The Conquest of Old Nine Toes
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Kalin stands filling his mug from the freshly filled keg of ale which now stands just below the dwarven runes he just carved into the wall not so long ago. He finishes filling his mug, and eyes the rune as if remembering a time that now seems long ago, but wasn't. .
He takes a long pull from his mug, and the noise of the clan starts to flood his ears with merriment. He grins as Gimball starts to play his bell and dance drunkenly. The clan starts banging their mugs on the table, helping Gim with a beat to his dance, and finally he finishes to an uproar of cheers. Foli glances around and says in a voice carrying her priestly ways. Demanding a story she yells “ Oi Kin let us have a story, a story of the clan, one of our stories!!” The hall uproars in approval for a story. I grin and stand as everyone looks this way and that waiting for some one to tell a story of our Clan. Foli turns her gaze on Kalin “Oi Laird tell us a story of our Clan!”
Kalin replies “Oi stop calling me that, I nae laird of anyone I’m just Kalin, or Kalin the thick headed”. Kalin grins as he drains his ale and all the clan howls with approving laughter.
Kalin fills his mug and eyes the runes and grins. He turns and looks at all the Stouthearts and says “Oi kin if it’s a story of the clan you wish then I’ll tell the story of “Old Tornbeard and 9 Toes the Giant”. The clan erupts in approval, and all grin waiting for Kalin to begin. Kalin grins and begins to tell the tale….
“ You see Kin we just started to gather our strength for the clan Stoutheart. We nae have any place to call our own and our gold be running dry. And with nae a mine we cannae try to get a decent living crafting. Then a lad by the name of Murinar Tornbeard be calling for kin calling for dwarfs. (the clan erupts in a cheer for dwarfs) Old Tornbeard be a mighty good miner but he have a big problem. You see he wanted to leave this part of underdark for better claims but he nae could do that until he got his revenge. You see just off in the dark lake be a island and on that island be his greatest enemy. There lay the Lair of the evil Giant 9 Toes!! A Giant so evil that his Poetry alone can sour the best ale and make your ears bleed from his bloody awful words.
Old Tornbeard along time ago got captured and made a slave by old 9 Toes for along time old Tornbeard had to endure all the whips and even worse all them poems. One day he escaped, and before he left that crazy old brave coot was able to cut off that sodder's big toe and enhance give that bloody giant his name 9 toes!! (the clan cheers at the giants given name by old Tornbeard)
So old Tornbeard stood before me Foli, Porki, Dorin, Gimball, Helios and Wulgar, he said he be asking kin true of the SoulForge to aid him in his Task to give him a bit of Peace. Now we as Kin would never turn our back on another Dwarf but he offered us a reward. He offered us a mine shaft he dug himself and gave us full rights and ownership to it. So we dunnae even have to think about it we took the task without a second word.
We Stouthearts left Tornbeard at the Blue Mushroom and made our way to the docks to hire passage to Old 9 Toes Island. The gnome seemed a bit scared when we told him our destination. He accepted our gold and took us through the shadows of the Dark Lake, we made the beach in a several hours. We moved in silence Me Gim and Dorin took up positions to defend against an attack which didn’t come. Wulgar made held up a hand and we all followed the command as he disappeared into the shadows. We waited for a few minutes and then he came back just as smoothly as he disappeared. Wulgar said “ We got a large body of Trogs to the North guarding the main entrance. To the east there is a side entrances looks like they move supplies through it”. I nodded and said in a ghost of a whisper “ alright kin we take the east passage into the tower if we see any Trogs we take them out quick and quiet”. everyone nodded as we moved east skirting the east shore of the island an hoping that bloody gnome didn’t lose his nerve and abandon us on this god forsaken rock.
We saw a patrol of 6 Trogs we all took up positions surrounding them and cutting off there escape. Wulgar lead our Attack with a well place arrow in the Trog leaders eye and we rushed them it was over before it even began. We held our positions until we knew no one had heard us. I nodded to my kin and grabbed a few kobolds bodies and dragged them to edge of the water and slowly sipped them into the water letting there Armour weigh them down and out of sight. Wulgar set out to scout and Helios being a dwarf of the earth went about covering the sighs of a fight. We all know that it be better for them trogs that walked by here to not see there lizard kin dead.
We moved like this for 5 more encounters with patrolling Trogs and we handle just as smoothly as the first and we hid all the bodies in the water weighed down by there own armour. We finally got to the back door of the tower and we sneaked in as easy as a halfling in a cookie jar. We ran into a few kobolds enjoying a meal or something that smelled awful Gim cut down a Trog in 1 blow then his axe moved so fast I didn’t even see it as if cut through 1 then the other 4 that had rushed him Gim’s eyes were gleaming with Dwarf pride of his strikes. We all grinned our approval we cleared the lower level of the tower with easy. Every kin doing there jobs flawlessly like a true Clan should when banded together for 1 goal.
We found a rope leading to the upper reaches of the tower Foli , Porki and Helios Called to us and we all stood before them and with there eyes filled with pride and knowing of the great deeds we were about to do for our Clan They three began to give us Prays of the All-Father, Revered Mother and The Lord of the Jungle Deeps. All the Stouthearts were so Moved by there blessing and words I could see in all of our eye we nae be falling this day for we were Family!! We Were Clan!! We Were Stouthearts!! (The Entire Clan cried out in Joy at these words)
We headed up and found tons of Trogs at least 100 we fought with all of them, but they nae were about to stand against our strength Dorin being more Driven by his faith plunged into the battle like a mad man falling every foe in front of him never giving up his ground always fighting. Foli’s Blessing of the Revered Mother would nae let him fall Foli would not allow it she was glowing with the Pure faith of the Revered Mother and it exploded from her body to all of us we were nae going to fall. We screamed War Cry’s of Pure Victory.
(the Clan Roars their approval)
Then Porki, full of the All-Father's Power, struck a tremendous blow falling one of the largest Trogs I ever see, as he Screamed his Devotion to the All-Father.
Then Helios Called to Lord of the Jungle Deeps and Turn all of us half Tree Like things, we were swinging our arms which seemed to be like tree branches with weapons attached to them. Protected by his faith in us and the Lord of the Jungle Deeps Helios threw himself into the battle without a second thought. We felled all our foes for 2 floors of that tower we fought the floor was covered in both trog and dwarf blood but nae one of our Kin fell only them bloody Trogs!
(the clan cheer to these words)
We finally reached the top of the tower and we all had the foul stench of giant in our nostrils. We knew that old 9 Toes be very close so we headed up side by side Me, Foli, Dorin, Porki, Gimball, Helios and Wulgar all Stouthearts all of the same heart all of the same Clan. We entered the highest chamber and the last room of the tower all about the room were huge pieces of paper with nothing but bloody giant writing on them. Then we all Saw the Giant he was alone holding a huge quill in one had and a piece of in his other. And then we saw 9 Toes which marked him as the bloody giant we wanted. Old 9 Toes grinned and said “, Oh good more dwarfs to enslave and enjoy my lovely poems”. Foli said “, like Hell that be happening”. And with that I screamed
“Stouthearts Attack!!”
(all the clan screamed as I said these words)
We all threw ourselves into the fight we surrounded him and started swing. Then he took out the biggest Bloody Flail I ever did see and started to swing at us trying to sweep us all from around his feet. Old 9 Toes laughed and said “, What a good time for a poem for my victory to come!!” He began to spout words I can only say were like some one grinding stone against a bloody anvil. Foli Screamed in pain as did we all Dorin and Porki fell over clutching there ears from the awful sound and Helios ground his teeth, it was so loud sounded like a tree tipping over. Wulgar Screamed “, Cut it’s throat!! Stop it’s bloody Mouth!!” as he shot arrows at 9 Toes. Gim Yelled ,” His throats too high we can’t reach it!!” I yelled ,” Start at the Shins!! Hack the bone Hack the Bone!!”
(the clan burst into laughter)
Old 9 Toes then swung his flail it flew over me and Gim’s heads but caught Helios, Por, Foli and Wulgar. They started calling on there blessing to restore them and me and Gim keep old 9 Toes busy. Then with fresh blessing we all were in the fray Wulgar caught 9 Toes with a arrow in his eye, Dorin slash a huge gash into 9 Toes back left calf. Porki nailed 9 toes in the groin with his axe after he jumped up as high as he could and took a swing, and Foli took her Mace and began smacking every last one of his 9 toes. Gim Swung a mighty blow with his axe right into Old 9 Toes knee all but crumpling it 9 toes dropped to one knee and we all started swinging harder then I saw it my opening his throat was so close I dunnae need another invitation and jumped up screaming Stouthearts!! And let my axe hit true and I caught his neck and almost completely removed old 9 toes bloody head!!
(the Clan Screamed and Roared in delight)
And there we stood all of us battered and bloody standing over Old 9 toes body Foli, Dorin, Porki, Gimball, Wulgar, Helios and Me. We all Raised our weapons to the sky an Screamed our victory cry “StoutHearts!! StoutHearts!!”
We gather all the treasure that old 9 toes had and burned all of them bloody poems and then returned to see old Tornbeard. We found him drunk like a good kin waiting for us we gave him the rest of old 9 Toes, Toes and his head. Tornbeard was all but grateful we almost thought we say a tear in his eye. He then gathered us all and took us to our new Home to this mine shaft *he waves his arms around at there home and all the dwarfs cheered in response* this is how we gained our home and why we now call this place Tornbeard hall and why we honor old Tornbeard for his gift to the Stoutheart Clan.
(Kalin points to the runes and the words they say and all the Clan smiles Kalin raises his Mug and makes a Toast)
Too Old Tornbeard and Old 9 Toes and to all the brave heroes of our clan that made all of this possible Cheers!!
(Kalin and all the Clan drain their mugs and cheers all the Heroes and everyone Gives pats on the back and grins to Dorin, Porki, Foli, Gimball, Wulgar, Helios and even Kalin. Kalin thinks to himself this be one of many of our stories to come…. our Clan stories… the Stories of the Stoutheart clan and it’s heroes that will never be forgotten… Kalin grinned as he filled his mug once again and tips it up to the runes on the wall.)
// still editing typos and grammar, but rest assured the Faenor submits a good copy of the story. - EDIT in process.