Monday, December 19, 2011

Wogan Bora Return's Home

The mountains continued to rise but Wogan was sure his journey neared its end. It had ben many years since he had left the mountains of the dwarfs but he still found the surroundings grow more familiar. The curves in the thin paved road became less violent and the ground surrounding it flattened out and the road widened, leading up to the great southern gate. Portal to the land of the dwarfs.
As Wogan approached the gates he saw the cliffs at either side rise up. They had been dg out centuries ago to better defend the already invulnerable city. Fortifications lined the cliff wall, complete with giant crossbows and catapults. The city gates were wide open in this time of relative peace, but the giant blue stone doors could be clsoed in seconds thanks to an elaborate system of gears, powered by the mighty river that flowed through the city.
Passing under the gates Wogan could look up and see the murder holes, manned by more armed soldiers. Ready with cross bows, hot oil and pikes, should the main gates be breached. Once through the great archway Wogan entered the outer wall. He walked on a road with high walls to each side, though not high enough for soldiers to walk from the outer wall to the inner wall. The outer wall district was made so that an enemy would need to breach two walls, not one, to enter the city. Besides teh road Wagan walked now the outer wall consisted of thin wooden walkways that could be burned in case of assault, and tar pits that are almost impossible to walk through and could also be burned to aid the city's defense. If set alight the tar would burn for nearly a day.
Two hundred paces further was the inner gate. The whole inner wall was made of the stunning blue stone that the city was famous for, just like the out wall, again the gates were open, welcoming Wogan to his home. The towers of the inner wall rose much higher than the outer wall, allowing the weapons on top to fire over the outer wall. Very few soldiers were on the wall. They were needed for the wars in the south.
Once through the gates the great dwarven capital was even more impressive than its defenses. The great waterfall of the River of Kings was the first thing you could see, out in the distance. The river was diverted ahead, he walked through what used to be the river bed.
Around the waterfall was Murindor's Promenade. A great square that surrounded the King's waterfall. Flanking the square were cliffs to every side. The city was built into those cliffs. The city shone blue in the afternoon sun. Every brick, every paving stone, every speck of rock was Bosk's blessed blue stone.
The King pretended to deny Bosk, as did most citizens, but Wogan knew his god created those stones. He had travelled the world to learn of gods and magic and had learnt, without room for disproval, that the gods were real and that there was magic in this world.
He kept walking up the eastern cliff face, now high above the promenade to a secret entrance to the temple of Bosk. The main entrance at the centre of the promenade had been closed by King Noridin. Wogan opened a door and walked down many hundreds of steps. At the bottom he was let through a door into the great temple of his god. Wogan Bora, High Priest of the Dwarven God Bosk, was home.

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