Haldir Frenzies

The cries of a hungry people lead to the bloodbath that people of Matona know today as the Haldir Frenzies. The people of The Dwarven Mining Enterprise with the help of the Kingdom of Illtresi poured in their best efforts to come to a peaceful solution with the dwarves. However, the Haldir, already driven mad by the lack of Zedonias, took their frenzy to the streets of the town forcing the hands of all the parties involved.  
These.. decaying dwarfs look scary. They want the Zedonias all to themselves, but we cannot allow for that to happen. We offered them other goods and aid, but it seems like they are deaf to all our proposals. It is as if there is more it than they are willing to let on. Why are they so reliant on the Zedonias? Either way, I hope we can keep the city safe...
— Snippet from the first report on the Haldir Frenzies
 

Missing Investigators

During the excavation of Zedonias, a few miners from the Mining Enterprise noticed that the number of calcified eggs in the lair decreased at a faster rate than they were digging up, so they informed the company. In response, a small team of investigators set out to the lair and deeper into the mountains to find the cause of the disappearance. After ten days, none of them had returned.   Worried about their employees, The Dwarven Mining Enterprise sent another group of investigators into the mountains, this time accompanied by a squat from the Limani Supplier Security Services for their protection. What they found was not a pleasant sight..  
We found them... I've taken their personal belonging and put them together for each investigator, so we can bring it back to the family. There is... let's just say there's not much left of the bodies. Whoever did this can consider themselves monsters, who can do something like that to a fellow dwarf?!
— Snippet from the Diary of Thannik, one of the security guards from the Limani Supplier Security Services
  The second group got safely back with their report of what they found in the mountains, including their suspicions of the people responsible. With this knowledge in mind, especially what they had done to the first group of investigators, the company called in a close ally of the city: the Kingdom of Illtresi.  
Sortly after we had begun our operation, the Haldir must have noticed that their supply of Zedonias reduced rapidly. We suspect that they likely have sent scouts to have a look, just like we sent our investigators, and the two groups have met somewhere in the middle.
— Snippet from Thanniks report

Location
Greze Urngorr
Matona

Involved Parties

Instigator
The Dwarven Mining Enterprise
Initial Casualties

Root Cause
Ownership of the Zedonias in Greze Urngorr

Cause for Violence
Haldir became more aggressive during negotiations after having killed a group of investigators from the mining enterprise.

 

Negotiations

Spokespeople from the mining enterprise and the kingdom have tried to negotiate with the Haldir to find a more peaceful solution. However, the Haldir dwarves were adamant and didn't want to share the Zedonia as a resource. Every proposal was met with resistance and refusal which frustrated the spokespeople enormously. Furthermore, the Haldir became increasingly more aggressive with every potential solution we present.   After 30 days, they gave up. It was simply impossible to negotiate with these people. The Kingdom of Illtresi sent troops to Matona to help secure the lair with Zedonias and prevent the Haldir from getting their hands on more of it, effectively cutting them off fully. They hoped that using a power move, they could get the Haldir to cooperate and accept one of the earlier proposals.

Frenzy Trashing

After the negotiations fell apart and the Kingdom had stationed their army, the Haldir had no longer access to the Zedonias. As the days passed, they grew increasingly more aggressive. Their faces turned darker, eyes saw literally red, and their lengthened finger nails became pointy like claws. Slowly, the Haldir wandered off in the direction where the Zedonias were being taken, almost as if they could smell the objects through the caverns. Eventually, the dwarves dodder outside where they laid eyes on Matona for the first time. Steadfast, they continued to walk towards the big town, but no one could explain why.   The people of Matona had no idea what was happening. A strange group of straggled dwarfs poured into the streets, aimlessly looking around. Out of nowhere, one of the members started thrashing. A form of magic seeped out of its fingertips, setting houses ablaze. Soon, more Haldir entered the same frenzied state of mind until all of them were turned. They attacked any person in sight, anything that moved, anything that looked shiny.   The city militia was taken by surprise during the first wave of attacks. They scrambled together as fast as they could to drive back the frenzied Haldir, while also sending out two messengers. The first going to the Kingdom army in the mines and the second going to the establishment of the The Dwarven Mining Enterprise informing them of the outbreak and to ask for reinforcements. A few of security men from the Limani Supplier Security Services who were still in town, gave the militia an extra helping hand until the army arrived.   Countless villagers died during this first wave as the city militia was pulling itself together. However, with the help of the army and the security service men, they quickly drove the Haldir back to the mountains. With every subsequent wave, the number of Haldir dwindled slowly but surely until they had rid the mines of all the decayed dwarfs.


Cover image: Hesli Banner by ShadowPhoenix

Comments

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Jul 9, 2023 09:43 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

I can't imagine how terrifying it was when the first Haldir turned. Really well written and believable conflict.

Emy x
Explore Etrea
Jul 16, 2023 14:24

Thank you! <3

Jul 10, 2023 20:44 by Catoblepon

While I understand it must have been terrifying to see the firsts Haldir turn, I cannot stop being sad for Haldir. Yes, they got waht they deserved after so much time eating Zetonia and becoming adicts, but there's one point in all the generations that they are addicts by birth and it's not *their* particularly fault to need Zetonia to survive. The other dwarves were literally starving and taking away the drug from an addict in withdrawal.

Jul 16, 2023 14:26

It really is tragic! I'm still mad at the kingdom for abusing their power like that >.>   On the other hand, they did try to offer to help them get rid of the addiction and the Haldir didn't take up on that.

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