POV Gorm Earthshaker
Tremors shook the ground and Gorm looked up from where he was polishing his collection. Precious gems, mixed half-hazardly with other shiny objects, littered his private den. Something was happening and he didn’t know what. Despite being the chieftain of his tribe, Gorm was a cautious soul and perhaps a little cowardly. It had kept him alive when all his other competitors had died gruesome deaths in the long war against the Muskeera.
So when he went out to check he quickly called for runners to go and find out what was happening. He wouldn’t be one of those chieftains who fell in battle because he charged into a situation blindly like those creatures who shared the dirt with them. He moved up the tunnels towards the sound of conflict only to meet one of his scouts hurrying back towards him.
“What happens?” Gorm asked simply. He listened as the scout told him a wild tale of a small green creature that burned with green fire. Not Muskeera, he thought, but dangerous predator. Predators he could understand. A predator that burned with green fire? Not so much.
Gorm nonetheless moved up the tunnel. Cautious and cowardly he might be but he was still chief of the Talpi and he was the strongest. His son would be in the thick of it he knew. Well, one of his sons, his eldest. He was unconcerned by his eldest being so much braver than he was. He got a strong warrior and he had other sons to take his place if he fell in battle which seemed more likely every day.
Making his way up he found the battle taking place around a Ten-Ten pit. Ten-Tens were the delicious bugs that his people had bred for as long as he knew, crunchy and satisfying to eat. The traditions of the elders were clear that the Ten-Tens had been gifted to the Talpi alone and no other race. It was why they fought so fiercely against the Muskeera who would eat anything they got their grubby paws on.
The chief arrived upon a scene of chaos. The creature wreathed in flames was throwing his people around like sticks. Only his son, Malac, remained upright and fighting, wielding a large hammer like it was weightless.
Watching his son, Gorm knew that he would have to go. Brave he was but he was also capable, much more capable than Gorm had assumed which meant his son had been hiding his strength. That meant he was also cunning and thus a threat to Gorm’s rule. Yes he would have to go.
The creature meanwhile was cackling even as it wielded a beautifully wrought staff with gemstones embedded upon the top. It was here that Gorm locked his gaze. What a beautiful color and how polished it was. It seemed to glow with its own inner light. He had to have it.
He watched as Malac spoke to the creature and the creature laughed in response, replying further in a guttural language that was harsh in its tone and yet came off as mischievous. The creature laid aside its beautiful staff and Gorm’s eyes widened as Malac scratched a rough circle in the dirt with his hefty digging claws. That was the circle of challenge that only chieftains could instigate. Oh yes, Malac would have to go.
His gaze, however, drifted to the abandoned staff. The creature had entered into the circle and was discussing something with Malac. Now was his chance to lay claim to the staff. Once he had it he would use it to kill the creature and his arrogant son. Using his powers as the Earthshaker he slipped into the earth and began digging his way to where the staff lay. He tried first to come up from directly underneath it but found his way blocked. Perhaps a rock was in his path. No matter.
Coming up beside the staff he reached for it, turning to grin triumphantly at his son only to see onrushing green flames. He only had time for a single grunt of confusion before it washed over him and he knew no more.
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POV Dug Shardaal
“Now den, where was we?” Dug said as the charred corpse of a Talpi fell to the side from where it had been trying to steal his dear Obu. Looking back he noted the look of disgust on Malac’s face directed towards the Talpi who had fallen. He motioned back toward the body, the haze of Mindbender Spores making communication easy. “Dis beez somebeast yousa knows?”
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Malac nodded and grunted in his gruff way of speaking, “Father…mine…chieftain.”
Dug looked at the creature before him before nodding. “Notta good one it seems.” At the Talpi’s nod of agreement, Dug shrugged. Talpi relationships didn’t bother him. He was here to lay claim to their entire race for his daughter after all. That was what this challenge was for. He had convinced the Muskeera to stay behind after they had led him here and had them withdraw their troops. The chieftain hadn't argued, content with his two problems taking care of themselves.
Too bad for him that Dug was a master at beating those who thought they were above him at their own games.
Flexing his Waag-emboldened muscles, Dug grinned at the Talpi before him and signaled that he was ready. The Talpi Challenge was quite simple. The first one to be pushed, thrown, or wrestled out of the ring was the loser. With a single grunt, Malac began the challenge, charging wildly at the slightly taller goblin.
Infused with Waag as he was it was a simple matter for Dug to meet the Talpi in the middle of the ring. It was the work of a moment to pick him up and chuck him outside of it. There was a sucking sound as the Talpi’s feet were ripped out of the ground where the earth had risen to lock him in place. Dug just chuckled at the creature’s confidence. He had obviously been relying on those powers over the earth to keep the goblin from simply ending the fight. Too bad for him that Waag was the more powerful magic.
Malac went sailing over the line drawn in the dirt and slammed into the side of the tunnel where he lay, stunned. Dug simply went over and picked up Obu once again. Turning he found the large Talpi picking himself up and looking at him in wonder. Grinning at the young creature, Dug simply motioned for him to help his comrades who were even now coming to after the thrashing Dug had given them earlier.
While he did so Dug spoke to him. “Getsa yah people and meet meesa here. Weesa goin tah end dis war.” Turning away from the Talpi’s disbelieving gaze Dug moved over to what the System called a Ten-Ten. For all intents and purposes, it was just an extremely large centipede. Somehow it had been domesticated by these Talpi. Which, to Dug at least, were just large sapient moles.
Moving swiftly he lowered Obu into the pit where the centipedes scurried around and bonked one on the head. It gleamed and then Obu confirmed for him that she had been able to obtain the creatures. They were ranked F(2) and he was sure they would be instrumental in bringing peace to these warring creatures.
Once the tribe of creatures was gathered Dug led them to a large circular chamber that he had had Obu carve out with her powers. Once there he called out a predetermined signal and the Muskeera poured out of the tunnel opposite. Contrary to the Muskeera’s expectations and in direct opposition to the Talpi’s new fears Dug used his fires to corral both peoples once they were fully within his daughter’s domain.
At his command, she sealed the tunnels and trapped the two people groups inside. Some of the Talpi tried digging out but found the ground much too hard. The chieftain of the Muskeera was livid and began chattering wildly at Dug in their primitive language. Dug just shot a plume of fire over his head to shut him up. It also had the added benefit of getting all eyes on him and gradually the tumult died down.
Smiling at the smaller sapients around him Dug reached into his pouch and took out some more mindbender spores. With a puff and some magic, he spread them out to reach as many of the creatures as he could. When it seemed as though most of the creatures were connected he began speaking. “Hey-hey! Isa named Dug and dis be Obu,” he stated, lifting his staff and presenting the multifaceted gemstones set into it.
The assembled races just stared at him uncomprehendingly and he chuckled. He stuck Obu into the ground and motioned for them to watch. He felt it in the Aether when Obu went to work. Her Core began to shine with greenish blue light, the Aether around her beginning to roil. The gathered creatures all stumbled back as a small pit formed in the ground. Then, as if formed from the very air, a small Ten-Ten crawled out of it.
Dug broke out into a full-on cackle as every jaw in the cavern dropped in astonishment. It was like watching a fat gobbo king see food just appear in front of him. Dug couldn’t help but be impressed himself. He was mostly oriented towards destruction and not creation but even he could put together that what Obu could do was beyond the realm of mortal magic casters.
And to these primitive barely sapient creatures. He huffed in amusement. She might as well be a god. Their reactions were certainly along those veins. Whether or not they even had such a concept as gods and goddesses they immediately showed awe and reverence. The Muskeera began to lie down and went belly up, which the goblin found comical in the extreme. The Talpi simply knelt and threw dirt on their heads with some of them rolling in it. This too was hilarious to the ancient goblin.
His hilarity only ended when his daughter spoke up. “I think we did it dad.” At Dug’s quizzical look she explained further. “The quest I got was completed but I don’t think we did quite what the administrator was expecting.” At this Dug just blew a raspberry. Who cared what that Being thought anyway?