10-03-2010, 10:11 AM
((OOC Note: This post takes place after the fall of Gnomeregan. This involves the character, Railey, and her training to become a Steamwarrior))
Guide:
Part 1:
Chapter 1: Happy Birthday!
Chapter 2: To Swing a Sword
Chapter 3: Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3!
Chapter 4: As the Years Pass
Part 2:
Chapter 5: A New Journey
Chapter 6: The Ambush
Chapter 7: In Dangerous Territory
Chapter 8: Life After
PART 1
Chapter 1: Happy Birthday!
Guide:
Part 1:
Chapter 1: Happy Birthday!
Chapter 2: To Swing a Sword
Chapter 3: Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3!
Chapter 4: As the Years Pass
Part 2:
Chapter 5: A New Journey
Chapter 6: The Ambush
Chapter 7: In Dangerous Territory
Chapter 8: Life After
PART 1
Chapter 1: Happy Birthday!
Spoiler:
Days had passed, and still the very vivid images of troggs, of radiation, of her brethren changing into lepers were still fresh in her mind. Today would be her fortieth birthday, and today Railey would cross the threshold into adulthood, but it wasn't a happy day for her. She had always imagined that such a day would be a joyous occasion, that family and friends would be there to congratulate her, and she would go on to be her own tinkerer and make them proud. But Railey Boltstopper's birthday would not be like that; she was a refugee from Gnomeregan.
She felt small, not in the literal sense, but on the inside. What was there to be proud of? She couldn't do a thing to save Gnomeregan, all she could do was run. Run across Dun Morough, run to Ironforge, stay where she was safe while she knew well that other gnomes were dying. Never had the gnome felt so insignificant, so helpless to the change. Nothing in her power could have stopped it, and now she was homeless, without family, and only some silver in her pocket. All she could do was sit around and mope, happy birthday indeed.
Railey found herself spending her evening in the military ward, sitting in the corner of the tavern there. As the hours passed the empty mugs were piling into a line in front of her. They did not, however, come from the gnome, but another dwarf who had sat with her. In contrast to her he seemed to be in a jolly mood, and he was covered with the scent of ale. For awhile he had not noticed how bad she was feeling, but he did observe that she had her hand on the same mug in front of her for over an hour now. All she could do was stare into the glass, watching it ripple with every stomp and pound that the rowdy drunks made in the bar.
“Lass, ye been in here all the night, an' ya still haven't touched ye beer!†he said, raising both his hands in disbelief. She would only give a passing glance up to the dwarf that stood over her and shrug her shoulders as if she didn't know what to do. The dwarf looked at her, expecting at least a sip, but noticed the melancholy look on her face. After a moment the silence got awkward, until the gnome felt forced to say something, at least to explain herself.
“Haven't felt good.†she said, each word stifled slightly, constantly taking her grip off the handle and putting it back on. Her hand couldn't keep still, and neither could her thoughts, but the dwarf didn't seem satisfied with her answer.
“Ye be a silly lass. Drink! It'll warm ye toes an' make ya feel better.†he said, giving her a grin and a sly wink. The gnome felt hesitant, but something about his expectations pressured her. With a tight grip she would look to him, then the glass, then back to the dwarf who still kept the same grin. He seemed friendly enough, and probably wanted her to feel good. Eventually she would cave in, lifting it from the table, and tilting her head back.
The bitter, warm ale slid down her throat, gulp after gulp, and yet she didn't stop. It felt like one drink invited the next, and the next, until the very last drops disappeared. She would let her arm and the mug fall back onto the table, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
“Is that better?†she asked, slumping back into the chair.
“Don't drink fer me, drink fer yourself!†the dwarf burst out, taking his cane and walking away from the table. She was only given a few moments to think before he returned frantically with another mug, placing it in front of the gnome. She would give him a perplexed look, before pushing it away.
“No, it's alright, I feel fine.†she said, sitting straight in her chair.
“Ye don't look fine, lass.†he said, pushing it back in front of her, “Drink, drink and be merry!â€Â
She would stare into the new mug, once again putting her hand on it. It seemed this time, she didn't need as much prodding to gulp it down. The first beer had left her feeling tingly, and already inhibited her thoughts. Somehow before she could tell herself no, the next mug was gone, and another was placed in front of her. Time started to slip away. She couldn't tell one drink from the next, and had even lost count, and as her brain felt light and the room started to spin, Gnomeregan began to melt away. For the first time in days she began to laugh and smile again.
Railey had spun her stool around, leaping from her seat and wobbling on the ground. She was rather light and cheery, and the dwarf looking on seemed amused at how few drinks had set her off. This was a fleeting moment, however, as she was soon staggering to the wall, the ground rocking below her feet. As she started panting heavily, she felt herself hunched forward, the most sickening feeling overcoming her body. As the nausea filled her, she would feel her arms and legs fall limp, and blacked out. Right then and there the night ended for her, everything turning to an unpleasant darkness.
Noises surrounded her, pulling her from her restless unconsciousness. She sat up in a bed, a dim light illuminating the small room she was in. She could hear the noises of clanks and steam, and as she rose from under the sheets, she would grab her pounding head and push the door ahead of her open.
She couldn't believe her eyes!
The room was filled with springs, gears, bolts, bars of metal, wires, tools, inventions, and everything in between! But perhaps the most impressive was what was in the center: a mechanical suit, armed with a buzzsaw and what seemed to be a cannon on the other arm, and valves in the back. It looked like a suit of armor, having been plates at the shoulders, the joints, but where the head would be was a control panel. From her point of view the towering machine had a few levers and such showing, but she couldn't reach further to see.
“Ye like it? I called 'er ol' Betsy. Built 'er from scratch.†a voice came from behind, nearly making the gnome jump. As she turned around to see she caught a glimpse of the same dwarf from last night, leaning against his cane. He didn't seem too old for having a bad leg, in fact, he looked like he was middle aged. But there was something she noticed; on his right leg, from the knee down it was all metal. She couldn't take her eye off it until he came closer to her, approaching the machine, dusting a speck off of one of the panels with his finger. He would then lean on the cane, looking up to it with pride.
The gnome too couldn't help but gaze up at the machine. For some reason, seeing something this grand inspired her. Like any gnome she grew up tinkering, making little toy trains and gadgets for her family. She always wanted to make something that was grand, and now she felt like she was seeing that in front of her two eyes. That was when the dwarf glanced over to her, and she instantly fell to her knees, clasping both her hands together.
“Please! Please let me be your apprentice!†the gnome begged, her wide eyes gazing up at him, her voice babbling like an excited child, “I don't have a place to tinker! I don't even have a silver on me. Please!â€Â
“Calm down, lass.†he said, making a chuckle as he prodded her shoulder lightly with the cane “On ye feet.â€Â
She nodded, instantly standing back up, awaiting his answer.
“So ye wanna tinker up things like this?†he asked, thumbing behind himself to the machine. She nodded her head quickly.
“I do! I do!â€Â
“It's not gonna be easy. Ye think ye'll be up fer it?â€Â
“Oh yes! I won't fail!â€Â
“Then ye can work under me.†he said, putting his hand out for her to shake, “Name's Baude Steelgin.â€Â
Very eagerly she snatched his hand, shaking it back.
“Railey Boltstopper.†she said back, letting out a sigh of relief, glad that she had his approval. As the two let go she would turn back, once more gazing back up at the machine.
“So when will I get to make one of those?†she asked, walking a circle around the steamsuit, putting a hand up to the plate.
“As soon as ye can handle it.†he said “Won't be easy.â€Â
“I wanna start right now!â€Â
“Okay, okay.†he said, putting his hands forward in a gesture, “Wait here.â€Â
He would hobble off with his cane, heading to another room. As some time passed she would tap her feet, looking up to the machine, seeming a bit impatient. It was only a few minutes, but to the excited gnome it felt like an hour. When Baude returned he had a giant paper held under his arm, standing right in front of her. He would unfurl it, holding it above her, the schematic went over her head. She would gaze at the intricate designs, the notes put down, trying to study each and every part needed for the machine. But before she could reach out he would flick his arm up, the paper rolling back up as he bonked her lightly between the pig-tails with it.
“This isn't the design ye'll be using.†he said.
“B-but why did you show it to me? What is this, I don't-â€Â
He would interrupt her once more with another tap on the head, this time with his cane. He turned around pointed to a table in the corner of the shop.
“Ye'll be makin' the schematic, Railey.â€Â
“M-me?!†she said, jaw dropping “B-but that design, it was so... so complex!â€Â
“I know that.†he said “And I made it maself. Ye can do the same.â€Â
He would press the end of the cane at her forehead, “Ye can do it, yer a gnome, ain't ya?â€Â
She nodded, letting him lower the cane. Glancing back up to the machine she would let out a sigh, before striding over to the work bench. It sounded quite difficult, but she couldn't see any other way to get it done. Baude would come behind, pulling out a huge sheet of paper, and pointing to the stack of others.
“Take yer time, lass.†he said, putting a marker in her hand, letting the gnome set to work.
And so she would draw, draw like she never drew before. Things would be quite different from that day on. While she had lost her home, family, and friends, there was a great gift that was given to her, that of hope. She had faced an opportunity, and would not let it go. It would be impossible to turn back to her past, so instead she would face the future head-on, and take whatever lies ahead.
She felt small, not in the literal sense, but on the inside. What was there to be proud of? She couldn't do a thing to save Gnomeregan, all she could do was run. Run across Dun Morough, run to Ironforge, stay where she was safe while she knew well that other gnomes were dying. Never had the gnome felt so insignificant, so helpless to the change. Nothing in her power could have stopped it, and now she was homeless, without family, and only some silver in her pocket. All she could do was sit around and mope, happy birthday indeed.
Railey found herself spending her evening in the military ward, sitting in the corner of the tavern there. As the hours passed the empty mugs were piling into a line in front of her. They did not, however, come from the gnome, but another dwarf who had sat with her. In contrast to her he seemed to be in a jolly mood, and he was covered with the scent of ale. For awhile he had not noticed how bad she was feeling, but he did observe that she had her hand on the same mug in front of her for over an hour now. All she could do was stare into the glass, watching it ripple with every stomp and pound that the rowdy drunks made in the bar.
“Lass, ye been in here all the night, an' ya still haven't touched ye beer!†he said, raising both his hands in disbelief. She would only give a passing glance up to the dwarf that stood over her and shrug her shoulders as if she didn't know what to do. The dwarf looked at her, expecting at least a sip, but noticed the melancholy look on her face. After a moment the silence got awkward, until the gnome felt forced to say something, at least to explain herself.
“Haven't felt good.†she said, each word stifled slightly, constantly taking her grip off the handle and putting it back on. Her hand couldn't keep still, and neither could her thoughts, but the dwarf didn't seem satisfied with her answer.
“Ye be a silly lass. Drink! It'll warm ye toes an' make ya feel better.†he said, giving her a grin and a sly wink. The gnome felt hesitant, but something about his expectations pressured her. With a tight grip she would look to him, then the glass, then back to the dwarf who still kept the same grin. He seemed friendly enough, and probably wanted her to feel good. Eventually she would cave in, lifting it from the table, and tilting her head back.
The bitter, warm ale slid down her throat, gulp after gulp, and yet she didn't stop. It felt like one drink invited the next, and the next, until the very last drops disappeared. She would let her arm and the mug fall back onto the table, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
“Is that better?†she asked, slumping back into the chair.
“Don't drink fer me, drink fer yourself!†the dwarf burst out, taking his cane and walking away from the table. She was only given a few moments to think before he returned frantically with another mug, placing it in front of the gnome. She would give him a perplexed look, before pushing it away.
“No, it's alright, I feel fine.†she said, sitting straight in her chair.
“Ye don't look fine, lass.†he said, pushing it back in front of her, “Drink, drink and be merry!â€Â
She would stare into the new mug, once again putting her hand on it. It seemed this time, she didn't need as much prodding to gulp it down. The first beer had left her feeling tingly, and already inhibited her thoughts. Somehow before she could tell herself no, the next mug was gone, and another was placed in front of her. Time started to slip away. She couldn't tell one drink from the next, and had even lost count, and as her brain felt light and the room started to spin, Gnomeregan began to melt away. For the first time in days she began to laugh and smile again.
Railey had spun her stool around, leaping from her seat and wobbling on the ground. She was rather light and cheery, and the dwarf looking on seemed amused at how few drinks had set her off. This was a fleeting moment, however, as she was soon staggering to the wall, the ground rocking below her feet. As she started panting heavily, she felt herself hunched forward, the most sickening feeling overcoming her body. As the nausea filled her, she would feel her arms and legs fall limp, and blacked out. Right then and there the night ended for her, everything turning to an unpleasant darkness.
Noises surrounded her, pulling her from her restless unconsciousness. She sat up in a bed, a dim light illuminating the small room she was in. She could hear the noises of clanks and steam, and as she rose from under the sheets, she would grab her pounding head and push the door ahead of her open.
She couldn't believe her eyes!
The room was filled with springs, gears, bolts, bars of metal, wires, tools, inventions, and everything in between! But perhaps the most impressive was what was in the center: a mechanical suit, armed with a buzzsaw and what seemed to be a cannon on the other arm, and valves in the back. It looked like a suit of armor, having been plates at the shoulders, the joints, but where the head would be was a control panel. From her point of view the towering machine had a few levers and such showing, but she couldn't reach further to see.
“Ye like it? I called 'er ol' Betsy. Built 'er from scratch.†a voice came from behind, nearly making the gnome jump. As she turned around to see she caught a glimpse of the same dwarf from last night, leaning against his cane. He didn't seem too old for having a bad leg, in fact, he looked like he was middle aged. But there was something she noticed; on his right leg, from the knee down it was all metal. She couldn't take her eye off it until he came closer to her, approaching the machine, dusting a speck off of one of the panels with his finger. He would then lean on the cane, looking up to it with pride.
The gnome too couldn't help but gaze up at the machine. For some reason, seeing something this grand inspired her. Like any gnome she grew up tinkering, making little toy trains and gadgets for her family. She always wanted to make something that was grand, and now she felt like she was seeing that in front of her two eyes. That was when the dwarf glanced over to her, and she instantly fell to her knees, clasping both her hands together.
“Please! Please let me be your apprentice!†the gnome begged, her wide eyes gazing up at him, her voice babbling like an excited child, “I don't have a place to tinker! I don't even have a silver on me. Please!â€Â
“Calm down, lass.†he said, making a chuckle as he prodded her shoulder lightly with the cane “On ye feet.â€Â
She nodded, instantly standing back up, awaiting his answer.
“So ye wanna tinker up things like this?†he asked, thumbing behind himself to the machine. She nodded her head quickly.
“I do! I do!â€Â
“It's not gonna be easy. Ye think ye'll be up fer it?â€Â
“Oh yes! I won't fail!â€Â
“Then ye can work under me.†he said, putting his hand out for her to shake, “Name's Baude Steelgin.â€Â
Very eagerly she snatched his hand, shaking it back.
“Railey Boltstopper.†she said back, letting out a sigh of relief, glad that she had his approval. As the two let go she would turn back, once more gazing back up at the machine.
“So when will I get to make one of those?†she asked, walking a circle around the steamsuit, putting a hand up to the plate.
“As soon as ye can handle it.†he said “Won't be easy.â€Â
“I wanna start right now!â€Â
“Okay, okay.†he said, putting his hands forward in a gesture, “Wait here.â€Â
He would hobble off with his cane, heading to another room. As some time passed she would tap her feet, looking up to the machine, seeming a bit impatient. It was only a few minutes, but to the excited gnome it felt like an hour. When Baude returned he had a giant paper held under his arm, standing right in front of her. He would unfurl it, holding it above her, the schematic went over her head. She would gaze at the intricate designs, the notes put down, trying to study each and every part needed for the machine. But before she could reach out he would flick his arm up, the paper rolling back up as he bonked her lightly between the pig-tails with it.
“This isn't the design ye'll be using.†he said.
“B-but why did you show it to me? What is this, I don't-â€Â
He would interrupt her once more with another tap on the head, this time with his cane. He turned around pointed to a table in the corner of the shop.
“Ye'll be makin' the schematic, Railey.â€Â
“M-me?!†she said, jaw dropping “B-but that design, it was so... so complex!â€Â
“I know that.†he said “And I made it maself. Ye can do the same.â€Â
He would press the end of the cane at her forehead, “Ye can do it, yer a gnome, ain't ya?â€Â
She nodded, letting him lower the cane. Glancing back up to the machine she would let out a sigh, before striding over to the work bench. It sounded quite difficult, but she couldn't see any other way to get it done. Baude would come behind, pulling out a huge sheet of paper, and pointing to the stack of others.
“Take yer time, lass.†he said, putting a marker in her hand, letting the gnome set to work.
And so she would draw, draw like she never drew before. Things would be quite different from that day on. While she had lost her home, family, and friends, there was a great gift that was given to her, that of hope. She had faced an opportunity, and would not let it go. It would be impossible to turn back to her past, so instead she would face the future head-on, and take whatever lies ahead.