Dwarfmoot

Dwarfmoot

Minutes of a Meeting of the Dwarven Defence Council, 31 March 1270
Meeting Room 4, Royal Suite, Dun Thondagh

Present:

  • Orthinn Hammerforge, King of Dwarves
  • Barlann Silvervein, Dwarven Senate Member (and High Priest of Moradin)
  • Gandar Lightforge, Dwarven Senate Member (and President of the Trade Council)
  • Thora Darkaxe, Dwarven Senate Member (and Chief of Civil Security, Dun Thondagh)
  • Darek Gefahr-Bereit Magnarsson High Lord of Unhold Aufruf
  • Vora Steelbrace, Dwarven Senate Member
  • Varadin Thunderbrow, Commander-in-chief of Dwarven Armed Forces
  • Parin Darkaxe, Captain of Dwarven Armed Forces (and highest-ranking survivor Dun Mernyrr)
  • Furgor Bitterbreath, Dwarf Initiate of The Verloren Wissen

Guests:

  • Andrinora ferch Cwln, Human/Brythonic Adventurer (Wizard and part-time Emissary)
  • Brigga Bluefist, Dwarf/Brythonic Adventurer (Fighter)
  • Joshua Talden, Human/Brythonic Adventurer (Cleric of Jupiter)
  • Sheon, Half-elf/Roman Adventurer (Cleric of Apollo)
  • Aster, Tiefling/Phoenician (Rhodes) Adventurer (Conjurer)
  • Aidan, Human/Brythonic Adventurer (?)
  • Aeodoro, Tauren/Iberian Sea-Captain (Swashbuckler)
  • Is this really everyone?
  • Do Sheon, Aidan and Aster have family/clan/tribal names?

The Conversation So Far

Barlann Silvervein: "We live in perilous times. An ancient enemy threatens to wipe the Dwarven nation from The Old North, if not from the world. How can you aid us?"
Gandar Lightforge to Barlann Silvervein: "Pfft. They are but a handful of Longshanks! We need an army! Why do we waste our time with… <waves hands in party's direction> these?"
Sheon: "It is true we are few in Number, but we few members of task force alpha, offer you our serveries to help aid you against your enemy. We must unite together in order to achieve a common goal."
Gandar Lightforge to Sheon: "Interesting that you should offer help… when your bretheren have had their backs turned to us for over ten years! Should we believe the word of an elf?"
Sheon to Gandar Lightforge: I do not know the reason why my people have Disappeared, but i seek now to answer that very question. For all we know the elves themselves my be in as much danger as us. Perhaps more, or maybe the elves no longer exist. Such questions need to be answered, and i ask for your help."
Darek Magnarsson to Sheon: "You seek to ask our help? We are the ones under siege. We are the ones facing extinction. Typical from a leaf eater."
Vora Steelbrace: "Gandar! Darek! Your rudeness surprises me! We have been unable to contact the world beyond The Old North for a decade, and when we finally have representatives from the South, you behave like bear cubs that have stuck their paws in a nettle patch!"
Gandar Lightforge: "You raise a good point, Vora. How did you get through to us when our best scouts have failed to break out?"
Aster to Gandar Lightforge: "The Vikings are quite blind to what the arcane hide from them. Have you no Wizards capable of teleportation? To be unable to contact the world beyond for so long I must imagine this to be the case? If so I believe we can offer you a great deal then. Such as contact with your fellow Dwarves to the south."
Gandar Lightforge to Vora Steelbrace: "Now who seeks to insult who?"
Gandar Lightforge (under his breath but quite audible to all): "And by Moradin's beard, what is that smell?"
<Vora and Barlann both give Gandar very intense stares>
Darek Magnarsson to Aster: "Do ya really think'd be that easy? Do ya take us for backwater hicks? I could wisp away in the blink of an eye normally but some power prevents me and me brethrin. Have ye not noticed the presence? Many minds have been lost and months wasted trying to look into the matter!"
Barlann Silvervein: "Truly, all forms of scrying and teleportation are affected. Most times teleportation fails, but occasionally a teleporter disappears never to be seen again - even if teleporting across a room. We have been unable to send person or message out of the region, be it magical or conventional, for ten years. Likewise, no word or person has arrived from the south in the same timeframe."
Furgor Bitterbreath to Brigga Bluefist: "You said you would bring reinforcement to aid in the war, is this the aid ye bring? Six more men will hardy make a dint in the Viking war force, an' from what ye been telling us, these six have near no combat experience!"
Furgor Bitterbreath: "Perhaps now be not the time te fight, too many lives have been lost already! How much longer can the Dwarves last? We need allies! We need reinforcements! Perhaps if we send dignitaries to foreign lands beseeching aid by the way these foreigners came, we can reunite the Dwarven homelands with the rest of the world!"
Parin Darkaxe: "Begging you pardons, m'Lords, but 'tis not us that chooses the time te fight, but the enemy. Dun Mernyrr was given no choice. Whatever we do - attack, defend, seek help or flee - we must prepare quickly. The enemy could advance at any time."
Brigga Bluefist to Furgor and Parin: (then glancing around the room at everyone) "Organizing reinforcements takes time, but… You have my axe!" <looks down and realises he has no axe on him> "Well if ya give me an axe you have my err… services while our ambassadors do the talkin' back home. The rest of us could help relieve shifts at the outposts in the immediate time."
Gandar Lightforge: "Well spoken, young Parin. And your offer, albeit small, is still of use, Brigga. Yet the longshanks have still not answered the question - how did you succeed in getting through when ten years of efforts have failed?"
Brigga sotto voce to Andrinora and Aster: "Why 'av we been able to use magics to communicate back home?"
<Andrinora shrugs slightly>
Furgor Bitterbreath to Gander Lightforge: "If what Brigga has told me is true, a simple ship was used in the crossing. Perhaps what keeps us Dwarves from the rest of the world hasn't stretched its reach that far?"
Andrinora: "On that slim hope, I must disappoint you. We attempted to scry members of our group from as far away as the south of Brython, and were repelled. We successfully used a teleport twice, a few hours apart early in the morning three days ago. However, we have heard from both Dwarves in Brython and Dwarves in Hellas that they have been trying, and unsuccessful, at contacting you by a variety of means for the last ten years. We even witnessed one desperate group send pigeons to you… I assume even these have not arrived?"
Barlann Silvervein: "No. No such messages have arrived."
Furgor Bitterbreath: <clearly undeterred> "We may not be able to choose when the attacks happen yet, but if these adventurers were to sneak out the way came and gathered aid, perhaps then we can choose the battlefield." <looks each dwarf in the eye in turn> "We are Dwarves! We hold steady! Nothing can knock us down if we don't want it to. These vikings, they think they can scare us with a few raids… BAH! They don't know the meaning of 'Dwarf'. If we are to hold steady, we must prepare as such! We must get Dun Thondagh ready! If we can get every dwarf to strengthen our hold, WE - WILL - BE - UNSTOPPABLE!"
Gandar Lightforge: "Stirring words, Furgor, but words nonetheless. Do you count the total destruction of Dun Mernyrr a mere raid? What dark forces did these vikings bring to bear there? And do you suggest we let the vikings come to our doorstep unhindered?"
<Parin Darkaxe squirms in genuine discomfort - DC10 Sense Motive shows he takes the disaster at Dun Mernyrr quite personally>
Furgor Bitterbreath: <glancing sidelong at Sheon> "But I dinna say we can do it all by ourselves. As hard as it is to say this… we need the aid of the leaf… err… the Elves. The Elves can use the knowledge of the land to scout without being seen, which will better aid us in our battle. Their prowess with the bow will also come in handy in the defense of this land. No elf has graced us with his presence in ten long years. Now, one stands before you." <to Sheon> "Sheon, perhaps the elves will show themselves to you."
Sheon to Furgor: "I pray that they do. I, and others like me, have been searching for the Elves for a long time. Finding them is amongst our top priorities."
Barlann Silvervein: "Sorry, Lady Andrinora. Did you say you teleported three days ago?"
Andrinora: "Yes, the 28th of March."
Barlann Silvervein: "Hmmm… I had one of my research team try to teleport an object on that day… Well, every day… Except the 27th - we were on alert. After noon…"
Andrinora: "No, no. We were much earlier." <looking at Sheon> "Third or fourth hour?" <Sheon nods> "And again just after dawn." <glances at Aster, who nods>
Barlann Silverbeard: Hmmm… Hmmm… We were very methodical in the past, systematically trying all times of the day. We have grown less rigorous - only trying once or twice a day, and generally doing it during breaks from other work. Perhaps we should resume a more dedicated search for weaknesses…"
Aster sotto voce to Brigga and Andrinora: "I have several theories as to why we can use our magic and the Dwarves arcane powers fail them. In fact no presence has blocked any of my attempts of teleportation, though I am assuming the presence is the same that we encountered when Namarus tried to scry your location. With your leave Andrinora I shall put the first of my theories to the test, that whoever is blocking the Dwarves scrying and teleportation is only blocking the Dwarves attempts at doing so."

Current Party Goals

  • Regroup the party - get back Elthic;
  • Find what happened to the elves;
  • Defeat the vikings;
  • Stop Fenris' utilisation of the Goblins;
  • Stop Fenris.

Things "Most Dwarves" Know

  • There are five major Dwarven cities in Europa. Three are in "the north" (Dun Thondagh, Dun Mernyrr and Dun Aelgryth), one is in Brython (Dun Hodovor, in the Brythonic nation of Rheged), and one in the Mons Alpes (Dun Nova-Mernyrr, south-east of the Gnomish nation of Neblitvatta). There are also numerous Dwarven towns and villages scattered throughout Europa.
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  • Each city has a Dunwarden (part Mayor, part Sheriff), answerable to the King. The Chancellor is an elected position, with terms usually 12 years.
  • The Dwarven Senate is a (mostly) democratic organisation that has a high level of autonomy, yet can be over-ruled by the King. It usually has between 40 and 60 members. Some seats in the senate are ex-officio (such as High Priest of Moradin, the five Dunwardens), and some are hereditary. Most are elected positions, with a 12 year term of office. There is no limit to the number of terms a Senator may run for and hold.
  • The Dwarven body of laws is a collection of Leges Regia (Laws of the King), Leges Senatora (Laws of the Senate), and occasional Leges Publica (Laws of the People). A Lex Publicum is a law that may originate in concept from any citizen, is formulated by the Senate, but is adopted by referendum of all adult Dwarves in an electoral process. The election of the last Lex Publicum occurred over nine hundred years ago, "and had something to do with taxes on ale".

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page revision: 25, last edited: 22 May 2011 13:13
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