Khenal
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Peek: Wherever the Wind Blows
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 01:42:25 +0000 UTCAh, look at them go. You know, when I was your age, we had to be wary of tumbleweeds. You never knew if they were going to try to eat you. Don't believe me? Well, settle into the shade and listen to the tale of a dungeon I'm glad is gone.
Our Wanderlands are no strangers to dungeons. Apparently, our nomadic nature makes the mana flows even more unstable than usual, which is a great way to get more dungeons. With the wide open spaces, we have a lot of turnaround on dungeons, too, as they either subsume each other, or get destroyed by invaders, thanks to how open things tend to be.
There was one dungeon who tried to take advantage of this fact. It was quite powerful in its day, too. I never delved it, because it's generally a poor idea to delve a murderous dungeon. This one had a particular claim on a windy plain, and it had plant spawners. It's not surprising that it would designate tumbleweeds, though the carnivorous variety is very unusual.
With wind affinity, not only could they ride the winds to seek out mana for their dungeon, but the carnivorous tumbleweeds could then blow themselves back home to sate its hunger. Naturally, this worked for a time. Who suspects a tumbleweed to be anything dangerous? Maybe don't get too close if one's on fire, maybe use gloves to handle them to ward off scratches, but to be in fear for your life around them seems ridiculous, right?
Not so ridiculous when a seemingly-innocent tumbleweed blows through and takes your dog, screaming the whole way as it continues tumbling along. And there are must more important things to lose than a pet. The trick worked for a couple years, but it only takes one child lost for a tribe to stop treating the tumbleweeds so lightly. More than one plainsfire was started by overzealous caravan guards torching passing tumbleweeds.
The dungeon made a lot of mana, at least at first. The tribes coordinated to wipe it out, inter-tribal bickering paling to the danger the dungeon represented. The tumbleweeds were dangerous, but only when they catch someone by surprise. Watches were kept, truces declared, and the dungeon's territory encircled to ensure not only would no fools be able to delve it, but also that its lethal expeditions would only meet failure.
So with its denizens actively hunted, and its territory blockaded, it eventually either starved or was destroyed by invaders. Good riddance, I say. So that's why you'll always see me stab or slice a tumbleweed before taking it to the campfire to burn. There hasn't been a sighting of a carnivorous one in over a decade, but it's better safe than sorry.
So you be careful around them, too. It's only a matter of time before some other dungeon gets that bright idea again.
~Onthar, Orc Bard Historian
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Inspired by the yard work that delayed this particular peek today :P I hope you all enjoyed it
Comments
Ben Bass
TYFTP! Love the idea of carnivorous tumbleweeds!
William Anderson
TYFTP!
Ethan Barrow
TFTC!! I love the reasoning behind it
Typhoonator
Missed opportunity to call them tumble-bleeds
12Baku34 .
You know these peeks should could become their own book at this point. A side story of sorts that shows us the things that happens inbetween the three current books thats out. Like I know a few of my friends who'd wish they'd get to see how Hulbreak, Violet, Southwood sees things. Or how the people around Furdock thinks and works around the changes the MC has done. How their life has changed for the better and such. There are just so many of us that don't get to see the peeks cause we can't just afford it. Not to mention, with a book that shows so many side stories and other parts of this world, we'd be more patienced in waiting for book four to come out on autio.
Cha0sniper
Boo! Hiss! :P
Kebbitevoke -
From my understanding of what Khernal has lore bashed; Im pretty sure that the Orks can come and go freely across borders as long as they don't conduct military raids.
Laetitia
I would love to see his take on thedeim. But orcs cannot cross the river gofnar can they ? Or ils that just for raiding parties ?
Bonester
I'm a relatively new patron and I had no idea these little stories existed before joining. I'm gonna have to go back and read them all
LinaBoeckwurm
I love these orc bard stories, always fun to hear new weird dungeon ideas!
Juno Tubolino
Excellent peek, I hate the idea of carnivorous tumbleweeds, but I love that you came up with it
Eriach
-laughs maniacally as you roll your dice-
Speedsaber
Man, the dungeon that thought of killer tumbleweeds was really on a roll
Herakilla
Thanks for the peek! I look at my own yard work with the same trepidation
Chrystal 1776
Gods what a horrific minion ๐ฑ *starts taking notes for D&D*
Demonlord
Thanks for the amazing peek ๐ I really love how all these Peeks ans chapters are so consistently well written. Great job wordsmith
Butternut
Love to see the inspiration coming from yard work!
Jacob
nice! imm super excited for the orcs to come by the southwood and finally get introduced to Thediem. i wonder about Freddie's parents too. were they wanderers?
chris Bell
I love the inspiration of it enjoy your time now eagerly awaiting tomorrows chapter
Rick Delallata
I love interesting new monsters
Kebbitevoke -
Whens the ork bard/historian gonna show up to Fourdock?
