The Stone Hills. Winter...
"Aye you pour it in here like, hoping none of the damn stuff gets on you" says Balen the dwarven artificer, who then mutters "By Dovarn you're screwed if it gets on you and you canny not get it off".
Lord Farque nods his full helmed head as he listens to the short dwarf in the leather smock that goes down to the floor of the crafthall here in the Omban mountainhold.
"Then you push it up through like this" says the artificer who demonstrates with the device he's holding, the short dwarf continues with "And with this small lamp box, under the end here, it sets it off and whosh away ye go".
The undead warlord who immediately sees how it works, and has so when it was first found a few days ago in a deep storage room far below the main galleries of the mountainhold. Looks over at the dwarves who are standing nearby, watching what's happening.
Most have slightly puzzled looks upon their faces, while Karne aka the Axe Thrower from clan Kraelin has a more curious look on his weathered face. While Thane Kraelin, is the only one who seems to have a look of understanding on his face.
The heavily armoured deathlord isn't surprised at that, as the nephew of Kraelin clan chief has proven to be fairly intelligent when it comes to things he, and the other dwarves, initially don't comprehend.
"How far does it go?" asks lord Farque as he looks back at the dwarven artificer "Er not exactly sure my lord" says Balen who has to tip his head back to look up at the large, heavily armoured figure standing a couple of paces infront of him. He's never spoken to anyone so tall before, infact he's never met someone as tall, until he was introduced to the undead warlord a few days ago.
"Have you tested it?" asks the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "Well" says Balen, who glances over at a couple of his assistants standing near their workbench, before he adds "We have my lord, but only with water" the dwarven artificer then mutters "Don't want it to go wrong like, and go up like a candle"
Behind the visor of his full helm, the lord of the death realm faintly smiles as he can understand the reluctance of the artificer who is holding the recent discovery, or rediscovery as it has turned out to be.
"Any leaks?" asks lord Farque "None my lord, the old mastercrafters knew what they were doing" is the reply of the artificer who then he gestures to the large workbench his assistants are standing next to, and he adds "Nor has the two that we've made over the last few days".
The undead warlord, who is also know by the name of Draugadrottin by the people of his lands, far to the south of the equator, nods his full helmed head, then says "Water is well and good, but since it's much lighter, and not as thick, you can't really judge the effectiveness of the device, nor it's range".
"Aye my lord" quietly says Balen as he looks down at what he's holding in his gloved hands, then he looks up at the large, heavily armoured figure infront of him who tells him "Go and get some of the stuff and I'll test it" the lord and ruler of the lands Farque glances around, then dryly adds "We better go up, and head outside, unless you want me to accidentally destroy the crafthall".
"Aye that would probably be best my lord" says the dwarven artificer, who grins as they're finally getting to see what the device he and his assistants found recently, can actually do.
The deathlord of Farque then looks at the other dwarves nearby who have been watching in silence, and he tells them "Come on you lot, let's go and see what this thing can do".
They don't have to be told, they were going to come along even if the human lord from south of the equator didn't invite them along. They all want to see what the ancient device that was recently found deep in the mountainhold, can actually do.
They exit the crafthall with Balen carrying the device as he walks just behind and to the side of the undead warlord from the Southlands. His two assistants and two others from the crafthall, leave a little bit later, as they've gone off to get something.
As he enters one of the larger galleries in the mountainhold, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque looks back at the group following. The heavily armoured deathlord looks at Thane Kraelin and nods his full helmed head for the nephew of the Kraelin clan chieftain to come forward and join him. The Axe Thrower Karne moves forward with his best friend's nephew.
"Well?" quietly asks lord Farque as he glances down at the young dwarven warrior from clan Kraelin as they head to a set of stairs that have been cut into the mountain that they're inside of "What do you think?" quietly adds the lord of the death realm.
Always briefly surprised at how exact, and fluent the human lord speaks their language, Thane Kraelin is quiet for a few moments before he replies with "Well if i think i know what it does, i guess it will be quite deadly" the nephew of Baedin Kraelin then adds "For anyone you use it against, and yourself if you don't use it correctly".
"True" murmurs the lord and ruler of the lands Farque as they head up the stairs to the next gallery, which once they're on, is more populated than the one where they were just on, where the crafthall is located.
There's about fifty dwarves, both male and female, as well as youngsters in the immediate vicinity. There's even a handful of humans about, they're part of the free folk who are staying here in the Omban mountainhold after they abandoned their villages further south of the clanhold when the Justifiers of Belinswae, and their armies invaded the Stone Hills.
"It'll be fine" says Draugadrottin who continues with "Once those who'll use it have a little practice, and they know what they're doing". "I hope so" murmurs Thane Kraelin as they cross the gallery to an opening in the side of the mountain that's the heart of the Omban clan.
The doors are wide open, and they make their way outside. They're on the north facing side of the mountain, here the slope is a little more gentle than the south facing side.
And the hills within a view aren't so stark, there's even high pastures, mountain meadows, where flocks of sheep and goats are under the watchful eyes of dwarven herders, who have them out on this clear day, where the snow from the last couple of days has melted from much of the high pastures.
And out here on the north facing side of the mountainhold, there's one major difference, to around the otherside of the mountain and the rest of the range for that matter. The wind isn't so blustery, oh it's present as it is anywhere in the Stone Hills. Just not as strong as it is on the south facing side of the range.
After glancing around, Lord Farque leads the group away from others who are out and about at the moment. Heading west along the mountainside, eventually going off the tracks and trails.
The heavily armoured deathlord finally stops in a bit of open ground, where it isn't so steep, nor is it that rocky.
He and the others wait for the artificer assistants and the two others from the crafthall to arrive. As they do, the undead warlord asks Balen the artificer "Did you find out what it's called?".
The artificer who is busy contemplating the device he's carrying, looks up and says "Aye my lord i did" the short dwarf in the full leather smock continues with "Found an old parchment in one of the archives describing what it is" he pauses for a moment, before he says "The old mastercrafters called them the dragons".
Faintly smiling behind the visor of his full helm, the heavily armoured deathlord quietly says "Very appropriate" as he looks at the device the artificer is holding. Behind the human lord, the dwarven warrior Thane Kraelin nods in agreement with what was just said.
The artificer's assistants, and the two others from the crafthall eventually make their way to where the group are standing on the side of the mountain.
The four late comers between them are carrying a couple of barrels, with one of them also carrying what looks to be a steel pipe that's been cut in half lengthwise, rounded and smoothed out and tapered at one end.
When the barrels are placed down on the ground, most of the group take a couple of steps back, as they all smell the distinct, not to mention strong smell of naphtha coming from both barrels. Not the ordinary naphtha one finds in pools in caves, but what's called dwarven naphtha. As it's normal naphtha mixed with lampblack, and a soapy wax like substance that makes it much more volatile and dangerous to handle and use than regular naphtha, which is dangerous enough already.
"Pass it over Balen" says lord Farque after a few moments of silence as the dwarves all stare at the barrels of dwarven naphtha and the device Balen is holding, the artificer hands over the device then looks at the two barrels a few paces away.
"I'll do that" says the heavily armoured deathlord with a nod towards the dwarven naphtha "Aye my lord, I'll just open it for you" says the artificer, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque nods for Balen to do so, and the short dwarf takes a wooden mallet from his belt, to tap the bung in one of the barrels.
As the artificer does that, the undead warlord puts the device on the ground and waits. The artificer averts his head as he opens the barrel of dwarven naphtha. Once it's open he takes the steel pipe that's been cut in half down it's length from one of his assistants, and gives it to the large, heavily armoured human lord.
"I see how it works" says the lord of the death realm before the artificer explains how to use it "Very well my lord" says Balen who then adds "I'll just leave my striker and flint rod over here on this rock" he then murmurs "Good luck".
Then he and the other four from the crafthall hurry away, heading uphill, passing by the other dwarves who are watching. The others who include Thane and Karne from clan Kraelin, as well as Famill, who is the acting second for clan Omban, and basically the field commander for the clan as the clan chieftain Polm Omban, who was seriously wounded at the beginning of last week in a battle against the enemy, though now he has been healed by way of spellcraft.
All glance at one another as they see how far the artificer Balen and the other four from the crafthall are going up the mountain. It's almost another fifty yards up the slope before the artificer and the four crafters finally come to a stop, and they crouch down behind some rocks.
The group of dwarven warriors who number eight, quickly look at lord Farque who has put the halfpipe into the hole in the open barrel, and has picked up the device and carried it over to the barrel.
Then they all look uphill again at where Balen and the crafters are, and after a brief pause where they all look at one another, they all hurry up the slope too. Heading up the side of the mountain to where the artificer and the other four from the crafthall are, moving as quickly as possible.
The undead warlord has slid open a section along the top of the device that the ancient dwarven mastercrafters who created it, call a dragon. The deathlord of Farque then lifts the small barrel, and with the halfpipe affixed in the opening, he pours the dwarven naphtha into the device.
The thick, brackish green liquid, that's almost jelly like in substance, slides down the foot and half long pipe that's tapered at one end, so that not a single drop doesn't enter the device.
Draugadrottin, or Des'tier as he's known in the elven language watches carefully as the device fills up, once it does he carefully lifts up the halfpipe and barrel, and places it back down, before he slides close the open section on the top of the device.
Ever seen one of these before Ryn? asks lord Farque as he picks up the device, collects the striker and flint rod from the nearby rock, and walks away to his left, away from the barrels of dwarven naphtha.
I haven't my lord, replies the Sword of Power Ryn, the soul of the Greater Dragon that inhabits the Farque family sword that's strapped to the back of the undead warlord continues with, It seems to be a fairly simple process to have it work.
"Indeed" murmurs the human lord from the Southlands, who when speaking out loud to the large buster sword that's been in his family for well over a thousand years, speaks in the Greater Dragon Language most of time, quietly adds "Let's see how the thing works".
The device is just over four foot long, it's essentially a metal tube. One end is closed, so is the other, which is the front, though with a twist of a collar ring, the front can be open.
The front is oddly shaped, it's worn away, for the metal work there was once more detailed. It vaguely resembles a creature with a gaping mouth. Lord Farque suspects it once resembled a dragon's head. After all that's what the device is named after.
Also at the front, on the underside, sticking slightly forward and up so it's angled up just infront of the opening, is a small metal box. In that is a small reservoir of lamp fuel, and a taper made from wound copper wire.
Also on the underside, towards the back, is a small stock, that folds down, making a hand grip. While at the back end of the black metal tube. There's another collar ring, that's hexagonal in shape, that's a sleeve over that back end.
The undead warlord twists that hexagonal collar ring over and over. From inside the back end of the dragon he can hear clicking, that from his close inspection of the device earlier, he knows is an ingenious looking coil, that's builds up pressure within the dragon.
When the heavily armoured deathlord hears the coil stop clicking, he stops twisting the hexagonal collar. He puts the device down, and opens up the small box at the front on the underside.
The copper wire taper soaked in lamp fuel flicks out, the lord of the death realm uses the striker and flint rod to quickly light it. Then he picks up the device, holding it in both hands, as he folds down the grip handle.
Lord Farque holds the device waist high, and points it downhill. He turns the front collar, opening the front with the dragon like head there. Then not waiting a moment, he pulls back on the handle.
Dwarven naphtha is expelled out of the front of the dragon when the coil inside of the device is released, pushing the naphtha mix forward as the pressure is released.
The flame from the burning taper sets it instantly alight, and a jet of burning naphtha shoots down the mountain side. The stream of liquid fire goes at least fifty feet before it hits the ground. Where it burns everything it touches.
A patch of snow is instantly vaporized, while rocks and stones are set alight when the naphtha fire hits it. It's fire that's almost impossible to put out, due to it's thick jelly like substance that it originally starts of as.
Draugadrottin swings the dragon side to side a couple of times, until the stream of fire peters out. And though some of the burning naphtha falls only a couple of yards infront of him. And the last of it drips out of the front of the dragon just infront of him.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque isn't worried as he twists the ring collar towards the front of the device to close it. The still burning dwarven naphtha is no threat to him, as it can't damage him or the armour he wears.
He turns and looks up slope to the group of dwarves who just watched what happened in stunned silence, lord Farque calls out to the artificer Balen "Make as many as you can" . . . . . .
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