SV digs a Hole - A Dwarf Fortress Succession Game

[LurkingWreck]

1st of Hematite - Graspedrocks Farm

...

Lurking barged into the farm plot, hands excitedly rubbing together. His enthusiasm died down as he saw the fields as empty as the day they were first planted. In the corner, Fath was on her knees in the dirt, grumbling to herself.

"Where's the harvest?" Lurking raised his voice, and Fath in turn whipped her head over to gaze angrily at him.

"Have you seen the soil quality here?!" She responded heatedly, her hand grasping a bundle of dry dirt.

"It's dirt. You can till it, can't you?" Lurking grumbled back, though his tune swiftly changed when that glob of dirt impacted his face.

As the boss sputtered and coughed, Fath got on her feet and shook her head sadly. "The plump helmet seeds didn't get to mature. Soil's too bad for them. We're switching over Quarry Bushes and hope the two next harvests will keep us going through the winter."



"Why did the damn harvest fail then, Fath? Was it because none of you decided to actually make the Armok-damned fertilizer I explicitly told you all to focus first on?!" Lurking roared back, only to get another handfull of dry dirt tossed his way.

"You think we don't know?!" Fath replied angrily. "You've been driving all of us to exhaustion. This was supposed to be a simple dig, and what have we been doing? Putting up fortifications, digging housing and a farm plot, because all the supplies we brought are back at the boat! We've been trying to get your damn potash made, but there's a million other things you've ordered us to do too!"

Suitably chastised, Lurking kept his tongue, letting the silence instead drag on for a few moments. "What do you need me to do, to make sure we don't starve?"

Fath huffed in turn. "You could at least stop having the miners dig so deep and instead carve out a proper kitchen and dining room for the others. Quarry bushes on their own aren't edible and needs some preperation anyway."

"Fine, fine. I'll have them take care of it. And the potash, I assume you will handle?" Lurking sniped back. Fath simply nodded, and Lurking stomped out of the farm plot before she got any further ideas.



15th of Hematite

Despite my better judgement I followed Fath's advice...



Thanks to the diggers suddenly having little to do downstairs, they managed to get the kitchen and dining hall set up. I can occasionally hear the swearing as furniture gets brought down from the surface fort... Maybe I should start moving all those indoors too. At some point, perhaps...

In the meantime, I have simply decided to shut up and stay out of the others way for a bit. Let tempers cool before we start looking for valuables down there. I'm probably not the best cook on the team, but nobody else seems to want to do it, so here I am...



I never thought I'd say this, but bless Lokum and his stupid work-ethic. While I've been here worrying about harvests, he's been dutifully fishing in the river for Armok knows how long. Either way, his catches are likely gonna be our primary food source til the quarry bushes finally ripen.

We'll keep at this slow pace for now. Let the others deal with the backlog of shit I've heaped on them, and we'll start digging again in the autumn...

26th of Hematite

Damn this rain... I'll have to really consider moving everything indoors at this rate. It's certainly not fun to be working while soaked to the bone!



1st of Malachite

Fath did as she said she would and handled the potash situation. Thanks to her the whole field is now fertilized, and there should be little, if any risk that this harvest will fail as the spring one did. Armok damn it all, but she was right...

24th of Malachite

It's been a slow month. Everyone is anxious regarding the harvest, and for once I can't really blame them. We have all been so busy it took me until now to notice someone's approaching the site.



I'll be damned. I didn't catch his name, but he came all the way on foot from the boat site. Apparently something happened over there and they had to raise the anchor and leave. Given we haven't been heard from for almost 5 months now I assume that sleazy captain simply wanted to dump a troublemaker and hope he died out here in the wilderness. Either way, it is a blow to morale, though one I expected by now. Rakust just doesn't have the materials we need to make the repairs on the wagon.

At the very least, the new guy is amicable to joining us, no questions asked. His ability to shape stone like it was clay is damn impressive. Maybe we can put him to use making some crafts to brighten everyone's day a bit more?



The hell...?



Armok above! How many people did that damn captain decide to rid himself of? Who are all these people?

2nd of Gelena

Finally! Some good news! While Olin was happily reporting the newest ore discoveries down in the shaft, I got word one of our new arrivals, the legendary crafter himself in fact, was inspired by the untamed beauty around him to create a real masterwork.



It's certainly an interesting little amulet. Maybe we'll hang it up in the dining room.



7th of Gelena

Huh. These guys brought their wives with them. I admit I ain't afraid to get my hands dirty, but this? This makes me queasy... Damn that captain. Not saying those lady-dwarves aren't ferocious and industrious themselves. If those words left my mouth I'm sure my tenure as team boss would end rather abruptly, courtesy of Fath and a hammer. I simply didn't expect them to be sent to a place...like this...



20th of Gelena

The newcomers have settled in nicely, and gotten to work without much trouble. Workshops continue to be moved indoors due to the complaints about the rainy weather on the surface. Can't say I disagree, but of course stuff like this takes time...

The move is of course causing some issues. Some beard-gnawing moron decided to dump a pound of ash in the middle of my quarters, and of course that lead to another shouting match with Fath. That woman, I swear... To avoid further problems from her and the others, I've ordered the living quarters to be spruced up a bit. This should keep the poor bastards placated for the moment.

21st of Gelena

My bad mood from the previous day has been elated, because at last we've seen some proper progress on our true goal. Finally, a bar of silver has been produced! Hopefully only the first of many. Our wagon will be chock-full of valuables when we high-tail it out of here next spring!

 

[LurkingWreck]

1st of Limestone

Autumn has officially arrived, and with it our harvest. It's probably the most beautiful sight I have ever gazed upon, seeing Fath and her helpers pluck out the bushes from the soil.



Of course, now to process this stuff into useful food and seeds for this season. To be fair, Lokum's fishing has helped immensely on the food front, so starvation is no longer a problem.



What is a problem is our lack of alcohol. We have seeds to plant sweet pods, which could be brewed into something worthwhile, but they don't grow at all during the later half of the year. I've ordered the miners to dig up a tunnel for a well. Water may be foul compared to the glories of rum and beer, but it's better than a death by thirst.

17th of Limestone

It has been a quiet month. Work continues on the well and we should have it done before the Month of Sandstone. With the situation as stable as it is I am pondering reopening the mining tunnels-

---

17th of Limestone - Graspedrocks Quarters

"Lurk!" Came a voice in the distance, Lurking in turn sighing and placing his journal down.

"What is it, Fath?! I'm working!" He shouted back.

"Drop whatever it is you're doing and get up here. Someone's coming!" What?

"What?" The words escaped him before he even realized. Putting down the journal, he hurried up to the surface fort, where of course, Fath and Olin awaited him.

"Take a look out there." Fath pointed out the faint dot in the distance, running around, cursing and waving their arms. What in Armok's name...?

"They're running around like a headless chicken! Where could they have come from? It's been weeks since our ship left, right?" Olin looked over to Lurking, and for once the expedition leader had no words to impart.

"Greetings from the mountainhomes!" Came a sudden voice to his left.

"Gah!" And with that, Lurking found himself jumping off the observation deck. Down below, outside the surface walls sat a yak loaded with satchels, and an unknown lady-dwarf.

Sighing and shaking her head, Fath headed on out to greet the stranger.

"Ho there kin, what are you doing all the way out here?" She asked, and the stranger simply shrugged.



"Here to pick up whatever valuables your workers have seen fit to make. We're also escorting the outpost liaison here while we're at it." The stranger replied. Fath's mind whirled.

"Liaison? Is that them out there?" She pointed off in the distance past the river.

"Hmm? Yeah, that must be them. Some big rodent popped out of the ground and gave her a right spook. I'm sure she'll calm down soon. Now, if you don't mind, let's see what goods you have to offer?"

Fath simply nodded at that.

For but a few stonecrafts, the merchant was willing to give them plenty of meat, fruit, cheese, and most importantly; plump helmets! This was just what they needed! Fath eagerly accepted the trades, and with Lurking out of the picture for now, the Dwarves around listened to her.

-

Moved back to the comfort of his own bedroom, Lurking was annoyed to once again be interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Come in." An older lady-dwarf, a stranger to his eyes, entered. "Sorry, I don't recognize you. Did you arrive with one of my workers earlier?"



"Hem." The lady-dwarf cleared her throat and chuckled. "Not so. You may call me Deler, I am the Outpost Liaison for your settlement." And with that said, Lurking paled.

"I...I see. What can w-we..I mean-I do for you, Lady Deler?" The nervousness got to him, much to the older dwarf's amusement.

"I am here to simply congratulate you for your excellent performance!" Deler's grin grew wide. Lurking in turn was stumped.

"C-Congratulate..?" He meekly replied.

"Indeed. Good news have been spread back home about your endevours. You are certainly an industrious bunch, and all this done in under a year? You truly are an example for all colonial magistrates to emulate." The praise continued, and still Lurking was truly at a loss for words.

"In recognition for your services, we shall place greater priority upon your requests for goods sent with next year's caravan. Is there anything in particular you would like to ask for?" Deler paused, and for the briefest of moments an awkward silence reigned.

"Um...seeds, yes. The soil quality wasn't as good as was...um..expected. And some silk and cloth perhaps? Oh! And some drinks. Just in case."

Lady Deler smiled wider still, and nodded. "Very well, I shall make your requests known to Her Majesty, the Queen. In addition, I have a request from the central government, if you wish to earn additional coin next year."



"I...I see. Speaking of next year, could I...could I perhaps present such wares to Her Majesty in person, as a show of gratitude? I was only planning on overseeing the...settlement until the spring. I would gladly welcome an opportunity to visit the Mountainhomes again." Lurking sputtered and stammered, but got his point across. Lady Deler in turn simply smiled sweetly. Too sweetly...

"My dear overseer, I understand the difficulties of establishing civilization in such a distant land, but you really should have gotten a message along with the first wave of migrants that arrived but a few months ago."

"M-Migrants?" Lurking squeaked out.

"Indeed. Her Majesty, Queen Risen Nazusholtar has decreed that no colonists may return to the Mountainhomes given the present crisis. As such, while I am happy to accept your coming resignation as settlement leader, I sadly cannot authorize for your return to the homelands." And with that, Lady Deler left his quarters, as pleased as a lady-dwarf could be.

Lurking in the meantime, was silent. For the longest time he simply stood there, processing the words over and over again in his head. A high-pitched whine began to escape his lips, until it turned into a full torrent of sobs and cries. All his plans! All his preperations! They were all for naught!

1st of Sandstone

I've been in such a heavy stupor for so long I am honestly surprised the fort hasn't imploded in on itself while I was out of it.

All my plans, all these years of preparation, now wasted, because I cannot return home. The wealth of this pit in the ground is astounding, and yet...I cannot enjoy a single piece of it. All these silver bars? May aswell be worthless in a survival situation like this? My work....my plan....my beautiful plan...

12th of Sandstone



Oh joy. More migrants. It's starting to become quite the bother to house them all. I've had Olin organize the ones who show some proficiency with the pickaxe to go carve us out some more rooms. That should hopefully be enough...



19th of Sandstone

Merchant caravan finally departed with all those trinkets Fath saw fit to trade. Then again, we now have actual seeds, plants and booze in store, so I can't really fault her for her that...

I so desperately need a drink...

28th of Sandstone

As if our current troubles were eanough, now the local wildlife have finally taken notice of us. A...kea? That how you spell it? Either way, it swooped down from above and seems hellbent on making our lives above ground miserable. It has however come too late, as the last of the workshops have now been moved underground. Soon there will be little reason for us to stay above ground aside for trade...



7th of Timber

Fath stormed into my chambers today and gave me a right wallop, though I barely felt it in my half-dead state. That...kea? It came back, and apparently stole something. I couldn't quite hear what with that ringing in my ears, but from Fath's reaction it seemed pretty important...



16th of Timber

I awoke from my most recent stupor by the shudder of the fort around me. Rushing to investigate I found Lokum, of course, huddling by a sturdy stone door. Apparently the work to make a well instead caused the water from the river to flood the entire reservoir and then push up, flooding the well room. At the very least there is a floodgate preventing the river from continously pumping in more water, but it will be awhile before we can make use out of that well, it seems. Good thing those damn merchants had so many plump helmets on hand...



26th of Timber

As the digging projects continue deeper and deeper into the earth, we finally seem to have struck something aside from the occasional low-value gem vein or middling ores. An expansive network of natural caverns spread out around us, and I do not like it one bit. I have heard many a tale about monsters lurking in this abyss, and our fort is not strong enough to handle such creatures. I have ordered the halting of all further deepdiving, and ordered a wall to be constructed to seal off this new entrance into the caverns we have made. Perhaps others after my time may clear out these dark tunnels...



From what Olin has told me, the place is full of cave spiders and their webbings, which might be useful in the future for creating silk, though I will not be the one to stick my head in there.

 

[LurkingWreck]

1st of Moonstone

Winter has finally arrived. I do not expect we will suffer from a freezing river situation or any snow for that matter, as temperatures have been fairly warm year-round so far. Still, it behoves to be said. Despite my earlier desire to not dig further, my curiosity stirs. To find even a single vein of gold at this point would be worth all the trouble...even if I cannot ever spend it myself. Damn it all...

8th of Moonstone

After receiving many a complaint from the migrants, it's been decided that this little...hamlet of ours is in need of a metalsmith. I am setting up the workspace for them now, but for the life of me I cannot recall who amongst the population are actually suitable metalsmiths. It should at the very least make the migrants less angry...



10th of Moonstone

While we gathered for a small break in the meeting area behind the dining hall, Zon simply went blank in the eyes and walked off. Moments later I heard the new smithy being started up. I ordered Olin to keep an eye on her, in case our self-declared smith goes completely mad...

I need a drink...




16th of Moonstone

While resting in quarters yet again, lamenting all the time and effort wasted in this damn pit, Fath once again stormed in with all her might. I might have to order myself a sturdier door if this continues.

In either event, she informed me Zon finally exited her trance-like state, having spent the time making a...impressive warhammer. It is truly a work of art, and it pierced the mental fog that has clouded my mind for so long. I must certainly reward Zon for her incredible work...




4th of Opal

I must certainly praise Rith for her excellent woodwork. There truly are so many skills that a simple mining team are deficient in. I am sure this barrel will be of great use in the future.

There. That should keep Fath happy about me giving due praise to everyone.



8th of Opal

I thought I heard some shouting topside, but it's quiet now. Maybe I was just imagining it...



1st of Obsidian

GOLD! Sweet, Armok-blessed GOLD! I knew it! There is great wealth in this place. It almost makes me hope for... No, as great as this find is, Adamantium is about as mythical as a material can be in the Mountainhomes. I dare not hope we were so fortunate to strike exactly where a vein was located.



To celebrate, a party has been organized for the whole settlement. Despite my recent elation, my mind is awash with booze and headaches. Still, I will endevour to attend...

---

1st of Obsidian - Graspedrocks Meeting Hall

The party was in full swing when he arrived, a good twenty minutes or so after the festivities began. Already he had his favorite mug in hand, downing the last of his private alcohol stash. Sticking close to the shelter of the statues, Lurking did his best to stay out of everyone's way and tune out the singing and playing.

"Drinking again, are we?" Came a voice from his side. Shifting his gaze, Lurking could not help but sigh, seeing Fath once more approaching him.

"At a time like this I thought you'd go find yourself some enjoyable company...?" He grumbled into his wooden cup, to which Fath simply smirked, resting a hand upon her hip.

"You didn't answer the question." She playfully noted, and settled down beside him. Silence between them reigned for the briefest of moments, as another round of song and dance began in front of them.

"Careful." Fath added as he once again took a sip. "At the rate you've been going, I am fairly certain the reason we're down so much booze is because of you sneaking it away to that cabinet of yours." Her eyes gleamed, and Lurking could only frown.

"Don't start. My plans...our plans are in the gutter now because of that damn decree. We could have been out of here by now, wagon full of silver and gold, ready to live like nobles back home." He grumbled, and in turn Fath sighed.

"Are you still stuck up about that? Yeah, not being able to leave sucks, but we should make the most of this opportunity. How about we not wallow around in self-pity, bemoaning the fate the gods have ordained for us?" Despite himself, Lurking felt his temper flare as Fath continued speaking.

"If that stupid liasion hadn't-" Lurking began, only for Fath's fingers to clamp his lips shut.

"Don't even go there." She warned, a frown of her own now clear for him to see. "Listen. You are an arrogant, self-righteous, vainglorious golddigger who has never before been satisfied with his current position. You could be king of the world and still desire the throne of the gods. Don't try to deny it, I have been with you for years. You lead us out to the middle of nowhere, where if not for my quick thinking we likely would have starved to death." The words stung, and Lurking withdrew as if struck.

"Anything else to add, now that you know I can't boss you around anymore come spring?" He grumbled again. Fath chuckled and smiled. Like the strike of a hammer her lips were locked with his for the briefest of moments. Lurking could not help but blink in surprise, wondering if the last few moments were just a simple figment of his imagination.

"You're also kind and smart enough to organize all of us to make this place livable and functioning, despite having no intention of sticking around for more than a few months. You could have left all the colonists with nothing aside from a hollowed-out hole in the ground while we rode off with the riches of this place, but you didn't. Maybe somewhere deep in you that cold, shrivelled heart of yours still manages to pull on your strings now and again?" Fath noted with a saucy grin.

"Don't be ridiculous..." Lurking shot back, but he did trail off.

Fath slapped him on the shoulder and shoved him away from the statues. "Right, enough of that. Can't have you faltering now, so close to the finish line. Come join us on the dancefloor, I set up Lokum to play a special piece for us."

Blinking, Lurking muttered out: "You organized all this to set me up-!" Dawning realization hit him, and Fath's only reply was a grin.

In the corner, grasping his lute, Lokum hushed the partygoers, and then cleared his throat. A brief silence followed, until finally...

"ILUN KINEM!" He happily roared.

"ILUN KINEM!" The crowd returned, and the singing began.



28th of Obsidian

The year now comes to a close. Thanks to my big mouth and pride I will no longer officially rule over the settlement of Graspedrocks come spring, and thanks to my disregard for the newly arrived migrants, they in turn would not accept me overseeing the fort for another year in the event I even attempted to rule in disregard of the Mountainhomes' decrees. I came here aiming for riches and glory, and while I have certainly found the latter, I will never enjoy the fruits of our labors here like I had intended. I aimed to have it all, and in the end I have *lost* it all. All I can hope for now is a fairly private life, alone and out of the public eye...

Well...perhaps not entirely alone...

---

28th of Obsidian - Graspedrocks Quarters

Softly closing the journal and setting aside his quill, Lurking looked up to the seemingly-towering form of Fath overlooking him. "Now what?" He asks with a sigh, and Fath in turn grins wide.

"Now? The real work begins. We're gonna craft a real dwarf out of you. Some labour and farmwork will remove that flab-"

"Hey!" Lurking fumed.

"-And we'll get some muscle on you soon enough. Now come on, the farmplot needs tending to." And with that Fath turned on her heel and walked off. While Lurking certainly loved to see her leave for a number of reasons, for once he decided to not have the last word, and simply trundled along after her...

 

[LurkingWreck]

And so my tenure as ruler of Graspedrocks is over. I will shortly send over the save for @Kadmus to begin planning his run. Given the holiday season, I think it would be fair to say he has until Sunday, the 1st of January to complete his turn.

 

[WestOrEast]

Markos, if you weren't a million miles away, I could kiss you.

Click to shrink...

That's the thing about distance, yes.

 

[LurkingWreck]

That's the thing about distance, yes.

Click to shrink...

Non-native English speaker, so don't judge me too harshly. In any event I edited it slightly. What I'm trying to get across is the fact that the Dwarf is just incredibly happy regarding Markos' prospecting team and their findings.

 

[Shine]

That turn of phrase is correct; they're just joshing you.

 

[Rhel]

Nothing could bode better for the future than the whole thing being a failed con.

Also, I ship it!

 

[LurkingWreck]

Nothing could bode better for the future than the whole thing being a failed con.

Also, I ship it!

Click to shrink...

The con plan was my narrative idea from the beginning, but I noticed around the middle of autumn that my Dwarf had fallen in love with Fath, so I scrapped my original plan of leaving my dorf an emotional wreck by the end of his reign and instead went with this. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[Kadmus]

I've played some of this, and I've noticed that, despite breaching the caverns, we don't have any cave fungus growing in the fort. Is that something you noticed, or is it a bug on my end somewhere?

 

[Wootius]

It takes a awhile for it to start growing? My first game the fungus consumed every single square after I rapid blitzed to the bottom of the map, but in my second it seem to only take up like half of them.

 

[LurkingWreck]

I've played some of this, and I've noticed that, despite breaching the caverns, we don't have any cave fungus growing in the fort. Is that something you noticed, or is it a bug on my end somewhere?

Click to shrink...

As has already been said by @Wootius , it depends on a number of factors and some randomness. Don't worry if nothing is growing yet. If not this year, it will grow later.

 

[Kadmus]

In celebration of DF having classic mode released on Steam, and also because I got this done and am busy the rest of the week, have my updates!

(I am not trying to be mean in this, I'm just playing a grumpy dwarf who doesn't like different things.)

1st Granite, 251

Gídthurid. It took me a month and a half of travel to reach the accursed place. I didn't want to go, but when the Queen orders, you obey. Or, to be more accurately, when the Queen orders, my boss' boss passes it down the line until it reaches a suitably-qualified troubleshooter.

Sadly, I was qualified. I told my boss I'd rather spend another five years locked into a mountain besieged by the undead than go to some new claim at the arse-end of nowhere, with nothing but goblins for company, but he put on his unimpressed face and I found myself on the next caravan out.



Honestly, look at this. Goblins as far as the eye can see. We had to skirt their territory on the trip over, and only a timely warning from a sky-touched local allowed us to avoid the ominously-named Morass of Lesions. That was a nerve-wracking week, trying to inch by between the dark goblin fortress and the dark magic-infested swamp.

But I finally arrived, and what do I find?





Chaos. Look at all those ingots just lying on the floor. The blasted things don't rot like plants, but they certainly rust and tarnish. Even worse, the dwarves here have been eating their plump helmets. Absolute insanity. No wonder they're all living in the dirt when there's good stone only a few yards below.

At least they weren't living on the surface, like some sky-touched fools I've seen.



I asked the first dwarf I saw to direct me to whoever was in charge. 'Lurking' was a good name for the man. He dodged all my questions about our stocks and supplies, though I managed to get out of him that they had neither a broker nor a work manager to help organise and direct things.

I was already suspecting foul play. It was awfully convenient that they had no solid records; it would be easy for a few precious ingots to slip through the cracks. Things were going to change around here.



First, I appointed a couple of likely candidates to the missing positions. That would help us get our stocks in order, and let us properly apportion our jobs.



Secondly, I forbade the eating of plump helmets. Their life-cycle requires they be used for the most dwarven of purposes, the making of alcohol, and they do not otherwise produce seeds. There were thankfully some left, so our farms could begin producing them soon. I also stopped the cook from using all the booze to cook with. How these people didn't all die of thirst before I arrived, I don't know.

My priorities in order to get the fortress up and running smoothly were thus:

Firstly, fix the storage issues. This was fairly simple, as we just needed more room and better organization.
Secondly, fix the farming problems. This was also simple, as the plump helmet seeds would rapidly become available once the mushrooms were brewed.
Thirdly, fix the well and create a future-proofed cistern. This would be the main labour of the year.
Fourthly, create a mushroom tree farm. This was a potential project, not a definite one, but while I was hydroengineering, I would try to make the most of things.
Fifthly, get these poor dwarves into good stone rooms. Simple, but a time-sink.
Sixthly, fix up the defences as much as possible. Whether I would have time for it or not, I wasn't sure.
Seventhly, get a basic silk farming operation set up. We had breached the cavern layers, and the small native spiders were eager to cover the ground in their webs. If I were feeling brave I could have gone for their larger cousins, but as things stood I would simply excavate a significant area and collect the silk from it if I had time.

I wasn't sure if I had enough time for all of it, hence the priorities.



The storage problem went deeper than simply some missing storage containers. The workers had filled their stations with junk, and none of it was being transported to the stockpiles, as there was no space for it. Everything had ground to a near-total halt. As you might imagine, it isn't easy to work when your work station is so full of jewellery you can't move.

The workshops were spread out and there was no space left whatsoever for most of the goods produced. The previous overseer had spent his entire time burning wood for ash for fertiliser, for whatever Armok-cursed reason, so I stopped that right away. We were feeding a hold of twenty-odd, not one of twenty thousand.

We didn't need a metal industry, either, not until we were actually properly settled, so that went too. While metal is in our blood, every dwarf I've ever met prefers reliable food, drink, and sleep to the sound of hammers on iron.



Our new storage and workshop area was planned out. I used a traditional repeatable design, with space for sixteen to twenty work stations around the central stockpile. I would be gradually filling it as bins became available to take the junk lying around upstairs.


12th Felsite, 251



The cistern was completed. There were outlets already built to take water to future projects, should it be needed, as well as a drainage channel to the east to empty the cistern if future overseers deem it necessary.



I also ordered the beginnings of the new rooms. No dwarf worth their beard cares for spacious dirt chambers; all they want is polished stone and a place to lay their heads. None of us were nobles, so there was no need for finery; we all worked for a living.



The mushroom tree chamber top took shape. I re-breached the caverns, as it seemed the fungal spores did not make their way into the hold when my predecessor did so. I would expect to see cave flora covering the arable land inside the hold by this point, but there wasn't a wild sweet pod to be seen.


12th Hematite, 251



The cistern was full, and not over-topping. I assigned a well and ordered the fisherdwarves to use the cistern for their work; I saw plenty of silvery fish darting through the water when I took a look in through the top. I also ordered the craftsdwarves to start turning all the mussel shells we had lying around into trinkets that we will be able to sell to the next caravan. They weren't worth very much, but it trained the crafters and got rid of the otherwise-worthless mussel shells.


20th Galena, 251



As work on the mushroom tree field neared completion, Rith Oltaraban, one of our carpenters, gave birth to a baby girl. Mistêm Dorentomêm was our newest resident; hopefully she will survive long enough to enjoy the fruits of our labour. The presence of babies meant we would have to be extra-vigilant against goblins, for they love the taste of young dwarf-flesh more than anything.

We received another baby on the 23rd, this one a boy. Our population grew well; perhaps it wasn't as hopeless as I'd thought. The old mountainhomes do not ring with childrens' laughter any longer; our people do not find joy beneath the earth the way they once did. This fresh outpost was a change of pace.


28th Galena, 251



As we moved into autumn, we had more than enough bedrooms for the residents. They worked to polish the walls and floors, to make them suitable for dwarf habitation. We had enough slack we could accommodate nearly double our current numbers. Half a year in the hold and I had almost finished all of my goals.


4th Limestone, 251



It was not all good news, however. One of the stoneworkers, Lorbam, was taken by a strange mood and was driven mad by her lack of access to the materials she demanded. I sealed her into her workshop to prevent her from harming any of the others; it was sad, but necessary. We didn't need a repeat of the Grimgrip incident. I still had the scars from it, even after all these years.

There were complaints, but I held firm on this one thing. Better one dwarf dead than many. Better her blood on my hands than on theirs.



We also finished the mushroom tree farm area, and flooded it for irrigation. It would drain in a few days; be warned that the cistern fills the room in a matter of moments. We opened the gate for only a few seconds to achieve this level of water. The miners seemed to want to wander into the channel from the cistern, but I banned all dwarves from entry into the area while we flooded it and thus had no unfortunate drowning incidents..


4th Limestone, 251



The caravan arrived, hopefully bringing with it seeds and goods; I hoped to dump all of our trinkets onto the merchants. If we were exceptionally lucky, they might have had some useful animals with them; we could have certainly used a male dog so we could have a breeding population. The war dogs had protected the animals well.

I asked them to bring seeds, dogs, and llamas next year; if my successor sees fit, they might be able to set up a wool, meat, or milk industry, and perhaps produce a breeding dog population. They don't eat much, and guard the flocks, so they're a solid investment at this stage.



I traded them a pile of trinkets for a pair of picks and some bags of seeds. Hopefully those would last long enough that we could get some use out of them. The moment we exchanged goods, every planter-dwarf in the hold rushed up to finally till the seeds into our mostly-fallow fields; I suspected they were growing sick of fish dinners, no matter how well-prepared and luxurious.

 

[Kadmus]

18th Limestone, 251



The bedrooms were finished before winter set in, so we would be warm deep in the earth. Forty rooms, more than enough to absorb a few extra immigrants, and there's plenty of room to expand.


26th Limestone, 251



I knew it had all been going too smoothly. Someone had forgotten to link the cistern bridge to a lever, necessitating it being drained to fix the problem. The floors will need to be cleaned, too, but hopefully I should have it done by year's end. I remember Deepash; there needed to be a way to fully secure the cistern, or we would have undead clawing their way up through the well. At least I had the foresight to include a way to drain the thing; I dread to think of the engineering involved to fix this issue were the cistern fully sealed.

A note for my successors: it may be worth widening the drainage channel. The narrow gauge limits the speed the cistern empties, which is suboptimal in most cases.

1st Sandstone, 251



Yet another baby. The dwarves here seemed eager to increase their population; that made four babies in the hold, and it was only in its second year of operation. It was something about the freedom so far from all the rules and weight of nobility above you, I thought; I worried the residents had forgotten that they still fell under the control of the Queen. I almost did.


7th Sandstone, 251



As the miners were not busy, I set them to clearing a space for the silk farm I envisioned. Managing this place was not enjoyable; I missed the simple joy of swinging my pick. The little wild cave spiders teem over every surface at the cavern depths, leaving layers of webbing behind as they go. Cave spider silk is a valuable and comfortable material, excellent for clothing.


28th Sandstone, 251



We received our first wave of immigrants for the year, just ahead of the winter frosts. Extra hands were always useful, and there were plentiful stores of food and drink to keep them all happy. We now numbered thirty-two.


3rd Timber, 251



The banging and wailing had finally stopped. Lorbam was dead.

I always hate having to make these decisions.

I ordered her commemorated and designated the area south of the workshops as the memorial area.


14th Timber, 251



Another dwarf taken by a strange mood; at least this time he had the materials he sought available to him, so I did not need to have him isolated.



He created a ring, and named it Razcagith. I had it set on a pedestal in the dining room, so that we might all admire the craftsdwarfship.


28th Timber, 251



The spider silk farm was working well. Already we had seven bolts of cloth; an expansion to the area would allow us to weave more, creating a sustainable cloth industry. Something for one of my successors, perhaps, or a braver dwarf might try to trap some of the giant spiders that lurk below for even more silk.


8th Obsidian, 251



The most exciting thing to happen over winter was the birth of another baby girl, bringing us to thirty-three souls. I kept expanding the silk farm as I waited for the cistern to drain; it was increasingly looking like it would fall to my successor to clean up my mess there.


15th Obsidian, 251



There was a brief moment of combat, but the dwarf in question decided that punching things in the head so hard they explode was a good combat style, to resounding success.

A small flock of agitated kea were in the area, but their attempts to cause trouble came to naught; between a guard goat, the dogs, and our brutal dwarf friend, they barely touched land before the irritating birds were mauled to pieces.


1st Granite, 252

My term came to its end. I felt relieved; the responsibility was great, and not something I enjoyed. I gladly took up my pick once more and joined the rest of the residents in their everyday work. I pray my successor has fewer hard decisions to make. I was not permitted to leave until the hold was successful or I died; such were my orders.

 

[Kadmus]

Fort Overview as of Spring 252



Our surface entrance has been fortified beyond its previous levels, though it is still lacking. I have never been a particularly military dwarf, so this may be something for my successors to work on.



The well and fishery area is currently non-functional due to cistern issues. That will be fixed soon enough. There is vomit everywhere because something injured got in, unfortunately. As we have access to sand, a glassblowing industry is possible. Be aware that as this is only a single layer down from the surface, tree-cutting will poke holes in the roof that will need to be fixed, hence the patches of grass around the northern chamber.



The previous workshop and living level lies half-abandoned. The north side houses our farms, kitchens, and brewery. The dining hall, with our two artifacts on display, is next to the cistern. I recommend moving the dining hall down into the stone layers when you get the chance, as dirt is bad for dwarves and cannot be polished or engraved. There's plenty of good soil here to expand fields should it be needed, but I suspect that the current set-up can handle at least a hundred dwarves or so, when supplemented with fishing.

I would also recommend fiddling with the seed stockpile above the farms, making sure to forbid all barrels from it when you do so. There's a bug with seeds in bags in barrels that means you end up spammed with error messages whenever your dwarves try to plant that I only found out about after I finished my term.



With little to do, the next level down has been temporarily converted to an ore stockpile. If you want your dwarves to do anything but haul ore from as far away as they can find it, delete this stockpile.



The workshop and stockpile area has been organised into efficiency. There's plenty of space for more workshops.



The cistern is temporarily a little bit buggered. Once it's drained, all that needs to be done is to link the rough chert bridge next to the wall grate to the spare lever, and then you need to remember to polish the floor before refilling it, or the water will be muddy and contaminated. Otherwise it should all be fully functional. Make sure to wall it back up before letting the water in, or you'll flood the fort.



The single tiny office I worked out of for my tenure as overseer.



The putative mushroom tree farm. Once this has drained it should be functional, but I think there might be a problem with the floor fungus as I have not seen any at all in the entire fortress, despite us having breached the cavern layer. This could be a serious detriment going forward, as it is necessary for bringing animals into the fort. Apparently it can take some time to grow, though, so all you will need to do is wait, and perhaps clear some of the stone out of the area.



Our bedrooms. Down low to avoid being disturbed, and there's a load of space to expand them into if necessary. Polished but not engraved.



Our silk farm. I started it in autumn and we already have 35 silk cloth from it; I would advise successors to get a clothing industry set up fairly soon as our dwarves' garments are getting tattered. There's also plenty of limestone there to use for steel-making.



Lurking is still alive, still with Fath, and busy cleaning fish and planting crops for a living.



I have retired to work as a manager and miner.




Our two artifacts, currently on display in the dining hall. The war-hammer may be worthwhile assigning as part of the militia leader's uniform, should we ever need one.

 

[LurkingWreck]

Bravo, @Kadmus . With the stresses of the upcoming Christmas celebrations I honestly didn't expect you to finish well over a week before your allotted time was up. You did a fine job expanding the fortress and keeping yourself mostly in-character, and the update was a joy to read.

While I intentionally didn't play entirely optimally for story reasons, the plump helmet seeds being lost when eaten was something I had completely forgotten about. To be fair it had been ages since I last played.

In any event, this leaves only one question on my mind. @Duzzit , would you like to spend next week up until the 1st of January for your term, or have you already made some plans for that week?

 

[Karlito]

Huh, how long has that seed thing been a problem? Guess that's the trouble I'm having with my own fort.

 

[Kadmus]

I will say I was absolutely kicking myself when I tried to use the bridge in the cistern and the lever just went 'click'. Not as much as when I realised in my own fort that I'd used non-magma-safe mechanisms in the flow control bridge (after magma had destroyed it), but I was definitely calling myself an idiot.

 

[LurkingWreck]

I will say I was absolutely kicking myself when I tried to use the bridge in the cistern and the lever just went 'click'. Not as much as when I realised in my own fort that I'd used non-magma-safe mechanisms in the flow control bridge (after magma had destroyed it), but I was definitely calling myself an idiot.

Click to shrink...

Eh, it happens to the best of us. Unlike me who had no idea what to do with the flooded well, you at least had a solution in mind by draining the cistern.

 

[Duzzit]

Bravo, @Kadmus . With the stresses of the upcoming Christmas celebrations I honestly didn't expect you to finish well over a week before your allotted time was up. You did a fine job expanding the fortress and keeping yourself mostly in-character, and the update was a joy to read.

While I intentionally didn't play entirely optimally for story reasons, the plump helmet seeds being lost when eaten was something I had completely forgotten about. To be fair it had been ages since I last played.

In any event, this leaves only one question on my mind. @Duzzit , would you like to spend next week up until the 1st of January for your term, or have you already made some plans for that week?

Click to shrink...

I might need a few extra days to be safe, will see. A lot depends on family/commitment and the like over Christmas, at least until everyone leaves on the 30th. I would still like/be happy to be next however.

 

[LurkingWreck]

I might need a few extra days to be safe, will see. A lot depends on family/commitment and the like over Christmas, at least until everyone leaves on the 30th. I would still like/be happy to be next however.

Click to shrink...

In that case, Duzzit has until the 8th of January to finish up his turn.

 

[plonk]

Would like to take a slot if possible.

 

[LurkingWreck]

Would like to take a slot if possible.

Click to shrink...

Welcome! I'll add you in for Year 261.

 

[Duzzit]

OOC: 252, what a year. What a bloody year. the Spring is mostly calm and does not in anyway warn me of what is to come, particularly in the summer. Overall, the year is a success, but there's a lot I likely forgot to mention, or do in it. Still, should be an alright read, even if I never get too strongly into character.

Also, annoyingly, fungi is still not growing anywhere. Its not a big issue for the new planting area that @Walker Of Chaos will have to work on, but still concerning for animal safety.

SPRING

1st of Granite, 252

After two years of being here, things had stabilised, which was not necessarily good news. For all that the caravans and migrants have thus far avoided the attention of the Goblins to the north, they're surely aware of this place now. Might well have even scouted us out, and what they'll see would probably encourage them.

Spoiler

That broken down cart has been sitting out there for two years, a fine testament to our prioritization of work. I've managed to sit down with Kadmus since they're an able administrator, and piled more work onto them owing to me taking over the larger-scale planning needs of this place. They took to the task of bookkeeping our stockpiles without too much issue thankfully.

3rd of Granite

Now that it is my job to look after the stability of this place, our biggest issue becomes apparent in that most of my fellow dwarves are upset at the lack of a prayer room to the gods. We have plenty of spare rooms and chambers for such, and I've asked everyone to congregate in the room dugout south of Kadmus offices for now, with a temporary altar for the entire Pantheon. I've been assured by those with more understanding of these things that such a setup will not upset the gods, though it will still be a high priority to build a proper temple.

Spoiler

8th of Granite

The local Kea population is extremely aggressive, killing one of the pet Cavy Sew's. At this rate we might need a hunter or two to thin their population here.

17th of Granite

Work proceeds apace on various rooms, and the miners are digging out more gems from the walls. I've set up a gem workshop to cut them for when the next caravan comes, or more specifically the one set to come in 253, after we have a talk with the outpost liaison.

Another kea attack, thankfully one of the war dogs took care of it without issue. I must commend Lurking putting the roof on the entrance of the staircase, they keep trying to swoop inside whenever someone steps outside.

20th of Granite

I know I'm the Chief Medical Dwarf here in addition to my role as leader, but this is the fifth dream I've had about bone anatomy since the start of the year. We've thankfully avoided too many injuries, outside what happened with poor Lorham, they deserve a proper burial and not a bloody slab at the end of the workshop corridor, well carved or not. Their corpse is still sitting in a refuse pile by Tun.

1st of Slate

I've recurring dreams on skeletal structures and the like, half of which sound like lectures in my teacher's voice back at the medical hold. It is mildly frustrating, though not as much as the farmers organising into a guild to ask for an expensive chamber for their meetings. Especially since they've failed to get the cavern flora to grow anywhere in the fortress yet. I've told them no, and hopefully that's the last I hear of that. Our miners have more important tasks to deal with.

4th of Slate

By Tun… We've doubled in population. Apparently our continual success has meant that a group of twenty five have travelled to join us. That means a mayoral election since we've passed the customary fifty, that will be a headache to sort out. A ceremonial post, but an important one.

I've started brewing a potion for my sleep issues from the grasses and plants in the area, allowing me to fall into a dreamless slumber. The kids are a bit worried about my constant shifting in my sleep.

9th of Slate

We've dug further down, unfortunately right into an open space about a second set of expansive caverns. I've ordered bone- stone walls to block it off, and dig a new exploration shaft elsewhere.

11th of Slate

The Farmers have asked for their guildhall again. I told them to stop bothering me about this.

18th of Slate

My wife would wish for me to write whilst she is indisposed, apparently possessed by a spirit of some sort as she tries to craft something in the workshop, but all she does is stand there staring at the materials around her. I can only pray to Tun that we can find what she needs. The Dwarves of the fort have thankfully continued working on the projects she set out before this took her, and nobody has said anything yet about doing what we had to do with Lorham.

19th of Slate

Bless our children, they stayed with her long enough to hear her mumble about animal bones and leather and Nish, the animal caretaker suggested we slaughter a few of the non breeding animals.

20th of Slate

She has begun work on something with just a few bones and pieces of leather, I must thank Nish and Tun for our fortune.

27th of Slate

One would imagine that they should be worried after such an experience, but I can only feel the satisfaction at the creation I have made.

Spoiler

An armour stand makes a lot of sense, it is close to one of the skeletons we used to study anatomy with, even if those could move thanks to a necromancer working for the mountain home. Not too sure what we shall do with it just yet.

Ushrir and the children have been most helpful in keeping notes both for this journal and crucially notes on the way the condition affects my sleep and food requirements. It is an interesting phenomenon that despite years of research has little known about it. Something to perhaps research more once I am no longer the administrator of the fort. The only truly sour note is the farmers guild asking for a hall again.

13th of Felsite

Lorham's body has finally been moved to the catacomb, the insides of which shall remain unsmoothed and uncarved, to better allow the body to return to the earth.



18th of Felsite

The temple is almost complete and it is truly a sight to behold, even if there is plenty of space for additions to be made in the future. Not too sure about some of the engravings, but freedom of creativity is an important aspect to carving such, so they will stay.

Spoiler

28th of Felsite

Both the cistern and the farm area are now shallow enough to be traversed on foot, and I am tempted to order the drainage tunnels to be expanded to let the water flow out faster, for the next time we need to do any sort of maintenance on it. Work on the fortress continues throughout. We really need to look into securing the entrance more strongly; the Kea's are relentless. The farmers asked for their guildhall again, I've allowed one to be built as the miners are not as busy now. Should stop their complaints.

SUMMER

OOC: This bloody summer.

4th of Hematite

Lokun has run inside, screaming about goblins and I can hear the war dogs howling and barking outside.

Two have run inside our pasture and are fighting the dogs, whilst Zon, our brand new mayor chases straight after the third, intent on killing it by themselves, the damn fool. The militia gathers themselves on the staircase, ready to go up. No weapons or armour, but they're eager enough. I send them out, with Donas leading them up. Hopefully none of them are injured, our hospital is not yet ready.

Spoiler

12th of Hematite

Every goblin has been killed, with no injuries to any of the dwarves, though sadly one of the war dogs took a few nasty scratches. Hopefully it lives through its injuries.

We must prepare for war. I've ordered several forges and smelters to be constructed on the farming level as a temporary measure.

17th of Hematite

The first steel ingot has been forged. There will be many more like it.

23rd of Hematite

The Farmer's guild is complaining their guildhall is not up to their standards. You just can't please some people.

15th of Magnetite

Little has been occurring in the fortress beyond progress, but today more migrants arrived to settle into the fort itself. For the moment, I've set some of the bedrooms on the farming level back into use for them.

18th of Magnetite

A weregiraffe attacked the fisherdwarves outside, killing Lorkam by repeatedly bludgeoning them with a silk shoe, and nearly killing Zuntir before it transformed back into a goblin and scurried off before the militia could chase it down.

Spoiler

I've set aside one of the upstairs bedrooms to act as an emergency hospital.

19th of Magnetite

After a long inspection of Zuntir's body, we cannot be sure if she had been bitten or not owing to the sheer amount of bludgeoning damage to her. Frankly I am not sure she will survive the night at this rate.

Spoiler

20th of Magnetite

It was a long night with the patient, but I'm fairly sure that there are no bite marks anywhere on the body. Her lower teeth are all gone, and both her arms are badly mangled.

(OOC: I scrolled through her combat log a bunch of times, just to see like 60 mentions of being hit with a silk shoe).

1st of Galena

Ablel has fallen into the Dwarven Trance and has claimed a workshop. Thankfully, unlike the reports of my own experience, or that of Lorham, they began their construction almost immediately, seemingly having all the required resources on hand for such.

7th of Galena

They have come out of their trance, having created quite possibly the finest toy I have ever seen. Like my own experience, they report immense satisfaction at their creation and also seem to believe, unlike myself, that their stoneworking skills have improved. Fascinating.

Spoiler

17th of Galena

I am ashamed, for it is clear my inspection of the body was wrong. Zuntir had transformed two days ago, her wounds all healed by the corruptive force. I…

She killed three dwarves on the staircase, before grabbing me. I could not break free, as she hit me several times. If the quality of this written entry is lower than normal it is because two fingers are permanently damaged on my right hand, and I cannot see out of my right eye right now. Thankfully something distracted her and she let me go, and I hid by the well, as the militia, alongside a number of dwarves including my husband, killed her.

No half measures this time. Six Dwarves, including Zuntir, are dead. A full 19 of us, a third of the fortress had come into contact with the monstrosity that arose from within her and several of us are crippled. Everyone will be quarantined in individual rooms, and those of us like myself who are stuck in the hospital beds will be walled in before the next full moon.

Spoiler

28th of Galena

Olin, my youngest daughter, refuses to leave me in the hospital. She does not understand the danger, that whilst I was not bitten I may have been mistaken about the method of infection, but she refuses to let go. My husband had already been sealed in by the body, owing to him being too hurt to be moved and the builders worried about the time they'd need. I've ordered everyone to quarantine, and the bricks to go up around us in the hospital, treatment requirements or no.

 

[Duzzit]

AUTUMN

1st of Limestone

Whilst I am walled in, I get reports of happenings in the fortress regardless. One of the war dogs has been killed by aggressive Keas. Hopefully, it is the last death of the year.

6th of Limestone

We are now fully walled in, and I write this small entry in the prayer that Tun hears my pleas, not for myself but for my daughter, that should I turn I will not harm her.

13th of Limestone

I can hear Eral howling and screeching in the room next to me, but it would seem that I have not been turned, though I do not know about the rest of the fortress.

Spoiler

15th of Limestone

We are…fortunate, I suppose, that only one of us has been transformed, the rest of those of us who encountered the beast appear to not have been cursed, but now the question is what to -do- with Eral. I must think on this and confer with others, including Eral themselves now that they've come out of their transformation, though they remain walled in.

Ushrir has now been brought into the hospital, though he is quite badly mauled, having lost a foot.

22nd of Limestone

The caravan has arrived, with several Llamas and Dogs in cages, both immensely useful animals for our fort. I owe Kadmus a drink or five for his request for them. Someone else will have to take over trading duty this year, since our mayor is still in the hospital.

23rd of Limestone

The traders brought only seeds and livestock, but I've ordered it all. A bit redundant, but good just in case, and we have the goods to trade for it all. Hopefully from next year they will bring a wagon.

Spoiler

26th of Limestone

More migrants have arrived at the fortress, being harassed by the agitated Keas.

15th Sandstone

I've put the artefact, Ikklisarmid, into the farming guilds hall, which should make them happy.

4th of Timber

The mayor, after being in the hospital for several months, had succumbed to their injuries.
Rith Oltarban has been elected the new mayor. The outpost liaison left in a huff at all these delays and we did not make an agreement for next year's trade caravan stocks, an annoyance to be sure.

18th of Timber

After much deliberation…we've agreed that for the safety of the fort, Eral must be killed. I take no great pleasure in such a decision. As a medic it pains me to do so, but we are not equipped here to study a disease of such magnitude yet, and the mountain homes have not worked out a cure in over two hundred years. One day, perhaps.

19th of Timber

Perhaps as a sign, one of the dwarves has claimed a workshop and begun a mysterious construction.

20th of Timber

A kea has just killed a dwarven child playing outside. Tun grant me strength.


25th of Timber

Catten has finished their construction, they have crafted an exquisitely crafted earring.

Spoiler

WINTER

1st of Moonstone

I must admit, the stresses of the year as governor will make me quite glad once I am done and can focus more on my medical research. I cannot say if I have done a good or bad job in the year; but that will be more for the historians to decide on, I suppose.

4th of Moonstone

More goblin thieves, one of whom has injured my eldest daughter. The militia killed him, but it may be too late for her.

Spoiler

5th of Moonstone

Atesh, my girl…The goblin bodies are going straight into the atom smasher, this I vow.


13th of Opal

I must get back to work I have not written in this journal for a month. Work had begun on a proper metalworking shop to increase production.. The cistern is finally empty of water, but we have run into a new issue, in that the river has frozen. Not the biggest issue, but frustrating since it'l be some time before we can refill the reservoir. Lurking says it had not done that during his year as administrator.

Spoiler

21st of Opal

It must have been a temporary thing, as the water is now unfrozen.

22nd of Moonstone

Another kea attack on our livestock.

1st of Granite, 253

As of two hours ago, I am no longer the forts primary administrator. It has been a year full of tragedy, both personal and for the entire fort; but I cannot deny we have made much progress and I am proud of the work that has been put in. I will like to spend the next few years working on the hospital, which is only partially complete, but I think with it as a facility for us to use, it will help us much in the future. I only wish that it had been available sooner.

Spoiler

The new administrator will have to pull the levers to fill up the cistern, but the system is set up. Per Kadmus's recommendation, the outflow has been enlarged.

Spoiler