Serf

Torsun Goldhand, serial betrayer of the Grand Kingdom, failed trade prince, and schizophrenic, sprints through the barren square of Urguan at peak time to ensure the least amount of social interaction, even ignoring anyone who dared call his name. His mission was far more important than meager talk with old enemies. He reached the unguarded ballot box and casted his vote. Name: Torsun Goldhand Sigrun Ireheart Agnar Grandaxe Alaric Grimgold (X) The mere minute it took to run to the ballot box earned him his right to vote again in Urguan. The GLODSWEEP IS AT HAND.

TORSUN turned away from the nailed missive muttering insensitive slurs to those around him about the Starbreaker folk. "Did Norli seriously misspell my name!? What a bastard!"

" All goes according to plan... " Echoed the voice of a crimson masked figure. " The dwarves are no longer unified- splintered over mere intrigue and madness. " A golden figure within the chamber moved to the balcony and looked upon the glittering sea that was before him. " Even in death I still manipulate the masses. Isn't that right, Norvarsson? "

"GIVE ALARIC ANOTHER CHANCE! LET HIM BECOME GRAND KING!" Screamed a Glodite fanatic from mountains of the Grand Kingdom.

The Murder of a Name <12th of Snow’s Maiden, 90 SA> “Torsun… I just purchased a death permit for the mines… GIVE ME THE KEYS NOW.” A warped voice called out from the darkness of an oddly familiar office. “Torsun… They know where you live. They’ve been watching you while you sleep. You can’t stay here anymore or YOU WILL DIE.” A hellish voice screamed out from the darkness of a dimly lit cottage. “Torsun~ … WHY DON’T YOU COME TO THE GRAND KINGDOM OF DEATH AND FACE THE ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT THAT A TRAITOR LIKE YOU DESERVES.” A booming voice resounded throughout the blackened stone halls from a dwarven figure who wore a crown shrouded in darkness. As Torsun approached, the figure’s face was that of Bakir Ireheart’s before quickly warping and contorting into that of an eldritch horror with a thousand eyes, and his beard turned to flesh. Out of reactionary fear he fell to the floor and was quickly washed away by the whispering stones of the blackened city. “Torsun… Yemekar’s Axe of the Grand Kingdom.. It is an honor to have you back in our wretched city again. Will… the mining expeditions kill more of your slaves… ? You’ve abandoned us… what ever happened to the Foundry of Flesh? You dare turn… your back upon the Darkness Prophet of Vur’door… ?” The stones chattered ceaselessly until he was washed upon the familiar footsteps of the Workforce offices where a limbless half-orc rested. He turned his head to Torsun, a smirk growing upon his face at the sight of him. “Oi, bozz. I’m happy you’re back, but you haven’t been the same since the head injury. That pickaxe knocked you out for days, and you started talkin’ all weird. Things have changed since you’ve been gone…” “HE EXPECTS YOU.” The half-orc turned his head toward the doors that bore a visage of the Ruhn Prophet he knew, his mouth agape and from it a faint whisper could be heard. “Torsun… You betrayed me… Norli… you betrayed. You and I.. we could have ruled over these pathetic halls… taught the golems how to kinslay… and genocide the agnarumm. This is what the Brathmordakin demands of me… We must do… I WILL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!” The faces began to weep as tears ran down from their eyes to form a puddle of blood at the foot of the door. As they lamented, the doors shook violently as hundreds of thousands of runes adorning the entirety of the building pulsed with violet and gold energies until the foundations of the structure buckled and collapsed in on itself. Among the rubble, after the dust settled, sat a massive automaton flanked by stout figures who wore wicked masks of black and gold, their heads slowly panning to where Torsun was sat crouched. The uncanny silence of the hall was broken by a reverberating hum as the monstrous construct rose and made way for the helpless dwarf. “Cagli- Rylanor w-why did you betray me for Alaric and Urguan!? After everything I’ve done for you and your children…” He cried out at the grinding machine, the first words spoken since appearing in the dark halls. The monstrosity of metal came to a halt, looming over the tiny dwarf in comparison as he stood atop the debris. Steam spewed forth before a grating voice filled the cavern. “Because you betrayed ME, Torsun. You have hated me since stepping foot in these halls. It was you who told Norli of Dorimnur’s fate and the hand I played in it.” The machine hummed loudly. “Your betrayal of Urguan was orchestrated to dispose of me, but it didn’t go your way now did it?” He stepped down before the dwarf, the ground trembling as he had done so. “And now… I WILL TEAR OUT YOUR HEART.” As an outstretched hand came for Torsun, he frantically crawled his way through the darkness and mud before falling down into the pools of Mugdor. Without struggle, he sank beneath the waters and drifted away. Euphoria was felt as an elven figure took shape and embraced him, resting her head overtop his. A voice permeated the waters. “Torsun… I’ll protect you like I promised. Please… take off the blindfold. Regain your sight. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done.. But I can’t stand the guilt of seeing you wander around in darkness like this. I’ve done so much for you, so why can’t you do this for me, ti?” She squeezed him one last time before pulling away, taking a hand to his face to cast off the blindfold, revealing his aurum eyes. The figure smiled and took his hand, pulling him up through the water and casting him out of the pool. “Ahernan...” He surfaced from the stagnant waters, gasping for air as he thrashed about until making it to the ledge and pulling himself out. As he laid there and opened his eyes, the all too familiar feeling of paranoia took root again. The distant chatter of the city and metalwork was heard as the halls were lit. “Why am I here?” He muttered to himself. “To end Bakir’s thousand year reign..?- No.. to get the funds for the ferry… but why are they all looking at me?” "Will you just shut up and die, traitor? Do us all a favor and die already. What did you just say about my clan?” "What do you want me to do, Torsun? Give you the funds from the treasury without my master’s permission? He’ll have me castrated for doing my job.” "Do you want to say that to my face, Torsun? Stop trying to hide behind people and face the execution you deserve.” The surroundings of Mugdor began to melt away as voices filled his head, the granite square of the city coming into view and a crowd coalescing into existence with all eyes set upon him. Confused and terrified at the sudden appearance of Bakir, he grabbed ahold of the only familiar face next to him, and pulled him forward as a shield. “Bakir…” He trembled. “I didn’t say anything about you! Why can’t you just honor the terms of this treaty and- ….” Torsun looked down as a steel tip ripped through his stomach, warm blood forming and running down his body. He let out a dying gasp as he attempted to grasp at his wound, his vision fading as he fell to the ground in a puddle of his own blood.

Torsun tosses the missive to the side. "This won't stop me."

Torsun smiled after hearing that his suggestions were adhered to.

Full removal. No explanation.

"I gambled and lost. Almost a year spent there, shoveling time and money into Arichsdorf just to lose it all within weeks. The Von Arichsdorfers were a good family, and the people that resided there too." Torsun sighed, folding the missive up and tossing it overboard his ship. "Time for the next round of poker I suppose."

Settlement PRO MC Name: Thy_Serf Settlement Name: The Freeport of Akueli Proposed Settlement Locations (Highlight 3 on the map): Freeport on tile 110 is our primary choice, but if not possible, we can consider locations on tiles 114 and 115 (not sure if the druids are there). Settlement Lore (could include previous roleplay posts showing involvement with the community) (1000 words minimum): Settlement Government Structure Explanation: Settlement Builds and Infrastructure (photos required): How does this settlement offer a unique niche not already found in an existing polity on the server?: Merchant cities aren’t anything new on LotC, and have the tendency to die out after a short burst of activity. Older players are very familiar with Alras, while more recently we’ve had Sutica turned Savoy that suffered an activity drought. All of these former nations have one thing in common, and that’s a lack of identity which eventually lumps them into just a standard place of living that can be easily compared to any other settlement or nation on the server without offering anything centered around actual trade or even business ownership. With Akueli, I am hoping to cater to a niche of people who enjoy the aspects of the economy, trade, and entrepreneurial roleplay. As shown in our initial government outline, we plan to use this structure to encourage everyday residents of the settlement to be directly involved in our focus by joining or even starting a business of their own that could compete or even topple already established entities for a chance to change up how things are done at the port. This should facilitate a revolving door of politics to keep things fresh and interesting and to prevent the stagnation that a lot of current nations and settlements suffer from. How does your settlement tie to the greater lore and narrative set by the community on LotC?: Considering many of Akueli’s founding members being of Goldhand lineage, the desire and roots of wanting to establish a freeport could be traced back to when the family had founded Alras in Aegis, and took control of it again in Asulon. Even Dorimnur Goldhand had ambitions of turning his Waystone tavern into a vassal kingdom beneath Urguan that would emulate the aforementioned trade kingdom of yore. Additionally, other ambitious individuals outside of the exiled family have found hope in pushing their own personal ventures with this opportunity, and have lent their support to the creation of Akueli. Currently, the group involved in Akueli’s founding has begun to search for a way to transport their existing supplies and wealth to Freeport after surveying the southern lands of Almaris, and deeming the ruins to be a perfect spot for their grand plans. Unfortunately, after traveling across the continent from nation to nation, not a single shipwright was able to lend or build them a boat to fit their needs, except for one individual inconveniently residing within the lands they are exiled from. Have you ever run a settlement on LoTC before and what experience do you have with leadership within roleplay communities among the current groups of players?: Since joining the server all the way back in Aegis under my old username, Thoak, I have led government entities, clans, and groups within Urguan, and was the NL of Kaz’Ulrah during the end of Atlas. Despite Ulrah failing due to inactivity, I was able to boost player numbers through player hosted events, political happenings, and appointing the right people to take care of the day to day at the tail end before losing nation status. More recently since returning, I’ve taken up the workforce within Urguan, reviving and drastically overhauling it with a focus on individual character development for players. With this philosophy, I was able to take the workforce from 0 to about 15-20 active members. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to meet all of my goals for the workforce, but I do believe my changes and ideas have helped steer Urguan to be a better promoter of roleplay and individual character development that will help keep players in the Urguan community. Currently my character is a Reeve and landowner within Arichsdorf, which has opened me up to an entirely different community on the server. During my short time there, I have gained a new perspective on leading from leadership which I hope to implement with Akueli. Do you understand the metrics for maintaining activity and the grounds for settlement removal, along with the standing polity cap?”: Yes, I understand that settlements are expected to have and maintain at least 1% of server activity. Failure to do so for three consecutive weeks will result in eviction and removal of the settlement.

After having the missive read aloud, Torsun sat staring blindly at the massive amounts of equipment and weapons he hoarded within his vault, but never sold. The dwarf muttered loudly. "Are ye kidding me!?"

"OIM HAPPY TO BE IN TAE EMPIRE ! ! !" Shouted a dwarf in Empire lands.

Meanwhile.... Torsun Goldhand enjoys a nice cup of Arrowhead Lager whilst watching on to a mock jousting event within the town he was now residing in. "Ahh... now tis be a loife I could get used to." The gold dwarf smiled.

Torsun contemplates holding up in his vault or skipping town for a lifetime.

Torsun Goldhand, holed up in his office, examines the document of this newly formed Brotherhood. "Aye.. tae pieces 'ur foinally comin' together..." He stated ominously to himself as he read over each word.

Torsun Goldhand examines the riddle that was handed to him by a certain Irongut. Examining it, he raises an eyebrow at the set of numbers before him. "Wot in Yemekar's name beh tis gibberish shoite? Dunnae worreh. Woteva' tis shoite is, I will 'ave it solved by evereh worker an' smart brain in Kal'Darakaan. I will 'ire an entire warehoose 'o deciphers to decipher tis CRAP." The dwarf grumbled, pocketing the riddle for later use.

Torsun sat at his desk quietly sobbing as candlelight danced off his tear-covered face. The strong display the gold dwarf had shown before the council and people of Kal’Darakaan was merely a façade, a suppression of his true emotions and sense of loss. “Gone are tae days ‘o seein’ meh cousin take meh moneh fer taxes. Gone are tae days ‘o seein’ a koind father care fer ‘is daughter. Anot’er void in meh loife t’at I must struggle wit’. Will tae Brathmordakin eva’ answer meh prayers an’ guide meh throogh tis pain I feel. Will t’ey eva’ forgive meh fer allowin’ cos to take ‘is own loife? Or will I keep bein' kept from wot little joys I ‘ave left in tis loife?” The dwarf closed his eye tightly, squeezing out whatever tears he had left. “Are ye listenin’, cos? I promise ye tis.Tae grand grudge will beh entered into tae book ‘o grudges an’ corrected after I rip tae bloodloine ‘o t’ese cretins from tis world. T’em an’ t’eir children shall reap wot t’ey ‘ave sowed."

Torsun reads over the parchment, now only getting to it beneath his mountain of paperwork within his office. "A freelancin' khazad smith? He shall fit nicely within tae workforce once I get meh 'ands on 'im." The dwarf grumbled, folding the parchment up before leaving to search for this 'Oak forge'.

Torsun nodded to himself after reading over the document detailing the hierarchy of the White Anvil. "Ulfar 'as done vereh good work beneath meh. Tae Workin' Guilds grow stronger each day."

Torsun grumbled to himself after noticing the patchwork job done on the official document. "Surely nae one will notice."

The Tanner’s Agreement -11th Of Snow’s Maiden, 63 SA- This agreement is entered into by and between: The Working Guilds Of Urguan, located within the sacred halls of Kal’Darakaan (hereinafter referred to as ‘The Workforce’); and Clan Redfist, located near the ports of Urguan within the village known as Huaven (hereinafter referred to as ‘The People Of Huaven’). Whereas The People Of Huaven understands that the land grant was given for their services. Whereas The People Of Huaven agrees to render services to The Workforce. Whereas The People Of Huaven agrees to answer to initiatives set by The Workforce. Whereas The Workforce agrees to offer payment for said rendered services. Whereas the Parties agree to facilitate a cooperative relationship. Considering the foregoing premises, both parties agree as follows: This agreement is legally binding within the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Any breaches of said agreement by The People Of Huaven shall be resolved by the revocation of the land grant given on the year 56 SA, with all buildings built upon the granted land razed by any means necessary. Services rendered shall be in the form of farming, ranching, and other harvesting activities done upon the land. The People Of Huaven agree to fulfill quotas and demands established by The Workforce using facilities OWNED by the Grand Kingdom of Urguan within Huaven, specifically the ranch and farms. If The People Of Huaven cannot fulfill their quota due to forces of nature, conflict, or anything outside of their control, The Workforce may waive the quota temporarily. The Parties understand that the facilities responsible for the production of material for The Workforce shall be open and shared evenly amongst The Parties and other volunteers invited to work. Never shall they be blockaded or held by third parties outside of this agreement. By no means are The People Of Huaven slaves, servants, serfs, peasants, or anything that falls in-between, to The Workforce. The People Of Huaven are independent from The Workforce, and are recognized only as a vassal to the Grand Kingdom Of Urguan. Farmers and ranchers may join The Workforce, regardless of creed or race, if they wish to receive compensation for their work. Signed,

With Stone Tower reduced to rubble in the background, a gold dwarf drenched in the blood of his enemies raised his head and howled:

Torsun Goldhand, sat in his newly renovated office, reads over the proclamation. The gold dwarf grumbled as he rubbed his hands together. "By tae Brathmordakin! Grimdugan 'as blessed me tis day fer I shall roightfully claim tae lumberyard from tae Ire'eart-Legion military junta! BAHAHAH!"

The Mines Of Kal’Darakaan - Regarding Permits & Gaining Access - “When the Sons of Yemekar struck the first vein of Kal’Darakaan, they rejoiced as their lives would soon be filled with an abundance of wealth and honest work. So shall the Sons of Yemekar justly protect what acts as a source of untold opportunities beneath their sacred mountains.” From The Office Of Yemekar’s Pick The workers of Kal’Darakaan have unanimously decided to protect their interests by privatizing the mines of Urguan. No longer will outsiders and unvetted ‘miners’ make their way into our sacred mines, defiling them with uncaring swings of a pickaxe, and threatening the security of what provides so much work here in our city beneath the mountain. To maintain a firm hand on the mines, a familiar system of mining permits will be reinstated and enforced. From now on, those who would like to access the mines of Kal’Darakaan will have to purchase a permit from the office of Yemekar’s Pick with the exception of those belonging to the Workforce and enlistees of the Legion. More details can be found below. Permits & Guidelines To better ensure that the mines of Urguan are protected, would-be miners will have to purchase a permit of 25 minas at the office of Yemekar’s Pick. These permits act as a promissory to ensure that only those with a responsible mind and pocket will have access to our treasured veins. If you are found in the mines or accused of trespassing without a permit, you will be brought before the Lord Justiciar and trialed. Permits may not be shared between two or more people. Each permit is only valid for the singular person that purchased it. Unlike previous iterations, permit holders DO NOT have to fulfill a weekly quota or join the workforce in any official capacity. For Workers & Legion Enlistees For those who work under Yemekar’s Workforce and Legionnaires of Urguan, you do not have to purchase a permit to access the mines. Speak with either Yemekar’s Pick or the Grand Marshal to receive your permit and keys. For Past Permits For those who’ve purchased permits in the past from previous Prospectors and Foremen, those permits are still valid. To retain the validity of the said permit, the permit or proof of purchase must be sent to the office of Yemekar’s Pick with additional paperwork. If you do not have the physical permit or proof of purchase, the permit will not be valid and will need to be purchased again from the office of Yemekar’s Pick. Accessing The Mines After purchasing your permit, it must be sent along with all required paperwork to the office of Yemekar’s Pick. Once everything has been verified, you will be sent a key, giving you access to the mines. It may take up to two stone days for your paperwork to be received and verified. (OOC) Please use the mine-perms chat in the Urguan Discord and follow this format: Name: Character: Allegiance: Proof of permit: Signed, Torsun Goldhand Yemekar’s Pick Acting Lodemaster Of Kal’Darakaan Ulfar Starbreaker High Overseer Of Yemekar’s Workforce