Book 2: Chapter 1 - A Diamond in the Rough

[theclaytster]

'Old Man' Hinson

"A little two well." Hinson mumbled under his breath with a smile looking at Karadoon. "Have him teach you all the colorful words he likes to intermingle with common especially when he is on a boat. Oh. One of his favoriate sayings when the ship starts rolling is 'Yoth moradin'th ballth'". He waits a moment to watch Karadoon's face change. "Basically. For Moradin's balls." Maybe today isn't such a bad day after all. He's still irritated, but nice to blow off some steam.

 

 

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

Greta's books can only be described as "eclectic" - but there are a good dozen of them. While most are neat, well-bound, and small texts of journals and transcribed oral histories of the Northern Halflings, two immediately stand out - they are both ancient, and have their leaves loosely bound for loss of spinal integrity from their age. Both are written in unique scripts, the letters, as near as you can call them, are so faded as to almost be lost to age. One has a neat, flowing style, while the other has hard, angular strokes.

Additionally, Greta has a small stone fragment that also is engraved in her native tongue.

 

[Ozymandias2008]

Cormac

Cormac listened to the banter and noted the Dwaven curse. It reminded him of the words of other Llaisy Forest scouts. He would go along with Greta and these outsiders, just in case. While they seemed like solid people, there was no real way of knowing this early what their motives as a whole might be.

 

He introduced himself en route to Greta's. On the way there he clarified, The Maliente are grouped in a way the dead do not. They do not hunt for us. Fennel has told us that our people elsewhere band together with our cousins to stay safe.

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Ozymandias2008 (see edit history)

[Vladim]

Iphigenia had been patient, daring not to say anything for fear of interrupting the flow of the conversation. Instead, she listened: carefully, committing all that was spoken to memory. When at last the talk came to a natural time, she interceded, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"These Maliente... Just what sort of numbers are we talking about? And what weapons do they have? Some of the nation-kingdoms of Kelmar have a strong navy, though a fleet might prove of little use against them."

 

OOC

Still travelling, but I thought to add something to the convo just in case.

[thesloth]

Karadoon

 

Blushing beneath his beard the dwarf shot Hinson a quick scowl.

"Mixed company lad, and we're on land at present."

Moving along to Greta's book stores Karadoon's mood was steadily improving. Dry land was a tonic to the soul, it could be said.

"Greta, this angular lettering would almost certainly be the work of my people. But the ink has faded so. Perchance, would you have a very thin scrap of cloth or parchment and some charcoal? We might try to make a rubbing of the text."

[Mourning Star]

Greta Starling

"Yoth mordin'th ballth," Greta repeats quietly to herself, seemingly unfazed by its meaning, or by the dwarf's rebuke.

She gently touches the book indicated by Karadoon, staring into it as if a crystal ball. "Yes, you are correct. These are dwarven letters, though the writing is not. This text is orcish, and many hundreds of years old. It tells of the clans of Gorgnak who were defeated in war by the magicks of them Maliente. The orcs were made into slaves, and their ways of living and doing were forbidden by them elves, but their spirit continued the fight; the orcs kept alive in secret their stories, their language, and their doings."

She pauses thoughtfully and looks up. "I see it as a careful-making tale. It is a future for us halflings, if them dark elves ever find us."

She gently wraps the tattered tome back up in its faded cloth. "This book is far too delicate to make any sort of easy double-making. I would rather we not try." Greta smiles at Karadoon. "But I'm happy to translate it by every word if you have more interest.

"Perhaps," she says, her face springing to life, "you can make a second writing of your own, translated into Dwarven, while I read it aloud. It would be good learning for the both of us."

Greta sets the book aside, next to a bent reed whistle and a small stack of rolled-up parchment, and picks up another bundle of cloth. "This book is also quite old," she says, unfurling the cloth to reveal faded and flowing letters. "It is written in Elven, a book from the Maliente, themselves. How it arrived in Havenwood, I am not certain."

She gives pause as she stares coldly at the tattered tome. "It tells of the coming of the dragons, and how they made the dark elves fear for their lives and ways, even as they were conquering others. The Maliente share the orcs' pride in surviving, though nobody was making slaves of them, or seeking to eradicate them. The dragons, like a storm, destroyed all that they came upon. The elves simply hid beneath the earth, or..." she makes a sweeping gesture at the woods surrounding the haven, "beneath the trees."

The halfling folds a bit of fabric over the elven text, a hint of disdain on her face. "They write also of dragon-science, a new study which didn't seem to produce bread for them. I can, of course, translate the book more deeply upon your asking."

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

 

Karadoon frowned at the thought of dwarvish authors being enslaved. Though Greta's description of their stubborn spirit elicited a grunting assent.

"Humf... that would be my people alright. Stubborn to the last. But this name orc is unfamiliar to me. Must be them deep dwelling dwarves. Though the name seems.... off.... Perhaps the elves forced a new name on them. To mark their servitude.

Normally, I wouldn't share my people's secrets so quickly, but seeing as you already have it half cracked I suppose the benefits here outweigh the risks.

I might recommend though, that we uhhh, gloss over, some of the more colorful expressions for sailing. Not being at sea and all..."

Karadoon shoot a second look at Hinson.

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

Karadoon, being fairly well versed in things Dwarven, is able to see the text clearly enough to immediately know that while it is a sort of dwarven, it's the crudest dwarven he's ever seen - a pale imitation of the fine chiselwork known in the Ironridge Mountains. And as he has that thought, it occurs to him as well that it is a poor imitation. It's not dwarven at all, it's just some other culture that stole his ancestral letters and used it as their own system of writing.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

 

Enjoying the opportunity to talk about his people Karadoon continued with his lesson on Dwarven culture.

"You see how straight and angular the lettering is? We developed our written language from the need to leave trail markers and warnings carved in stone.

So it's always kept this chiseled look. See here, this rune is the Magnus, it....

It..... It looks like a wobbly child's drawing.... And this. This angle on the Karazz should join cleanly. And higher up. This is my alphabet. But this was not the hand of my people...

You say it has already been translated? Is that work available?"

Karadoon bent closely over the text now, finding suspicious errors in each paragraph.

[Mourning Star]

Greta Starling

The halfling girl peers over Karadoon's shoulder as he scrutinizes the runes. "I do not know the difference, for I have seen little in dwarven-language writing. All I am able to read are your letters—runes—used in this way, by the language of the orcs."

Greta turns to Karadoon and shrugs apologetically. "There is no written translation of this book. As far as I know, mine is the only copy in the refuge. I know what is within only because I have, myself, read it. But I am happy to sit with you some time and translate it, word by word. Perhaps you can tell me more of the errors in the wobbly writing of your beautiful runes."

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

 

Karadoon showed no sign at first, of having heard Greta's query.

"My letters but not my people.... orcs.... a people oppressed by the Maliente but not killed.... a people hiding their intentions...

Greta, we will indeed go over this book. Tonight. But first we must talk about our travels.

Iphigenia, you weren't on the first two expeditions. So you didn't really get to see what these black elves can do. The Kelmar navies would be burning wreckage the first time these elves found their fleet. You gotta get up close. Can't let them stand back throwing magic at you.

We don't know their numbers, but they enslaved three other races. So they're big enough for that. But those slaves might be the thing. We found two races near the Maliente. Some small dog faced creatures who are aggressive but not overly tough. And we saw another bigger race. Looked piggish and human like at the same time. Green skinned though. And big enough to wield full size weapons.

They dwelled in a cavern system and they had a hidden armory that we found. They're a good bet to be using Dwarvish letters. Especially, if that mountain of theirs used to be ours. If these green ones still have their heart, might be we could cut a deal, if the Maliente go to war against us.

Ain't no closer you can get to a wizard than being his ally.

Uhhh, Cormac, right? You ever see these elves bring any pig faced or dog faced allies down here?"

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

Cormac hasn't seen the elves bring any but their own kind with them. Indeed, in each encounter Karadoon has had with the elves, they have always been just elves.

 

[Ozymandias2008]

Cormac

Cormac shook his head. Never have they brought any but their own. he said, I have never seen any dogmen or pigmen. Maybe they do not want to bring others because the slaves would turn on the masters when away from watching eyes. Yes, I think that makes most sense. I would try to kill them if they were to bring me to near-freedom.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

 

"Then clearly they have not truly mastered this land. That seems like good news. Cormac, have you any idea why they have been content to send only scouts for what must have been several centuries?

Is it possible that these scouts have been hunters or explorers and not part of any army?"

 

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

What has been learned over time in the recent years is that large groups have a hard time avoiding the dragons above. For any large distances, it is key to move in relatively small groups, or attract the attentions of the fickle over-beasts that seem destined to swoop in with fire and death.

There is no hard limit of what that group size is - some can move more quietly and attract less attention, some smaller but louder groups will similarly be discovered and destroyed - often with no survivors to tell their tale, only charred bones in a scorched area.