Claiming A Sad Fortune

Subject: Claiming A Sad Fortune Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:42 pm

With a huge maw opening yawn and a quick toss of the covers the muscular dwarf swings his two tree stump like legs out of the bed and his toes barely scathe the floor.Unloosing the drawstring that holds up his leather breeches he half walks half stumbles over to the chamber to relieve himself while wiping the sleep from his eyes at the same time.Walking back over to the bed he begins dressing himself when an urgent knock on the door sounds. "Who is it?!" the grumpy dwarf demands. An almost weak and timid voice replies "Umm, ahhh, mmmhmmm, uh....Mister Warshield? Fentil sent me up with a most urgent correspondence for you." The dwarf, dressed in a fine suit of platemail from the waist down, walks over to the door and cracking it a bit stares eye level at a pair of well formed breasts.With a grunt he opens the door a bit more revealing to her a hairy and barrel chested dwarf rippling with muscle with an extended hand.The barmaid gasps a bit at his audacity and clutches the scroll coffer a bit tighter.Looking at her with an apparently grumpy visage he says "Well ye jus' gonna stands dere an' goggle at me girl er ya gonna give me da damn message?!" With a quick jerky movement she thrusts the coffer out to him and hiking up her skirt hastily makes her way down the hall towards the stairs.Shrugging, he slams the door and seats himself in the rooms only chair to open the coffer and read the message within.

Roaring about the room he stomps out and down the stairs in all haste to find Fentil.As the obviously enraged dwarf stomps up to him Fentil's throat bobs a bit as he takes a gulp and puts on the friendliest face he can summon at that moment."I needs aid lad.An' fas' I ain' much caring fer magics but I needs ta git home fas' as I can be gittin' dere." Fentil's brow furrows a moment before with a brightly lit face of enthusiasm he instructs Boulder to inquire with Hesta.Without a word of thanks Boulder turns on his heel bumping into a patron causing the patrons drink to splash all over himself and stomps out the door as the patron cusses him into the ground.He stomps over to Hestas and opening her door with a bang roars "Hesta! Hesta?!" The old lady walks over with her staff as a walking stick and says in a very terse tone "Another? Is that all you short, bearded people know how to do is scream and yell and treat good honest folk disrespectfully like your Lord Morn himself? What do you want?!" A bit taken aback but determined Boulder eyes her evenly and with one hand on his hip says "I means no disrespect miss but I needs a good magiker an' I needs one NOW!" To which Hesta replies "You do , do you? This might be interesting.And to what do I owe this dubious pleasure?" she replies a bit intrigued and sarcastic all in the same tone.Boulder goes on to explain his situation and although Hesta would have liked to help she instead sends him to Teshwave to confer with Hazzlebad.

After a 2 day trek to Teshwave Boulder stomps into Hazzlebad's shop.Stomping directly up to the old mage he asks "Are ye tha one dey calls Hezzlebed?" Peering at the dwarf with a bit of confusion he clears his throat and replies "You mean Hazzlebad?" The dwarf looking at him with a sense of urgency says "Aye, yeah whatever.Are ye him er na'?" The old mage quickly runs through a list of potential enemies and finding none he knew of who would send one of this caliber to try and harrass or murder him replies "Yes, yes I am.What can I do for you?" Boulder explains he is not fond of magic but has no other recourse other than to use magic as a means of getting him to Mithril Hall as soon as possible.The mage ponders for a moment then says "I can do what you ask but the price my be costly." Boulder replies "Coins ain' no matter." Hazzlebad chuckles and says "Coin may not be all you must do for me.Someday I may be in need of your services dwarf." Boulder ponders this for a moment before replying and says "Okay den.Jus' be sendin' me on me way."

The old dwarf lies in his bed feverish and coughing with three dwarven clerics surrounding him murmuring prayers.Pacing behind them is Boulder with a look of true concern etched into his face.After a few moments one sweating and exhausted cleric walks over to him and says "There's na' much more we can do lad." Putting a comforting hand on his shoulder he replies "The sickness is none we seem ta be able ta cure with medicine or healin' spells.He was minin' tha deeper parts of tha mines an' collapsed.He been callin' for ye tha last week an' we be thinkin' tha only reason he still breathes is ta see ye." Shaking his head he weakly walks from the room with the other two priests trailing him with their heads down.

Subject: Re: Claiming A Sad Fortune Sat Nov 15, 2008 6:11 pm

After softly shutting the door Boulder walks over and sits on the edge of his fathers sweat soaked bed and puts his hand in his own.A weak smile appears on his fathers face and he says in the most shallow of ragged voices "Dere ye be me boy.I knews ye'd come if'n I called ye." A hard racking cough shakes the old dwarfs frame and Boulder looking down says in a choked voice "Aye Da me's is 'ere now.I be stayin' till ye gits better." Smiling again with a small trickle of blood leaking from his fathers mouth he shakes his head. "No boy.Me times come.I been seein' me Da an' granda an' dey's be's callin' me home.I wanted ye ta be 'ere when dey'd comed fer me an' ta let ye know dat our family's honor be's in Dumathoins Hall an' I wan' ye ta have it an' take it wid ye when ye leaves so it ain' gatherin' dust.Ye can do lotsa good wid wha' yer entitled ta an' by Moradin I were gonna see ya git IT fer I leaves dis place.Now git ye down dere and bring it back so I can see ye hold Geddinshock one time fer I go." Boulder shakes his head and says "No Da I canna let ye go." His father summons an inner reserve of strength and says in a steely tone "I ain' got much time boy! Now git ye down dere an' do as I says!" After a moment Boulder nods and standing to his feet walks over to the door swinging it wide and charges off towards Dumathoins Hall.Exhausted and out of breath he enters the vault and talks to the Priest of Dumathoin in charge of keeping the artifacts.The priest leads him past several other weapons and armors to three pedestals upon each sits the relics.Quickly grabbing the axe he flies from the Hall back to his fathers room where he stands beside the bed holding the axe.

His father looks up with a big smile on his red,blood soaked lips and grins.Boulders mother enters the room weeping to stand behind Boulder and wraps an arm around his wast in a firm hug as heart wrenching sobs shake her frame.Boulders father in an almost whisper says "I knew ye'd be tha one lad.I knew ye'd be tha one.I's be watchin' ye me boy." Looking past Boulder to his wife he beckons her sit with him and hold his hand.Still sobbing she does as he asks and sitting there holding his hand in a last ragged whisper he says "I loves ye me dear.Fer ever an' always." Then to Boulder "Ye always maked me proud boy an' I knows ye always will.Come back ta da Hall someday an' always heed tha Halls call when dey be in need of yer axe an' yer muscles dat swings it.I loves ye boy." His eyes close and a peaceful look comes over the dwarfs features as the muscles in his countenance grow slack.His head lols to the side and a line of blood bubbles from his mouth pink and frothy to roll down the corner of his mouth to stain his pillow.Boulder with tears streaming down his face looks at his father than to Geddinshock.His birthright was his but at an enormous cost.He vowed to Clangeddin then and there that he would always use it in the service of good and that one day it would again be sitting on an honored pedestal to be passed on to his son.After only a few days for the funeral service he once again says good-bye to his mother and prepares for his return to Dagger Falls.

Once again sitting in his room Boulder shoulders his well worn leather pack and awaits the knock that is sure to come.He didn't wait long.A sharp rap sounds on the door and he says "Come in." In walks a wispy wild grey haired human mage.Boulder eyes him evenly and says "Aye Harpell, I be ready when ye are." Percy Harpell then replies in a nasally pinched voice "Please stand up.Where'd ye say you were wanting to go again?" Boulder firmly replies "Dagger Falls." "Ahh yes, yes, I almost forgot." With a grin the mage begins working the incantation that will take Boulder to his new home.After a bright flash Boulder finds himself standing in a birdbath behind a farmhouse.A tottering old lady in a brown wool dress with a pale blue apron and wispy grey hair spilling out of her bun yells "What the hell are ye doin' in my birdbath ye crazy dwarf?! Get the hell out of there!" Boulder looking embarrassed stammers his apologies as he hops down and calls out to her "Where da hells am I?" "Shadowdale ye dumb dwarf.Not only do ya think yer a bird but now yer a dumb bird who's lost." Clucking her tongue and advancing on him waving her broom she says "Yer in Shadowdale!" "Shadawdale?!" "Yeah now get the hell outta here before I whap ye!" Laughing heartily and advancing backwards with both palms outstretched he grins and says to himself "Damn crazy Harpells! I said Daggerdale na' Shadawdale! Magik ne'er can be trusted!" Turning and jogging for the road leading into the forest he says to himself "But dats okay."