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− | == | + | ==The View of the Seas== |
I stepped up to the ledge. Looking down was twenty thousand feet to a raging sea crashing waves up a thousand feet. In the history of this world this wall must have been the rock of death to mariners. Waves started hundreds of miles out to sea to splash that high. There was a reason the East Seas were only crossed by the boldest of Sailors and rarely within five hundred miles of the Split Rock. | I stepped up to the ledge. Looking down was twenty thousand feet to a raging sea crashing waves up a thousand feet. In the history of this world this wall must have been the rock of death to mariners. Waves started hundreds of miles out to sea to splash that high. There was a reason the East Seas were only crossed by the boldest of Sailors and rarely within five hundred miles of the Split Rock. | ||
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Three thousand miles Downhill to the west was the sea. Beaches, cities, highways, and a horse and wagon culture. Humans, mostly, though as a traveler I could tell that some time in the past, Orcs, dwarves, and elves had interbred with the natives. So far back that their histories were barely fairy tales and folklore. | Three thousand miles Downhill to the west was the sea. Beaches, cities, highways, and a horse and wagon culture. Humans, mostly, though as a traveler I could tell that some time in the past, Orcs, dwarves, and elves had interbred with the natives. So far back that their histories were barely fairy tales and folklore. | ||
− | I had spent a month in the region known as | + | I had spent a month in the region known as Hinterhigh. East of it was five hundred miles of some of the ruggedest, most beautiful wilderness I'd run across this side of chaos. At the far end was a thousand mile long edge cutting into the sea that only dropped below sixteen thousand when it reached down to a lower lands on the north and south. The region was rich with wildlife and game. |
Below the eight thousand mark was large spread out community of people who live in trade off the mountain hunters, gatherers, artisans, adventurers. Its as peaceful a place I was looking for and I found it, for the most part. They had a tavern of course, with rooms available. Paka would sit on my lap while I played the harp or the flute. I tuned instruments if they were brought me and i taught songs other liked. | Below the eight thousand mark was large spread out community of people who live in trade off the mountain hunters, gatherers, artisans, adventurers. Its as peaceful a place I was looking for and I found it, for the most part. They had a tavern of course, with rooms available. Paka would sit on my lap while I played the harp or the flute. I tuned instruments if they were brought me and i taught songs other liked. | ||
− | In the Village I might as well call | + | In the Village I might as well call Hinterhigh since the people there didn't call it anything, I was told that there was a band of desperate men in the hills. Had been for decades. Some kind of defunct warband turned brigands. They told me that those who chose to live in the deep woods occasionally had to deal with them. Sometimes they raided Hinterhigh. They told me to just cooperate with them and I wouldn't be too badly hurt. They didn't understand me when that made me laugh. At least when I went into the mountain I'd have something to look forward to. |
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A few week into the mountains I found a nice vista. Good water; a fast moving stream, deep and wide, with a bulge before a flat somewhat wooded area. High rocky hills protecting from the cold breezes, heavy woodlands. Plentiful game. The views were spectacular. I set up my camp and did a few day trips. It was perfect. A great place to winter. Easy reach of the Wall of the World. Lot of nice rocks around for day climbs. | A few week into the mountains I found a nice vista. Good water; a fast moving stream, deep and wide, with a bulge before a flat somewhat wooded area. High rocky hills protecting from the cold breezes, heavy woodlands. Plentiful game. The views were spectacular. I set up my camp and did a few day trips. It was perfect. A great place to winter. Easy reach of the Wall of the World. Lot of nice rocks around for day climbs. | ||
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So I dragged out my iron kits. The cook set up was first. The large tripod and the big pot. A couple smaller sets. Three fires. Gonna need them. Setting the pans out. I hadn't unloaded the iron kits in this world yet. It meant I was staying here. Maybe a few years. A good cook area was needed first. Places for skinning, prepping, drying. I'd build a smoke house eventually, and a good still barn. A fish pond. A hot pool. | So I dragged out my iron kits. The cook set up was first. The large tripod and the big pot. A couple smaller sets. Three fires. Gonna need them. Setting the pans out. I hadn't unloaded the iron kits in this world yet. It meant I was staying here. Maybe a few years. A good cook area was needed first. Places for skinning, prepping, drying. I'd build a smoke house eventually, and a good still barn. A fish pond. A hot pool. | ||
− | But first would be a good sized single room cabin. Maybe three room. Plenty of wood. Paka and I could manage. | + | But first would be a good sized single room cabin. Maybe three room. Plenty of wood. Paka and I could manage. |
=='''Home'''== | =='''Home'''== | ||
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There is something about the people who come up hill. Resilient, self-reliant. Friendly when they need to be. Most had left the downhill world for good reasons. Its impolite to ask. Because its impoite to ask what drove them to the mountains, they never asked me where I came from and what brought me here. That kind of anonymity is a blessing to one like me. | There is something about the people who come up hill. Resilient, self-reliant. Friendly when they need to be. Most had left the downhill world for good reasons. Its impolite to ask. Because its impoite to ask what drove them to the mountains, they never asked me where I came from and what brought me here. That kind of anonymity is a blessing to one like me. | ||
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=='''Brigands'''== | =='''Brigands'''== | ||
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These people had raided my vale, harassed and killed my people, and had abused woman and girls. There was something in me that felt violated. Assaulted in my possessions and in my people. Insulted in my person. | These people had raided my vale, harassed and killed my people, and had abused woman and girls. There was something in me that felt violated. Assaulted in my possessions and in my people. Insulted in my person. | ||
− | One insults a Lord of Amber, even a minor one, at their peril. One insults a Lord of Chaos, and a Hendrake at that, to their utter | + | One insults a Lord of Amber, even a minor one, at their peril. One insults a Lord of Chaos, and a Hendrake at that, to their utter disaster. |
Flying to the ground a mile away I shed the avian form and took my bearded form again.. I'd let my look go native. Gather the mules and their furs and meats and horns, we walked into greet my visitors. | Flying to the ground a mile away I shed the avian form and took my bearded form again.. I'd let my look go native. Gather the mules and their furs and meats and horns, we walked into greet my visitors. | ||
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Within moments a few came to walk me in. They made mock of my age and the limp I effected. They grabbed the riens of my mules and I thought to stop them but it occurred to me that they were unlikely to harm them. There was plenty of meat around without butchering mule. | Within moments a few came to walk me in. They made mock of my age and the limp I effected. They grabbed the riens of my mules and I thought to stop them but it occurred to me that they were unlikely to harm them. There was plenty of meat around without butchering mule. | ||
− | As I was brought to the hetman of this gang of ruffians the people of the Vale watched me in silence and fear. I could hear someone in my cabin being abused.. I silently cast my sense into the room and found two ruffians and one of the young girls that lived in the vale.. The one inhorsed went to sleep as I cast Personal Paralysis. Having someone frozen on top of one is better then having them die. The other however got the full Lorgus powered Cardiac arrest that made his heart erupt | + | As I was brought to the hetman of this gang of ruffians the people of the Vale watched me in silence and fear. I could hear someone in my cabin being abused.. I silently cast my sense into the room and found two ruffians and one of the young girls that lived in the vale.. The one inhorsed went to sleep as the sleep spell as I cast Personal Paralysis. Having someone frozen on top of one is better then having them die. The other however got the full Lorgus powered Cardiac arrest that made his heart erupt like a paint filled balloon. |
The Hetman looked up at me, | The Hetman looked up at me, | ||
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Once the people were assembled the hetman stood and put his hand on by shoulder, a sword in his other hand. He slapped my back to start me. Some part of him may have wondered at the shoulders that did not feel frail. | Once the people were assembled the hetman stood and put his hand on by shoulder, a sword in his other hand. He slapped my back to start me. Some part of him may have wondered at the shoulders that did not feel frail. | ||
− | “People of Veksvale. I know, i've never liked that name. But it seems we have guests | + | “People of Veksvale. I know, i've never liked that name. But it seems we have guests. I intend to make them welcome.” |
− | Twisting my arm up and over the hand on my shoulder, turning, striking the hetman and twisting his head sideways with a horrifically crunching sound. Stepping away as the body falls like a cut marionette. Gripping his | + | Twisting my arm up and over the hand on my shoulder, turning, striking the hetman and twisting his head sideways with a horrifically crunching sound. Stepping away as the body falls like a cut marionette. Gripping his broad sword in the left hand, drawing it from the sheath as he fell away. . |
Stepping to the nearest brigand, the iron knife shifting to its Bowie knife form and dragging the broadsword against his cheek, sheering the top of his head clean off above the teeth. | Stepping to the nearest brigand, the iron knife shifting to its Bowie knife form and dragging the broadsword against his cheek, sheering the top of his head clean off above the teeth. | ||
− | Several steps more ended the brigands who had been on either side of the hetman, his boon companions, his lieutenants | + | Several steps more ended the brigands who had been on either side of the hetman, his boon companions, his lieutenants. |
− | Only a few moments had passed, | + | Only a few moments had passed, enough for the brigands to know death had come for them... They broke and ran. |
And the saying told in realms from Amber to Chaos was apparently true in this world too. Run, and you just die tired. | And the saying told in realms from Amber to Chaos was apparently true in this world too. Run, and you just die tired. | ||
− | I hunted them. They made no attempt to hide their trails and it probably didn't occur to them they needed. It wouldn't have mattered. I could track them by sign or Sigil and | + | I hunted them. They made no attempt to hide their trails and it probably didn't occur to them they needed. It wouldn't have mattered. I could track them by sign or Sigil. |
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+ | When I returned I had remembered to I found them cleaning the vale and stacking the dead. They had wandered down my trails and collected remains. They were building a bonfire. A merry blaze it would be. | ||
− | + | As the fire burned the people of Veksvale finally asked me what I was? I tried telling them I was just a soldier, and one without a country. They were not convinced but they made me realize that while I had come here a stranger, a traveler, I had made a home for these people. So this scattering of homesteads needed a center. | |
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=='''Fort Vek'''== | =='''Fort Vek'''== | ||
− | I told them to start collecting | + | I told them to start collecting. Rocks. Any size. They did. They would come to the fire and drop rocks in the various piles. Small ones, medium ones, big ones. Then one day i started sorting them out, moving them to places around. A wall would do for the most part. Nothing more then four feet. Crenelations up to five. |
I pulled the logs from my cabin and replaced the bottom three feet with stone. i cheated a bit ''smooth stoning'' them to fit air tight. We scooted out a few good sized stones and I showed them how to chisel split them. Over the next year we built 12 stone foundations and low walls for homes. Made stone smoke houses. | I pulled the logs from my cabin and replaced the bottom three feet with stone. i cheated a bit ''smooth stoning'' them to fit air tight. We scooted out a few good sized stones and I showed them how to chisel split them. Over the next year we built 12 stone foundations and low walls for homes. Made stone smoke houses. | ||
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In probably the biggest mistake i made in this place, i scouted an easy trail down to Hinterhigh and established relations with a trading post. Calling my place Veksvale made the residents of the crowded part start calling their place "Hinterhigh Township." | In probably the biggest mistake i made in this place, i scouted an easy trail down to Hinterhigh and established relations with a trading post. Calling my place Veksvale made the residents of the crowded part start calling their place "Hinterhigh Township." | ||
− | I soon had nearly a hundred regular residents in Fort Vek. A few families, a few travelers, a few | + | I soon had nearly a hundred regular residents in Fort Vek. A few families, a few travelers, a few employers, hunters. brewers, . A few mountain-men who decided Veksvale wasn't bad for the mountains and retired to the safety and plenty of the Fort. I could always find things for old experienced hands to do. They were always at the fire and their stories are always funny. he truth was they worried that infirmity would hit them in their isolation, as had happened to many before. Its a fear of these men. |
=='''Dowser'''== | =='''Dowser'''== | ||
− | After Veksvale had been in place for 4 years a | + | After Veksvale had been in place for 4 years a new visitor arrived that would change the place once again. He was a young boy, the son of a warrior tired of his downhill world. I believe he was a deserter but up here you don't ask such things. The fathers name was Cudgel. The Boy was Dowser. |
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