Back to Vugh Tarim, I felt as if I'd gone on a fishing trip with my dad and his best friend but with ore instead of fish. And mineshafts instead of a pond or creek. However, everything changed for the worse during our absence. The time for the dwarven secession was nigh at hand.
Tempers were flaring more than an uncontrolled forge during a windstorm. The rabid and ungrateful crowd was ready to take on arms. On one hand, I could understand them. The lack of a central government hurt everyone, but they couldn't just think it was someone else's problem. The only way to find a solution was to get everyone together.
"It is high time we stop paying taxes to Windemere! The fruits of our labor, of the dangers we face in the depths, going to feed those beats swarming the surface," Elder Blackbrew spew his inciting vitriol to the mass of dwarves gathered in the grand hall. Four pillars as thick as a house held back the roof. Reminded me of the mines of Moria but not as humongous.
The dwarves, inflamed by the shrewd elder's social abilities, shouted their approval at declaring independence. I earned two points in {Appraiser} just from examining the crowd. Their levels were pitiful and they had a Dungeon right next to them. An easy one to grind levels, mind you. Easier even to get support. Maybe I should hit it again and cull the undead beasts a bit more.
"Thank you, Elder Blackbrew," my biological grandfather took the floor. "The elder moot has decided. We are now a free Kingdom! Vugh Tarim shall be the shining jewel of the mountains. And we are making Windemere pay for all they taxed us during all these centuries!"
They gave him a standing ovation. I expected Blackbrew to take over, but it seems he wanted a patsy on the throne. The stiff and pusillanimous patriarch was perfect to be a beacon for these stupid dwarves. Some were less excited about this, but dwarves had a strong sense of community. Even if, for example, Helger or Baritono disagreed, the elders have voted. While a voting council was good, a geriarchy wasn't. Elders of any species were rooted in the past by default and fought to resist change.
The coronation ceremony started. Blackbrew, the council of elders, and the Patriarch of Craft, as the high priest of Labraid was known, stood at the dais of the great hall while all dwarves were split into two sides along the aisle. Axejaw walked down the aisle with his only son, my biological uncle Theogromin Axejaw. An honor guard of plate-clad dwarves came behind them, a marching band with drums and bagpipes.
Bagpipes.
I didn't believe this instrument was ever invented by random chance, not once and definitely not twice. Just like the gothic plate that was out-of-place almost a thousand years ago, the bagpipes' presence here indicated the influence of the Earthlings that became Gods and took over this planet. I had almost no contact with this Labraid fellow but he could very well be Scottish or, my prejudice aside, someone from anywhere in the world that loved a practical joke.
The dwarves, however, listened to the music as if it was a sacred elegy. Perhaps it was.
Axejaw and son reached the dais and knelt before Labraid's priest. The dwarven ecclesiastic gave a long speech about honor, tradition, and freedom. All good if they hadn't cast away their honor, rewritten their history, and changed their tradition with lies. It all had to do with how Alfondric ended up in a soul-crystal at the Headmaster's office.
He was betrayed and murdered by Blackbrew.
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Caverns underneath Vugh Tarim, a week ago
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"Alfondric Ashshield. I hoped we met in different circumstances, old friend," I spoke to the silk dwarven doll that held his soul.
"That we even met was already a miracle, Rose. Punish yourself not for the vile acts of those outside your control."
"What happened?"
"We failed in our duty to cull the Dungeon. The lads became lazy and the thought of fighting the undead made them unease. Adventurers seldomly came to help as the undead beasts' corpses don't give the same prizes as the monsters in the depths. We called for help from the Academy, as we remembered how easily you cleaned the Dungeon before.
"That way, McCalister, and Blackbrew met and became co-conspirators. Both wanted Windemere gone for their own reasons. While I cannot speak for McCalister, Blackbrew wanted power. He loathed our Kin and silk-folk brothers, but he hated the lamia with great passion. He came to me several times asking me to betray Windemere and declare independence. I denied his ambitions. He tricked me and plotted to murder me, but McCalister wanted my knowledge. He was obsessed with discovering Locksley's secrets.
"They created a ruse and struck me down when I visited the capital. They killed me in a ritual and trapped my soul in that crystal. McCalister wanted your secrets. How you created the silk-folk. How you wielded such powerful magic."
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That explained why they took me to that laboratory. They were so focused on finally obtaining their prize they became careless.
"Alfondric, I cannot bring you back to life as your old self because I don't have your body. I wish you to help me rein in the rebellious dwarves when the time is right."
"I am at your service, my liege."
"I can grant you a new life back at level zero of one of the species I can create, including a dwarf, or turn you into a cloth golem. You'll keep your Status and earn the power of the mighty body I'll make."
"I wish to live again. But becoming an infant once more might be troublesome. Is there another option?"
"If I had a piece of your former body, I might be able to recreate it. Might."
"Then make me into a mighty golem, with metal armor."
"As you wish."
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Vugh Tarim, the coronation ceremony
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Alfondric floated above the hall, invisible in his golem body. His new enchanted body reached level 46 after the fight with the leeches, but his soul still held all the power he once wielded.
Crowned, Axejaw stood up and the dwarves cheered. Labraid granted him and his family the blessing of Royalty.
> You earned the Perk, Dwarven Royalty (very rare): You gain 2 HP per level. All your proficiencies that deal with stone or metal increase by 1 point every 5 levels.
>
> You gained the title: [Princess].
>
> Your base species received an upgrade. You gain +1 to all Attributes for each rank.
The bastard disowned my mother, but not me. He never bothered, I was already dead for all he cared. Now it would come back to bite him in the ass. I wasn't expecting it but extra HP was always welcome.
I zoned out Axejaw's inaugural inflammatory speech. Under the droning of the shouts and bagpipes, there wasn't much to listen to and I was too busy plotting a counter-coup. All I had to do was to remove the ones in the line of succession and I would rule over the dwarves.
I went to sleep on that thought. Twenty minutes later, I was up and alert completely rested. I sunk deep in thought. Seizing power, however, was something I did not wish to do. Unless I could step down… Maybe have the Lamias come and "defeat" me. I could surrender to them and return the dwarves to the fold.
No, that was too risky. The dwarves would sense a ruse quickly, and they would refuse to surrender. I needed to play all my cards the right way. I had my knowledge, Alfondric, the line of succession, and influence (I would not be so haughty as to claim control) over three major pillars of Windemere. The knights, the assassins, and the Academy.
I still had to solve the Tabard debacle, get Torgo sorted out then drawn and quartered, and snuff out our neighbors' ambitions. Only then I would be free to rebuild Windemere the way I wanted. It sounded like a lot of trouble for nothing. I could skip all this trouble by revealing myself and taking over the whole show. Could I strengthen Windemere and transition it from a position of power, instead of doing it in the shadows? Probably. Did I want to do that? Certainly not.
I was already a myth of Arturian proportions to these people. They needed to believe in their own strength, and not in some supernatural savior that would swoop in at any signs of trouble. Windemere needed to defend its own borders. To repair their own enchanted walls. To cull their Dungeons properly.
Maybe the Black Dragon's Dungeon had lived its usefulness. Having it when nobody wanted to cull the damn thing was a bother and Exp could be found anywhere.
That was one thing I didn't feel conflicted about. I had a Dungeon to clear, through, and through. I jumped out of bed and phased into Helger's bedroom. As I did, I let my ears and three tails show up.
"Father, father, wake up," I shook him.
He mumbled something with an inebriate breath. I flinched but he opened his eyes. "Daughter, what's the matter?"
I sat next to his bed and he scratched the crown of my head. I purred and leaned in, enjoying this moment of fatherly affection. I was so touched my eyes moistened up. Girls and their hormones, I blame them.
"I'm here for you, Haru," he pulled me into a hug. "No matter what troubles you."
"I have three things to tell you, father," I summoned the courage to talk. "One, I found Thane Ashshield's soul. He's safe with me. When the time is right, I'll reveal him."
He shivered for just a moment. "The Thane? What happened to him? How did he die?"
I leaned against his beard, "You don't believe the lies Blackbrew wove, right?"
"Of course," he replied fondly. "When my daughter is the reincarnation of the legendary King, why would I hear anyone else?"
With a sigh, I continued, "Second, when Axejaw was crowned, his whole family became Royalty."
Mimicking my sigh, he pushed my head deeper in his beard, "Including you."
"Including me, because he only disowned my mother. I am now in the line of succession for this parody of a kingdom."
He parted me to take a good look at my eyes, "I hope you are not plotting regicide."
"No. Not yet. I am going through all these loops exactly because I don't want to become a sovereign. Why would I hasten it? A throne is the most devious trap of them all [1]."
He chortled. I pouted.
"You don't believe me? I've sat on enough thrones to know that."
"I believe you did. But almost everyone dreams of being King or Queen at some point in their lives. Seeing you spurn it so easily, I can't help but laugh."
I laughed with him.
"There's a saying in my world. 'Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, and tragedy for the poor.' I can't remember who said it [2]. I'm not laughing, but maybe I'm dreaming and playing games."
"What's the third thing?"
"I'm going to cleanse the Black Dragon Dungeon. As its rightful owner, I decided it'd outlived its usefulness. Cover for me while I'm gone."
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[1]: Emperor Izaro, a character in the game Path of Exile. I'm going to quote him to exhaustion because he's so damn cool. Anecdotally, my friends just started to play the new league, but I don't have time for that. I'd rather write.
[2]: The character claims they don't remember, but the author gives attribution where it is due. This quote is from Sholem Aleichem. https://www.forbes.com/quotes/8629/