Western Zukchiva
1801
Our story begins in the Western mountains of Zukchiva… where many dwarven kingdoms have burrowed their homes in the mountains, and where large, sprawling settlements are the new norm.
Technology has struck hard on the Zukchivan way of life. As with everywhere else, new social classes have arisen, regional populations have skyrocketed, and the concept of private trade is now becoming the principal economic system.
With these changes comes new cries of equality for the male race of dwarves, who have been under the thumb of their opposite gender for thousands of years. Revolutions are spreading, and change is coming. But not all who rule favor such changes.
Our protagonist’s name is Assotalyn Conqura, and she is the Fourth Keef of her kingdom. Her great-great-great grandmother had led a peasant rebellion against the previous despotic ruler of the settlement. With her prowess and strong allies, she eventually succeeded and was given the title of “Keef”, or “Liberator”. Previous Keefs had come and gone, and now Assotalyn’s time to rule is here.
Assotalyn stared at the mirror hanging on her wall. Today was another day to rule, as she liked to tell herself. Being Keef wasn’t always the best job out there however, and today Assotalyn was especially feeling tired for no real reason. Sometimes, she wondered why she couldn’t just have had a few more years of freedom before taking on the responsibilities of ruling. After all, her life had just barely gotten good when her mother died…
Shaking herself out of her revere, she walked out of the washing room, across the room to her doorway, and opened the door. Below her feet, she saw the newspaper that she liked to read: “The Zukchivan Times”. An interesting newspaper, started by an entrepreneur Dwarf with the name of Erighul Orcchin, who resided in one of those large Eastern dwarven kingdoms. It was pretty much a print publication that recalled news from the whole of the Zukchivan region.
She looked up and down the flame-lit hallway to see if anyone else was awake. Upon seeing her handmaids’ unlit signal torches, Assotalyn picked up the newspaper and pulled her head back inside her room, shutting the large door into the stone frame. The Keef strode back to her bed and sat herself on it, reclining her head against the stone wall. She opened the brittle pages and began to skim the newspaper. Soon enough, however, she found herself napping….
Assotalyn woke suddenly from her dreamless nap with a deep knocking on the door. THUMP THUMP THUMP went the dark wood, the door frame shaking violently. Throwing the newspaper off her chest, Assotalyn pushed herself off the bed and pulled open the door to see her Helper, Lofula, fully dressed in a cotton shirt and work pants.
“Assotalyn,” her aide huffed quickly in short, muttered breaths. “Dalaeg has assembled another crowd of men, and they’re demanding to see you at the burrow entrance. Again!” Assotalyn’s heart sank into her stomach at the news.
“Is it a bigger crowd than last time?” she asked as she grabbed her sword and pistol, shoving them into their sheaths. “Last time it was a mere twenty men, wasn’t it?” Lofula nodded, her breath unseemingly coming out in puffs as she recovered from her run to reach and wake the Keef. “Yes, yes it was. But now it seems more like fifty.” Assotalyn grunted angrily as she shoved her door closed. Quickly lighting her torch, the Keef turned and strode down the hallway, with Lofula following her.
Dalaeg was a small man who had grown up together with Assotalyn. They’d been the best of friends, spending all their time together (even though Assotalyn’s mom disagreed). Of course, taking on the title of Keef had separated their friendship since Assotalyn stayed in the burrow-town with the rest of the women, while Dalaeg was stuck in the surface. It was no wonder that Dalaeg was leading the local group who wanted change: he was always determined as a boy to see change. He was, as some would call it, an inspiring person.
The first time such an incident had happened, Dalaeg had gathered ten people with a petition asking for men to be let into the burrow. Of course, Assotalyn told him that it couldn’t happen, it was simply against the way of the queendom. Dalaeg had turned away, and Assotalyn thought that was the end of it.
But within two months, the perseverance man returned with another twenty men and stronger demands. The Keef was able to turn him away again. Now, it was fifty. Assotalyn was sure she could deter the fledgling revolutionaries once again, but she feared what would happen next. When would they trade in their signs for guns? Their pencils for arms? Revolution was something growing by the day, and yet Assotalyn knew that it was not the right path for the settlement. It had been something keeping her up at night for the past few months, and it seemed the problem just kept growing.
She hoped that revolution wouldn’t spark its flame in her queendom. But she knew she had to start making preparations.