“You want to do what?” You asked Barnus incredulously.
The other dwarf sitting across from you was Barnus Rubblebuster, and you two had been inseparable friends almost from the moment of your birth.
It was almost a given that you two would both serve as apprentices forgers together. And now here you two were, about to embark on your apprentice quest together, to find the components for your forger’s apron. As was custom, forger apprentices usually kept the fact they were on a quest to craft a forger’s apron to themselves. The method of crafting a forger’s apron was a well kept secret, known only to dwarven forgers.
So Barnus had devised a “cover” quest for your actual quest. But the cover quest was unbelievable. Barnus wanted to conduct a land survey between the kingdom cities of Ronyab and Orman to gauge the feasibility of building an above ground mine train to connect the two cities!
For centuries, dwarves have used engines of steam to pump water out of tunnels. In the last few generations, the more progressive dwarvenhomes (such as yours) have used the engines of steam to power a rope pulley system that pulls minecarts running on metal rails.
Barnus thinks he has a design to miniaturize an engine of steam enough that he could mount it on one minecart, and have that minecart pull other minecarts full of goods.
Ronyab is the closest Kingdom settlement to the dwarvenhomes, as well,as to the main pass in the Kingdom’s southern mountain range. Ronyab is the southernmost town on the north-south Highway that connects the capital city of Kara to the mountain pass.
About a hundred and eighty miles north of Ronyab on the Royal Highway is the town of Orman. Orman lies on the southern edge of the Calleryn forest, an elvenhome. Although the Royal Highway continues through the Calleryn forest, most dwarves choose not to travel further north than Orman. Elves and dwarves may not be enemies, but neither were they the best of friends.
Orman’s markets saw more direct exchange of elven and market goods than any other settlement in the Kingdom.
You had to admit that there was a certain method to Barnus’ madness. A wagon carrying goods from Ronyab to Orman might take a fortnight to make that trip. If Barnus’ contraption left at Ronyab at sunrise pulling minecarts loaded with the same goods, it could hypothetically reach Orman before sunset.
Still, the whole concept seems too incredible to be believable. But it did provide you and Barnus the cover you needed to visit the markets of Ronyab and Orman for components for your aprons.
Speaking of which, you and Barnus spend the day in the markets of Ronyab buying components for your forger’s apron. You’re confident you’ll be able to get the rest of what you need at Orman.
You meet the rest of your surveying group in the common room of a Ronyab inn called The Sharpened Edge. Like you and Barnus, the other four novice adventures are dwarves.
At five foot two inches, Ludmiler Flintjaw, a dwarven Axeman, is massive by dwarven standards. His brother Lodmeg (a normal sized dwarf at four and a half feet tall) is a Walker, adept with a short sword and crossbow, and at as home above ground in the mountains as he is below.
Rounding up your party are the brothers Volgrurum snd Tolvawre Wraithdigger. Volgrurum is a priest of Yudoli, god of the forge in the Kingdom pantheon. Yudoli is also the father of all dwarvenkind, and is depicted as a dwarf. Volgrurum’s younger brother Tolvawre is a Channeler, gaining spellcasting abilities by consorting with Barnkolra, cupbearer to Yudoli.
The six of you are staying at The Sharpened Edge for the night, planning to head out north bright and early the next morning. Is your night at The Sharpened Edge uneventful?
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author
