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Ringmaster

To defeat your enemy, you must know them.
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. Multiple posts per day
  2. 1-3 posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per week
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
Genres
Urban Fantasy, Scifi, Horror, Romance, Noir, Mystery, Fantasy. Crossovers are a particular favorite and specialty of mine.



e16d8f62ae4111c433b95a1223c0ee03.jpg


*WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!*

The sound of the train whistle echoed loudly in the hills as it moved on its way. The fastest transportation upon the planet, a symbol of progress and the current age in Iron and Steam. Nowadays, such things were working to connect the country in ways their forebears had never concieved. The impossible of yesterday, becoming the norm for today. It was only a matter of time really, though for now it would have been secondary compared to the nature of what was currently upon it. A mixture of people, from all walks of life. And everyone of them about to be thrust into a situation unheard of, as the world changed around them....

"APPROACHING MERCY STATION! ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL- ONE HOUR!"

The conductor bellowed, a Portly Dwarf as he waddled about. It was a motley crew of passengers this time around, taking the train to Kingdom Come. A former dwarf holding-turned-land of opportunity. In the passenger car sat several strange folk, among them the following.

A young woman, of Eastern looking descent with a medallion of bronze bearing a strange symbol around her neck....

A catfolk figure, looking out the window...

And two humans, one of which had a rapier on his belt as he sat in his seat. The other, reading a holy manuscript as the train continued on.

hqdefault.jpg


Your journey had just begun....

@york @BarrenThin @The Tactician
 



e16d8f62ae4111c433b95a1223c0ee03.jpg


*WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!*

The sound of the train whistle echoed loudly in the hills as it moved on its way. The fastest transportation upon the planet, a symbol of progress and the current age in Iron and Steam. Nowadays, such things were working to connect the country in ways their forebears had never concieved. The impossible of yesterday, becoming the norm for today. It was only a matter of time really, though for now it would have been secondary compared to the nature of what was currently upon it. A mixture of people, from all walks of life. And everyone of them about to be thrust into a situation unheard of, as the world changed around them....

"APPROACHING MERCY STATION! ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL- ONE HOUR!"

The conductor bellowed, a Portly Dwarf as he waddled about. It was a motley crew of passengers this time around, taking the train to Kingdom Come. A former dwarf holding-turned-land of opportunity. In the passenger car sat several strange folk, among them the following.

A young woman, of Eastern looking descent with a medallion of bronze bearing a strange symbol around her neck....

A catfolk figure, looking out the window...

And two humans, one of which had a rapier on his belt as he sat in his seat. The other, reading a holy manuscript as the train continued on.

hqdefault.jpg


Your journey had just begun....

@york @BarrenThin @The Tactician
VwWbENh.png


The entire ride out, the catfolk had silently watched the passing landscape of the train's route, preferring his own thoughts to that of conversation with the other occupants of the train car he found himself in. Occasionally, a quiet purr escaped him as he sat alert and remembered what he was leaving behind. Nothin' back there for ya now, Teme. You've made your peace with this path, now it's time for you to make your own way out here. Back in his hometown, they were probably organizing a mob to hunt him down by now, but with how far away he was now? He doubted they would catch up.

He doubted they would get 'justice' for that tavern patron, and the gunslinger was content with making amends from afar. Out here in Ver Badir, there would be honest work for him to do, either using his gun or using his hands. He didn't plan to head back to home till many years had past and people had forgotten his name and face. Might be lonely, but at least he would have Duke and Annie with him.

Speaking of the two mutts, their ears perked up as they rested on the floor and the dwarven conductor bellowed outside before laying back down. They'd been enjoying the time to sleep and relax during the trip, but Temerith knew the Spitzes would need some time to exercise once the ride came to an end. Hopefully there would be a good bit of space that no one was occupying nearby.

However, that was thought for later. For now, they had another hour to wait as the train neared its destination, and the gunslinger was growing tired of being silent. After a moment's thought on what to say, those feline eyes turned from the window pane and looked to the others with a curious tilt, "So what brings y'all out this way?" His eyes focused then on the one carrying a holy script, "Guessing you're some sort of preacher, huh? Looking to spread the good word, mister?"

@Ringmaster @york @BarrenThin
 



e16d8f62ae4111c433b95a1223c0ee03.jpg


*WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!*

The sound of the train whistle echoed loudly in the hills as it moved on its way. The fastest transportation upon the planet, a symbol of progress and the current age in Iron and Steam. Nowadays, such things were working to connect the country in ways their forebears had never concieved. The impossible of yesterday, becoming the norm for today. It was only a matter of time really, though for now it would have been secondary compared to the nature of what was currently upon it. A mixture of people, from all walks of life. And everyone of them about to be thrust into a situation unheard of, as the world changed around them....

"APPROACHING MERCY STATION! ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL- ONE HOUR!"

The conductor bellowed, a Portly Dwarf as he waddled about. It was a motley crew of passengers this time around, taking the train to Kingdom Come. A former dwarf holding-turned-land of opportunity. In the passenger car sat several strange folk, among them the following.

A young woman, of Eastern looking descent with a medallion of bronze bearing a strange symbol around her neck....

A catfolk figure, looking out the window...

And two humans, one of which had a rapier on his belt as he sat in his seat. The other, reading a holy manuscript as the train continued on.

hqdefault.jpg


Your journey had just begun....

@york @BarrenThin @The Tactician
Saige, The Ninja Kitsune
@Ringmaster @The Tactician @BarrenThin

vsrmWaC.png



The strange Kitsune woman, looking quite out of place amidst the general crowds milling about the station at this time sat there silently... It seemed as if she was deep in thought, a look of extreme concnetration on her face; she had a full name once, of Eastern origins no less, but that particular name had been lost to time... Like the semblance of a family she once had in the past. By now, this was ancient history to her... Most knew her simply as "Saige", at least, the few she had been in contact with.

She sat down silently at a more secluded spot in the train's passenger wagon, keeping a tight grip on the amulet she wore around her neck; the only thing she had to remember the family she once had... After all, it was the only possession she was able to save from the horrid events of that day. A freak case of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time no less... She could still hear their voices so clearly... Crying out in pain, anger, and of course... For help. The few children that were there were fortunate enough to be spared... But the others, were not so lucky...

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the question posed by a Catfolk passenger nearby... It was a harmless question, really, it seemed he was just curious what had brought them out this way, on the train to Kingdom Come, and her answer was a simple one... Though, she had to be discreet with her words, incase there were those listening in on them who could jeapordize her plan. It took her a few moments, but she eventually decided to speak, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"A promise."

She said simply, leaning back in her seat as she returned to the realm of her thoughts... It was true; the reason she was taking this train was because she had made a promise long ago, a promise she was determined to fullfill, no matter the cost... She could only hope what she planned to do would finally put the spirits of those that lost their lives on that fatefull night to rest at last... And perhaps, mend her own broken soul.
 
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Saige, The Ninja Kitsune
@Ringmaster @The Tactician @BarrenThin

vsrmWaC.png



The strange Kitsune woman, looking quite out of place amidst the general crowds milling about the station at this time sat there silently... It seemed as if she was deep in thought, a look of extreme concnetration on her face; she had a full name once, of Eastern origins no less, but that particular name had been lost to time... Like the semblance of a family she once had in the past. By now, this was ancient history to her... Most knew her simply as "Saige", at least, the few she had been in contact with.

She sat down silently at a more secluded spot in the train's passenger wagon, keeping a tight grip on the amulet she wore around her neck; the only thing she had to remember the family she once had... After all, it was the only possession she was able to save from the horrid events of that day. A freak case of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time no less... She could still hear their voices so clearly... Crying out in pain, anger, and of course... For help. The few children that were there were fortunate enough to be spared... But the others, were not so lucky...

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the question posed by a Catfolk passenger nearby... It was a harmless question, really, it seemed he was just curious what had brought them out this way, on the train to Kingdom Come, and her answer was a simple one... Though, she had to be discreet with her words, incase there were those listening in on them who could jeapordize her plan. It took her a few moments, but she eventually decided to speak, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"A promise."

She said simply, leaning back in her seat as she returned to the realm of her thoughts... It was true; the reason she was taking this train was because she had made a promise long ago, a promise she was determined to fullfill, no matter the cost... She could only hope what she planned to do would finally put the spirits of those that lost their lives on that fatefull night to rest at last... And perhaps, mend her own broken soul.
"Mhmm... Sounds like a lot of us drifters coming out this way have that same answer."

Everyone that he had met on the way out here had some sort of promise or dream they wanted to keep. Seemed like every man and woman with a gun or a sword wanted some part in this land because of that sort of thing. Not like Temerith had any room to talk, given what he wanted to find and keep out in the wild frontier. Some peace and quiet would hopefully be easy to find, but if it wasn't, the man didn't doubt that he could find some people willing to help him bring some order to the land so that they could live fine lives.

"Course, it'll become a question of what you're willing to do to keep that promise eventually..."

He didn't wish to spook the girl or anything with that warning, but the gunslinger knew it wouldn't be easy to keep idealistic notions alive out here. It was just something that he could guess at based on the stories he had heard about this region. After that, he fell silent as he waited for the man who looked like a reverend to speak up.​
 
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Baird had been sleeping when the two began speaking. "... H-Huh?" Groggily, the good-looking but overall sort of shaggy looking human rubbed his eyes. He listened to them for a few seconds before slowly sitting up. He sat his rapier aside and flashed a cocky grin. "Well, mister, I ain't got a damn clue, if I'm bein' honest. I thought the sand was pretty."
 
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"Guessing you're some sort of preacher, huh? Looking to spread the good word, mister?"
"I'm more in what you might say....The business of souls."

The reverend said quietly, not looking out from his book.

"Kingdom Come has got a might lot of em. Some out for their own interests, others....Trying to make a run for it. No matter to me, a mans business is his own. But if you hadn't kept up with the latest, you may wanna consider....Going elsewhere for a spell."

@york @The Tactician @BarrenThin
 
Baird had been sleeping when the two began speaking. "... H-Huh?" Groggily, the good-looking but overall sort of shaggy looking human rubbed his eyes. He listened to them for a few seconds before slowly sitting up. He sat his rapier aside and flashed a cocky grin. "Well, mister, I ain't got a damn clue, if I'm bein' honest. I thought the sand was pretty."
And already, he's proving to be a fountain of wisdom.

Keeping his inner thoughts to himself, Temerith turned his head to the chestnut-haired human; however, before he could respond, the man with the holy book spoke and sent a chill running from the tip of his tail and up his spine.
"I'm more in what you might say....The business of souls."

The reverend said quietly, not looking out from his book.

"Kingdom Come has got a might lot of em. Some out for their own interests, others....Trying to make a run for it. No matter to me, a mans business is his own. But if you hadn't kept up with the latest, you may wanna consider....Going elsewhere for a spell."

@york @The Tactician @BarrenThin
The feline's hand carefully shifted to the spot he hid his pistol as he glared a hole through the book's binding at the man, "The business of souls, huh? Explains why you're carrying a holy book around... Though why exactly is Ver Badir a bad choice? Seems a nice place to have some solitude and make a new life."

@york @Ringmaster @BarrenThin
 
"I'm more in what you might say....The business of souls."

The reverend said quietly, not looking out from his book.

"Kingdom Come has got a might lot of em. Some out for their own interests, others....Trying to make a run for it. No matter to me, a mans business is his own. But if you hadn't kept up with the latest, you may wanna consider....Going elsewhere for a spell."

@york @The Tactician @BarrenThin


"Well, preacher man, I ain't too knowledgeable 'bout your holy book. Care to enlighten me? What's behind your 'business of souls'?" There was something almost mocking about the way he said this, though it was in a more good-natured way than anything. "Is the story as pretty as the sand out there?"
 
"Mhmm... Sounds like a lot of us drifters coming out this way have that same answer."

Everyone that he had met on the way out here had some sort of promise or dream they wanted to keep. Seemed like every man and woman with a gun or a sword wanted some part in this land because of that sort of thing. Not like Temerith had any room to talk, given what he wanted to find and keep out in the wild frontier. Some peace and quiet would hopefully be easy to find, but if it wasn't, the man didn't doubt that he could find some people willing to help him bring some order to the land so that they could live fine lives.

"Course, it'll become a question of what you're willing to do to keep that promise eventually..."

He didn't wish to spook the girl or anything with that warning, but the gunslinger knew it wouldn't be easy to keep idealistic notions alive out here. It was just something that he could guess at based on the stories he had heard about this region. After that, he fell silent as he waited for the man who looked like a reverend to speak up.​
Baird had been sleeping when the two began speaking. "... H-Huh?" Groggily, the good-looking but overall sort of shaggy looking human rubbed his eyes. He listened to them for a few seconds before slowly sitting up. He sat his rapier aside and flashed a cocky grin. "Well, mister, I ain't got a damn clue, if I'm bein' honest. I thought the sand was pretty."
And already, he's proving to be a fountain of wisdom.

Keeping his inner thoughts to himself, Temerith turned his head to the chestnut-haired human; however, before he could respond, the man with the holy book spoke and sent a chill running from the tip of his tail and up his spine.

The feline's hand carefully shifted to the spot he hid his pistol as he glared a hole through the book's binding at the man, "The business of souls, huh? Explains why you're carrying a holy book around... Though why exactly is Ver Badir a bad choice? Seems a nice place to have some solitude and make a new life."

@york @Ringmaster @BarrenThin
"Well, preacher man, I ain't too knowledgeable 'bout your holy book. Care to enlighten me? What's behind your 'business of souls'?" There was something almost mocking about the way he said this, though it was in a more good-natured way than anything. "Is the story as pretty as the sand out there?"
Saige


Saige just shrugged lightly at the feline's last comment towards her... Maybe she was too distracted to think too deeply about his words, or she was simply used to being regarded with caution, in either case, it didn't take her too long to focus her attention back onto her own thoughts, and her gaze, back out onto the endless stretches of desert landscape out the train window. It was going to be a long ride, though at the very least, she didn't have such bad company.

The conversation that carried on despite her sudden absense in it seemed to draw her attention... Though she didn't turn her head or anything, she quietly listened in on it with a sense of interest, her ears perking up ever so slightly as she pondered what this 'business of souls' was about.​
 
At that point?

He put his book down.

forafewdollarsmore.jpg


A somewhat old figure, there was a coolness in the stare that could outmatch a rattler. One hand casually went for a match, lighting up a pipe as he puffed away. Waving out the flame, soon strong-smelling baccy wafted from his corner before he spoke.

"The book itself is just a guide...Words, written down by the Dwarf holy man. His name was Tak and a favorite saying his followers proclaim is 'Tak does not require us to always think of him, but he does require us to think.' Really makes you contemplative, doesn't it? Ah, but when I say souls I mean those people who are ending up in Kingdom Come right about now. So gather around children, while Father Lee tells a story....About a little town and iron in the mind."

He grinned around his pipe and began.


There's an old joke that two dwarf's is an argument, but three dwarf's is a war. Well, its a joke with a grain of truth. And nowhere was that more intensely realized, then in a small town. Its name not important at the moment. All you do need to know, was that it was prosperous, in its own way.

Now this place prided itself on being sensibly dwarfish. In truth, there were as many humans as dwarfs who called this town home but since most of them were miners, and, as a rule, were either small or almost permanently concussed, you really would have to look carefully to tell the species apart. Therefore, given that practically no one was bigger than anybody else, there was a general amiability in the area, especially since, although this wasn’t generally talked about, the Goddess of Love saw to it that her spell covered all alike. And because nobody talked about it, well, nobody talked about it, and so life moved on with the mining for gold – what little there was of it by now – iron ore, such zinc and arsenic as could be teased out of the unforgiving rock and, of course, coal. All this was supplemented with fishing on the coast. The outside world was involved only occasionally, when something of real importance happened.

Then a week ago, it happened.

The ship arrived at the dock, just after lunch. The arrival of the grags-the term for what passes as the givers of the Law for Dwarves on board, who had come to preach the truth of pure dwarfishness to the people of the town, would have been welcomed had they not come with delvers, the shock troops of the grags, who had never before been seen above ground. Until then, the people of the twon were quite happy that the grags were doing whatever it was they did in the realm of the spirit and the observances thereof, keeping things done properly so that everybody else could get on with the unimportant things like the mining and the fishing and the stonework up in the hills.

But today it all went horribly wrong, because Blodwen Footcracker was getting married to Davy Counter, an excellent miner and fisherman and, importantly, a human, although the importance of this fact did not seem to most people locally to be, well, important. Just about everybody in town knew them both and considered them a sensible match, especially as they had known one another since they were toddlers. And while they were growing up people wondered, as people did, about the chances of a dwarf and a human conceiving a child and considered it a long shot to say the least, but then they satisfied themselves by telling one another that, after all, love was certainly there in abundance and, besides, whose business was it anyway? He and she were compatible and loving and, as the mines and the boats took their toll of miner and fisherman alike, there were always plenty of orphans anxious for a new home in their own country. And everybody in town agreed that the situation, while not as it might have been, was nevertheless satisfactory to the kind of people who minded their own business, and they wished the happy couple, who were, it must be said, very nearly the same size, all the very best.

Alas, the grags and the delvers must have thought otherwise, and they broke down the doors of the chapel, and since people in town didn’t go armed to their weddings the grags had it all their own way. And it might have been a complete massacre were it not for old Fflergant sitting hitherto unnoticed in the corner, who, as everyone ran for shelter, threw off his cloak and turned out to be exactly the kind of dwarf who would take heavy weaponry to a wedding.

He swung a heavy sword and axe together in a wonderful destructive unison, a whirlwind of fighting and assisted in some small way by the priest, who kept a blunderbuss behind the podium and doubled as an axe in a rough fight and in the end there were only two casualties among the wedding party. Unfortunately one of those was Blodwen, killed by a grag whilst clinging on to her husband’s arm.
Covered in blood, Fflergant looked around at the shocked wedding guests and said, ‘You all know me. I don’t like mixed marriages, but like you I can’t abide those bloody grags, the bastards! May the Gap take them!’


Outside, the desert was the same as always for his story, the Priest giving off a shrug as he leaned back in his seat.

"Kingdom Come-or as our fluffy friend here called it more rightfully, 'Ver Bedir' is Dwarf land. Old Dwarf land, where the Grags hold sway most strongest. Tensions rise, as the Company and the Grags war and people of all sorts get caught in the middle. Killers flock like carrion birds, knowing they'll be hired and the law is almost nonexistent. Now if you're any manner of virtuous, well I doubt what I shared will dissuade you. If you are? A word of warning."

He stared into their eyes and spoke.

"Watch your back in Kingdom Come. You never know, just who's gonna stab it."

@BarrenThin @The Tactician @york
 
At that point?

He put his book down.

forafewdollarsmore.jpg


A somewhat old figure, there was a coolness in the stare that could outmatch a rattler. One hand casually went for a match, lighting up a pipe as he puffed away. Waving out the flame, soon strong-smelling baccy wafted from his corner before he spoke.

"The book itself is just a guide...Words, written down by the Dwarf holy man. His name was Tak and a favorite saying his followers proclaim is 'Tak does not require us to always think of him, but he does require us to think.' Really makes you contemplative, doesn't it? Ah, but when I say souls I mean those people who are ending up in Kingdom Come right about now. So gather around children, while Father Lee tells a story....About a little town and iron in the mind."

He grinned around his pipe and began.


There's an old joke that two dwarf's is an argument, but three dwarf's is a war. Well, its a joke with a grain of truth. And nowhere was that more intensely realized, then in a small town. Its name not important at the moment. All you do need to know, was that it was prosperous, in its own way.

Now this place prided itself on being sensibly dwarfish. In truth, there were as many humans as dwarfs who called this town home but since most of them were miners, and, as a rule, were either small or almost permanently concussed, you really would have to look carefully to tell the species apart. Therefore, given that practically no one was bigger than anybody else, there was a general amiability in the area, especially since, although this wasn’t generally talked about, the Goddess of Love saw to it that her spell covered all alike. And because nobody talked about it, well, nobody talked about it, and so life moved on with the mining for gold – what little there was of it by now – iron ore, such zinc and arsenic as could be teased out of the unforgiving rock and, of course, coal. All this was supplemented with fishing on the coast. The outside world was involved only occasionally, when something of real importance happened.

Then a week ago, it happened.

The ship arrived at the dock, just after lunch. The arrival of the grags-the term for what passes as the givers of the Law for Dwarves on board, who had come to preach the truth of pure dwarfishness to the people of the town, would have been welcomed had they not come with delvers, the shock troops of the grags, who had never before been seen above ground. Until then, the people of the twon were quite happy that the grags were doing whatever it was they did in the realm of the spirit and the observances thereof, keeping things done properly so that everybody else could get on with the unimportant things like the mining and the fishing and the stonework up in the hills.

But today it all went horribly wrong, because Blodwen Footcracker was getting married to Davy Counter, an excellent miner and fisherman and, importantly, a human, although the importance of this fact did not seem to most people locally to be, well, important. Just about everybody in town knew them both and considered them a sensible match, especially as they had known one another since they were toddlers. And while they were growing up people wondered, as people did, about the chances of a dwarf and a human conceiving a child and considered it a long shot to say the least, but then they satisfied themselves by telling one another that, after all, love was certainly there in abundance and, besides, whose business was it anyway? He and she were compatible and loving and, as the mines and the boats took their toll of miner and fisherman alike, there were always plenty of orphans anxious for a new home in their own country. And everybody in town agreed that the situation, while not as it might have been, was nevertheless satisfactory to the kind of people who minded their own business, and they wished the happy couple, who were, it must be said, very nearly the same size, all the very best.

Alas, the grags and the delvers must have thought otherwise, and they broke down the doors of the chapel, and since people in town didn’t go armed to their weddings the grags had it all their own way. And it might have been a complete massacre were it not for old Fflergant sitting hitherto unnoticed in the corner, who, as everyone ran for shelter, threw off his cloak and turned out to be exactly the kind of dwarf who would take heavy weaponry to a wedding.

He swung a heavy sword and axe together in a wonderful destructive unison, a whirlwind of fighting and assisted in some small way by the priest, who kept a blunderbuss behind the podium and doubled as an axe in a rough fight and in the end there were only two casualties among the wedding party. Unfortunately one of those was Blodwen, killed by a grag whilst clinging on to her husband’s arm.
Covered in blood, Fflergant looked around at the shocked wedding guests and said, ‘You all know me. I don’t like mixed marriages, but like you I can’t abide those bloody grags, the bastards! May the Gap take them!’


Outside, the desert was the same as always for his story, the Priest giving off a shrug as he leaned back in his seat.

"Kingdom Come-or as our fluffy friend here called it more rightfully, 'Ver Bedir' is Dwarf land. Old Dwarf land, where the Grags hold sway most strongest. Tensions rise, as the Company and the Grags war and people of all sorts get caught in the middle. Killers flock like carrion birds, knowing they'll be hired and the law is almost nonexistent. Now if you're any manner of virtuous, well I doubt what I shared will dissuade you. If you are? A word of warning."

He stared into their eyes and spoke.

"Watch your back in Kingdom Come. You never know, just who's gonna stab it."

@BarrenThin @The Tactician @york
"So neither side wants to bring some safety to the land, just want to make some profit or ensure their beliefs are strongest and kill each other, huh?"

Temerith understood the advice the old man was telling. Out here, the only thing race would get you was a bullet for marrying outside of it. Out here, the people who were supposed to protect you sounded like the ones most likely to shoot you for arbitrary reasons. It didn't sound like a very stable place from the sound of it, and if the Tiefling-in-disguise had anything to say about it...

"Maybe it's time for that to change? Bet you a few gold pieces that people around here getting tired of it, gettin' tired of the back-stabs over race and money. Ver Bedir got the potential to be a great place for outcasts to come and make a better life for themselves, so why not build on that?"

@BarrenThin @york @Ringmaster
 
At that point?

He put his book down.

forafewdollarsmore.jpg


A somewhat old figure, there was a coolness in the stare that could outmatch a rattler. One hand casually went for a match, lighting up a pipe as he puffed away. Waving out the flame, soon strong-smelling baccy wafted from his corner before he spoke.

"The book itself is just a guide...Words, written down by the Dwarf holy man. His name was Tak and a favorite saying his followers proclaim is 'Tak does not require us to always think of him, but he does require us to think.' Really makes you contemplative, doesn't it? Ah, but when I say souls I mean those people who are ending up in Kingdom Come right about now. So gather around children, while Father Lee tells a story....About a little town and iron in the mind."

He grinned around his pipe and began.


There's an old joke that two dwarf's is an argument, but three dwarf's is a war. Well, its a joke with a grain of truth. And nowhere was that more intensely realized, then in a small town. Its name not important at the moment. All you do need to know, was that it was prosperous, in its own way.

Now this place prided itself on being sensibly dwarfish. In truth, there were as many humans as dwarfs who called this town home but since most of them were miners, and, as a rule, were either small or almost permanently concussed, you really would have to look carefully to tell the species apart. Therefore, given that practically no one was bigger than anybody else, there was a general amiability in the area, especially since, although this wasn’t generally talked about, the Goddess of Love saw to it that her spell covered all alike. And because nobody talked about it, well, nobody talked about it, and so life moved on with the mining for gold – what little there was of it by now – iron ore, such zinc and arsenic as could be teased out of the unforgiving rock and, of course, coal. All this was supplemented with fishing on the coast. The outside world was involved only occasionally, when something of real importance happened.

Then a week ago, it happened.

The ship arrived at the dock, just after lunch. The arrival of the grags-the term for what passes as the givers of the Law for Dwarves on board, who had come to preach the truth of pure dwarfishness to the people of the town, would have been welcomed had they not come with delvers, the shock troops of the grags, who had never before been seen above ground. Until then, the people of the twon were quite happy that the grags were doing whatever it was they did in the realm of the spirit and the observances thereof, keeping things done properly so that everybody else could get on with the unimportant things like the mining and the fishing and the stonework up in the hills.

But today it all went horribly wrong, because Blodwen Footcracker was getting married to Davy Counter, an excellent miner and fisherman and, importantly, a human, although the importance of this fact did not seem to most people locally to be, well, important. Just about everybody in town knew them both and considered them a sensible match, especially as they had known one another since they were toddlers. And while they were growing up people wondered, as people did, about the chances of a dwarf and a human conceiving a child and considered it a long shot to say the least, but then they satisfied themselves by telling one another that, after all, love was certainly there in abundance and, besides, whose business was it anyway? He and she were compatible and loving and, as the mines and the boats took their toll of miner and fisherman alike, there were always plenty of orphans anxious for a new home in their own country. And everybody in town agreed that the situation, while not as it might have been, was nevertheless satisfactory to the kind of people who minded their own business, and they wished the happy couple, who were, it must be said, very nearly the same size, all the very best.

Alas, the grags and the delvers must have thought otherwise, and they broke down the doors of the chapel, and since people in town didn’t go armed to their weddings the grags had it all their own way. And it might have been a complete massacre were it not for old Fflergant sitting hitherto unnoticed in the corner, who, as everyone ran for shelter, threw off his cloak and turned out to be exactly the kind of dwarf who would take heavy weaponry to a wedding.

He swung a heavy sword and axe together in a wonderful destructive unison, a whirlwind of fighting and assisted in some small way by the priest, who kept a blunderbuss behind the podium and doubled as an axe in a rough fight and in the end there were only two casualties among the wedding party. Unfortunately one of those was Blodwen, killed by a grag whilst clinging on to her husband’s arm.
Covered in blood, Fflergant looked around at the shocked wedding guests and said, ‘You all know me. I don’t like mixed marriages, but like you I can’t abide those bloody grags, the bastards! May the Gap take them!’


Outside, the desert was the same as always for his story, the Priest giving off a shrug as he leaned back in his seat.

"Kingdom Come-or as our fluffy friend here called it more rightfully, 'Ver Bedir' is Dwarf land. Old Dwarf land, where the Grags hold sway most strongest. Tensions rise, as the Company and the Grags war and people of all sorts get caught in the middle. Killers flock like carrion birds, knowing they'll be hired and the law is almost nonexistent. Now if you're any manner of virtuous, well I doubt what I shared will dissuade you. If you are? A word of warning."

He stared into their eyes and spoke.

"Watch your back in Kingdom Come. You never know, just who's gonna stab it."

@BarrenThin @The Tactician @york
"So neither side wants to bring some safety to the land, just want to make some profit or ensure their beliefs are strongest and kill each other, huh?"

Temerith understood the advice the old man was telling. Out here, the only thing race would get you was a bullet for marrying outside of it. Out here, the people who were supposed to protect you sounded like the ones most likely to shoot you for arbitrary reasons. It didn't sound like a very stable place from the sound of it, and if the Tiefling-in-disguise had anything to say about it...

"Maybe it's time for that to change? Bet you a few gold pieces that people around here getting tired of it, gettin' tired of the back-stabs over race and money. Ver Bedir got the potential to be a great place for outcasts to come and make a better life for themselves, so why not build on that?"

@BarrenThin @york @Ringmaster
Saige

@BarrenThin @The Tactician @Ringmaster

Saige listened to the tale rather intently, though it was a little hard to tell this simply be looking at her; the only thing that gave it away were how her ears had been angled slightly as the old man's tale began... It was all too familiar... A seemingly joyfull moment, shattered by a murderous mob, driven by some sort of sick sense of justice... Except... There was no-one there to turn the sides... No-one with the strength, nor will, to quell the bloodshed before too many lost their lives.

Though, there were nights were she dreamed that things were different... Where she was somehow able to put an end to the madness right from the beginning... It was that very dream that spurred her on to become who she was today; she could not change the horrors of her past, but she could prevent history from repeating itself. Her intentions were almost suicidal, but she had nothing to lose, except maybe her ego in her endeavors... Once the tale was over, she turned around at least, deciding to speak once more.

"The evils that plague these lands are spreading." She said suddenly.

"If we wish to purge these lands... We must act now." Her tone gave very little indication of her feelings at all.

However, just from the expression on her face... One could gather she had some personal business in Kingdom Come, business she wanted to settle as soon as she could.

 
Saige

@BarrenThin @The Tactician @Ringmaster

Saige listened to the tale rather intently, though it was a little hard to tell this simply be looking at her; the only thing that gave it away were how her ears had been angled slightly as the old man's tale began... It was all too familiar... A seemingly joyfull moment, shattered by a murderous mob, driven by some sort of sick sense of justice... Except... There was no-one there to turn the sides... No-one with the strength, nor will, to quell the bloodshed before too many lost their lives.

Though, there were nights were she dreamed that things were different... Where she was somehow able to put an end to the madness right from the beginning... It was that very dream that spurred her on to become who she was today; she could not change the horrors of her past, but she could prevent history from repeating itself. Her intentions were almost suicidal, but she had nothing to lose, except maybe her ego in her endeavors... Once the tale was over, she turned around at least, deciding to speak once more.

"The evils that plague these lands are spreading." She said suddenly.

"If we wish to purge these lands... We must act now." Her tone gave very little indication of her feelings at all.

However, just from the expression on her face... One could gather she had some personal business in Kingdom Come, business she wanted to settle as soon as she could.

The gunslinger nodded as the girl spoke up in agreement. It seemed there was at least one like-minded drifter accompanying him, at least for the moment. The man wasn't sure how long the partnership would last, but he knew how to appreciate a bit of help, "Seems like we've got the same idea in mind, miss. If you're willing, it might be a good idea to work together for a bit. Name's Goodhope."
 
Light, mirthless laughter came from where Baird sat. "Ya'll will be up to your neck in blood before you even make a damn dent in the lot of them. Heroes are martyrs in the making." He waved a hand dismissively.​
 
Light, mirthless laughter came from where Baird sat. "Ya'll will be up to your neck in blood before you even make a damn dent in the lot of them. Heroes are martyrs in the making." He waved a hand dismissively.​
A frown beset the tiger-like features of Temerith as the man tried to wave away their ideals without a real thought, "Then it is good that heroes are only in flowery poetry. We're simply common folk who want to do something good for this place because we're plannin' to make our homes here. Make it safer, better a place for us to live," He leaned back and crossed his arms as he affixed a judging glare upon the man, "Hell, I would expect even a drifter like you would like it if it was a little less likely that you'd get shot just for crossing some taboo you've never understood. Not like we're gonna be stupid about changin' things either."

@york @Ringmaster @BarrenThin
 
Baird tilted his head back and looked down his nose at the man with narrowed eyes. "I ain't fightin' without a cause. Just 'cause we got a train car with a few people that ain't awful, don't mean there's somethin' worth fightin' for." He leaned forward. "Here. I ain't blind to what's wrong with place, and I won't say I wouldn't like to see it changed, but what does a 'drifter' like me have to fight for?"
 
Baird tilted his head back and looked down his nose at the man with narrowed eyes. "I ain't fightin' without a cause. Just 'cause we got a train car with a few people that ain't awful, don't mean there's somethin' worth fightin' for." He leaned forward. "Here. I ain't blind to what's wrong with place, and I won't say I wouldn't like to see it changed, but what does a 'drifter' like me have to fight for?"
"Not sure yet, but personally, I'm looking at a nice piece of farming property that won't get raided every fortnight with no one willing to help me," At least, that was the current goal for the Tiefling. Having a store to also produce and sell his own style of firearms would be nice as well, but right now, the others in the train car didn't need to know what exactly he had in mind, "Besides, I'm sure somewhere along the way, we'll need to gather some money together for whatever we plan, and I'm guessing coin appeals to you like it does everyone else. Working together to get that gold will make it easier to earn."

@york @BarrenThin @Ringmaster
 
The gunslinger nodded as the girl spoke up in agreement. It seemed there was at least one like-minded drifter accompanying him, at least for the moment. The man wasn't sure how long the partnership would last, but he knew how to appreciate a bit of help, "Seems like we've got the same idea in mind, miss. If you're willing, it might be a good idea to work together for a bit. Name's Goodhope."
Light, mirthless laughter came from where Baird sat. "Ya'll will be up to your neck in blood before you even make a damn dent in the lot of them. Heroes are martyrs in the making." He waved a hand dismissively.​
A frown beset the tiger-like features of Temerith as the man tried to wave away their ideals without a real thought, "Then it is good that heroes are only in flowery poetry. We're simply common folk who want to do something good for this place because we're plannin' to make our homes here. Make it safer, better a place for us to live," He leaned back and crossed his arms as he affixed a judging glare upon the man, "Hell, I would expect even a drifter like you would like it if it was a little less likely that you'd get shot just for crossing some taboo you've never understood. Not like we're gonna be stupid about changin' things either."

@york @Ringmaster @BarrenThin
Baird tilted his head back and looked down his nose at the man with narrowed eyes. "I ain't fightin' without a cause. Just 'cause we got a train car with a few people that ain't awful, don't mean there's somethin' worth fightin' for." He leaned forward. "Here. I ain't blind to what's wrong with place, and I won't say I wouldn't like to see it changed, but what does a 'drifter' like me have to fight for?"
"Not sure yet, but personally, I'm looking at a nice piece of farming property that won't get raided every fortnight with no one willing to help me," At least, that was the current goal for the Tiefling. Having a store to also produce and sell his own style of firearms would be nice as well, but right now, the others in the train car didn't need to know what exactly he had in mind, "Besides, I'm sure somewhere along the way, we'll need to gather some money together for whatever we plan, and I'm guessing coin appeals to you like it does everyone else. Working together to get that gold will make it easier to earn."

@york @BarrenThin @Ringmaster
Saige
@The Tactician @BarrenThin @Ringmaster

The Kitsune thought about the request to work together for a while... Though she had a preference for traveling alone, it was quite obvious that the more help she had, the faster she might be able to find what she was looking for in Kingdom Come, and the more likely she would make it out of the whole thing in once piece.

"I'm in." She said, nodding a little.

"Saige, by the way." She added.

Hearing what the other passenger said, she seemed to tense up a little... But she said nothing; it wasn't wise to bring up the events of her past, even when they made her what she was today... At least not right now.
 
When the subject of money came up, Goodhope had his full attention. "... Alright, but only as long as the coin keeps flowin'. Man's gotta eat." He looked around for a second and chuckled. "We're a damn cat, a shy girl who don't say much, and, well, me." The next statement had a clearly self-deprecating tone to it. "My charming, good looks, and this dingy letter opener will carry us to victory!"

@york
@The Tactician
 
When the subject of money came up, Goodhope had his full attention. "... Alright, but only as long as the coin keeps flowin'. Man's gotta eat." He looked around for a second and chuckled. "We're a damn cat, a shy girl who don't say much, and, well, me." The next statement had a clearly self-deprecating tone to it. "My charming, good looks, and this dingy letter opener will carry us to victory!"

@york
@The Tactician
Saige
@The Tactician @BarrenThin @Ringmaster

The Kitsune thought about the request to work together for a while... Though she had a preference for traveling alone, it was quite obvious that the more help she had, the faster she might be able to find what she was looking for in Kingdom Come, and the more likely she would make it out of the whole thing in once piece.

"I'm in." She said, nodding a little.

"Saige, by the way." She added.

Hearing what the other passenger said, she seemed to tense up a little... But she said nothing; it wasn't wise to bring up the events of her past, even when they made her what she was today... At least not right now.
"Somehow, I can already tell that we will find intellect and wisdom from either I or Miss Saige," Without a ounce of sarcasm and instead only deadpan honesty, Temerith replied as his eyes rolled. Saige seemed like an okay sort of ally, someone who knew to respect silence and could be counted on in a fight. Baird on the other hand... Note to self, keep his sword pointed at the enemy and not our way.
 
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