The Dark Ones: All
Fall Down
News: 7 Weven 2503
Quotes of the Season
“Death
is too good for cowards and weaklings who fail SARAN's Holy Mission for
dwarfkind.”
Thorgrim
Bloodtaster (known to his troops as 'Bloodwaster'), Commander of the Army of
Liberation at Strawberry Heights
"There
are more forces more powerful than you.
You have to reach an accommodation with Them. But you know what you think is right and what you think is
wrong. And you stay true to
this as far as you can without throwing away your life or freedom.
If forced to fight, you fight mainly for your group and for their
high opinion of you."
From a speech in the Mission to the Dwarves of RAYLIT Morningstar,
Dwarf-friend
"They
may be risking Their lives for a barren and wasted area of rock miles away
from anywhere. They may hate us
Chaotics, kill us if we stray into Their land.
But it’s hard not to admire Their heroism. First the dwarves, fighting their way to the antechamber of
the Gods themselves, taking on a mission we have all laughed at as being
impossible, yet seemingly doing it. And
now some of the Lawful and Good Higher Powers, powerful of course, but
surely outnumbered if the Evils decide to fight Them fully. Yet They do not sit and wait but are prepared to risk Their
immortal lives in a heroic roll of the dice, a grand combat against the
odds.
"I am sure I speak for many people of the world.
We may not really care Who sits in Heaven, but we admire bravery and
the pretty colours and bold light of the Higher Powers, You inspire us all.
A moment of heroism is worth an aeon of boredom.
Go in glory, may the souls of those Who will die be reincarnated yet
more gloriously, and perhaps You will succeed."
From Darion's entry in the oratory competition about the Host of Good and
Law, Bjarmigen 3 Weven 2503
"To
really get things done, you have to make them happen. Changing is the
art of imposing your will upon the world.
Life is what you make of it."
Red, Apostle of Imposed Change, from a Changer class at the TPE
"Nobody slits my throat and gets away with it!"
Féarn, Dragonslayer
"Who
imagines life unchanging?
Life's an ever-spinning wheel.
Who would bring imagination,
To the way we live and feel?"
The Seer Akilia
"Look Inwards, Not Outwards."
Words from the rectum of the Chaos Oracle
"Remember
me, Great Mistress, in Your storybook, whatever happens."
A prayer to DALA
Party in the Last Chance
It was the Third Watch of 4 Weven, and the party was in full swing in the
Last Chance Saloon. Tonight it was manifested in the Grand Audience Hall of
the former Highest Temple of SARAN, latterly the Palace of WAGREN.
Down on the dancefloor here in Second Heaven orcs and trolls mingled with Balrogs and other
Demons, jumping around in abandon to music from Harlequin and his band, and
whipped up to a frenzy as Glersh the Dread (crown tipped rakishly on his
head) danced with a succubus. There was a devil-may-care attitude
amongst those who had escaped from the rout of their forces in the Dungeons,
and now faced an imminent attack by the Gods of Law and Good. Up at
the bar the snacks had run out after KRAK entered the room, but the drinks
flowed freely, as everyone did Their best to finish off the last of SARAN's
formerly extensive (and well-catalogued) cellars.
Over in one corner a large circular table (once used by SARAN to confer
with Her Demigods and more recently used by WAGREN as a map table for the
campaign in the Dungeons) had been placed atop a pile of rubble.
TERRIK sat behind it, tipping back on a throne and gouging great chunks out of
the table with His spiked boots. Between drinks He juggled glowing
chunks of Chaos, occasionally tossing one into the dance pit. To His
left His fierce brother ZAKEL sharpened a long knife the size of a bastard
sword to a man, even though it was already sharp enough to slice through the
fabric of reality. Around the table slouched Their dread lieutenants,
some of the Darkest Ones in Hell: FORTH, Harbinger of Fire, STRAMMASCH,
Demigoddess of Violence, CORNUTUR, Demigod of Trouble, then there were gaps
either side of SITH, Harbinger of Pestilence, before KRAK, Harbinger of
Famine, and DAELOTH, Demigoddess of Terror.
Lounging against a crooked pillar behind Her Master FORTH, Inferno used a lump of red star-stuff
She had caught earlier to light another cigarette. She took a long drink of
firewater and savoured the moment. She could feel it in the air: the
potential for great destruction. Sure, Heaven would be turned into a
smoking ruin. TERRIK would make sure of that. It had been on the
cards ever since WAGREN ceded command of the defence to Him and His
brother. But what really interested Inferno was the potential for its
destruction to rain down Fire upon the Overworld. That was FORTH's Aspect. It should be a blast...
"Hellfire!" exclaimed Her Master, "You lot couldn't organise an arson
attack on a fireworks factory!"
"Don't get overheated!" taunted CORNUTUR. "With Your fried brain,
You can hardly be expected to grasp the subtleties of My plans."
"Why don't You try me, horny boy?" hissed back FORTH, in a tone as
menacing as smoke entering the bedroom of a sleeping child. STRAMMASCH
pushed a darkly-glowing lump of Chaos towards Him, but He waved it aside.
SITH picked at a sore.
"By all means, My dear Demigod," responded CORNUTUR with mocking
courtesy. "Now pay attention, all of You. Perhaps You may recall
that Our campaign started with last Autumn and Winter's raids on the Elves
and Norsemen, using the twisted Druidry of fallen Mist Warriors..."
"...and Harrek and his boys gave You a good whipping," STRAMMASCH cut in.
"Not before half the peasants in the North were put in fear of their
miserable lives," purred DAELOTH.
"Quite," said CORNUTUR, "and half the adventurers in the Overworld were
sat in poky churches, freezing their butts off. Of course it couldn't
last. The rules were changed on Us, and no party of Terrorists,
Troublemakers and ChaosMasters is going to stay together long. But
HAERIM's boy Glersh then went and stirred up Kyr rather nicely with the help
of My young Miranda."
"So Who Summoned that Wolf-Star?" asked DAELOTH.
"Some random ChaosMaster, " shrugged CORNUTUR. "That's the sort of
thing that happens when One stirs things up."
"Then there were the Badlanders raids," prompted KRAK in a voice like
wind through a dustbowl.
"Yes indeed, My hungry friend" beamed CORNUTUR. "It doesn't take
much to stir those Clans up, and We could still ChaosWalk them. Using
the forests was just to pay back the Druids for changing the rules."
"You lost again," pointed out STRAMMASCH, "and stirred up the Valdreans
into forming a Teleporting army!"
"Much hunger follows," hissed KRAK, just as SITH sneezed on a lump of
Chaos, which went green then black, and fizzled out.
"Which has just allied the ESCUS and FIDAR Clerics with their cornucopiae
to the Badland Clans," said DAELOTH, carefully wiping Her glass with a blank
handkerchief, seemingly oblivious to the way KRAK was glaring at Her for
uttering the c-word in His presence.
"You tease Me, My comrades," replied CORNUTUR. "As We all know,
causing mayhem is an end in itself. Sure We stir up the Goods and
Lawfuls, and They come back at Us. And what is the result? More
mayhem! Bitterness, resentment! More fire, more hunger, more
pestilence following in its wake! It's an endless cycle, that
undermines peace and prosperity. And whilst everyone was distracted by
it, My Troublemakers have slipped into their halls and council chambers."
"So what about all that business with the horse races, and the
disappearing pigs?" asked DAELOTH.
"Not My doing, I'm afraid," said CORNUTUR. "DALA and HALKI
respectively, I believe. She unleashed some kind of ChaosMaster Power
from the Altar of Toorm, and You know what those Lawfuls are like about
collecting things. HALKI's the worst of the lot. I think He's
putting together some kind of zoo. But DAELOTH, My dear, why don't You
tell us about the Dark Forest?"
"I'm nobody's 'dear', as well you know," snarled the Mistress of Terror.
"Well, of course the tree-elves and druids are clearing up its physical
manifestation. Only the other day a perfectly vicious Slime Demon was
sent running for Its miserable life, just because the adventurer attacks
were getting a bit close for Its comfort. But the true Dark Forest
lurks in the mind, and in the dark hearts of the trees. The White Stag
can skip all it likes through its rainbow glades, the black and red wolves
of terror still lurk in the shadows between the trees."
"Burn the trees!" murmured FORTH.
"Yes, yes, the wolves!" STRAMMASCH cut in again before DAELOTH really got
started. "What's all this about packs fighting each other?"
"Infected, they are," croaked SITH in a voice like terminal cancer,
"Red-Wolf-Chaos-Star lycan-thropy..."
"What Our plague-carrying chum here is saying," explained CORNUTUR, "is
that someone gave THE GREAT WHITE WOLF that Chaos from the Wolf-Star.
Then Glersh and Miranda got in on the act, and split the primal wolves into
two warring factions."
"So what exactly is the point of all this?" enquired FORTH, Who had
managed to ignite His corner of the table with one of the lumps of Chaos.
"THERE IS NO POINT," TERRIK spoke at last, "THERE NEVER IS. WE SET
THEM UP, THEY TEAR EACH OTHER APART, AND THEY ALL FALL DOWN. TAKE
HEAVEN HERE (AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT). WE DID NOT SEEK IT FOR
OURSELVES, ONLY BECAUSE THEY HAD IT. WE SHAT ALL OVER IT, FORCED THEM
TO TAKE IT BACK OFF US, KILLED THOUSANDS IN THE PROCESS, AND NOW WE ARE
GOING TO MAKE THEM BLOW IT ALL TO SMITHEREENS. THAT IS ALL THERE IS.
THAT IS ALL THERE EVER IS."
"WHAT MATTERS," added ZAKEL, testing the edge of His blade by opening a
gap into Chaos above the star-chunks, "IS HOW YOU FIGHT, AND MAYBE HOW YOU
DIE. TOMORROW WILL SEE THE FINAL BATTLE OF THIS CAMPAIGN. BUT
THE WAR GOES EVER ON. THE VALDREANS STILL WANT REVENGE. THE
DWARVES LUST AFTER THE TREASURES OF HELL. THE BADLANDERS AND NORSEMEN
WILL FIGHT. THE OVERWORLD NOW HAS ITS SIGHTS SET ON THE UNDERWORLD.
THE BEST IS STILL TO COME."
There was little more to add after that. Inferno took a quick drag on Her cigarette, checked Her hair, and then
slipped quickly out of a side door. She had business in Fort Venture,
where just three days ago the new Commander, Aldor Champion of Aven, had
scored the first major success for a Flaming sword in a Duel by defeating
Kyarlin of Heaven. Soon the top positions in the Empire itself would
be under threat.
Suddenly an axe-wielding dwarven
Paladin burst through the entrance, and stopped in surprise, a cry of
"SARAN!" dying in his throat. TERRIK threw a lump of Chaos
at him, which turned into an eight-limbed golem, bowling him back out again.
"Last orders please!" called the landlord.
All Fallen Down?
As Autumn turned to Winter, SARAN stood upon a broken spire of rock that was now the summit of Mt.
Anar, highest point in the Overworld. Once the Grand Audience Hall of
Her Highest Temple had occupied this space. She could feel the Chaos
that still lingered in the air. The fabric of reality was cut thin at this
point. She suspected it was from here that the Gods of Hell had
escaped Her righteous vengeance.
Down in the crater here in Third Heaven dwarves and men mingled with
Angels and Earth Elementals, moving around in order to the beat of
drums. MIORA, Demigoddess of Reconstruction, directed the rebuilding
effort. Rubble excavated from the collapsed dungeons beneath was being
reshaped and strengthened to form a new roof for the exposed upper levels of
the House of Karma and a foundation for the new Temples and Palaces of the Gods of
Heaven.
Their victory had been costly, SARAN knew. But Heaven had to be
retaken, whatever the cost. To avoid One's duty in the cause of Peace
was sheer folly. The Gods of Hell would not live in Peace. The
threat that They represented to ordered society had to be met with the only
response They understood - War. She recognised such a war could never
be truly won, but that did not mean it was not worth fighting; to keep the
threat in check and to defend those things that were precious.
She was immensely proud of Her loyal dwarves. When most others had
said it was impossible, they had kept the promise their King had made to
Her, and carried the war to the Gates of Heaven itself. The fighting
in the narrow corridors and bottlenecks had been bloody, but
person-to-person each one of Her dwarves was worth at least three of ZAKEL's
orcs. The Evils had used all their tricks: undead, Balrogs, farting
Demigods and so-called ChaosMasters, but Her Alliance had counters:
Paladins, Angels, and the dwarven Druids with their Organisms formed from
prisoners and deserters. Once the supply lines between Hell and Heaven
had been cut, it had only been a matter of time. WAGREN had known
that, and had started evacuating His best units, leaving ZAKEL and TERRIK in
charge. They had put up a spirited fight at first, to give Them Their
due, but once the rout started it was beyond such as Them to stop it.
She knew They would try to destroy Heaven rather than let Her, ESCUS and
SHELDA retake it. She had seen the Stars TERRIK had Summoned, and She
had brought forth Her own White Light of Law to banish them. It was
not predictable what would happen when Law met Chaos. Yet She could
not let Her dwarves down. They could not retake Heaven from the Higher
Powers of Evil Chaos without the assistance of those Higher Powers of Law
and Good that still had the heart to fight. KOROS was concerned only
to protect the House of Karma, and to maintain His/Her precious Neutrality.
SARAN, ESCUS and SHELDA had used as much of Their Power as They could to
protect Their host and the brave allies who had flown with Them. They
had largely succeeded, but the price was that the explosion destroyed what
was left of Heaven, rained down Chaos-ridden debris across a large area of
the Overworld, and collapsed great parts of the Dungeons upon Her brave
dwarves still fighting beneath.
Dwarves are tough though, and it takes more than a rockfall to stop them.
The mining teams were now digging out survivors and building new stairways
to Heaven. The rock would rebuild Heaven. The experience gained
in the War, and in dealing with all the diversionary campaigns mounted by
TERRIK's Troublemakers in the Overworld, would be put to good use. The
Valdrean Empire now had an Expeditionary Force that could be deployed
rapidly by Teleportals. The dwarves were building an irregular army of
Evil/Lawful orcish prisoners. The Kingdom of the North were forming
new ties with the Badlanders that would repair old enmities. In the
days to come the Forces of Law and Good would carry the War to the Powers of
Chaos and Evil.
BEATHOR, Demigod of Discipline, Who stood slightly below SARAN to Her
right, passed Her a flagpole with a furled flag. She planted it in the
rocky spire and let the flag blow out in the cold wind. Once again the
Sun of SARAN flew over Heaven, and all would be Right in the World.
Your plots are requested for the rest of Weven 2503. See
How to submit your Plot for
guidance.
For the latest news and all the detail from the Season So Far, remember to visit the rumourmonger.
© P.R. Wild, 30 November 2002
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