As translated from the Dwarvish.
I wonder sometimes, at the fate which brought me here.
I, Fane, the so-called StoneKnower. The most famous of Dwarves raised from the living rock of the Seran Mountains.
The most famous, perhaps, in all of Alusia.
Rich, as it would appear, beyond measure and certainly beyond need.
But not from my hand were the fame, the riches, delivered. And the mattock I've wielded for so long, in battle and mining both, long held to be the secret of my fortune, was but the tool.
And as surely as the sun rises and the moon sings to the stars, my fortune in gold and emeralds was in no way due to the addled meats that reside 'tween these hairy ears.
For if those slops were of any use beyond a target for rusty orcish blades and gristle for their wolf packs they would have found a way long ago for me to save my clan, declare my secret, marry for love and sire an heir to inherit.
So now I write these words, draw this map, on parchment which when sealed, I am assured, will keep through the ages and sew the seed of my revenge. Unless I am mistook and my words like so much in my life turns to dust.
Alas, I cannot know but must continue the course in any case.
My family, my kin, I fear is gone. The Fane Valley, named for my clan, is now only famous because of me. For my father Belorn sacrificed all for riches, though he knew it not. Even as it turns out, his own life, and his clan, all wiped from the memories of the Seran Mountain Dwarves.
And ultimately too it cost Belorn his son.
But I may as well curse the sun and the moon, the sky and the living rock we make our homes within as curse him. For it was the cunning of Dragons that took him, and there be none more cunning than the Green Dragon Smaragaid.
Somehow Smaragaid became aware of the emeralds in the Seran Mountains and wanted them for her bed so they would, over time, be absorbed as armour into the softer skin on her underbelly.
And she took form as my mother, disappeared many years ago, and gave to my father a gift of true beauty which had the ability to beguile any Dwarf of mountain and stone: a ring of gold and silver, wrought around a caged emerald, and which held the power all Dwarves coveted. The ability to find and follow the smallest of gold and silver specks into rich seams, and to find the rocks, alike in all respects to any other rock, but which hold within emeralds clear and pure.
But the gift came with a curse, not that my father knew. Somehow, in an act of love more pure than any gemstone, he gave that ring to me.
And as soon as I wore it the desire for riches overcame me, even as I knew, from the start, that this treasure was for Smaragaid, and for every day the gold was withheld from the dragon my clan would be diminished by a life. My father's was just the first.
My shame is that even now, after my clan is likely gone, my greatest need is to mine for more silver, more gold, more emeralds to build the wealth of my family even as it is no more.
And so, I shall disappear, leaving the faintest of clues which may one day be discovered by the last of my line, and so set in motion the revenge of our clan.
Know and speak its truth: you are a true descendant of Belorn and Fane Stoneknower. You are my heir. For none other will the door open. The ring you now possess was crafted by my truest friend, one who helped me devise and set in place this scheme. Follow the map and it will guide you.
But, my kin, a warning to you who follow: great riches, glory and honour await. And danger too.
And when you find it, do not even touch Smaragaid's ring. It will have your heart before you can blink. The dragon may still live and if so the curse will be renewed, but even if the mountains and skies are free from Smaragaid's desecration, the ring will remain forever evil.
And all may be lost already, our clan forever gone and the door holding these secrets closed until the end of time while Smaragaid's evil lives on to defile the world.
But if not, my kin, may the luck of the gods be upon you.
Fane StoneKnower
A special thank you to @ryivhnn for my wonderful and ever joyful Wombats!
Sounds like an epic adventure waiting to happen :D
ps there's a few ttrpg communities about, have you found them?
No I haven't found any other communities - can you link them please?
It would be fun to see what others are up to and get some ideas 😊
Ms 14 and her friend are enjoying the adventure so far!
This is the one I slithered into from seeing someone else I follow in it and seems to be the most active (though in fairness I haven't checked the other ones for a while, you could probably drop a bunch of associated keywords into the community search thing and see if there's more/they're more active now :)
Brilliant - thanks!
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