Diggy Diggy Hole Chapter 31 (Patreon)

"He works faster then any rune smith I have seen." Thundrum Ironbeard grumbled as he collapsed into an admittedly well crafted stone chair next to the Slayer King.

Ungrim Ironfist grumbled before he said quietly as he also watched Kharn working at his... Weird forge line which created his automatons.

And it rankled at Ungrim's beard seeing Kharn making what amounted as a soul less army . But deep down he had a feeling that he was seeing his old clan in those bronze warriors and constructs.

'The Barruk clan was known for their bronze and gold works with Snorlot having a knack with rune blessed gold bands of protection... He is building a bronze army to match his clan.'

Ungrim despite being the Slayer King and thus also seeking the perfect doom to throw himself at like the rest of his people. Didn't like the idea of using automaton troops entirely.

Sure mechanical weapons like Grudge Thrower's and even War Blimps made sense as it was controlled by a fellow dawi.

But still an entire army of automatons rubbed Ungrim wrong until he recalled the Colossi of Azram, the Eldest Anscestor God of the Dawi. Who left giant sized automatons of living stone that would come alive some day to defend his people.

That army was one thing however... Kharn's talent with smithing, runic crafting, and he had also clearly been blessed by Valaya the Ancestor Goddess of home, hearth, brewing, cooking, and healing.

The food and ale he prepared. Clearly a divine blessing as the unhealed wounds hidden on his body and other's healed and he felt more alive then ever after eating his clearly enchanted meals and the ale he prepared to welcome them as guests.

"He will without a doubt become a Rune Lord so long as he foolishly doesn't get killed in battle. Our people need more Rune Lords and if he can craft a new Anvil of Doom... Any losses in the future will be worth it." Ungrim spoke to his advisor and old friend.

Thundrum grunted in agreement before he muttered. "It's unnatural, is what it is. Beardless whelps like em, should still be playing the mud and working as an apprentice to his father."

Ungrim's voice became hard as his mind filled with the memories of countless Dawi who came to the Slayer Kingdom to seek their glorious dooms.

And he finally said with a hint of respect. "What he should be doing is what he is doing. He is honoring his clan with his craft. And he has every intent once he does grow older, to lead an army of his own creation to take back his clan's lost Hold."

The Runesmith snorted before he said flatly. "You just want a tankard of his ale with your breakfast you old goat... The real question, is what in the deep stank of the underworld, do we do with the horde of Ogre's he has tied to him with that massive farm of his. To say nothing of Grand Cathay, the fucking traitors and oath breakers they are."

Ungrim's face twitched as he said helplessly. "Aye the Ogre's we can't feed em either. Only Kharn's weird farm he has going on can. It would be rude to demand answers as to how it works as well."

But then Ungrim's face turned hard and he said bluntly. "As for that dragon bitch hiding behind that shoddy Drakk made wall. If she comes to take ma boy, Imma cut her head off and her father can lick ma boots if he thinks imma just hand a rune smith to his kin."

Then the runesmith grunted in agreement as he said stubbornly. "Aye, we ain't at fault regardless for defending ourselves and kin. Though, we do not have enough warriors for prolonged siege even if Kharn has turned this Hold into a death trap aimed at the Thaggoraki."

Another Slayer, one so blasted off his ale that he just stuck the handles of the ale into the screws in his head to keep the extra cups of ale ready for him staggered into the table where Ungrim and Thundrum were speaking.

"Heh! The drakk won't even wut hit her in the ass when ya cut off her toes. Heh we should make Kharn a saddle out of her scales for his war goat haha!" The drunk slayer cheered with Kharn giving his war goat across the room some weird look as the goat bayed loudly at being mentioned.

Then Ungrim had an idea thought... A thought entirely driven by the vast amount of enchanted ale he had been chugging as a proper guest would do so.

'Heh. What if Kharn moves up from riding a goat to riding a dragon. Bah, dragon riding is for them pointy ear gits... But how strong would a true Cathay dragon be if she were armored in good dawi steel and covered in runic protection from magic and arrows?' Ungrim mused thoughtfully.

It was an utterly stupid thought obviously but the ale made him amusedly imagine the young form of Kharn with an oversized executioner axe and cutting down foes while riding on the serpentine dragon from.

Then Kharn came over... And his face became blank at his weird as hell question.

"How far is Karak Kadrin and the exact direction? For us it was a twenty day long march using secret tunnels leading through the Underdark so distance I can't say. But it's fairly west and slightly north of us." Ungrim spoke in confusion.

"Please come with me for a second Lord Ungrim. I have something else I must show you then."

Ungrim got up with his fiery blood suppressing the booze within and with a frown the rune smith followed the whelp as he took them deeper into the hold and finally into a room filled with several traps obviously was a large doorway of sorts made out of what was clearly obsidian.

But the doorway of obsidian was more than fifteen meters wide with Kharn speaking quietly. "The biggest issue that our people have is that we are often seperated so far from one another and with the underdark taken by foul creatures we can't travel underground as we should."

"This, is called a Nether Portal. It will take us into a sub realm of sorts like the Underdark, but there isn't any Skaven, no Orcs, and no demons lie within it that I have seen." Kharn spoke.

"What ye getting at boy." Thundrum said a bit impatiently as he clearly was a bit off put by the gate even if it wasn't activated? Or whatever it needed to be done to be used.

"Each step you take in that realm is eight steps in the normal world. I plan to build a tunnel with a rail system to deliver materials and our people from one place to another. Not to mention the monster's within the realm are all but a blessing to our kind!"

A grunt of annoyance left Ungrim as this was too much too soon. But he knew he had to give the young dwarf a chance so he said plainly. "How dangerous is it. And how can ye be sure our enemies won't be in it?"

And Kharn was quiet for a moment... Real quiet before he said quietly and tiredly. "Danger wise. It's as dangerous normally as traveling through the Underdark if you are just wandering stupidly. But I will build thick walls to keep out enemies as I make the train system!

Then he continued and Ungrim paused at his words. "The realm has monsters yes, but they are made out of some form of magic so that when the monsters are slain. They melt away, leaving only gold, special bones that can be used for rune crafting, and the bigger monsters if slain drop special alchemy ingredients that can even regrow limbs!"

That final bit... The ability to regrow limbs was unimaginably important for Ungrim Ironfist. As how could a Slayer meet a fitting doom if he died with only half his limbs as he killed all his previous foes even while losing said limbs.