bring her palms together in front of her closed eyes as a finishing salute.
The chant is the introduction for the evening service of the dwarves, recently translated into the common tongue for the use of those chanters that live among other races.

Hedra will then try to get into conversation with people, if nothing occurs spontaneously, she'll outrightly ask somebody for a tavern where she can stay for the night.