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[westiex9]

The last days of Hanek thaig
 
Hanek is a vast underground Thaig, while never large enough to rival the larger cities of Orzammar of Kal Sharok this ancient thaig is nonetheless home to well over one hundred thousand citizens, for generations its caverns have echoed with the sounds of life and industry, its great forges and mines churning out masterpieces sold throughout the empire,
but now the end of all things is  approaching...the first blight has begun and it is Destroying everything in its path as it advances ever closer to its target...Orzammar
 
Standing between the one safe place left to the dwarves and the darkspawn is Caridia Hanek and the full might of her thaig, she knows that Hanek will fall to the darkspawn but she intends to hold them off for as long as possible...if only to buy Orzammar the time it needs to survive

Chapter 1: Exodus

In the streets below the palace a sea of misery flows towards the cities rear gate, men cry out and women scream and weep uncontrollably as they are led out of Hanek thaig, some try to break through the line of armoured guards and grasp at their loved ones with desperate embraces only to be pulled away by mailed hands.
 
“This...feels...wrong” Bruni Oslan one of the younger nobles says nervously
 
“The cities forges need to be producing weapons and armour Bruni, and if you’d seen what happens to women caught by the Spawn...you’d know why this is necessary” I reply grimly
 
I remember when the Darkspawn were just a rumour, we all laughed and decided it was just a surge in bandit activity, but as the months passed and thaig after thaig went dark we realized something was horribly wrong. When the truth was finally discovered terror filled the caverns in every place that dwarves called home, a sea of horrors was coming to wash us clean from this world in a storm of blood and taint.
 
After we knew what we faced the laughter stopped, but it still felt distant and we still tried to go about daily life in my ancestors thaig as if nothing was happening, Hanek thaig over which i am lady is home to over one hundred thousand souls and even with the Darkspawn threat on the horizon we still needed to continue living and breathing.
 
But the Darkspawn never stay distant for long, as the thaigs began to fall in increasingly greater numbers and size we knew it was serious, we were called to send our warriors to aid in the battles and I joined my men in the march north, many were shocked at the prospect of the thaigs ruler fighting but I got my way in the end.
 
The things I saw on the frontlines still haunt my sleep even now, the horror of the Darkspawn invasion can never be erased from memory, and sometimes when I wake in a sweat from familiar nightmares I am glad my father is long dead, because if he could see the evil beckoning from the darkened roads, I think he would have torn out his own eyes.
 
I remember Gundaar thaig the most, that once glorious monument to our people, I had been to the thaig in happier times with my father, he had said it was my duty to learn about the world so that I would be a good ruler, but in truth he wanted an excuse to take me with him. Gundaar was one hundred times Hanek thaigs size and could have swallowed my home whole and still not even been close to filled, that thaig fell in a matter of months to the spawn, we lost men in droves as the slaughter and the taint ate through our ranks, and worse still I remember seeing women who had fought beside me dragged off screaming by the spawn, but it wasn’t until I saw the result of these abductions that I couldn’t sleep without nightmares.
 
In the last days before we pulled back from the outlying thaigs I found myself leading a patrol to clear a nest of darkspawn that had been blocking a retreat from a major city, we left the camp with over two hundred men but we returned with less than fifty.
 
I remember the smell of corruption that filled the air and the reek of vomit and gore that clung to our nostrils as we moved deeper into the nest. We found men and women caged in vast pens their faces pale and sickly with the taint, most babbled incessantly, they muttered mad things as they sat in their cages shaking, some of them even laughed and stared at us with their disturbed faces as if inviting us to join them.
 
We moved past the cages and entered the main chamber of the nest, and then we saw what manner of beast it was that called the caves home, the first mad scream was so terrifying it sent our hearts racing, and then from the murky darkness in front of us a face appeared, it was warped but I could still recognise my lost comrades features, more familiar visages began to pierce the gloom and soon we were surrounded, and they tore through our ranks with merciless efficiency.
 
I burned that nest and everything in it myself and left knowing the true fate of all those dragged off. And after we retreated from the farthest of the thaigs and began to dig in and fortify here at Hanek, I made the choice to send the women off to Orzammar rather than give the Darkspawn a fresh supply of those..Things. .Better they be separated from their loved ones then dragged off to be made into those bloated monstrosities that now fill our lost lands.
 
“And what happens Caridia if you stay?” a familiar voice asks
 
Sweyn, my father’s old captain and the man who taught me everything I know about war, he is old now and I had hoped he would have left with the citizens rather than stay in Hanek to face the spawn, but old warriors are a stubborn breed that are not easily denied a last battle.
 
“I’ll kill myself before I let them take me!” I say with a determined tone
 
“Haha! You always were a stubborn one” Sweyn says with a broad grin spreading across his wrinkled and scarred face
 
“I had two very good teachers!” I reply grinning
 
“And now here we both are facing the greatest threat our people have ever known, for all our sakes I hope you’re prepared Caridia” Sweyn says with a dark look on his face
 
I stare at him for a moment and then sigh, chances are that everyone who stays will die, I know that survival is unlikely and in truth I also know that my home is doomed to fall, but I also know that death would be preferable to leaving the city of my ancestors to be defiled without a fight and then there’s the fact that every day I can hold the Darkspawn here is an extra day of preparation for Orzammar.
 
“Some scouts returned yesterday, they were the only ones that made it back and one of them had a wound, he was already feverish and half mad when they brought him in, died within hours whispering something about things calling” I say remembering the man’s insane ramblings
 
“And did they have anything to show for their troubles?” Sweyn asks suddenly falling into his old role as mentor
 
“They say the horde is marching for Orzammar and that it will be here in a matter of days” I reply calmly
 
Sweyn frowns slightly, the only indication I have ever seen of fear in this aging warriors face, he scratches at his greying beard for a moment deep in thought and then stares up at me with a look of absolute seriousness
 
“Then we best have a warm welcome ready for them” says with a fierce look
 
“The demolition teams are already busy collapsing and destroying mine entrances and vulnerable points across the city, by tomorrow we will be assailable only by the northern bridge” I say pointing to the distant gate on the cities far side
 
“And the defenders how many of them can we field?” he asks
 
“A few hundred warrior caste and several thousand volunteers from the servant, smith and merchant castes “i reply knowing full well we are completely outnumbered
 
“And have you considered Casteless?” he asks with a sigh
 
“No Casteless shall touch a forged blade as long as I rule here Sweyn, the ancestors disfavour is the last thing we need right now” I reply with a tone that suggests arguing with me would be a poor decision
 
Sweyn is a good man and a brave warrior, but his social ideas can be unconventional to say the least, something that has gotten him into trouble many times before, I cannot let casteless bear arms against the spawn, the ancestors rule is to be obeyed if we are to have any hope of success here.
 
“Very well, our present forces will have to suffice then” he says giving up
 
“ “Our” present forces? Why have you not left with the citizens Sweyn? This battle is too dangerous for you to be throwing yourself at the spawn” I reply with an irritated look
 
Sweyn calmly takes something from his pack that is wrapped in a cloth; he begins to unwrap the long package until he is holding a Veridium long sword covered in runic designs and shining brightly
 
“I needed to give you this, it was your fathers and he wanted you to have it when the time was right” Sweyn says with a smile on his face, no doubt remembering times with my father in happier days
 
I take the blade in my hand, it feels as though it was made for my grip and the blade sings softly as it cuts the air, it is a masterpiece of smithing and the mark on the blade is from Orzammar’s famed weapon forges, a blade fit for the king himself.
 
“They say it is strong enough to cut through solid walls” Sweyn says with a companionable smile
 
“Well I shall have plenty of time to test that theory out on the flesh of the Spawn” I reply with a wicked grin on my face
 
In the distance the sounds of loud bangs fill the air, signalling the destruction of the city’s most vulnerable site, in the streets below the last groups of people are filing out of the city gates towards the road to Orzammar on the other side, soon only those here to defend the city will remain and I don’t doubt we will all likely die in the defence, but every moment we keep the Darkspawn back increases the time Orzammar gets to prepare, so I intend to make the Darkspawn my guests for as long as I can.
 
“Looks like the demolition is complete” I say staring out at the clouds of smoke in the distance
 
“Then may the ancestors smile upon us, because I a have a feeling the Darkspawn won’t...well except for the Hurlocks” Sweyn replies with a chuckle
 
In the distance the smoke begins to rise from the debris and chaos of the demolition, I realize suddenly how much will be lost when the spawn march through this city, all that my ancestors have built will be lost in a matter of weeks to the Darkspawn’s endless advance, but that fact shall only encourage me to slow them to a crawl, with the bodies of the dead if need be.

Modifié par westiex9, 25 septembre 2010 - 11:58 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

OMG!!! what a great new character, and fantastic new story from one of my favorite writers!!! Oh westie! I am thrilled. Okay so more on your others too? And MOAR please on this! *makes grabby hands*

[westiex9]

Chapter 2: The End Begins
 
Long ago on some forgotten battleground whose name is lost to history a poor warrior caste that was barely able to afford his weapons saved a king from certain death, that man was my ancestor Hanek. For his deed he was raised to the status of Paragon and granted a holding and house that would bear his name for all time, the honour was in the nomination as they say, the cavern was vast and believed to lack any wealth at all.
 
Despite the poor thaig Hanek and his followers settled and began to make a life for themselves, and his favour with the ancestors seemed confirmed when by his own sweat and toil he discovered a vast cache of minerals and metal lying beneath the cavern, all the wealth to build a true thaig and found a lasting house. Countless followers flocked to Hanek’s banner and in time Hanek thaig grew into a vast and wealthy city home to thousands, the cavern flourished and echoed with industry and laughter.
 
Six hundred years later those echoes have grown silent, and the last living descendant of Hanek makes her way through a ghost city of deserted streets and boarded up houses, a vast and gloomy urban labyrinth whose silence is broken only occasionally by clusters of scared volunteers who are either too old to be fighting or too young to be expected to hold a sword properly.

This is what the Darkspawn have done to us, our once vast armies that were the envy of the world are shattered and in their place remain only the elderly, the juvenile and the crippled to hold back the Hordes advance, they have cut down the finest generation of warriors ever to walk this world.
 

“Smell that? Their taint fills the air, they’ll be here soon” I mutter as Bruni tries to keep up with my stride through the deserted streets 
 

Suddenly the alarm bells ring out from the city walls, the sound of clanking boots fills the streets as soldiers begin rushing to their positions, the volunteers try and look like they know what they doing but more often than not they just struggle to keep up with the experienced warrior caste.  
 

“Something is coming” I say to Bruni before running to catch up with the squads heading for the walls 
 

The main gatehouses fortified tower gives us a perfect view of the outlying area around the city, a view now spoiled by the horde of beasts on the other side of the fiery river of lava separating the two sides of the demolished bridge, they roar and shake their weapons with uncontained rage, a horde of diseased and slavering beasts eager for slaughter but with no way to satisfy themselves, a smirk fills my face for the first time in weeks.
 

“Looks like the first wave has arrived, pity they have no way of crossing” Bruni says with a chuckle 
 

“Dunno, maybe they’ll stand on each other’s shoulders and make a Hurlock bridge “a soldier mutters with a grin as he takes aim with his crossbow 
 
 
The comment is received with wild laughter that spreads across the entire wall, we must truly be insane to laugh at the end of all things that lies just beyond the shattered bridge, but it feels good all the same to see the spawn caught with their pants down. 
 

“This is the horde? I thought they were coming in force!” someone mutters with a derisive snort

 “Don’t underestimate the Horde’s size, this is just a small vanguard, probably the advance party...there’s more to come yet” I say in a grim tone

 “That’s a small advance party!? There must be hundreds...thousands of those things down there!” a young conscript says his knee plates clanking as his legs shake with fear

The spawn below continue snarling and pointing at us from their side of the river, some of them have short bows and try to fire at the defenders on the wall, but their feeble weapons lack the range needed to carry the arrows to the walls.  
 
“hmmm looks like they want to play lads, Bruni tell the snipers to start picking targets, oh and extra ale rations to whoever shuts up that Alpha with the horn” I mutter pointing to the Hurlock in crude plate armour that is now blowing that accursed thing from a rock near the lava flow 

 The snipers that are stationed on towers across the wall begin to fire, bolts shriek across the gap separating our forces, they begin to find their marks in the crowd of diseased creatures on the other side, it makes no difference in terms of numbers but seeing those bastards getting skewered does wonders for the morale of the volunteers who begin cheering as the snipers take increasingly daring shots. 

 “Sod it that bastards giving me a headache, a pint of ale says I nail it in the head!” the soldier who had suggested the Hurlock Bridge says with a bravado filled voice 

 “Shut him up and I might consider marrying you!” I say jokingly as he takes aim 

 The soldier focuses as the Alpha blows into the horn again sending a crude booming sound out across the cavern, the soldier breathes deeply and then he pulls the trigger sending the bolt swooping down towards its target, it smashes into the beasts helmet with satisfying impact, the Alpha slumps back and crashes to the floor dead. 

 Cheers fill the wall as the Hurlock lies dead, and for a moment it seems like this day will end on an optimistic note, then our cheers stop as a line of ragged and chained prisoners is forced to the front of the crowd with kicks and tugs from the Darkspawn, most are pale and weak looking but there’s more than enough life in most of them to make this spectacle horrific to watch. 

 “Ancestors! They’ve got prisoners, what are they doing!” Bruni blurts out in horror
 “Their screwing with us Bruni looks like we forgot that there’s a river separating us from them as well” I reply grimly 

 The formerly cheering men now watch in horror as the spawn begin to butcher the screaming victims one by one, some struggle pitifully as the beasts swarm them but most just beg without effect as the monsters tear them to pieces or behead them.

 I see a small girl at the end of the line, must be barely past thirteen, I stare in horror as the adult next to her is cut loose and allowed to run around like a headless nug before being torn limb from limb by the Spawn on the other side of the river, I snatch a crossbow from a soldier nearby and take aim, if she’s going to die I’m going to give her the mercy of a quick death rather than letting her be toyed with by those....abominations! 

 The bolt seems to slow to a crawl as it swoops toward her head, for a moment she looks at me or at least that’s what she seems to do, she says something which I can’t hear is it a silent thank you? The bolt penetrates her skull killing her instantly and I’m left wondering if she was thanking me or asking why? Why in the ancestors names we have to suffer like this! Why have the ancestors forsaken us? There’s a lot of questions I have no answers for these days.

The spawn begin to slink back into the roads as the skirmish ends, they’re not going anywhere though just reporting back to their leaders or whatever Darkspawn have, tomorrow they’ll be back in numbers that will make this vanguard seem like a nothing more than a small gang. 

 As the first engagement ends most men slink off to drink or get a few hours of troubled sleep, no one laughs or cheers anymore, those Darkspawn knew exactly how to damage us without reaching us, I get no sleep as the day ends, that girls eyes haunt me for the rest of the evening and all I can tell myself is that I did the right thing, it’s not guilt I feel its helplessness because no matter how many of those beasts I kill there’s no way I can stop them, they will keep coming like an unstoppable flood and all I can do is hold them back knowing my gates will eventually break. My only consolation is that I have bought Orzammar the first of what I hope will be many days of reprieve, Orzammar’s survival is all that matters now, it’s our last safe haven and it must not fall.

Modifié par westiex9, 26 septembre 2010 - 01:35 .

[FutileSine]

 Wow. Epic story going on here....and I love the fact that this is completely unrelated to the Warden/Blight story. Very unique in the regard.  And may I just add that I had the LOTR soundtrack playing in the background....and it totally added to the reading experience.  
In regards to chapter 1, I think my favorite part was how you've made her so traditional.  So many writers have their dwarven characters (at least the few stories I've read...) be so progressive when it comes to social castes, that to have someone have their character be traditional is a nice change.  
Well done and needless to say I look forward to more!

[TanithAeyrs]

Welcome back westiex. Awesome start to this one, can't wait for more.

[westiex9]

Gil: hehe don't worry ive got more coming and theres a chapter coming up for Alienage blues as well



Tanith: Thanks! its been too long since i posted something,glad your enjoying it so far more to come!



Futile: Hehe lord of the rings is indeed a great soundtrack to listen to, i will admit that Moria influnced my vision of Hanek Thaig a little, and yeah i decided Caridia would be a traditionalist i mean how likely is it that a Noble is going to be progressive at the height of the first blight lol that would have been ridiculous,glad your enjoying it and hope you enjoy whats coming next.

[westiex9]

Chapter 3: Of Dust and Taint
 
Darkness fills the industrial district as we advance down the back alley towards the forges, we are all dressed in black clothing and armour to conceal ourselves from the casteless, and as we reach the entrance two casteless armed with swords stand guard.
 
I give the hand signal and two of my men move up the line and rush at them with knives, the deed is done quickly as their throats are grabbed to stop screams escaping and a length of blackened steel is driven into their chests while they gurgle and twitch, dead in seconds like nugs caught by cave spiders.
 
There are many things you can plan for in a siege, but war is filled with nasty surprises and while I was well prepared to fight an external conflict against the spawn, I hadn’t considered the idea that a major obstacle would arise in the form of a casteless revolt.
 
In the times before the war the casteless were confined to the dilapidated slums that hug the northern city walls, but when the war began years ago it became clear we needed more workers to keep the forges mass producing weapons and armour on a constant basis, the casteless never went near the goods they kept the massive furnaces burning constantly and made sure that a steady stream of molten metal flowed into the war forges, they became essential to the war effort and some of the smarter ones knew it.
 
It’s been ten days since the siege of Hanek thaig began and three since the forges went dark, ammunition on the walls is running low and the spawn keep coming, and to think this all started when a Duster rat opened his big mouth. His name is Gavanek, he’d been a rabble rouser in the years before the war, he used to break into the cities respectable districts and hold protests against the conditions of the casteless, but he was always driven off by the guards back then.
 
 Gavanek and a small band of followers with popular support from the cities casteless broke into the massive war forges three days ago and occupied it, they barricaded the doors and refuse to allow anyone back to work until their demands are met, political autonomy, extra rations and access to decent weapons and armour, their demands are endless and get more ridiculous every day.
 
But Gavanek made the mistake of trying his little revolt in my city, and I will not have terms dictated to me by a casteless! Gavanek doesn’t know it yet but his time in this world is growing very short indeed, I could just kill him, but snatching him from his own fortress and making an example of him makes far more political sense, so I shall enter his lair and drag him into the light, and then I shall make him suffer greatly for his many transgressions.
 
There is a trail of blood as the bodies of the casteless are dragged unceremoniously into the darkness of the alley, the doors are opened slowly and we creep through them into the cold darkness of the normally blazing forges, the Casteless have evidently made them at home as I can hear snoring, and smell their unwashed bodies.
 
A small group of casteless men are sleeping on the cobbled stone floor around a fire that is now little more than ash and embers, they are deep in sleep and obviously put too much trust in their comrades keeping watch, but that’s okay because their partners will soon be able to answer for their failures because I’m going to send these men to meet them in whatever bleak place casteless go to after death.
 
 
I nod to the soldiers flanking me and they move in with knives and garrottes, the casteless are soon sent to a far deeper sleep as their life is choked from them or a blade is driven between their ribs, the snores stop and we are left in total silence, time to press on and find Gavanek.  
 
We check the bodies for anything of use and are surprised when we hear the sound of keys on one of the dead casteless, the surprise stems from the fact that those keys belonged to the foreman and bear his runic seal on their handles, the keys are for the storage room.
 
“So they have prisoners, odd they didn’t mention that earlier” I say frowning as I retrieve the keys  
 
“Probably plans to use them if the situation escalates” my guard captain mutters grimly
 
“Let’s check the storage rooms before we head to Gavanek, I don’t want any surprises” I say leading the way
 
As we move down the darkened corridors I hear the sound of screams, female screams, the storage door is locked and there’s a guard outside, big bastard with tattoos all across his face and arms, he see’s us just as my crossbow bolt finds its mark, and he’s pinned to the door as it smashes into his skull, opening the door with his body still stuck there we enter the vast storage rooms.
 
“Oh Come on! What s the matter? My casteless flesh not good enough for a smith caste **** like you!” an angry male voice asks with a sadistic laugh as another scream echoes through the room
 
A small lantern fills the area up ahead with a small patch of light and I can see the various metal goods lining the wall as they glimmer in the torchlight, I can also see a casteless man holding a struggling woman by her hair. I tell the men to wait, this one’s mine.
 
Striding towards the casteless man I place a hand on his shoulder
 
“I think she said no” I say coldly before driving my sword through his belly and leaving him to bleed out
 
I move sheath my blade and move towards the woman on the floor offering my hand to help her up, her clothes are dirty and torn and she has scratches and bruises across her face and arms, did they take turns with her? One abuser after another... for three days...
 
“My lady Hanek...you saved us thank the ancestors!” she says in a tired but relieved voice
 
“Us?” I ask
 
“The Casteless...they took prisoners when they captured the forges, they grabbed the foreman and a dozen of the smiths and locked us in here, they...beat the men and did... worse to us” she says with a disturbed look
 
I stare at the ground behind and realize what she means by us, sixteen others are slumped around the cobbled floor of the storage room, they are much easier to see from where the casteless was standing and they are in bad shape.
 
“I need to speak with the foreman” I say pointing to the prisoners behind the woman
 
She nods and waves me over, the men follow and we move towards the crowd of prisoners who gaze up at us with bruised and battered faces, they have been through three days of the worst brutality and even though they are being rescued their ordeal is far from over, the forges will need to be relit and the Darkspawn will still swarm across this city in the weeks to come, they are being rescued from one horror and thrust towards another.
 
“my lady, we knew you wouldn’t abandon this forge to those duster rats, but we never expected you to come here yourself” the foreman says surprised, his old wrinkled face is darkly tanned from years of work in the forge, I’ll wager he’s seen more hardship than any other person in the room.
 
“I needed to see to this personally, Gavanek needs to be dealt with do you have any idea where he is?” I ask
 
The foreman sighs and thinks for a moment, no doubt using his years of experience working in the forges to guess at the most logical place for a person to be running things from. After a moment of thought he gives his answer
 
“He’s probably at the observation post, it overlooks the whole forge and he likes to use it for his mad speeches” the foreman says with a disgusted look
 
“Speeches?” I ask
 
“Thinks he’s going to turn the city into a casteless state and drive back the Darkspawn, he’s completely insane” the foreman says grimly
 
“You two stay behind and make sure no harm comes to these people. The rest of you on me, we’re going to end this now” I say in a determined voice
 
The observation post is a vast stone balcony built to overlook the burning landscape of smoke and fire and sparks that is the forge, as we approach it I can indeed see the appeal of using it as a place to give speeches, the bastard would look like a bloody paragon up there, his followers would think so anyway.
 
We move up the stone staircase leading to the main balcony, there doesn’t seem to be anyone around, I’m assuming that Gavanek only brought a small number of followers with him, many who are no longer with us.  I can hear voices at the top of the balcony, from the sound of things Gavanek is about to give another speech.
 
“But Gav we can’t keep this up forever! And what about the Spawn? If they get in the city they’ll kill us too!” one man says angrily
 
“Caridia Hanek will break soon enough; we have control of the forge! Without it she has no way of resupplying her troops, she will have to give us what we want!” another voice which I assume to be Gavanek’s replies
 
I give the signal and we move up the stairs and storm onto the main balcony, we take the Casteless by surprise and upon seeing us Gavanek and his remaining followers draw their blades in surprise, for a few moments our two lines glare at each other silently daring each other to make the first move.
 
“I knew you nobles would never be reasonable! I should have known better then to try convince the caste that had us sealed in the slums for millennia to give in peacefully” Gavanek says with an aggressive voice
 
Gavanek’s harsh bloodshot eyes glare at me with contempt, he’s a rough looking figure and his lined face and dirt covered clothes speak of a person who is more concerned with ideology then self preservation.
 
“I don’t have time for your hot air Gavanek, your little stunt here is helping the Darkspawn and I don’t take kindling to you meddling in my defence!” I say pointing my sword in his direction
 
 Gavanek smiles for some reason, it’s as if he doesn’t realize he’s about to be arrested and in all likelihood executed for treason, then I hear the sound of a crossbow being cocked back and the shriek of the bolt as it flies towards me. I dodge the bolt at the last second and it crashes into the stone of the floor and sticks there.
 
 “Got any other surprises?” I ask with a grin as the smile fades from Gavanek’s face
 
My men move in and for a moment it looks as though Gavanek’s followers will fight back, but Gavanek holds up a hand and orders them to put their weapons away, my men move in and start arresting casteless with iron chains, I move towards Gavanek and sheath my sword
 
“You win this round Hanek, but eventually you nobles will get what’s coming to yo...” he doesn’t get chance to finish his sentence as my mailed fist slams into his jaw with a satisfying smack
 
“That’s for all the prisoners you took!” I say angrily
 
“So what are you going to do? Kill me here and now?” he asks in a mocking tone
 
I smile and punch him in the stomach sending him falling to the ground on his backside, he pulls himself up and glares at me clearly enraged at taking a beating in front of his own men
 
“tempting but no, you’ve got a date with the axe in the commons, I’m going to make an example of you Gavanek so that any other smart mouthed brands think twice before they decide to play revolutionary” I say turning to leave
 
“Get them out of here captain and tell the foreman to have this place up and running as soon as possible” I say heading for the stairs
 
Maybe I’m wrong about the Casteless I doubt that but who knows maybe I am, the truth is though that I no longer have time to spare on questions and issues like that, swords armour and bolts are my concern now, Orzammar is our last refuge and if that city falls then our entire race is doomed, so I will do every terrible thing I have to do to buy Orzammar time, its survival is all that matters now.

[FutileSine]

Hmm. What a risk Gav took! I admit this chapter took me by surprise, but what a welcomed turn! In a way, I actually liked Gav's optimism, because why would he try such a stunt if he thought that the thaig was actually going to fall?



The scene with the Smith caste woman bothered me to no end...but scenes like that always bother me because they happen all the time, especially in times of war.



Well done! Can't wait to read more!

[westiex9]

Thanks Futile more to come!

[westiex9]

 
Chapter 4: The Bore

The morning after the raid I had Gavanek executed in the commons with one swift motion of the axe, the men returned to work in the industrial forges and our garrison once again had the bolts it so desperately needed, things seemed to be going well...but that was before people started getting sick.

“How many cases so far Bruni?” I ask grimly

“Over four hundred in two days, the cases are all the same, feverish ramblings, darkened skin and withering bodies” Bruni replies with a dark look on his face

“The taint” I say knowing the symptoms by heart after witnessing it countless times on the front

“It makes no sense! The spawn are held at bay by a river of fire and high walls, I’ve already had the storehouses checked and no taint has been found anywhere!” Bruni says pacing back and forth irritably

“What about the Bore?”I say looking at him with a raised eyebrow

“The Bore?” he replies surprised

The Bore, when Hanek first founded the thaig it was considered a barren and impoverished holding but as he mined the cavern he discovered a vast underground filled with more wealth then anyone could have imagined.

The Bore was the site of the largest mining activities; Hanek dug deep and discovered not only a huge underground lake but also precious stones and metals that were embedded in the rock surrounding the rich waters of the lake. For a time the Bore was the site of mining but eventually in my grandfathers day’s the Bore was finally stripped of all its minerals, after that it became a source of water for the main city, could the Darkspawn have tunnelled into the Bore? There were said to be countless pathways beneath the Bore, but we never ventured further into the vast lake, we had no reason to.

“But that’s impossible! The amount of labour and work needed to tunnel into the Bore would take months!” Bruni says trying to discount the possibility

“Months for a labour force that cared for its survival, Darkspawn are single minded creatures and I don’t think they would care about the piles of exhausted corpses as they dug deep” I reply

I’ve seen the way the Spawn work, they exist as puppets for something infinitely more horrific, a Darkspawn has no concept of existence other than that of obeying the Arch-demon and that means it will work and do anything without regard for its own survival, they’ve probably been tunnelling for days without ceasing. In any case the Bore needs to be investigated, it’s our only source of fresh water and if they are poisoning it then soon we will all be dying in the streets.


“We need to enter the Bore, if the Spawn have poisoned the water supply then this city will die in a matter of days if nothing is done to stop them” I say reaching for my sword


“You can’t be serious my lady! Let the men deal with it the city needs you safe” Bruni protests shocked at my desire to lead the expedition

“I wasn’t suggesting Bruni, I was telling, I’m going into the Bore” I reply

Bruni looks at me for a moment it’s a look of worry mixed with the knowledge he has no say in the matter, finally he sighs and nods

“Very well my lady it will be as you say then” he says bowing sharply

“Good, make sure the city is secure while I’m down there, and have the squad assemble in the courtyard” I say heading for the door

The squad is my informal name for the survivors of the expeditions to the front all those years ago, we had left Hanek thaig with over one thousand warriors, this was back when the army was in its prime, we returned with fewer than one hundred.  The squad were some of the best of that once proud army and they continued to accompany me even after we returned home, they are the best possible choice of companions when venturing into dangerous territory.

As I walk towards the doors leading out of the palace I see my aging mentor Sweyn standing between me and the door, he doesn’t look pleased to see me as I approach.

“Damn it Caridia! You can’t keep going off on these mad expeditions the City needs you!” he yells

“Can’t? Sweyn I am not a child to be coddled, I am the master of this thaig and I am going to the Bore” I reply sternly

“Then the thaig loses one person, if I stay we lose everyone” I say grimly

Sweyn sighs and is silent for a moment, then he chuckles but without much mirth “There’s your father talking again, listen since you can’t be persuaded to stay, keep yourself safe, it’s bad enough the world is ending without the prospect of losing you as well” he says frowning

“I’ll be fine Sweyn, just make sure the walls don’t fall while I’m gone” I say reaching for the door, then I’m gone as they close behind me

In the courtyard the squad waits for me, thirteen of my best Warrior caste all handpicked for the most dangerous missions, at their head is Hakka a demolitions expert from Kal-Sharok built like a Bronto and shouldering a massive pack of charges under one arm and a large sabre in the other.

 “We got the Order to meet here my lady; I assume the Spawn need killing?” Hakka asks with a grin, the massive scar running down his lip onto his chin making the gesture look almost predatory

“We’re going into the Bore, be ready for anything down there, we may have to use those charges before the day is done” I say leading the way


And then it’s off to the mining district, the only way to get into the Bore is through the vast passage leading down into the lake, it’s the only tunnel we didn’t demolish and if my guess is right the spawn will be down there capitalising on our weakness.

I remember Father’s tales about the surface world, a place of cities with no cavern roof and glowing orbs that floated in a stone less thing called the “Sky” the thought of living without being surrounded by stone scared me as a child and I wondered how the Surface dwellers lived with such a bizarre environment. Compared with that the Bore seems almost comforting by comparison, a great hole in the earth with a spiralling stairway leading down into the Lake below, even the echoes rising from below don’t scare me, this is my home and it holds no secrets from me. I wonder briefly if the surfacers know of the things occurring beneath their feet, but then I guess they either don’t know yet or don’t care.

We finally reach the extended ridge at the end of the stairway overlooking the vast cavern below; we could walk the length of the stairway, but given the time it would take more people would die in the interim, so we begin hammering ropes into the ground.

“we rappel down and search for any sign of the Spawn, once we locate the source of their entry Hakka will prepare the charges, with any luck eliminating the Darkspawn will remove the taint from the lake” I say rope grasped in one hand

Hakka and the others nod and I give the hand signal to jump, we drop from the ledge into the chasm below our boots occasionally steadying on the side of the cavern wall, in near silence we make our way down the chasm and finally hit the ground, we light our lanterns and begin readying ourselves to move.

Moving across the well worn mining paths we are in almost complete darkness, only the deep green glow of the lake on one side and the lanterns held in front of ourselves illuminate the unlit depths.

“You smell that?” Hakka mutters as we move down the old mining path  

“Hmmm, Taint and dust, must be close to the where they broke in” I say smelling the vile stench mingling with the scent of unearthed stone

We move towards the smell and find ourselves standing before a vast opening in the side of an old mining wall, this is definitely were the Spawn entered but they are suspiciously absent from the area.

“Look at this hole, crudely dug and lacking supports, the Darkspawn couldn’t have used this as and entrance for a Large force” he says surveying it

“Maybe that wasn’t their idea, maybe this hole was just meant for a small number of Spawn” I say staring into the darkness of the abyss

“Well in any case I should be able to demo this thing and seal off the tunnel” Hakka says gathering his equipment

“good I’ll take half the men and check for the source of this taint, don’t take too long with the Demo, I suspect our presence won’t go unnoticed for long” I say as I leave Hakka to his work

It occurs to me as we creep down the cramped and darkened tunnels which once flowed with the traffic of mining and perhaps even laughter, one day all of this will be tainted ruins forgotten by our people, assuming we still exist in the centuries yet to come, the Spawn shall inherit these darkened corners of the underworld and even as our bones turn to dust they shall wander these unlit passages feasting and howling madly in the gloom, all my forefathers works silenced by their tainted steps.

I hear something, a slow murmuring sound, and shadow darts across the glowing green lake at the side of the path, Sharlocks? I draw my blade and listen as the murmuring sound grounds louder and louder, a howl pierces the blackness and something leaps out its face a mask of savage fangs and piercing corrupted eyes, the shrieks have come.

We do not scream or howl as we did when we first encountered these things years ago on the frontlines, but the fear remains in the pit of our souls, after all even the most stoic veteran cannot face the unnatural horror of the Spawn and claim to be unafraid. The spawn are no sane mans enemy and in the face of such unthinking evil there can be only terror.

I draw my blade and move into our circle of shields and blades, the beasts will try to pick us off and drag us out of the line so they can carry us off into the inky blackness, but we intend to keep them at bay, more shadows dart around us and they charge towards us their forms blurring with the speed of their movements.

They crash into our formation their claws and blackened knives tearing into shield and flesh alike, one man howls and falls to the ground as a knife buries itself in his eye, another is dragged from the circle and his neck is torn open by his killer which feasts hungrily on his bloodied jugular all the while glaring at us as if saying “you’re next” I aim my crossbow and a bolt slams into the beasts head, it falls back still clutching the body of its victim.

The element of surprise lost the Sharlocks are cut to shreds by our disciplined circle, I ram my sword into the chest of one of the Shrieks and it hisses in pain as blackened blood spurts from the wound, I tear the blade free and cleave its head off in one sharp motion, I look around and see the piles of Sharlock’s littering the floor, the enemy has been routed.

A vile reeking stench glides towards us on a light cave wind, it’s the smell of the taint but not like a normal Darkspawn stink, I would know this smell anywhere, it’s the smell of the corrupted ghouls taken by the Spawn, and its close, I motion to the others and we move down the path in slow cautious steps.

The path opens onto the stony walkways surrounding the bore; something vast like a tumourous cave slug lies in a mass on the old balcony that hosts the waterfall that floods into the lake below, a low rasping sound fills the air along with the unnatural stink.

I move closer my lantern held high and suddenly two eyes that will haunt my dreams for all my remaining days stare down at me, they are yellow from sickness and taint with black veins running along the edges, the face of a broodmother stares down at me. Still visibly dwarven but covered in the sores and boils of the taint and its mouth oozing with oily black filth.

“K-k-kill me!!” the brood mother howls in its rasping voice

I stare at the puddle of black oil pouring from the balcony into the lake and realise the deviousness of the Darkspawn plot, this broodmother was brought here and fed the tainted substance which was vomited into the lake allowing the lake to spread, the broodmother was underdeveloped and still semi-dwarven, making the rejection of the taint almost a certainty.

“K-k-kill me...” the creature begs again this time in a weaker and more pitiful voice

I close my eyes sickened by the horror before me and call for oil and torches, the men oblige and bring them forward already knowing the drill, within minutes the beast burns and the smell of roasting fills the air, the men do similarly with the tainted ooze in the lake, and soon the smoke of taint and flesh fills the Bore.

An explosion heralds the destruction of the opening and the shaking of the earth nearby signals the collapse of the Darkspawn tunnel, Hakka appears shortly afterwards covered in dust but with a pleased grin on his face.

“That should stop them, the tunnel was so crudely dug they never built any supports in place, with any luck the demolition will have set off a chain reaction that will collapse the entire tunnel” Hakka says with an optimistic tone to his voice

“good work Hakka, have the garrison above know that I want guards posted in the bore to prevent any more surprises, I’m going back to the palace to make sure the city hasn’t fallen in my absence” I say tiredly turning to head towards the stairway.

These tunnels once bustled with activity, my ancestors created this vast Bore in the ground, In happier times it was a symbol of prosperity and achievement for our people, father even used to bring me here as a child and in the tranquillity of the cavern paths tell me of Hanek and our houses deeds and glories, but now all I can think of is the horror that has invaded this place, and the Darkspawn taint that washed through here, the Darkspawn take everything good in the world and twist it to their own evil ends, not even my cherished memories are safe from them anymore, Ancestors help us all.

Authors Note:Theres something truly disturbing about the underground, maybe its an all too human fear of darkness and cramped spaces combined with all the old tales about the horrors lurking in the abyss, whatever the case its an area which Dwarves and Darkspawn both fit in perfectly. 


 
 

Modifié par westiex9, 10 octobre 2010 - 01:32 .

[westiex9]

 
Chapter 5: The Breakthrough
 
In war there are no set in stone rules save that your enemy might do something completely unexpected, when I was away further north taking part in the doomed defences of thaigs such as Gundaar the spawn would run rings around us, and occasionally tunnel right down beneath the walls and then surge up from the ground as the fortifications collapsed.
 
I knew the spawn would try this tactic eventually; the setbacks they suffered at our hands in the bore and at the walls were always going to delay them rather than stop them altogether, the trouble is that while I was always certain they would tunnel under the walls I have no means of knowing when they would do it, after all it’s not like I can ask the arch-demon for prior notice.
 
And so my failsafe against tunnelling was preparation, and the use of weapons that my father had collected as mere curiosities in more peaceful times. The crossbow and other projectile weapons are mass produced in Hanek thaig and indeed the forges of Hanek are famed for the quality of their products, but the massive and hulking ballista’s that once gathered dust in the vaults beneath the palace are far too impractical to ever have been produced here.
 
My father often visited the Surface Empire of Tevinter and it was there in the world above that he observed the technological wonders that were present in the legendary city of Minrathous, my father was so impressed by the ornate dragon headed ballista’s that were presented for the dwarven delegations amusement that he began to collect them, a collection that numbered at around fifty at the time of his death.
 
If I can’t stop the bastards poking their heads out of the earth then I can at very least give them a warm welcome, and then send them reeling back into their grubby little holes as the sky above them fills with the dark rain of sharp skewering projectiles.  
 
I get my chances barely three days following the action in the bore caves, the ground shakes and the main wall around the commons begins to crack along with the stone pavements as the spawn tunnel beneath the foundations, to make such an impact they must doubtless number in the thousands, I call the men back to the secondary walls knowing the commons are now lost and thank the ancestors that every district was given its own fortifications.
 
“Bruni! Tell Haka to bring out the ballistae, its time they were put to good use!” I yell over the commotion and dust that is filling the secondary wall as the commons in front are torn apart by the emerging tunnels.
 
Bruni nods and calls for the ballista crews to begin arming themselves, the dust begins to clear slowly as the order is given, in the battered streets below the stink of taint fills the air with its dire reek and twisted figures move and snarl up at us from their position below.
 
The commons are now a sea of Darkspawn and I can only grin as my men take aim with crossbow and ballista, a large ogre begins to roar and flail its thuggish arms around like a frustrated animal whose prey is just out of reach.
 
“Fire!” I yell, the hundreds of armoured men on the ramparts pulling their triggers on command
 
The sky fills with bolts and massive spear length ballistae projectile, they screech downwards into the horde in the commons tearing into the spawn and piercing bodies sending jets of blackened ichors spraying across the broken pave stones. The ogre rushes forward ignoring the bolts that thud at his chest and smashing into the large stone wall sending debris crashing to the ground as it rams up against it.
 
“Tell the crews to take at that dumb slab of meat!” I yell Bruni nods and calls for the crews to switch targets
 
The ballista crews obey and turn their vast dragon headed weapons towards the beast hacking at the walls with its huge gnarled fists, three vast shafts swoop down and bury themselves in the beasts shoulder and neck but still it continues to smash at the wall. Another volley is loosed and six shafts each the size of two men tear into the beast with one smashing through the monsters eye and out the back of its head.
 
The ogre falls back slain crushing some hurlock’s too slow to dodge its collapsing bulk, I grin and order the men to fire at will, the air fills with more projectiles as the darkspawn below are torn to shreds. Eventually the spawn begin to retreat back to their holes and I turn to Bruni.
 
“Time to finish them off I think, tell the men to hurl the firebombs” I say eager to make their retreat as much of a nightmare as their advance
 
The order is given and pots of fuel are hurled from the ballistae which fall upon the crowds below bursting into seas of hungry fire which devour the fleeing beasts. The smell of roasting taint and the howls of burning Darkspawn fill the air like perfume and music.
 
Soon the cheers fill the rampart as we celebrate another day of mad defiance in the face of annihilation, another day of petty brutality that will not stop the enemies’ eventual victory but will perhaps leave them with scars and nightmares that will haunt them for eons to come, assuming the freaks burning below dream at all.
 
I cannot give this thaig salvation, I cannot give the dwarven race deliverance, but perhaps this brief reprieve that I buy with the blood of my people will ensure that in the countless ages yet to come  dwarves will still draw breathe and populate these ancient underground hollows, that is a future that is worth fighting and dying for.
 
And yet despite my conviction I don’t join the men in their mad exultations, i gaze across the horizon towards the shattered and crumbling walls that were once the frontline, those walls were centuries old and were destroyed in a matter of weeks, the spawn are gaining ground...how much longer can we keep this up?
 
“Come on lets go back to the palace” I say suddenly tired from the days insanity
 
“Good idea, the spawn will probably wait till dark before attacking anyway” Bruni replies as we descend the stone steps
 
Bruni remains silent for a while as we walk towards the citadel that is my ancestor’s ancient enclave, perhaps he’s deep in thought or maybe he has something difficult to say, he hesitates before opening his mouth to speak.
 
“That was a great victory today...I’ve never seen so many slain beasts” he says clearly awestruck
 
I sigh annoyed at my own pessimism “there are countless more of them out there Bruni, expect to see many more of them in the weeks to come” I reply grimly
 
Bruni looks at me with a sad expression, he knows the inevitability of our defeat as well as I do by now and its starting to weigh heavily upon his soul as much as it is mine
 
“It’s going to get worse isn’t it? Now they’ve broken the main wall I mean, soon they’ll do the same to the others and the thaig will be flooded with them” he asks looking at me with a worried face, his innocent blue eyes suddenly very weary looking
 
“Yes...now the outer wall has fallen it’s just a matter of time, but then it always was, if Orzammar survives our people survive it’s all we can hope for.... now come on there’s a bottle of human wine I’ve been meaning to open”  I say placing an arm on my seconds shoulder
 
I’m going to die and I know it but I’m going to live a little before that happens.  

[Letholdus]

Very interesting story. Always have had a soft spot for the Dwarves in Dragon Age

Sad to only see 5 chapters though

[westiex9]

Chapter 6: Taking Stock

Sieges are ugly affairs; many die within the first week from wounds and infection that begin to run rampant as conditions in the thaig grow worse. Supplies have to be rationed or they quickly run out and even with this precaution there is rarely enough food to go around.


Hanek thaig has now been besieged for several weeks and the situation grows grimmer with each passing hour, now that the outer walls and the commons have fallen to the Darkspawn they have begun assaulting the heart of the city and the inner wall comes under attack constantly by endless waves of the Spawn.

To add to our list of miseries the Taint has begun to do the rounds within the city thanks to the close proximity of the horde, even with the hard work of countless body burning teams the cities infected dead line the streets in piles, this is the reality of facing the horde for long periods of time, a slow death delivered by their savage weapons and equally brutal plagues.

The end is drawing close, this is abundantly clear just looking at the battered state of the thaig, raids are increasing as well with an assault by the shrieks only just being fended off in the industrial district, the district forges already growing cool as the plague eats into the Casteless in their squalid slums.

“How many men do we have left who can still fight?” I ask as my party makes its way through the cramped streets

The streets are filled with the casualties of war, wounded men on beds of rags, broken minded men who sit and whimper in darkened corners and the ever present dead who line the streets staring out at the world with cold glassy eyed gazes.


“Three hundred warrior caste, and that’s counting the sick and elderly” Bruni replies as he scribbles notes on his battered ledger with ink stained hands

“What about militia?” I ask

“I suspect we are looking at four hundred men tops, and that’s being optimistic, disease and food shortages are cutting through the men like a pickaxe through stone” Hakka, captain of the veteran warriors replies, bleakly 
 
“Those walls won’t last much longer, the ogres batter them daily, and they’ll overrun the last defences in a few days” I say with a resigned tone

The others nod grimly, we have all had time to come to terms with the realities of our situation and in a way a sort of relief fills me to know the end is near, years of war and misery take their toll and I am tired of living in a world populated by horrors such as the Darkspawn, the peace of the Stone and the silence of death will be a welcome relief.

“What are your orders Lady Hanek?” Hakka asks

“Tell the demolitionists to prepare charges in the main areas of the city and the cavern, we will hold them here for as long as we can and when the defences are overrun we will blow the cavern” I reply

“That collapse would kill anyone within the cavern, but it would delay the Darkspawn advance on Orzammar...At least for a brief period” Hakka says staring up at the vast cavern ceiling

“That’s the idea, we best make ourselves ready...The spawn won’t be delayed by the walls for much longer” I say with an air of finality

The end is coming, time to show the darkspawn the true courage of the stone, time to go out with a bang.

[westiex9]

Chapter 7: The Courage of Stone


The last day dawns, metaphorically at least, with the sound of collapsing stone and rupturing metal as the spawn break through the inner wall with one last brutal push. Dust fills the area around the wall shrouding the enemies’ movement as we wait for them in the maze like streets below, all of us ready to die.

The men huddle in darkened alleys and rooftops waiting for the enemy to begin their advance, men lie prone holding crossbows or shaking beneath heavy shields next to improvised barricades, fear fills the air with a palpable miasma, and yet still more men simply wait silently for their doom with grim resignation, I’m not sure who to be more unnerved by the ones that are terrified...or the people like me who no longer care.

Mere hundreds are all that remain of our once vast thaig... in times gone by the streets we now hide in were filled with the sounds of life, children playing, merchants selling their wares, an endless sea of lives that stretched across the deep. All soon to be silenced forever, but not before the spawn hear once last roar.

“Men!” I call out from my position on the barricades around the palace

“We Dwarfs have dwelled beneath this cavern for countless centuries; we made lives for ourselves here and passed a legacy of peace and prosperity on to our children. We have seen war before in all its brutality, we have witnessed the petty squabbles of nobles and kings...but always life was victorious in the end, in the end these wars were mere interruptions.

The Darkspawn lie mere marching distance from us now and they come to bring death and silence to our deep halls, were they tread all life is snuffed out and extinguished, but if we are to die here today we will inflict wounds upon our enemy so horrific and so savage that they will remember us long after this battle is over. If we are to join the stone we shall ensure that they wake in the nights to come clutching at maimed and scarred flesh and remembering who gave them such marks.

What we do here today will echo through the ages, our last breath shall be as a song in the deeps, a litany of courage that will resound throughout all time and never be silenced...Our sacrifice here shall ensure the salvation of our people, though we die here today Orzammar shall remain eternal and everlasting...though our lives end here Orzammar’s shall be unending

And when at last some far flung day dawns when the darkness at last finds its grip on the deep weakened, on that day the children of those we save today shall return to these lost homelands to build our glory anew, the blood we shed today shall be the price paid for that shining rebirth. So look to the frontline, make peace with kin and ancestor and let us show the spawn what horrors one thaig can deliver!!” My voice echoes over the city below and cheers fill the air one last time

The sound of thousands of screeching voices fills the air as the horde advances towards, captains and generals shout orders to their assembled men and horns are sounded, on the rooftops of houses and buildings our snipers ready their crossbows and wait for the enemy. On the barricades below shield walls of Dwarven blades and axes wait for the coming clash of arms, they know they must bear the brunt of the hordes onslaught.

And the final line of defence the demolitions charges now cover the thaig roof and many key areas of the city including the palace, once the spawn break our defence they will have a far more dangerous enemy to contend with, the very stone itself as the cavern roof rains down upon us, cannot think of any more fitting revenge .

The source of the roars and guttural howling of the horde becomes visible as the sea of twisted figures emerges from the dust clouds and charges towards the defenders at the barricades, I raise my arm and then drop it sharply giving the archers the signal to begin firing, on the roofs of larger buildings our remaining ballista’s also begin to mark targets, a small shower of bolts fills the air as the horde closes with my men at the barricades. Some of the vile creatures are felled but their numbers are endless and our snipers are not.

I draw my sword and order the shield wall to hold fast, no sooner is the order given then the horde smashes into our barricade, the battle begins with attrition as the spawn crawl and attempt to scale the barricades from their side, the crude wall of furniture and rubble providing us with some elevation. The ones lucky enough to get to the top are soon thrown off by the slam of shields or the stab of a sword. But I know they will soon be climbing over piles of dead to reach us.

An ogre rushes forward and smashes into the barricade sending men falling into the sea of horrors below, many are still alive as they are torn to pieces by the savage monstrosities beneath us. I grab a loaded crossbow from a slain warrior who still grips it in cold hands despite the arrow through his eye; I take aim at the ogre and fire sending a bolt slamming into the beast’s eye. The ogre goes into frenzy and begins to smash into its own ranks its fists crushing any darkspawn around it.

A soldier standing next to me heaves a large piece of stone debris from the barricade and hurls it into the horde below crushing an armoured Hurlock with a satisfying crunch, the beasts armour providing it no defence. But still they come all of our bolts, blades and boulders cutting only an ineffectual swath through their ranks.

More ogres appear in crude armour and move towards the barricade intent on destroying it, I order the ballista’s to fire and huge spear sized bolts hurtle towards the mailed behemoths, some find their marks and send the beasts toppling to the ground but most dent pitifully off the rigid metal plates.

Something screeches towards me, in all the adrenaline and fury around me I barely notice the barbed arrow that now juts from my chest having smashed through my family armour with contemptible ease. I fall to a knee and stare out at the carnage, the barricades are falling and the enemy is now scaling them as we die in droves trying to hold them back...it will be over soon.

I feel myself being pulled up as Hakka drags me from the barricade; I glance behind to see the last of the defenders being butchered as they mount one last desperate stand against the invading horde.

“We need to fall back to the gates, it’s the last position we still hold!” Bruni yells as we flee through the streets, part of a larger crowd of doomed and routed men.

Behind us the horde advances ever closer, the cities heart is being torn out as we retreat to the gates leading to the deep roads and Orzammar, the palace, the marketplace...everything behind us is being torn to pieces by the hordes rampage.

“My lady we must get you to safety!” Bruni yells over the commotion as we reach the vast steel gate leading to the roads beyond

I stare up at that vast metallic portal to the lands beyond, the faces of Hanek and all my ancestors stare back at me with a sort of grim beauty as their stone visages hold the cavern aloft...I’m not going anywhere, this is where I belong and this was where I was meant to end my days.

“No! This wound...its tainted...I can already feel the rot setting in, Hakka” I grunt suddenly feeling weak

My captain kneels next to me ignoring the chaos around us

“Yes my lady?” he says with a hint of sadness in his tone, which is as close to tears as you will ever get with Hakka

“Take Bruni and escape through the gate, I’m going to blow this cavern while there’s still time” I say grunting as the pain courses through me, this arrow is worse than merely tainted it’s been poisoned by whatever beast crafted it.

Bruni has tears across his dust covered face and they spill down his cheeks creating lines and revealing the pale skin beneath “No-no-no-no-no!! We can’t leave you...There has to be a way to get you out there has to be!!” he begs desperately

“This was always how it was going to end Bruni, but it’s an end for me...not for you, I’m home...this is where my ancestors dwell and I will join them soon...but you must live...you must be the one good thing of this thaig that isn’t lost...you and your descendants are heirs to this cavern and one day you will be called upon to reclaim this land...so go now while there is still time and never forget what we did here” I say clutching his shirt and bringing him close enough to see the serious look in my eyes

“Ancestors be with you my lady...I will never forget you!” Bruni says forcing the words from sorrow filled lips

“Atrast nal tunsha Bruni...may you always find your way in the dark...now go quickly” I yell forcing the words from my breathless body, the world is already starting to darken.

Hakka grabs Bruni by his collar and drags him away the two rushing for the gate, they soon pass out of view as they rush through it into the darkened roads beyond, in front of me the last of my men are being cut down or are fleeing the dark spawn advance towards where I lie...my back supported by the charges we placed....


Pulling myself up with what little strength remains in me, I grasp a torch and turn to face the horde, a sea of grinning Hurlock and gunlock faces glaring at me, they are close now barely a few feet away, I grin back and drop the torch onto the charges.

“I go to greet the ancestors! What awaits you!” I yell out as the charges ignite

There is a flash and then everything is bathed in white light as the world burns away

A huge explosion echoed through the tunnels as Hakka and Bruni rushed through them, the ground shook with the violent force of the blast and behind them the sound of collapsing rocks herealded the detonation of the charges and the destruction of the Cavern roof, the gate was sealed as the stone supports crashed to the ground and covered the exit in rubble.

On the other side the tall cavern roof would be falling on the horde and crushing anything within the city...the collapse of the roof would hold the tide of horrors back, at least for time, and it would delay them as they tried to clear a path through the ruins.

“I can’t believe its over, our home destroyed...” Bruni said horrified as he stared at the collapsed gateway behind them  


“ we need to keep moving, Orzammar is two days away and that explosion will only hold the horde for so long” Hakka replied motioning for them to leave

“Yes...Let’s go...To Orzammar...I only pray Caridia did not sacrifice herself in vain...” bruni said with a deep sigh as he turned to follow Bruni

The two men moved off into the tunnels, leaving behind their destroyed home, the darkness of the roads awaited.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Okay I am sooooo behind! I am so sorry westie! This is fantastic! Aw I didn't want to lose Caridia! *cries*

[westiex9]

*passes tissue* yeah its always sad when a character finally dies...oh well least she took a lot of Darkspawn with her....

[westiex9]

Epilogue

In the aftermath of the explosion Hanek thaig was buried beneath the collapsed cavern roof, it became a tomb for those who had remained to defend it and its name joined the list of countless other lost thaig’s that were remembered by the dwarves of Orzammar for their sacrifice.

Caridia Hanek was killed instantly when the Charges detonated, in the wake of the battle her deeds were recounted to the assembly at Orzammar and she was remembered ever afterwards as a great hero who had sacrificed everything to help save her race from destruction. She became a symbol of heroic sacrifice and a reminder of the action that must be taken to ensure the survival of Dwarvenkind.

And as for the thaigs casteless while most were killed during the collapse of the roof amazingly some were able to survive this act of destruction only to find themselves trapped in the cavern with no way to escape, ironically despite Caridia Hanek’s traditional views on the casteless many of the survivors proved fierce fighters as they hid in the ruins from the approaching horde, most would die in the months that followed...a few would suffer far worse fates.

Bruni Oslan arrived safely in the city of Orzammar after a long journey from Hanek’s ruins; he would go on to take part in the defence of Orzammar under paragon Aeducan and would be decorated for his bravery. In the years that followed he ensured that the events of Hanek’s fall were recorded and remembered by the people of Orzammar. House Oslan established itself as a strong player within the city and its ranks were bolstered by the refugees that had left for Orzammar weeks earlier. The Oslan’s would retain their claim to Hanek thaig though its recovery remained a mere optimistic dream for centuries.

Hakka ensured that Bruni arrived safely in Orzammar and took part in the cities defence, his ferocity against the Darkspawn was a terrifying sight and he earned both the respect and admiration of countless warriors that day. In the aftermath however Hakka felt lost and without purpose, he soon joined the legion of the dead and spent the rest of his days hunting and slaying the darkspawn.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Aw! Now I need more tissues! *wipes eyes and blows nose* Great story westie!

[westiex9]

thanks Gil, so glad its finally complete!

[Gilgamesh1138]

Hehe it was another westie masterpiece!

[westiex9]

I will have some more chapters for alienage coming soon, ive also posted a new fanfic in the mass effect fan creations..busy busy busy lol!

[Gilgamesh1138]

LOL! I wrote 96 of Soulmates, working on First Cut, and I have a new story idea I need to start. I know the busy bee feeling! BUZZZZZz

[westiex9]

now i know what hummingbirds feel like!

[Lynn01]

Oh I just read this, been working on the drawing, and it's brilliant!!! Can't wait to see more writing work of yours

[westiex9]

Lol my new fanfic is called Alliance fighter wing: im kinda thinking of it as a cross between Mass effect and Top Gun...without Tom Cruise! lol