Tales of Dukemon the Studious

Deep in the caverns of Mt. Dulgor, the dwarvish clan known as Mon were preparing for the annual Nomination Exam, which alerted the rest of the inhabitants that the Silver Festival was soon approaching. The leading examinee was given the honor to be “Lorekeeper” during the silver expedition. In the morning before the exam, a young dwarf named Dukemon was awoken by a high-pitched whistle coming from his steam clock. 

As the young dwarf rubbed his eyes, he felt a relief from the heaviness; his mind still groggy from the restless nights of study. Dukemon reached over to his nightstand and retrieved his glasses, which were a thin piece of copper wire woven around two clear crystals in the shape of lenses. He sat himself on the edge of the bed and looked around; his room was rather small by human standards, but to a dwarf  it seemed more than spacious. Each of the four walls were made of stone bricks meticulously placed on top of one another, which were no different than the bricks that lined the streets of the city. The floor was tiled with beautifully polished white marble. This style was mandatory amongst his kinsman, for they believed in living in higher sophistication, unlike the other dwarven clans, so it was normal to live in such luxury. 

The room itself on the other hand was rather bare, as his status in the clan was low in rank. His room contained little more than a small wooden bed in the center with a large chest at the end, and in the corner there was a desk with a hatch above it. Dukemon hopped off his bed and proceeded to walk over to the hatch and flipped it open, revealing a small mirror within. As he examined his reflection, he inspected his face for any blemishes or marks. He had an odd complexion; his face was fair and smooth like a newborn,  which was unusual for a fully grown dwarf. His eyes had a unique hue resembling the color of  freshly oxidized copper, which was accompanied by his large nose and a bushy brown beard. He had a slimmer figure compared to his fellow kinsman, which he had assumed was due to a lack of appetite as he didnt feel as hungry as other dwarves. 

After Dukemon felt satisfied with his appearance, he made his way to the large oak chest laying at the end of his bed. He rummaged through the compartment and pulled out a pure white tunic trimmed with golden silk along the edges, accompanied by a single golden button below the neck. Dukemon then pulled out a pair of blue trousers and a leather belt with silver buckle. Before he left, he gathered his small hide satchel and proceeded out the door. Once outside, he was met with the crisp, mixed smell of molten metals and burning coal. He also smelled an oddly sweet, almond-like aroma most likely caused by the hundreds of laborers making paper within the Grand Library district of Dulgor. 

As he made his way down the main street of the district, he began to notice people putting up decorations; dwarves were hanging up beautifully crafted ornaments in the shapes of coins and water droplets, all of which were made from pure silver. Dukemon noticed many shops were showing off  various holiday-themed treats such as giant cakes in the shape of a mountain with white chocolate drizzle running off the sides mimicking snow. Freshly prepared sweet rolls were on display at the corner bake shop known as “Culeta’s Bakery”.The various pastries made during the silver festival was one of the only times Dukemon felt any sort of cravings for treats, and the very sight made Dukemon salivate slightly - though he wouldn't have admitted it, he knew his stomach grumbled slightly. 

As he neared the end of the street, he was met with the Great Hall of Monnan. He had recalled in one of his textbooks that the building was created in remembrance of Monnan, the founder of his clan. The towering hall was built out of concrete as white as the clouds high above the mountain top; the building was a spherical shape with pillars lining the outside, all a precise distance from one another; the roof was a massive, curved dome tiled with mithril tablets which glistened from the light of torches along the roof, and on top of the dome sat a large golden statue of a quill. Dukemon's eyes glowed with awe as he gazed upon the great hall. 

As Dukemon approached the Great Hall, he entered the Monnan plaza, which had a large fountain surrounded by beautiful flowers and bushes. The floor beneath the fountain was made of blindingly white marble. In the center of the fountain was a beautifully sculpted statue of the founder Monnan. Its milky, light green color made Dukemon stop in his tracks and gaze at the statue, feeling compelled to ogle at the founder. The statue appeared to him to be made from opal, a relatively soft stone which was only used for such important sculptures. Once his eyes became unfixed by the statue he noticed a much older looking dwarf standing by the entrance to the great hall. He felt an abundance of joy and excitement when he realized it was his father. His father had been a professor at the library and spent years tutoring his son to become a great scholar. 

Dukemon moved swiftly towards his father, greeting him with a firm handshake, which was seen as a sign of respect among dwarves. His father looked him up and down in admiration, and he could see a smile peer out behind his fathers gray beard. “ Go inside, my son. It's almost begun.'' With a pat on Dukemons back, he entered the great hall. As he enters the hall, he's met with a magnificent site. The interior of the building was floored with light blue carpet decorated by a golden trim, and the walls were made of the same white concrete as the exterior. Various paintings of Elders within the clans were placed among the walls and red drapes were hung over them. Not far ahead, he saw a large double door made from spruce wood, and a small stone desk stood between him and the door. 

As he got closer to the desk, he met with a rather old, fat dwarf wearing a white robe with gold lining thread on the edges. The dwarf looked up at him and asked “are you taking part in the exam today?” . Dukemon looked at him with the widest grin and enthusiastically replied; “ Yes I am!”. The dwarf smiled briefly back and handed him a black quill adorned with bronze etchings along the hollow shaft of the feather. He gestured for Dukemon to enter through the doors; and without hesitation, he entered the examination hall. 

He was awestruck at the interior; the inside was even more magical than the lobby. The hall had a similar appearance as that of a church, and was a large, open area seemingly filled with hundreds of stone desks. The walls had massive windows lining it, each shining light within. The floor was made of a mysterious type of stone that he couldn't ascertain. The walls were made of the same concrete as the outside, but were designed similarly to the grand pillars that held up the roof of the Common Work floor. 

Dukemon proceeded down the aisle and sat himself down in one of the stone desks towards the right of the room. He looked around and saw a large group of other dwarves talking. He recognized one of them to be Quilmon.

Quilmon was of a much higher rank and status than Dukemon; he was a direct descendant of the founder, which brought him and his family much prominence throughout the clan. Dukemon stared at Quilmon for several minutes before looking away to think to himself. He had always looked at Quilmon with an overwhelming feeling of jealousy. He averted his attention from the feeling of resentment and tried to focus on his objective. A few minutes later, one of the professors came to the front of a small stage with a small booklet in hand and sanctioned everybody to take their seats. Professor Stumon stood quietly as he waited for the students to get to their seats. Once everybody was seated, he adjusted his monocle on his left eye and cleared his throat. “ As we all know today is the Nomination Exam to see which one of you will journey out into the Continental Divide” He paused for a second to flip to another page; his hands noticeably shaking. “ For over 456 years our clan has joined the silver expedition to transcribe their journey and today one of you will be chosen to join this quest.” He flipped to another page, his hands appearing to get more unsteady as the time passed. “ The first part of the exam will appertain to the general history of the divide, the next section of the test will examine your knowledge of essential geographic concepts, to prove to us you have the skills necessary to map out your expedition as you go. For the final part of the exam, you will be tasked with writing an essay on why it is important that we as members of clan Mon are needed to catalog the expedition.'' The professor closed the booklet and looked around the room, as if he was looking for somebody. “ I wish you all good luck on this exam; you should know how important this will be for your families if you win, and even more important will be given to you one of the greatest responsibilities amongst the clan.” 

  He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers, activating the steam horn to blow; announcing that the test had begun. Dukemon watched examination notebooks being passed out. Once he received his, he quickly began his test. The first part of the exam was simple, Dukemon thought; it was commonly known history, like 12. Where did the dwarves of Dulgor originate? Without a doubt, it was the lost city of Kalim. Another question was 23. Where is the expedition’s final destination? Once again, this was a very simple question; it was Silverhold. Within minutes, Dukemon passed through the history section of the exam. He flipped over his notebook, which showed a large map of the continental divide without any markings, just the outlines. He knew that he had to use his knowledge to rewrite the map. He reached into his satchel to retrieve his navigation compass. However, a sudden feeling of distress washed over him. As he pressed his hand to the bottom of his bag, he realized the item was missing. He then realized he had forgotten it at home. Dukemon sat there in his seat, frozen like a pillar of ice. He felt a wave of anxiety flood throughout his body. Dukemon felt as if he had ruined his chances of becoming the lore keeper. Dukemon tried to contain his distress so as to not disturb the exam. He just began to sit there in shame. My family is going to hate me, I have brought dishonor to my clan, he thought; but before he gave up completely, he felt something prick his side.He looked around, feeling somewhat disoriented, and found a navigation compass sitting beside his chair. He quickly scanned the area to figure out where it came from, but he couldn't see who threw it to him. 

Dukemon, confused and distraught, took the opportunity and quickly finished the mapping portion of the exam. As he finished the last drawing on the map, he felt the weight of his frustration coming to an end. He didn't know who helped him, but he was relieved regardless. Dukemon, with a new sense of pride, flipped to the last section of the exam; the essay. He sat there for some time to think about what he would write. He lifted his quill up, and with some urgency, he began:

“As a lorekeeper, your role in documenting the annual expedition is vital to secure water and silver for the dwarves of Dulgor. By meticulously chronicling the details significant to the quest, you preserve the historical value of the expedition, along with our cultural heritage in this essential journey. Our logs not only provide a comprehensive account of our challenges and triumphs faced throughout, but also serve as a repository of our resilience and resourcefulness within the harsh environment outside the mountain keep. Our logs help future generations overcome the obstacles we couldn't, or improve upon our mistakes. This gives vital insight on the outside world, and how it is always changing. Overall, the log helps enhance the efficiency and success of this most vital mission.”

As Dukemon finished his final sentence, the professor called the students to cease their examinations and bring it forward. One by one, the young dwarves handed in their exam and were told to wait in the lobby for the results. Dukemon waited about an hour for the announcement. He sat himself on one of the benches near the front desk, waiting eagerly. As he sat there, unbeknownst to him was Quilmon sitting right beside him. Once Dukemon noticed him, he was shocked. What did he want, he thought? Quilmon held out his hand, as if wanting something back. Dukemon stared at him confused for a moment before Quilmon spoke “ may i have my navigation compass back please?” Dukemon, dumbfounded by this revelation, sat there for a few seconds confused. He then grabbed the compass and handed it back to him. As Quilmon put it inside his satchel, Dukemon was brought back to reality, and asked him; “ why did you help me?” Quilmon looked at him, smiled and said “ well, I saw one of my kinsman struggling, and so I did what any clan member would do and helped him out.” He said; his smile never left his face. 

Dukemon, realizing how wrong he was about him, held out his hand, and together they shook “ Thank you Quilmon,”. Only a few minutes later, the professor came out into the lobby holding a small booklet. Everyone fell silent and watched him closely. “ Ahh well.. I see you've been waiting patiently for the results. For this year's silver expedition…” The room was so silent, the only sound came from the crackling embers of nearby torches. “Dukemon will be our next lorekeeper!” Dukemon rose up from his seat, overwhelmingly ecstatic. Quilmon patted him on the back and gave him congratulations; the professor handed Dukemon a special, Leather-bound notebook with the emblem of the clan etched onto the front. “ Use this on your expedition, young one, and good luck.” Dukemon heard the roar and applause from all the students. They cheered his name. Dukemon was overwhelmed with emotion as he basked in the resounding cheers of his fellow students. The thunderous ovation filled him with a sense of achievement. Amidst the jubilant crowd of his kinsman, he felt that his aspirations of seeing the divide will finally be fulfilled. The outside world was once confined to pages in a book, but finally, felt beckoned to see this mysterious world that had long intrigued his mind. With a determined gaze, Dukemon embraced the future, ready to embark on the most important quest in his life; a journey that will turn his dreams into a vivid and tangible reality.