I was going to start another RPG/Forum Fortress/Let's Play thread, but considering that there are three of them active, I've decided to do something a little different, namely play a particular challenge variation and write a narrative to go with it...

So let's begin.

Datan Ekurkeskal (Mightyshoots) led his band of seven dwarves, like so many others, to start an outpost that might become a mighty fortress one day, bustling with over a hundred industrious dwarves... Or so was the dream.

After days of travel the chosen mountain at last was visible in the distance- proud and sturdy, a welcome change from the dark jungles through which they were traveling. They were all very eager to arive at the solid cliff face, but getting the wagons through the thick jungle was slow going...

Fortunately, one dwarf... Urist Borushdumat (Raked-Roughness), volunteered to stay with the wagons, while the other six hurried off ahead to the comfort of the cliff. Datan thought Urist was a bit... slow, and he was still wary after having been assigned their "miner" by the Society for Reformed Dwarves... Datan was skeptical that Urist had any type of skill at all, but she brought her own pick and the party was short on funds- and a fortress would be doomed without a miner...

In any case, slow as he was Datan was confident that Urist could handle the carts, as she'd been doing so for most of the journey... A rather strange dwarf...

The dwaves had been relaxing by the cliff face for several hours and there was talk maybe the beasts had gotten Urist when she finally emerged from the jungle, though extremely filthy. What's more, there was only one wagon and it was empty, holding only Urist's own pick!

"What's the meaning of this?" Demanded Datan.

Urist looked very sheepish and more than a little dense when she responded, "It... fell out..." She gestured vaguely from where she came...

Datan was furious... He promised to beat Urist when he returned, and called up his five reliable comrades to help him go out and find the supplies...

He didn't get far beyond the river before he noticed what appeared to be a mule in the distance- the cart couldn't be far away. When he approached however, he saw that the mule was dead, quite gorily impaled on... something... Datan looked around in shock- the place was littered with bones, Elephant bones... This must be one of those Elephant Graveyards he'd heard about. He shuddered at the thought of what they'd do to him if he were alive.

Then one of them stood up.

Datan screamed in a mix of surprise and terror as the animated skeleton charged at him... The other dwarves nearby rushed to see what was going on, as the rest of the elephant corpses rose...

A slaughter ensued.

They were dead... his comrades, they were all dead- After being thrown into a tree and grievously injured, Datan quickly saw the futility of facing off against one of these re-animated behemoths, he fled as fast as his dwarven legs could carry him, which given the circumstances was quite fast indeed...

He mindlessly fled towards the cliff face, and Urist...

Much to his surprise, Urist was already industriously (though not very skillfully as Datan had suspected) chipping away at the cliff face with her pick off in the distance.

He tripped, and his wounds made it hard to get up again- just as the elephants were almost on top of him, just before he lost consciousness he saw Urist glance at him... She had an entirely different look in her eye from her usual dullness- it was a sharp cunning look, a victorious gloating look... She'd played them all for fools. Datan's skull was crushed by a bony foot.

...

For a while Urist was concerned that the elephants had seen her, but that quickly passed as they returned to the forest. She'd finally made it. In this place, protected by the hoards of re-animated elephants... this is where she'd prove them all wrong.

She'd used them all, and now she'd show them... It started after she was dismissed as apprentice to her master... Her stupid, stupid master, "No abilities"!? "No potential!? What did he know? Her father didn't know anything either... He'd lectured her- berated her- claimed she'd never amount to anything. He went too far! She was perfectly justified in killing him...

They thought she was mad. Ha! They tried to "help" her... They were the ones who needed help! The Society for Reformed Dwarves? She played along, of course- she pretended she had an "illness," and then pretended it was "rehabilitated." It was simple for a dwarf of her quality. She had come out here with this utterly incompetent band... Hadn't they noticed the skeletal elephants trailing them for the last few days? Urist noticed... Urist noticed everything...

Now she was free, now she had a real chance to prove herself... She took stock of what materials she had... There was a mule and a horse as well as the wagon... They looked tasty... (not the wagon...) She also noticed a kitten roaming around... Probably one of the deceased dwarves' pets... More food.

She took her pick, the one she'd driven through her father's skull, and struck the mountain.

---

In game terms, here's the setting:





The events of this prologue were inspired by the actual game events- I sent all but one of my dwarves to wrestle with the skeletal elephants, but one got away, only to be struck down within eyesight of Urist.

The skeletal elephant graphic is of my own design... I also have really, really, lame skeletal bonobo graphics for consistency's sake...

If you thought this was too story-heavy, don't worry, most of my future updates will be far more game play as I attempt to survive with only one skill-less peasant and an iron pick. (If you liked the story, there'll be enough of it later on too).

Thoughts so far?

[ February 23, 2007: Message edited by: Eiba ]