The Jade Star
27-01-2007, 21:31
(First, a brief note on language.
Most people seem to have this idea that Goblins always 'are talkin' like dis', or have a silly accent constantly. While this is true when speaking English (or its local equivalent, of course), Goblins do not, in fact, have an accent while speaking Goblin.
This may come as a suprise, but it makes sense if you think about it.)
"The matter of the Bloody Spear clan, your majesty."
King Rockbiter glowered, the Bloody Spear were a pain. All ten thousand of them seemed to have the idea that they could go ahead and raid anybody they damn well pleased, and they had managed to piss off not only Rockbiter, but the Valgardian border guards, a variety of merchants and no less than three powerful mages.
"The little bastards need a lesson...a hard one. We have to find them first though...where was their last reported position?"
The Throne Room of Gundabad was, as with the rest of the city, opulent. It housed a vast map picked out in precious stones and metals. Rivers of mercury (which Goblins consider a sort of sauce) flowed between mountains of silver, borders were picked out in various stones, little lead figures marched about, indicating the last known positions of armies and the better known figures of other nations. Around the map pillars of iron held up a ceiling which glowed of its own accord, a gift from a mage some time ago for some service one of Rockbiters ancestors had rendered.
An advisor indicated a figure near the Valgardian border, a Goblin holding a red spear.
"They attacked another merchant convoy yesterday. They move like smoke, even the Glider Corps didnt spot them. We think they may be using magic...human magic."
The court stirred. Goblins dont trust human magic, which seems at times to have a mind of its own, and does strange things...well...stranger things than its intended to. No sane Goblin would use it.
"This is most...disturbing." Rockbiter rested his chin on a knobby wrist and looked down his overlarge nose at the little figure. "Can we provide escorts for the travelers? I imagine the Valgardians can handle the border raids themselves, but raiding non-Goblins in our own territory...this is an insult to all of us."
Much nodding, of course, it was unwise to disagree with the king in such matters. "Alas, sire, while we are insulted, we are mute. We can provide escorts, but not enough in any one place to hold off a force of the size reported to be attacking. A hundred or so per convoy would not stop the thousands that attack."
"And we cannot simply mass our forces on a few convoys, or they will simply avoid those...A rock and a hard place..." The king frowned and growled an untranslateable epithet. "What about sending the merchants along a single route? Then we would merely have to guard that single pathway."
"That would anger the merchants, lord. But perhaps angry merchants are better than dead ones...sometimes. We could send them to Shakhat and have them take the tunnels, raids would be much more difficult if the merchants were traveling underground." This was Ker, one of the kings personal Shamen, powerful mages even by the standards of some of the more magical races.
"A wise council, my friend. Yes...Shakhat is near the boarder...we can provide larger escorts in the above ground areas and still keep a large enough force to deal with rival raiders...most excellent. Send runners at once, and bring me plans of the tunnels, we must arrange for a safe route at once." Rockbiter's previous meloncholy vanished, now they had a plan, and maybe a chance to hit back, if the Bloody Spear tried to attack in the tunnels...
"There is also the...issue with the Iron Guards, majesty."
"Again? Didnt we deal with this. I could have sworn we dealt with this."
"It happened again."
"Gods damn it, I told them all, didnt I? You dont eat the damn tunnel worms after you kill them. How many?"
"Fourty sick, thirty four dead." The advisor rolled his eyes, "Its starting to smell rather bad in the guards quarters."
"The sick ones are to be removed from their posts and sent to the mines. Thats a standing order now. Step up recruiting and give me a report later, I'll chew them out when I have time." Rockbiter sighed. Every Goblin child knew that tunnel worms upset your insides for weeks, sometimes terminally. It tasted good, but the Iron Guard were supposed to be disciplined. "Alright...now, give me the trade reports. Lets see how much we have to spend now..."
"Of course your majesty...ahem...six tons of iron to the Northmen, in exchange for a variety of craftgoods, four large crystals to the Mages Guild of Sutton, for which we received..."
Most people seem to have this idea that Goblins always 'are talkin' like dis', or have a silly accent constantly. While this is true when speaking English (or its local equivalent, of course), Goblins do not, in fact, have an accent while speaking Goblin.
This may come as a suprise, but it makes sense if you think about it.)
"The matter of the Bloody Spear clan, your majesty."
King Rockbiter glowered, the Bloody Spear were a pain. All ten thousand of them seemed to have the idea that they could go ahead and raid anybody they damn well pleased, and they had managed to piss off not only Rockbiter, but the Valgardian border guards, a variety of merchants and no less than three powerful mages.
"The little bastards need a lesson...a hard one. We have to find them first though...where was their last reported position?"
The Throne Room of Gundabad was, as with the rest of the city, opulent. It housed a vast map picked out in precious stones and metals. Rivers of mercury (which Goblins consider a sort of sauce) flowed between mountains of silver, borders were picked out in various stones, little lead figures marched about, indicating the last known positions of armies and the better known figures of other nations. Around the map pillars of iron held up a ceiling which glowed of its own accord, a gift from a mage some time ago for some service one of Rockbiters ancestors had rendered.
An advisor indicated a figure near the Valgardian border, a Goblin holding a red spear.
"They attacked another merchant convoy yesterday. They move like smoke, even the Glider Corps didnt spot them. We think they may be using magic...human magic."
The court stirred. Goblins dont trust human magic, which seems at times to have a mind of its own, and does strange things...well...stranger things than its intended to. No sane Goblin would use it.
"This is most...disturbing." Rockbiter rested his chin on a knobby wrist and looked down his overlarge nose at the little figure. "Can we provide escorts for the travelers? I imagine the Valgardians can handle the border raids themselves, but raiding non-Goblins in our own territory...this is an insult to all of us."
Much nodding, of course, it was unwise to disagree with the king in such matters. "Alas, sire, while we are insulted, we are mute. We can provide escorts, but not enough in any one place to hold off a force of the size reported to be attacking. A hundred or so per convoy would not stop the thousands that attack."
"And we cannot simply mass our forces on a few convoys, or they will simply avoid those...A rock and a hard place..." The king frowned and growled an untranslateable epithet. "What about sending the merchants along a single route? Then we would merely have to guard that single pathway."
"That would anger the merchants, lord. But perhaps angry merchants are better than dead ones...sometimes. We could send them to Shakhat and have them take the tunnels, raids would be much more difficult if the merchants were traveling underground." This was Ker, one of the kings personal Shamen, powerful mages even by the standards of some of the more magical races.
"A wise council, my friend. Yes...Shakhat is near the boarder...we can provide larger escorts in the above ground areas and still keep a large enough force to deal with rival raiders...most excellent. Send runners at once, and bring me plans of the tunnels, we must arrange for a safe route at once." Rockbiter's previous meloncholy vanished, now they had a plan, and maybe a chance to hit back, if the Bloody Spear tried to attack in the tunnels...
"There is also the...issue with the Iron Guards, majesty."
"Again? Didnt we deal with this. I could have sworn we dealt with this."
"It happened again."
"Gods damn it, I told them all, didnt I? You dont eat the damn tunnel worms after you kill them. How many?"
"Fourty sick, thirty four dead." The advisor rolled his eyes, "Its starting to smell rather bad in the guards quarters."
"The sick ones are to be removed from their posts and sent to the mines. Thats a standing order now. Step up recruiting and give me a report later, I'll chew them out when I have time." Rockbiter sighed. Every Goblin child knew that tunnel worms upset your insides for weeks, sometimes terminally. It tasted good, but the Iron Guard were supposed to be disciplined. "Alright...now, give me the trade reports. Lets see how much we have to spend now..."
"Of course your majesty...ahem...six tons of iron to the Northmen, in exchange for a variety of craftgoods, four large crystals to the Mages Guild of Sutton, for which we received..."