Convoluted Moth Origin Story [DORF FORT]

>you are a miner
>a miner for the greater good of your mothen civilization
>tasked with the goal of acquiring the mythical light above, you toil endlessly at the stone wall, your hooves moving the pick back and forth
>twelve months have passed since you began your expedition with your moth
>it has taken you through more caverns than you thought imaginable...
>...as well as unspeakable horrors not to be imagined at all

>you are the last of your party of fifteen
>fourteen of your fellow moth comrades have fallen on your quest for light, to escape the trouble brewing between two factions;
>one, that shuns the light and all that follow it, the Dark Irons
>and another, that revels in the warmth and beauty of luminescence, the Tangible Lumni
>the Irons snuff out any and all light, while the Lumni collect lanterns from fallen Overminers, the Ones that Come from Above and delved too deeply, though they have not found the source of them
>years of harsh bickering have escalated to a war
>a war with no discernible end
>and the Lumni have given you and your friends, lowly miners, the task of finding the Skylight, a mythical orb of pure luminescence
>you had mined a secret passageway through the fields behind the castle, in hopes of being able to have the civilization flee later on in secrecy

>twelve months have passed since then
>all your friends are dead;
>first was Oreme, fallen into a trap laid by Kobolds, tiny lizard men not known for brilliance...
>then it as Ralu, taken by pondlurkers to the murky depths...
>after, it was Dakas' and Akon's time; crushed by a boulder trap...
>next was Egngun, speared through the stomach by Troglodytical ponies...
>soon came Xan's death, brought on by strange fungus spores...
>Arban and Alron, brothers of Akon, were eaten by a terrifying Cave Crawler, a beast similar to a centipede, but exponentially larger...
>Ziril, killed by an Amethyst Warrior, a pony made entirely out of the titular gem...
>Nula, injured in her wing from the Troglodytes, slipped and fell into a chasm...
>Limul, Nula's fiance, disheartened by her death, took a dagger when you were sleeping, and pierced his own heart...
>Tath, the scientist, examined a sphere made completely out of pony flesh, and failed to notice its teeth...
>Neca and Cire, poisoned by a Cave Floater, a hovering sphere filled with toxic gas...
>and Salir...
>Salir met with the terrible fate of being slain by Obospgosmsex, the Brazen Forgotten Beast...

>you shake the tears out of your eyes
>you have to stay strong
>you are the last of your party of fifteen
>sent on a terrible mission to find the Skylight...
>Salir's death is still fresh in your mind though...
>his terror-filled eyes, watching you as you fled, and as he was torn apart by the Bronze Beast...
>you smack the pick against the stone wall
>chunks of mineral fall, and you are allowed more room
>you set the pickaxe down and cover your face with your hooves, sobbing...

>you hear the bellow of the Bronze Monstrosity behind you
>so...
>this is how it ends, now, huh?
>trapped in a cave, no hope of getting out?
>by some metallic colossus?
>...No...
>you will NOT stand for this...
>eyes filled with tears and rage, you wield your pick yet again
>drowned, stabbed, broken, poisoned, crushed...
>I avoid all of those...
>and you mean tell me that I will die now, from a simple alloy?
>No
>not today

>the Alloy Beast lumbers into your small cave, hollow eyes staring
>it makes a grab at you, but you dodge it and smash your pickaxe into its hand, denting it
>the Monstrosity screams, and you back away in terror through where you came in...
>...out onto the thin bridge between the cliffs, a chasm yawning out below...
>the Forgotten One trundles out after you, and throws a punch
>you fly out over the cliffs, and it misses
>it reaches out at you, but oversteps its balance...
>the beast roars as it plummets into the vast space below, landing unseen with a thud
>but you know it will not stop
>not until you are dead
>you rush inside to your miner's cave
>hurriedly, you pick away, chipping stone after stone off the wall...
>until...
>you strike...
>...soft, loamy soil...
>you've only heard rumors of this substance...
>...could it be?
>you scramble to dig away the dirt, and soon you burst through the wall of substance into open air
>a bright light fills the cave, blinding you
>it's a light so intense, you have to shield your eyes for minutes to adjust, and even then your eyes are sore from such luminosity
>you step out through the gap in the soil...

>you blink
>strange, colourful things flutter throughout the air
>bizarre brown-and-green things tower above you
>the floor is covered with a strange looking moss you've never seen before
>a blue cavern yawns above, with...
>...a gigantic lantern in the center, shining its light among the entire world...
>the warmth of the Skylight fills your entire body, warming it from the inside out
>you...
>you did it...
>you found the Skylight...

>a bellow from the cave underneath you calls you back to reality
>the Bronze Colossus bursts through the soil, showering the surroundings with earth
>you had narrowly escaped the blow, and the horrifying statue looks at you flying about in the air
>the monster leaps into the air, lashing out at you
>it takes hold of you in its cold hooves
>the beast takes you by the forelegs, and slowly begins to stretch you out...
>you are filled with fear
>this is it...
>this is the end...

>...
>...No...
>you flashback to each time your friends died over the past year
>Pondlurkers, traps, spears, botany, wildlife...
>each memory inducing more rage...
>until you remember Salir
>Salir died in the hooves of this very Colossus
>eyes wide, filled with terror, but more importantly...
>...filled with pleading...
>...begging you to find your way to the top, to complete the quest, to return to the Lumni with good news...
>and you fail?
>only now, as you break into the Surface world?
>...No...

>the memory of Salir fills you with rage
>it fills you with strength...
>...and confidence
>...you get a sudden idea
>you toss the pickaxe you were carrying into the air, catching it with your tongue
>and you stab the statue in a hinge under its head
>it keeps pulling you out, slowly, unreacting
>you start prying, summoning all your tongue muscles
>the Brazen head slowly lifts upward
>one final push will do it...
>you jam the handle of the pick downwards, and the head of the Colossus creaks
>and after a few seconds...
>it pops off

>you are dropped to the ground
>alive
>bruised, beaten, and hurt
>but alive
>you made it
>you did it
>you now need to tell the Lumni that you made a path to the surface

>it will be easy getting back
>avoid the telltale signs of traps, always sneak everywhere, avoid water, fungus, and cave life...
>and all will be fine

==========================

>you are the ruler of the Lumni
>it has been sixteen months since you have sent the mining party on a quest for the Skylight, and in turn, the Surface
>you glance out of your castle tower window
>a dark army marches toward the gates of the keep, only a matter of hours away, across the twilit plains of the Ghoulsinks
>you lower your head in defeat, and head down to the throneroom below
>your guards are tense as you sit upon the throne
>the doors to the throneroom burst open, and in comes...
>...the young iron miner you sent out to the surface
>she regales you about her tales in the above caverns, about all the dangers, and about the Surface
>the Skylight...
>it IS real...
>you question her about what her name is, curious
>"My name? It is Saturniidae. A common name, I know..."

>"...But we must hurry, my Queen. The Dark Irons military is on it's way. We must flee now, or be destroyed!"
>she is correct
>you order your guards to gather as much of your own military as possible
>if the caves are as dangerous as this young moth says...
>you also tell them to collect as many citizens as they can
>your race must be able to live on above, on the surface
>you are no longer welcome down here

>an hour later, you arrive at the secret passageway, along with fifty armed militia, and twenty-five citizens
>as well as Saturniidae
"You will lead us through the caverns, guiding us all the way to the top. I know it was hard carving out the passageway, as well as seeing all your friends die..."
>you smile at her
"...But today is a glorious day. We will begin the journey to the Surface this day, and we will revel in the luminescence of the Skylight!"
>Saturniidae smiles back, and starts through the passageway, leading a long line of seventy-seven mothponies behind her

---------------

>Seven months after that blessed day, you recount the times in the caverns from your newly constructed house
>the castle has yet to be built, but this place will do fine
>the Moth citizens have settled in, and built homes for themselves
>your 'caravan', so to speak, had traveled for days after they hit the surface, searching for a suitable location
>this location was located near the bottom of a gigantic mountain
>and in honour of her services, Saturniidae was given goddesship from you, as proof of her magnificent feats she has done, and she now resides in a home carved out for her in the mountain
>she watches over us even now

>you glance out the window of your small hovel
>numerous mothponies are constructing houses and farms, to sustain the kingdom
>you smile, and silently thank Saturniidae
>without her, the Lumen would be dead
"Thank you, Saturniidae...Thank you..."

[END]


Not really too detailed, just a bit of bare-bones framework I came up with [spoiler]after playing Dwarf Fortress for the last 48 hours[/spoiler]