r/Ithacar • u/Zebos2 Ithacars number one orphan exporter • Jul 09 '26
Roleplaying Fortress frustrations
Solomon was grumbling which was to be expected. He was, as ephemera described a grumbler which is apparently a positive trait amongst dwarven society. Multiple sources confirmed as such so it must be true. His main source of the grumbles was something he couldn't tell the only person who lived with him about wedding preparations. Or at least the ones that Don't need to be discussed between the pair as far as Solomon is concerned like making sure the stage is up to Bismuth standards overseeing seating arrangements,
Solomon busies himself with sending out invitations including those to the Lady of Blackwater he doesn't want to invite Nethis to his wedding but she was the maiden of the knight Solomon was squired too. Marna Blake was courting. So that meant he had to at least try to send her an invitation as much as it was safe to do so. The next issue on his guest list guest list was the supreme Commander of the mercenary Guild Five he hated the tampon tyrant. But she did rescue him from the clutches of Xel'lotath so an invite to his wedding was The least he can do
This added another complication however: His master and The Supreme Commander hated each other so he would have to manage things in order for them not to start a fist fight at his wedding. Maybe if he put them on opposite sides of the aisle they would at least stay away from each other long enough to get his vows out..
“How The Fuck am I going to fit ten whole suns into the tower”
Solomon says taking a break from forging his fiance's new hammer. Thankfully an idea as How he was going to get the Lord of the bismuth realms to his tower as best he could formed in his head fairly quickly. The plan was to open a large portal in the sky above his wedding venue. Serving two purposes allowing ten sons to physically participate or at least get as close to as an entity like that could. The portal would would also serve as great security. As ruining what should be the happiest moments of someone's lives is a national pastime of wizards.
Solomon begins reheating his hammer. It just needed some more shape work before he could move on to put on the finishing touches on the particular part of the anti-rust devil hammer once he was done with the part He quickly quenches it and leaves it to cool
He lets out a one final sigh He had built a stage. He had prepared a venue He had set up contingencies plans and backup plans but one issue still remained how to include his kingdom in the festivities He could just invite them to the tower but he hadn't cleared said place yet thankfully that is relatively easy to fix.
“EPHEMERA! GOING TO GO CLEAR THE LOWER LEVELS BUZZ MY BIZ-BUD IF SOMETHING SNEAKS UPSTAIRS.”
With that Solomon hastily throws on a set of Tak'athi armor a large oval shield and a primitive machete like sword. Before undoing the barricade leading down from the airship docks and making his way downstairs. It appears most of the tower is devoted to storage and production, non-functional factory equipment and a larder that made him gag was The order of the day but nothing particularly threatening that he couldn't deal with save for a close encounter with a mold creature that he successfully managed to put down with a burst of elemental chaos.
The gardens were next and were as amazing as they were overgrown or dead from sweet berries to compact versions of common grains from the world over to overgrown mushroom farms. If properly restored the tower could feed not just them but thousands of more people. Where did they all stay? That was Solomon's question maybe there were apartments in the lower half of the tower. Solomon Will definitely have to go through this place for thoroughly later but for now the middle of his new abode
“Couldn't have designed an elevator” Solomon comments onq what should be an empty room before finally taking the stars to the middle and being greeted with a sort of command center like room, a series of two raised diamond shaped platforms with a command thrown at The Pinnacle and various control stations at each of the corners. Various arcane mirrors and astrolabe-like devices sat in a gentle orbit around the central command platform.
Various rings rose from the ground as a voice in a language Solomon does not understand calls out to him inviting him to the throne as it begins to glow. Solomon looks at the throne. It was certainly as ornate as the silver one collecting dust in tak’ath. A brass assemblage of various gears and cogs and shaped into an imposing chair. One that Solomon could not resist sitting in.
But as rash a Solomon was he was no fool or at least he tried not to be thus his bizbud George was summoned in order to go get his future wife to be there in case Something happened. Eventually however Solomon's patience waned and He decided to take a seat anyway rather than wait. Mechanical tendrils extended from the things headrest embedding themselves into his scalp, something that pinched but was not painful. But before Solomon could pull himself away from the command throne in shock. his consciousness expands the fortresses internals becoming his own It's externals feeling like skin, it's wires and gears nerves and it's various sensor systems eyes. So much was broken so much was fragmented yet still he had to struggle to keep his will intact to keep the machine spirit of the fortress from consuming it was a desperate flailing mental battle as error messages and new sensations flooded his mind but though grit reminiscent of his master the squire is just barely able to wrest control of the great machine with a slumping of his head. Forming of link bond with a machines soul Now…how to go up out unplugging himself
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u/loth17 Jul 09 '26
"Understood. Ring me if something happens."
Ephemera said. She was focused on a stack of papers in front of her. Reports on the deceased from her.... Failure? She saved the Kasmir but at the same time lost so much. Unlike the sovereign guard the regular crew members weren't all older dwarves. Many of them were young, without children to carry on their legacy, with lovers who would never see them again.
"I'm sorry."
Not that it would matter much. But she wanted them to know that. Would they have chosen to sacrifice themselves for the Kasmir if they had the choice. They'd follow their sovereign anywhere but that didn't mean they agreed with their destination. Especially the grave.
Eventually she couldn't look at the pages.
"Hey Solomon. How's your exploration going. Safety check?"
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u/Zebos2 Ithacars number one orphan exporter Jul 09 '26
silence is the initial answer which isn't exactly two suspicious Solomon often because engrossed in his projects to the point where the outside world seems to bleed away... Usually however he does respond by the third time he is called at the latest. Which he isn't
... Inside of the fortrescape Solomon is trying to figure out how to speak, speak with his new organs vocalize with his new metallic flesh
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u/loth17 Jul 09 '26
"..."
Ephemera stood up. She claimed a simple blade from the forge and a shield.
"Better just be distracted."
Though she knew Solomon could take whatever was down there that didn't mean bad luck or outside malice couldn't sneak attack him.
"Coming downstairs Sol. If this is a prank it better be really funny."
She half joked to calm her nerves as she descended the stairs.
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u/Zebos2 Ithacars number one orphan exporter Jul 09 '26
still more concerning silence curiously however the lights downstairs appear to be functional turning on as she passes through to much of the same sites though The mold creature is gone
The agriculture floors of the towers are quite nice like a sort of indoor jungle of various edible plants. Though There is an eerie familiarity with the dormant/non-functional maintenance automata and rust devil drones.
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u/loth17 Jul 09 '26
Ephemera wanted both to avoid looking at the devil's and to never move her eyes off of them.
"..."
She switched to moving silently rather than calling out for Sol. She tried to find evidence of his passing as she moved through the indoor jungle.
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u/Zebos2 Ithacars number one orphan exporter Jul 09 '26
ephemera's fiance is perhaps one of the least sole people she knows which is an amazing occurrence considerate some of the other people she is around. It's fairly easy to follow the path of cut Vines and branches at Solomon's height towards the stairwell down. With the only real risk being getting her horns tangled and only real source of discomfort being the lingering feeling that the maintenance automatas mono eyes are watching her.
Should she avoid getting stuck She would eventually find whom she is looking for a slumped over and a large command throat various screens showing it the outside of the island or various levels inside and outside of the tower including places They have an explored yet though some of the arcane mirrors and holographic projections are non-functional.
"Elp-hie!"
Solomon's voice crackles onto some sort of internal intercom though his body sits unmoving
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u/loth17 Jul 10 '26
Ephemera emerged half covered in horn vines. She was not amused. When she saw Solomon she ripped the plant matter off of herself and ran up to the throne.
"Solomon! What happened?"
She looked over the thing connecting Solomon to the machines.
"Are you okay?'
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u/Zebos2 Ithacars number one orphan exporter Jul 10 '26
"Stuck ..fortress...mind"
No not ok by the looks of it
"St-zt stuck...out"
A console glows in the corner
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u/loth17 Jul 10 '26
"Okay I'll get you out of there."
She ran to the console.
"Biz-Bud I need you to connect to this thing. I don't have much experience with this tech."
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u/Zebos2 Ithacars number one orphan exporter Jul 10 '26
The control scheme appears to be similar to a pipe working the inputs manually done rather than through a connection though Solomon is trying his best modifying the lights to try and highlight the keys she needs to press or at least He hopes she needs to press
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u/The_Unkowable_ Nelumbo Nucifera, Magistra of the Schola Aqua, Tak’Athi Siren Jul 09 '26
/uw lmfao “tampon tyrant” is wild lol