Leperflesh May 17, 2007











Smellrose







please listen to this composition by Loden Taylor while you read.



Come, my mother told me. We sat by the cage with the tame cardinals in the great hall. Tell me who is King.

It was a test. Libash Uzoldogik I told her. She knew I would answer it right.

And whom does the king rule? she asked.

The dwarves of The Rare Ship.

Aye, she said. And what is Akrelzuglar?

She had not asked me exactly that before. It is the name of the dwarves?

My mother smiled in the way that meant I was not wrong but also not right.

Akrelzuglar which means 'The Rare Ship' is the name for our civilization, beardling. It is all the Mountain Halls and all that live within them...







I knew the mountainhomes of The Rare Ship. There are thirty-five, I offered.

...Yes, but it is more. The Rare Ship is an idea. It means... it means 'us'. Not just the stone we cut or the halls we eat in. And there are more than Dwarves in The Rare Ship.

My mother nodded at the bright red cardinals in their copper cage, and I understood.



***



In 200 Libash Uzoldogik, who had reigned as King of The Rare Ship for 137 years, died and his second daughter Bim Inethdeduk became Queen in Paintfamous. I was 51 years old but I had never seen the King and I desired that I would see the new Queen. Therefore in the late spring of 201 I went to Paintfamous.



The great dining hall at Paintfamous bears the artifact mural Gostangoddom that gives that Mountain Hall its name. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. On the painting is the image of The Rare Ship and its surrounding neighbors and lands. I viewed this work and was ecstatic to have seen it. I am not a skilled artist but I endeavored to copy the painting.



There are 35 mountain halls of The Rare Ship, but I marked the names only of the most important which were marked on Gostanggoddom. Paintfamous which is the capital. Friendlyshoots which was founded in the First Year. Pagetin, where Queen Bim Inethdeduk married Lorbam Orburn and became a brewer in 73, until Lorbam died in 87, whereafter she wandered The Rare Ship for many years, much as I have done. Planksavior, Shottome, Ripewhips. The centers of travel and trade. I desired to label every mountain hall but with every name there would not be room for the map on my small paper.







I have kept my map ever since and attach it here. It now has also lines I drew many years later, that show how trade caravans go between fortresses not only of The Rare Ship but also the other dwarves, the humans, the elves in their forests and even the dark fortresses although I never met a trader who confessed to trading with goblins.



Queen Bim Inethdeduk later that day came to the great hall and there issued an edict prohibiting the export of tin items. Thereafter the General came and we who were only civilians were ushered out. We went without grumbling knowing their council concerned war.



***



In the late fall of 234 I was content to end a romance with Asob Paddledled and traveled to Shipshook. I inquired in Shipshook as to the need for a dwarf with my organizational skills but found no such work and instead spent that winter crafting unremarkable stone jugs and also daily cleaning the fishery. It was at Shipshook in the spring of 235 that I met a dwarf who called herself an agent of the Queen, Zulban Uzolbesmar (whose reign began in 225). She instructed me not to use her true name and instead to adopt a false name on her behalf which she called Sankis. Likewise she named me Leperfish which is a joke about the smell in my clothing on that day we first discussed Ritholducim, 'The Noble Work.'







Henceforth, she told me, if you will serve  which I have not yet decided for certain  but if you will serve, then you and all whom aid you must use an alias so as to confuse the Enemy. I thought at that time that the enemy would not be confused (and did not care about our names) but I did not yet truly understand.



Sankis asked me if I had traveled and I told her I had, for I have visited ten of the mountain halls of The Rare Ship. I aspire to visit them all eventually, I told her, and she raised her brows at me and asked All? by which I understood she referred obliquely to Ripewhips. It is still one of the thirty-five, although it may be the last that I attempt I told her. Sankis is very quick of mind and so she favored me with a dark smile, knowing both meanings of my words.



Ripewhips is much spoken-of within the royal chambers in Paintfamous, Leperfish. You may imagine that the Queen regards it the hardest stone to mine? I nodded and made to answer but she was not done. You would be wrong, dwarf. Ripewhips is but a victim of the syndrome. The Queen means to cleave the beast which spreads it. Until that is done, to cure one victim of the syndrome solves little, for in time another will fall ill, and then another.



***



We spoke a little more that day and for several weeks I considered what Sankis had told me. Also I considered why she had told me  specifically me, and not some other dwarf. When we next met in the early summer of 234 Sankis was wearing a dusty traveling-cloak when she found me asleep in my bunk in the dormitory of lozenges at Shipshook. I realized she had likely been all the way to Paintfamous and back in the meantime. We provisioned ourselves with stew and Dwarven Rum from the stockpile and spoke at a table in the great hall, where no other dwarf ate or partied at that hour.



Ripewhips is overrun and there is little point in attempting to cleanse it, I began, while Sankis quaffed. In Shottome I saw almost as many goblins as there were elves, although there are at least six times as many dwarves there. Sankis nodded and gestured with her drink that I should continue. I have also heard that at Planksavior there are almost as many goblins as dwarves, and Planksavior is far smaller and more difficult to encircle or defend than Ripewhips.



And there are also a small number at Pagetin, Sankis interjected, and  do not speak of this, Leperfish  there are even now thirty goblins living within the walls of Paintfamous itself.



I was quiet for a while and we both ate and drank.



There is a dwarf here with some medical skill, I said to break the silence, and Sankis raised her brow as is her way. I asked him about syndromes. He claimed that he has read of an outpost which was attacked in deep mines by an ancient creature. The miners who were not instantly slain by the beast were carried up to hospital beds but any who treated them or were even touched by them fell quickly ill, and within hours blood ran from their eyes and noses and ears and soon they died.



What did your doctor say of treatment?



There was no treatment for those who became ill but there was a flooded branch in the upper mines beyond which many dwarves sought refuge. None who swam the water became sick, even if they had previously touched an ill dwarf who had escaped the deep mines. By this the doctor said he thought the ancient terror in the deep had spread a deadly dust which was washed from clothing by the water.



Sankis tilted her head. And what of the beast?



I suppose it still lives, I told her. One of those who fled had a pick and the survivors carved a new shaft to reach the surface. They filled the shaft with stone behind them and built also a wall at the main entrance.



So, Sankis nodded, leaning back in her seat, the outpost was lost. All within who did not wash themselves of the filth were likewise lost. And the mines cannot be recovered while the beast within yet lives, for fear of the plague it carries. Is that it?



I think I then understood the metaphor which Sankis had used months past.



***



In the late fall of 235 Sankis again sought me at Shipshook and instructed that I should seek from among those at Shipshook a few sturdy and trustworthy dwarves. She gave me also a goat-leather bag containing finely cut clear tourmalines and instructed that I should outfit a wagon with provisions, victuals and supplies, and buy two draft animals. Sankis spoke directions to me (but would not write them) and empowered me to act on behalf of the Queen in the establishment of a new outpost for The Rare Ship.



I was afraid but Sankis expressed that The Rare Ship did not have time to console me, by which she meant that the Queen could not afford patience for cowardice. Therefore I sought out such dwarves as seemed likely and described our purpose in the manner Sankis had instructed me, which is a subterfuge by saying only a small part of the truth as if it is the whole truth, but it is not a lie. I hoped to gather at least twenty dwarves including at least ten skilled at arms, but after two weeks the day had come to depart and I had only six besides myself willing to gamble their lives for our venture once they knew the direction of our travel.



However I had afforded insufficient victuals for twenty with the tourmalines, so perhaps to have so few was not tragedy.































***



In early winter of 235 we seven dwarves became The Noble Work and departed Shipshook. We met a trade caravan and despite the snow on the roads our wagons arrived in good order at Whiskergild by mid-winter. Whiskergild is situated at the foot of the northern border of the mountains called The Entangled Horn, entirely within which the mountain halls of The Rare Ship are carved, as well as every other dwarven home known to me. The dwarves who dwell at Whiskergild are members of The Cloisters of Exalting and they revere strange gods and wear clothing of an unusual cut and speak the language with incorrect sounds.



A half-day's walk from Whiskergild to the northwest is Youthmachine, which is of a similar size and population to Whiskergild. It is founded astride the confluence of two brooks into the stream called The Lice of Deteriorating which emerges from its northern walls where also the familiar mountains give way to the northwest a grassland and to the northeast a rocky wasteland. The grassland is hilly which is like very small rounded mountains and the name of that is The Hill of Rewarding although there are many many hills. A dwarf in Youthmachine recounted that long ago, prospectors found deposits of silver in outcrops on a particular hill which they named The Hill of Rewarding, after which they returned to The Cloisters of Exalting. Thereafter when asked the whereabouts of their claim the prospectors pointed to the north and said The Hill of Rewarding by which many dwarves, not familiar with the word 'hill,' thought was the name of the entire grassland. Thereafter when maps were made the grassland was called 'The Hill of Rewarding.'



'Bad Munki' Whippedbite said that this was probably a lie and that we could not trust the word of dwarves from The Cloisters of Exalting who do not even know how to say words correctly.







The rocky wasteland is called The Dune of Suns and by that name and also its forbidding aspect we intended to avoid it. Therefore we followed the stream north finding some difficulty with the snow but here the water was frozen and so we pulled the wagon upon the ice where we could and made good time.



The ground descended and after several days we saw the rocky wasteland give way to the east and I knew by the instructions Sankis gave to turn also east. Thus we crossed into a climate of hilly grasslands with sparse trees which is called 'savanna.' Savanna is a human word like 'hill' and 'grassland' so for a few days we made a game of guessing exactly what the word meant.



'Scamtank' Sabrestraps convinced that humans lacking any poetry use words which are only sounds and do not mean anything else than what they label. So 'savanna' only means a grasslands with sparse trees and has no meaning like 'bodicecloisters' or 'paperhame' like a dwarf word. Although I agreed scamtank is correct he ended our game with the miasma from a spoiled meal and therefore was charged with inventing the next game.







***



In late winter of 235 although it is definitely still winter we traveled more days to the east and found places where there was no snow on the ground and springs ran with unfrozen water. The sodden ground from rainfall muddied the wagon and for a full day we were stuck while 'Vox Nihili' Trustedshoots cut wood and then 'Nettle Soup' Thinpaddles made a new axle. Scamtank made the game 'do not let the cats abscond' which involved catching the cats in the tall grass several times which scamtank and Bad Munki enjoyed but I did not.











Two days later 'Internet Kraken' Helmsarches conspired with Bad Munki to suggest that our endeavor was likely to fail after our wagon again suffered damage. Bad Munki conveyed this news while Internet Kraken pretended surprise and that they had not previously discussed their worries for hours the prior evening. After directing repairs I considered and consulted with Nettle Soup who sat very still for a few minutes before giving advice that although she was content to follow the plan with confidence in my leadership, our mission was still shrouded in mystery and therefore discouraging to those who lacked trust.







I decided she was correct and made to reveal a measure of our true purpose as a way to bring encouragement.



As we worked near the wagon I made announcement. As you know, we traveled to the west to Whiskerguild and Youthmachine, and then north, and then turned east, which is not a direct route to our intended site, I began, and my six companions of The Noble Work listened. We have taken this roundabout path to avoid a corrupted and evil region known as The Fields of Vice. That land is tainted and sinister; a savanna much like this, but haunted by unnatural creatures and swept with bad air that brings sicknesses and filth. Yet, there is a place that has been described to me where the geography is favorable  a site worth prospecting for mineral wealth. Therefore we circumnavigate the forbidden land and stay clear of the evil creatures that haunt them, but if we are resolute, we should come to that site in good time and there make for ourselves substantial fortune.



This encouragement seemed to be of help and when the dislocated wheel was reattached both Internet Kraken and Bad Munki behaved reassured. They walked beside the wagon cheerfully exchanging military trivia and discussing 'hit locations' which is combat jargon. When I wondered about their conversation aloud 'Markus_cz' Bronzetunnels (who is the doctor I earlier mentioned in converse with Sankis) explained that Internet Kraken and Bad Munki conversed the skills which are the counterparts to his own: while the ranger and the warrior have the knowledge of disablement and wounding, the doctor has the knowledge of surgery and healing. Therefore a hit location is a place of the body where a wound may be severest.







Later I suggested to Bad Munki that he ought to armor his hit locations before battle and he was surprised and agreed but I think in the way that a parent agrees with a child who suggests it is cold and therefore one should wear socks. I did not say so but I considered that in the future I must give Bad Munki military direction without childish innocence of warrior jargon. I do not have a reference so I will study the conversations of Bad Munki and Internet Kraken to improve proficiency.



We traveled east and the hills north and south obscured any possible view of dark fortresses. The plants and grasses were healthy and there was no miasma so I was relieved we had followed the correct course. Sankis informed me of the narrowness of the safe way here and although it was a risk that I did not share the danger with my companions, I felt finally justified because there was no need.



Vox Nihili volunteered to teach a song concerning travel, nostalgia, and improbable water animals with floppy noses. After several rehearsals our songcraft was of mixed quality. Markus_cz and Vox Nihili sang harmony well and I received compliments for my clear voice. Internet Kraken misremembered the words and then sang as quietly as possible. I worried that goblins have good ears but the tall grass among the hills perhaps absorbs the sounds and I was loathe to quash morale with requests for silence.



Provisions dwindled and Internet Kraken requested to hunt but I asked that bolts be preserved. I counted days and leagues and rations and mouths and found no great cause for worry yet.



***



On the last day of 235 I looked south and saw three distant peaks of The Entangled Horn, side by side with snow atop and of a similar height. We turned north along a gully descending a small hill and I saw ahead the bend of a brook lined on both banks by twisted purple trees. There was a haze to the north. I ordered halt to the wagon as the sun set and when the sun rose it was 1 Granite 236, the first day of spring.



We have arrived I informed six other dwarves of The Noble Work.













Really? asked scamtank, glancing towards the unwholesome brook.



Aye, scamtank. We are right on the edge of The Fields of Vice. Stay away from that stream, take water only from the pools closer to this hill. Unburden the horses, pasture them and the dogs as well. Find the picks. This is where we will found a new outpost for The Rare Ship. We will delve for metal and for gemstone, make space for kitchens and storerooms, cut the rock and smooth it and thereupon carve our names. We will cut the trees and brew the plants and drink to our health in a grand hall.







It was a momentous occasion and I had all of their attention.



A dwarf cannot mistake a moment of history being made. I beheld their faces and saw in their eyes commitment to this singular revelation of dwarfhood. Can there be any greater privilege in life, than to be a part of such an event? I felt the presence of Etest, god of fortresses, metals, and war. Igest Nestethkurol inspired my words. All the true gods heard me in that moment, and I aspired to make my words worthy.



In the annals of our people, it will forevermore be written that in the Early Spring of 236, in The Hill of Rewarding, Ritholducim founded for the glory of all Akrelzuglar the fortress Kilrudzat: Bronzestabbed. Strike the earth!





Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Jun 26, 2012