Many willing Humans, fewer Dwarves

Second Moon
1255 AC (Aclian Calendar)

People who were fed up with the festering corruption in the Kingdom of Torfun were many. Rampant bandit attacks, slow responses by the royal army, corrupt and greedy nobles who overtaxed their peasantry while living in ill-gotten fortune, and good honest folk being blamed for crimes they did not do. Noble, merchant and peasant alike grew angry and dissatisfied, waiting for someone - anyone - to unite them and raise the flag of rebellion.

Iozunk would be that benefactor.

Ferdinand's agents were quick, weaving a web that encompassed the entire kingdom from the largest cities to the smallest towns, seeking out viable connections for strategic alliances while ascertaining the true state of affairs in Torfun.

Suffice to say, things were worse than they expected.

Bigger guilds continued to suck up to the sleazeball King Aiden and his band of sycophants. Through King Aiden's total apathy to the intricacies of rule, corrupt guilds were able to enact large-scale extortion and profiteering, squeezing the poor peasantry dry of coin to fatten their own coffers, underpaying their own workers. Nobles would join in the unfortunate practices, even going as far as to forcibly take wives and daughters as collateral.

Those who fell afoul of them were **** to the fringes of Torfun territory, while luckier ones managed to eventually escape and seek refuge in Virnfaldur.

They would strike gold with several willing parties, though only a quarter of them held true loyalty to the people of Torfun, while the rest were mere opportunists.

As for Virnfaldur, the radical elements were suppressed under a government that demanded total obedience in light of their dwindling population and a growing number of disasters that befell their mountain kingdom: Landslides, cave-ins, monster infestations, and so on. The King is well-intentioned along with a select few of his closest advisors, but many conservatives use this as an opportunity to reign in the 'unruly' radicals, who just want to try new ways to solve old problems, something the conservatives take umbrage with.

And according to Kelvhan, once Dwarves were dedicated towards something, they could be obstinate, stubborn and pig-headed in the ****. This necessitated an internal civil war to clean away the bad blood and take it under their control, just how they liked it.

In an unassuming inn, a cloaked traveller approached the counter, pulling down his hood which dripped with rainwater, sighing in relief after finding shelter from the heavy shower outside.

"Hello sir, how can I help you?" The female receptionist asked.

"May I ask where is room 204? I'm supposed to be meeting my companion tonight."

"Take the stairs upstairs, and then take the very last door on your left."

"Thank you."

With that done, the traveller headed straight to the mentioned room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Your kid brother."

"Come in."

The traveller entered, closed the door and took off his cloak, relieved to be free of that constructing garment. He took in the sight of the young woman before her; striking red hair cascading toward her shoulders, eyes of sandy yellow hardened with steel, a chiselled body from years of war and training, and a no-nonsense demeanour.

Ferdinand took an immediate liking to her.

"So, the great spymaster Ferdinand of the Monster Horde. Or rather, the Empire of Aclia. I should be honoured," The woman greeted, her tone even and neutral.

"And I suppose I should be honoured to meet Princess Aednat, the famous 'Maverick Hound' of Torfun, a general and sister to a worthless king who continually disdains your talent and radical tactics," Ferdinand bit back.

"I guess the both of us are radicals frowned upon by society," Aednat shrugged, "Now out with it: What is your plan for taking down my brother?"

"We will have to kill both him and virtually all the high-ranking personnel in the royal palace in one night, and in one go, and then we pin the blame upon the corrupt nobles and merchants, giving us the perfect excuse to clean house," Ferdinand explained, "And I need you to act the part of the villain."

"Oh? Do tell," Aednat beckoned.

Ferdinand nodded, "He fears you, so King Aiden will eat up any rumors of your rebellion with a spoon. Once I bait him to call a meeting with his closest advisors, I will have them all murdered, and then I need you to declare for the Monster Horde and crush any and all resistance to your rule."

"Deal."

Ferdinand stared at her in shock.

"I... I thought you would be more hesitant," Ferdinand admitted.

"King Aiden got my dear brother killed, the only family member I ever loved, out of spite. The nobles and merchants stood by and watched. Piss on this kingdom that got him killed. If I have to hand it to your Empire, so be it."

Ferdinand never expected such vitriol from Aednat, but it also convinced him of her willingness to commit to this cause.

"Then... I ask that you make preparations and await the news, Your Highness."

"I'll be waiting."

With nothing left to say, Ferdinand left.

Virnfaldur

In the deepest, darkest recesses of the mountain kingdom, a burial crypt left forgotten by time stirred to life, eerie ghostly wails emanating from its cavernous halls as stone lids on sarcophagi were lifted and pushed away.

Then, ancient Dwarven skeletons, buried with ceremonial armour and weaponry, crawled out and marched towards the exit, following the command of their one true sire.

Out on the snow-tipped peaks of the Virnfaldur Mountains, a lone Dwarven skeleton, clad in the immaculate royal regalia of ancient Dwarven Kings, addressed his army in a raspy voice aged by time.

"My brothers and sisters, the time has come, to avenge our humiliation at the hands of the pretender-King's dynasty! Through his actions, our bodies were left to crumble and rot, forgotten by the passage of time, our deeds in history erased by those who sought to usurp our power! I say no more!"

The Undead groaned in a half-dead chorus, echoing his rage and fervour.

"We march, my brethren! Slaughter every single Dwarf within their halls, and show them what it means to suffer for their sins!"