The Hammer of Hollow Mount

Like all good stories about Dwarves this one of course starts in a tavern, and of course involves copious amounts of ale. It all started with a drunken boast about the prowess of Refuge's engineers, they had built this magnificent monument to Solan above Titan as a Refuge against the orc menace below. The light brought to Titan air and thus Refuge intersected the light ducting away as much air as possible throughout the rest of the station, the dwarves used this initially to build the first parts of Refuge but then as the station began to encompass the world various other methods of air production and the removal of waste gases had to be thought of.
Initially red amber was used to power strategically placed wands and rods of air production across the station, but a few bright sparks had the idea of the glasshouses. Monumental cathedral sized gardens of the best oxygen producing plants industrially farmed to the highest yields possible simultaneously solving the problems of oxygen production and waste gas removal, this helped keep the balance of the air right in the areas of the station the furthest away from the light.
The great and well respected Colonel Chamscrange of the Refuge guard conducted in the best Dwarven tradition, a series of experiments involving explosives and cannon. He observed that when firing a cannon with a particularly large load of black powder the cannon would recoil and that with smaller amounts the recoil would be less, and with variable burn time mixtures one could even propel the cannon across the floor at a steady pace. From these experiments Colonel Chamscrange’s team started experimenting with steam-thrust locomotives and seeing if directed steam could push a vehicle along a track, after a few years of experiments the idea of thruster based propulsion was refined to a decent degree within Refuge.
And thus the tale begins with a drunken boast about and by some of Refuge’s most inebriated and therefore finest engineers.
“The problem is, we’re stuck in orbit...I wonder what else is out there?” Exclaimed one of the engineers while taking a large gulp of a dark brown ale. “Well the lads have had some amazing breakthrough in crystals, they’ve made some telescopes produce even clearer pictures for observing the other planets.” Replied another, seeming to match the large gulp as well. “Aye that’s all well and good but what about actually getting out there!” The engineer underlined his point by slamming his tankard on the table. “Well, we’ve got the suits for getting out for hull repairs of Refuge, why cannae we make something...uhhh..BIGGER!” A third Engineer interjected with a wild swing of his tankard.
And after a few more rounds several engineering sections of Refuge committed to creating a prototype, with each team assuring the other in the strongest terms that there prototype would be better.
Five prototypes were produced, after a time they settled on calling them Ships, because indeed that was what several of them resembled. One was the typical dwarven longboat made of copper and steel with a large glass dome over the top of the ship where there should have been masts there were great steel pillars reinforcing the integrity of the dome. Another resembled a great turtle's shell, with a glass viewing window in the front from which to pilot, underneath it like great grey gangly arms rested the thruster arrays. This particular arrangement was quickly nullified as it chose to use steam propulsion, there were initial worries about water consumption but this was found to be the smallest problem after the crew were overcome with the poisonous fumes from the boilers due to lack of ventilation.
Some of the prototypes were able to manage the ‘void’ and make relatively short runs from one area of the station to the other. A large section of the station was reworked into a sort of dry-dock that could be depressurized slowly over time to allow testing of the ships, it was in this colossal drydock named “Hollow Mount” that the initial teams of Engineers began to work together, a standard design was agreed one that combined the best of function with the best of form in true Dwarven tradition.
Thus the ‘Hammer of Hollow Mount’ slowly took shape. A name which now lives in legend amongst the dwarves of Refuge. It was thought that if the Dwarves were to explore the heavens and possibly encounter Solan then it should be in a vessel fit for him, a great copper and bronze hammer was slowly forged over the course of several years. It was fully one hundred metres from bow to stern and half that at its widest point. For all intents and purposes it was a large hammer, with the head being the bridge, living areas and weaponry. Leaving the haft housing all the power generation, life support and engines.
The prow of the ship became emblazoned with a beautiful golden sun motif, inlaid with runes of protection and luck in reverence of Solan. Such was the size of it that all dwarves of Refuge were invited to etch a message on the surface of it, each being allotted a small square for their own personal inscriptions. It was hoped these would be received by Solan in thanks.
The Hammer was to be a one off purely for experimentation and exploration purposes, its crew was entirely volunteer made up of some of the finest engineers in the whole of Refuge along with some of the most eccentric priests of Solan. It was overseen by Bishop Cragmantle, a man who had experimented with getting closer to Solan by using reflective lenses in his church and nearly melting a hole through the station. Fortunately for him his ideas would lead to advances in weaponry for the ships that none would have dreamed, but for now he remained an eccentric dwarf, adamant that Solan lived closer to the sun or in fact on it.
The first launch per se of the Hammer was a dull affair. The gravity plating for the Hollow Mount was switched off, and the area slowly depressurised to detect leaks, there were a few minor air problems but they were patched internally and the vessel was made ‘seaworthy’ for lack of a better word. The ship floated nervously for several hours as seals were checked and rechecked and life support systems were checked for efficiency. Great Red Amber powered rods of air-creation were used at strategic points with various complex spells to maintain pressure and temperature brought in, it was said that the spells of life support alone were enough to burn out several of our most impressive wizards minds. But slowly, with engineers following clerics following engineers, the ship was declared void ready, the grav-plates were switched back on and the Hollow Mount slowly brought up to pressure again.
What followed was a cycle of testing, all within the Hollow Mount, its cyclopean bulkheads remaining sealed shut while the ship tested its engines in minute spurts of power, the helmsman getting to grips with the controls with Bishop Cragmantle sat in the Captain’s Chair. Slowly he took on that title more and more, becoming less concerned with spiritual matters and showing a great aptitude for the ships systems. Calling him Captain started as a joke and nod to the ancient sea-navies of Titan but it fit and stuck, with that Captain Cragmantle became the first ‘Captain’ of the Titan Void-Navy.
On a day that will live in song and drink forever it was finally decided to let slip the moorings. The initial flight as decided by Captain Cragmantle was to be a simple boost out from Hollow mount maybe a couple of miles and then about turn and boost back and back into the docking port. Many thousands of Dwarves lined the various external view ports and observation gardens to watch the momentous occasion, it was said that so many flooded the viewing areas that there was a noticeable shift in the power consumption of the gravity generating wands in that area. At the given time Hollow Mount had its atmospherics emptied into its buffers and it became one with the void, the vast bronze and steel blast doors swung open in a slow grand manner that befit the occasion.
The Hammer was finally exposed to the open sea of the void. After a moment Captain Cragmantle let out a small breath of relief, the first test had been passed, The Hammer was exposed to the void and they hadn’t died instantly as the Void sea crept in.
“All ahead full. Let fly the sails and weigh anchor!” Cragmantle exclaimed in a proud tone. The crew looked at him curiously, unsure of what he was talking about and worrying if he had been overcome with Void-madness. “Captain? ...uhhh...what?” A very brave engineer remarked in a timid squeak. “Oh, forgive me, I’ve been reading a lot about when our people sailed the seas of Titan, to let fly the sails was to allow the ship to accelerate to maximum speed, and weighing the anchor was...nevermind...thrusters to full, let's see what this testament to Solans power can do.” Cragmantle replied in a voice that hinted ever so slightly of nervousness.
The Engineer nodded once and began to pull some large ornate copper and iron levers, with a dull but reassuring thud and clunk the Hammer began to move as the thrusters clicked into place. The first thing that Cragmantle noticed was how smooth the ride was, apart from the gentle pull of acceleration you wouldn’t think they were moving at all, in fact the only sign was the fact that the hollow mount began to move down the great glass view port at the front of the bridge. Cragmantle muttered a silent prayer to Solan and then to the Engineer who decided a metal chair for his position on the bridge was a good idea, the metal hid the fact his fingers were dug into it, knuckles white with tension from the unknown.
Sure enough, the ship cleared the dock with no problems. The Engineering crew reporting constantly that every parameter was within acceptable margins, this was especially reassuring to Captain Cragmantle as he swore he could overhear profuse swearing and wrench banging coming from the engineering end of the bridge over the hum of the ship. Cragmantle ordered the engines be cut after a short while and the ship begin to glide effortlessly through the void out away from Refuge.
The Hammers bridge was perfectly situated on the ship for a beautiful panorama of the area, situated at the head of the hammer on one of the large flat sides it was shaped like a perfect dome with large glass windows affording an all round view. The various engineers consoles and helm positions all faced to the top of the hammer, with an observation platform at the back viewing the back of the hammer and the haft where the engine room and life sustainment systems were situated. In the centre of the bridge there lay a raised ornate chair where Cragmantle could sit to oversee the operation of the ship. Behind him there was a small but opulent shrine to Solan and the stairs down to the living areas of the ship.
Cragmantle stood from the chair and turned to the shrine of Solan, he offered more blessings and thanks to Solan and lit some incense before proceeding further aft to the observation area. He watched in stunned silence as he looked over the head and haft of the Hammer as Refuge became smaller and smaller as it drifted away from them. What struck him more than anything was the scale, Refuge was nothing more than a thin strip of bronze copper and iron around Titan utterly insignificant against the grey and blue pearl that was there former home Titan. From the distance he was at he couldn’t make out any details of Refuge at all, he couldn’t even decide where Lightfall was! It struck him that this was probably the furthest any Dwarf had been from Titan since...ever, discounting those who travelled by the light of course.
He chuckled at that thought and turned back to check the bridge and to his complete lack of surprise found the rest of the crew either looking in the same direction he was or noses pressed to another window area, eyes wide with excitement and wonder and some uttering silent prayers to Solan for safe passage and more importantly, safe return.
“Ahem...who is looking after the ship?” Cragmantle enquired with a tone that suggested he was half being serious and half joking.
An engineer with his face pressed against the front viewport promptly turned round with a flustered expression, apologised profusely with a smattering of Dwarven curse words and then returned to his station. Cragmantle returned to his chair and glanced around him, the crew were slowly resuming their positions. After thirty minutes Cragmantle gave the order of all stop, the ship spun end on end until it was facing Refuge and began to burn its engines slowing the ship down and eventually bringing the monumental ship to a halt. “Ok gentlemen, it’s time to run some tests and then we’ll head back.” Cragmantle spoke in an authoritative tone.
The ‘testing’ was both scientific and magical. The ships wizarding staff began to cast spells with the focal point into the void and found that infact magic worked in the nothingness of the void, seemingly satisfied with the results they began to have a little fun firing off colourful sprays into the darkness leaving fast clouds of paint in the void. The engineers wandered the ship banging various bulkheads intently with wrenches of differing sizes, they assured other members of the crew that the subtle changes in pitch and tone gave hint to the integrity of the ship. It was also by this means that intra-ship communication had been worked out while the ship was still in the Hollow Mount, a few short bangs on a particular bulkhead could resonate through the ship from the engine room to the bridge, after a few trials over several days a rudimentary short form language of clangs and bongs was hashed out so that the engine room could transmit messages quickly. The general gist of the language was that clangs were good, bongs were bad. Retoots, hunungas and squeeloonkles were emergencies.
After several hours of checks to the ship it was deemed Solan worthy and the boost back to the station commenced. The ship was to dock in The Hollow Mount after a pass by the high cathedral of Solan, its magnificent glass walls would showcase the ship perfectly.
“Well if it’s all in order, make best speed for the Cathedral and we’ll offer a prayer to him.” Captain Cragmantle asked. “Uh, there’s just one thing left...the armament” A very nervous Engineer replied.
The Dwarves have always been known to be a forward thinking people, there inventions and engineering are driven by a passion to push into the future better equipped than their predecessors. When the Dwarves began construction of The Hammer they realised that if the concept worked they’d want to build more and if they built more they would need a way to protect themselves from any dangers in the void and the Orcs of Titan if they let the ships venture the surface.
In a sparsely populated part of Refuge over many months a team of gunsmiths worked on what would be the defining technology of their life, they crafted great reinforced gun barrels with breaches machined so such exact measurements they were virtually air tight they also perfected a self contained shot system they called a ‘cartridge’. These great engraved brass cylinders contained the projectile and enough gunpowder to launch it from the barrel at quite a considerable velocity, they ended with a small sparking cartridge that could be triggered with the application of force and thus the Dwarven form of what we would recognise as a deck gun was born.
Captain Cragmantle, through an Engineer and a series of clangs that the guns be brought to ready, in the bowels of the ship the ship's Master at Arms for lack of a better title ordered the deck hands to load the guns. Four large breaches were opened in turn, a cartridge loaded in and then sealed, great valves and pneumatics made sure there was a tight seal. The Master at Arms then gave the order for the barrels to be opened to the void, again more pneumatics hissed as the barrels were evacuated slowly and then the outer doors were opened slowly by large brass hand cranks.
A series of bongs echoed into the bridge via a support beam. “Master at Arms reports guns ready Captain” One of the bridge crew remarked. Captain Cragmantle tilted his head forward slightly in acknowledgment.
“Very well, let us see Solans fury in action.” Cragmantle said in a tone of grim reluctance. The ship was turned to point at Titan, the guns aimed lazily into a mountain range known to be frequented by the Orcs and Cragmantle rather unceremoniously ordered “Fire!”
On the gun deck three out of four of the guns fired perfectly, the large copper firing levers thrown down engaging the striking cap, followed swiftly by some very impressive dull thuds echoing through the ship as the cartridges fired off, large gouts of fire not unlike dragons breath erupted from the bottom of the ship in time with the thuds. Sure enough as the fire dissipated into the void three large conical lumps of Iron raced away from the ship in a perfect line. Each one inscribed carefully with various wards against evil and those opposed to Solans might, they sailed into orbit perfectly and vanished from sight. In a dark Orc camp in the middle of a secluded valley under the flight path of the shells it seemed as if three perfectly aligned shooting stars soared overhead and out of sight behind the mountain, the Tribal Shamans remarked that it was an ill omen of things to come.
Back on the ship, the ill omens translated into a truly impressive litany of some of the most imaginative cursing possibly ever produced by a Dwarf as the Master at Arms stomped over to the malfunctioning gun with a large wrench with murder in his eyes. After some more exchanges where the Master at Arms exclaimed that whoever constructed this particular guns mechanisms could fellate them in an imaginative way, he began hammering at the great copper firing lever with his wrench after a brief protest it engaged and the final shell fired off into the void. Satisfied the Master at Arms grunted in approval, he sent four dull thuds up the pipework to the bridge to signal the rounds were complete. And then began stripping the mechanism to see what had gone wrong.
Cragmantle seemed satisfied with the results and ordered that the ship begin the journey back to Hollow Mount at once. The order was communicated to the engine room and the Hammer’s engines crept back into life gradually, the ship began to accelerate back to the Hollow Mount like a leviathan back to its lair while other diagnostics were run on minor systems. After a few hours the ship returned to the Hollow Mount and with a gentle coaxing came to rest in the bay, the area was repressurized and as the sound returned the crew were greeted to thunderous applause and praise for Solan.
The void-ship was a success, the Hammer was used as the basis for many more ships and differing types were made with miniaturised versions of the systems, everything from cargo barges to small attack ships. But the Hammer with its beautiful design and engravings stood as the flagship of the newborn Titan Void Navy.