The Lesson
"Gather round beardlings" Ramus Stonebreaker bellowed his long and splintered great beard shifting slightly to his maw opening "its time for you to hear the great tale of the age of strife again". Groans and curses could be heard but only just under the mutters of the youngest of the beardlings for it was never wise or indeed safe to protest against an elder for their beards were that of age and with age came understanding and most certainly respect it demanded from his younglings. Ramus sat himself down upon his throne esq. seat his beard now covering his legs like a blanket. He reached into it with a rune encrusted gauntlet and pulled from it his pipe. Beards were useful for many things everyone knew that!
He lit it slowly taking a few puffs before inhaling properly making sure it was just right. He then signalled for one of the younglings to bring him his personal tankard. A mug made of gold and various other precious minerals filled to the brim with the finest ale the stuff that could last a century and even then would only gain potency and flavour throughout life. The ale wasn't merely based on consumption purposes but actual nutrition. Even many a beardling could survive on ale alone for a good six weeks. It was filled with hearty ingredients possessing the capabilities of breeding new life within a living being. He took a meagre swig of the brew checking the age as it were. He brought a frown to his aged face bearing it upon the beardling who brought it to him. "Five hundred years old….is that what it's come to"? "And no doubt this is Margons brewing"! He gave a huff and puff before taking another somewhat tolerant gulp of the brew. "In my day" 'those words instantly brought hands to faces and immediate mental moans. No matter what nothing would compare to the age known as trade not to mention anything. According to all elders orks aren't as scary as they were, many a warrior isn't as brave and no one ever seems to let their breads go anymore, too much prancy boying they called it beards weren't meant for cleaning or tidying they were meant to be wild. He wouldn't let it down how he dread the next generation of elders would be like. Tolerant as bugger they would say nothing more then a fool's gold in value. "In my day" he continued ignoring the younger ones less experienced minds "we had ale that was generations old, literally thousands of years old! And they were brewed by the best oh yes" he smiled "real brewers you see not just ordinary brothers". He took another toke on his pipe itself scribed with various runes and tribal like patterns. Everything about him down to the tiniest detail seemed to be immaculate or at least to his point of view. For one who had wealth was a well received homage but one of this degree meant obvious implications of leadership and story. A life much hardship both with reward and sorrow. But you didn't have to see that on his armour nor beard for what little flesh could be seen on his face told those words clearer then any other. "Now" he began knowing he had the attention of the little ones "this tale of history goes just a little before the age of strife and indeed is one of are most held memories and greatest grudge held in the great book itself". The great book as he mentioned was an artefact of great cultural importance to them. Every deed they had triumphed, every hardship fought and every grudge avenged or unfulfilled were stored in this great book. Few had seen it but there was no doubt it existed and even so if it didn't their kind never forgot a grudge and a grudge was what made them them in a sense.
"It was during the war against the great devourer we had gained are greatest loss". "Now we are stern folk like the mountains themselves of course and are skill at arms cannot be matched by no other but even a mountain can crumbled beneath its own foundations". "We stood are ground heads held high and beards swaying low as the scourge of scuttling monsters came for us claws and teeth as long as you arm and minds to blurred to make sense" of he empathised with a wide eyed expression using his body to show a crude and rushed attempt at what they might have been like. This of course held no wonder to the younglings to them words meant more at this very point in time. Ramus sat back down having a good grumbled about how devoid the idiots were before him and then started back to the lesson. "Anyway" he spoke rather in a frustrated tone "we fought them off for many weeks are gun lines barely holding back the sheer weight of the demons". "Their vile tongues mocking are name and ways". "I cannot lie when I say we lost many that day" his words carried a sense of sorrow but more so then any elder should let on "we lost entire brotherhoods". "Warriors who I had known sense I was knee high to an ork were massacred, torn apart by the wretched xenos"! "And do you know what they do to you, the devourers"? "They take you back to their ships ya see and grind you up before making a stew out of ya"! "And of course that aint the worst bit….its when they make you into one of them"! Those were the words that meant more, the ones that filled their hearts (and perhaps beards) with sheer horror.
"We sent word to are allies" he used the word with a grudge itself taking another swig from the poor ale as if trying to swallow vile that was working its way up "the great imperium of mankind" he then gave a mocking bow as if the Emperor himself had been there listening to his story of devastation, betrayal but overall sanctity. "We were told that they were too busy with their crusades of conquest that their faithful allies who I will add gave them many a secret and plenty of valued trade for a good few thousand years" he said the last part in a shout, not as thunderous as it could have been or perhaps should have been but it still made the impression of his raging anger. "We were on are own" he sighed "but we were not helpless in this".
He gulped down the last of his drink he gave a weak belch and a quick stroke of the beard handing the mug back to the boy who quickly fetched him another. He was about to take a gulp when his nose sensed a new aura. He looked down into his ale a murky brown liquor stared back at him with an almost syrupy texture. He dipped his tongue in to take the smallest amount of flavour in. his features turned into those of pleasant shock and awe. "This is Dermugs finest" he whispered to no one in particular. "We thought you deserved it" the boy spoke up his beard short and stubbly and his frame not as broad or hence like that of his. Ramus turned his gaze to the rest of the younglings all were on the edge of their seats now eager to hear more. They were truly interested in what was being told. About bloody time he thought before giving a hearty laugh. He took a few more grateful gulps of his drink its refreshing taste giving him the means to move on.
"The greatest lord of the time had gathered the great council of brotherhoods". "A great debate along with a few grumbles were finally to be made". "We now knew that are human allies were not going to come to are aid". "The Eldar as wise and as superior as they made themselves out to be would also would not come to are side as they too had held a great was against the ruinous powers, the great dark gods of chaos". "But that's a different tale" he spat out quickly "I'm on about us right now"! He took a heavy toke on his pipe perhaps the last of it. He exhaled a plume of sweet smelling smoke smothering his image from others gazes. "And we of course would not call the orks for aid for are history of recent actions had shown them to not be trusted". He saw the confused and puzzled looks upon their faces and he himself gave a puzzled but altogether embarrassed look. "Yes at one time we did have friendly terms with the green skins and many a time we held in times of war…..what you making faces for THIS IS HISTORY GRUDGES DAMIT"!!! "I didn't say we were smart back then"! He collected himself for a moment after having established the foolishness of past actions and the overall new found fear factor he gained to his lowers, which of course meant more respect to me. "We are called the out cast for a reason" he started once more "when the final hour of are end came many brotherhoods and forges that of are great strongholds decided to stay and fight to the bitter end. A faction of us however (that being us of course) decided that we were not to be drowned in a pit of blood for are life's are worth many more then the foul alien and it is are duty in are life to repay a grudge and a grudge we will repay the only way we can"!
His face once more featured sorrow but on a degree that could not be recorded nor described for the woes his life had faced were beyond that of compare to any mortal. "We left in are great ships and had the regrettable honour of watching are kinsmen die and are world consumed". "It was only after this that the humans came and scavenged what we had left claiming it as their own". "Such a deed is a grudge beardlings and such a grudge must be repaid". He finally finished his ale his eyes now weighing heavily on his brow even his beard seem to sink according to his bodies state.
"We hid for many a year on are great arks wondering through the void with no place to call home". "It would be not long though till we met the ones known as the Tau". "They took us in with open arms and beared us their greater good.
"They are such a naïve race" he laughed strongly. It spread like a virus infecting all the beardlings in the room for they knew the truth of the alliance. "We'll let these Tau think we work for them, take their aid and keep us safe all the while were rebuilding are brotherhood piece by piece and restoring are great technology that of which we out span theirs". "They may build and learn well but they rush far too much" he scorned their name "these Tau will be their own undoing, only we have the patients and wisdom to hold are own". "We are the best craftsmen in the entire universe my boys, and if anything is worth building it's worth a good few hundred years to do it at least". "It may take time but I doubt for long" he smiled "we will avenge are kin and we will be free once more".
He placed his pipe within his beard again and had the boy take his tankard away to be polished and stored. "And that is are lesson done for this night beardling". "You best of learned well for when the time comes we will all be driven to battle as is are ancestral right". "Before you sleep remember keep your ancestors to heart and keep your grudges closer". The younglings arisen from their seating and returned to their dorms for a well earned rest. The old man sat in his chair once more caressing his beard gently remembering all those memories and grudges yet to be paid. He had seen much but far too little in recent times. He moved to the back of the room and gazed upon the axe on the wall. It was made well, forged in the furnaces of the strongholds and beared the marks of the greatest and most well kept runes. This was his reminder of who he was and how it even brought a tear to his eyes. The humans called us squats he spat yet we are the Demiurgand we know vengeance more then any other could and a grudge is a grudge and all are made to be repaid and in the only way we can. Blood against the traitors….
He returned to his seat and proceed with a good grumble. It was well earned.
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I'm not aware if there are any mention of the dead race in fan fiction so I thought id make a story a little modernised I'm not sure if its entirely accurate to their history and a did add a dwarf edge to them.
I hope you all enjoyed reading this and feedback would be much appreciated