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[PyroTechno]

Fortress of Nightmares

AKA Fun With Evil Biomes

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Dwarf Fortress is, in my experience, a game of extremes. You can settle in a quiet, nonthreatening place, grow a dwarven metropolis easily and painlessly, and be very boring. Or... you can go found a fortress in an evil biome, put your dwarves through hell, and try to survive.

In all honesty, I don't expect this to go well at all. The last time I tried to found in an evil biome, I found out the hard way that it rained acid there. The last dwarf apparently decided that she didn't want to deal with the hermit challenge and ran outside to collect a single wooden log before I could do more than stare in shock as the other 6 simultaneously melted.

Yeah...

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Table of Contents

Act 1 - Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys"

Expedition One -
Spring 125
Summer - Winter 125
Spring - Summer 126

Expedition Two -
Summer 126

Expedition Three-
Summer - Autumn 126

Act 2 - Sedillised, "Angelmark"

Expedition Four -
Autumn - Winter 126

Other updates potentially exist at some point in the future.

[PyroTechno]

Expedition One
Spring, 125

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

On the planet Emaathira, "The Everlasting Planes", it is now the year 125. 7 years ago, the last dwarven civilization was crushed in a war with their goblin neighbors. There are only six dwarves still alive, and five of them are directly under the thumb of the goblins.

This wasn't the story I was expecting to tell today, but it was the story I was given.

I suppose having to deal with an extinct parent civ adds to the challenge. I think I'm going to found a fortress for the OTHER dwarven civ, which was destroyed by megabeasts in the year 30 - at least, according to Legends Viewer. This way, there will be no goblin overlord shenanigans.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hmm. Interesting. Maybe for later.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

But I think here looks good.

If this fortress fails, we will reclaim it. If it proves impossible to reclaim, we shall rebuild elsewhere. The vaguely defined population of migrant dwarves behind this venture are counting on us to build a (reasonably) safe fortress for them.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Urnvalleys". Sounds ominous.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This is the sight I'm greeted with. A dead forest, with dead grass and dead shrubs. Nothing lives in this place except our party of seven and the animals they brought.

(Note: One of my dwarves was not immediately promoted to King/Queen, so the parent civ still exists. Legends Viewer probably just missed a fortress or two.)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Already, the vile undead approach.

Digging begins immediately, but that is not fast enough. Five pages of combat log tell of the kestrel's fight with a dog and three dwarves.

Spoiler: Combat Log (click to show/hide)

The dog took most of the hits, and that miner has a vicious right hook.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

According to the wiki, mangled corpses don't rise again, so this skeletal kestrel is dead for good.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The dwarves begin bringing in supplies from the wagon. Across the hall, a new room is designated for some workshops.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So, there are zombie flying birds and zombie turkeys in this land (I just saw a Turkey Hen Corpse on the unit list), but the platypi seem to love it here. I wonder if they just sort of confuse the undead by existing and are left alone...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

With the wagon's resources moved inside, I designate a burrow, sound the new civilian alert, and designate a bridge and a Mechanic's Workshop for construction.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The bridge is complete, but mechanisms for the lever are not. Three undead kangaroos trail on to the map.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They approach from the north.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The lever is completed, and will soon be linked to the bridge and pulled. The undead will be sealed outside, and we can turn our attention to other things.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And thus the infant fortress is safe - for now.

Of course, both pack animals got inside, which is unfortunate. I had planned to leave them outside to die. I suppose that's not going to happen.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I shall have to leave them INSIDE to die. (Note: The cursor covers a locked and tightly closed door. I thought I got that information in the screen capture, but apparently not.)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I build a 3x3 staircase going straight down, and after digging through the layers of clay, I immediately find bituminous coal and magnetite, which is AWESOME.

The reddish stone is conglomerate, an aquifer-supporting sedimentary rock that I don't have to worry about because I have aquifers turned off.

This find is practically begging me to immediately begin making a metal industry. With only seven dwarves, there's only so much I can do, and I have migrants turned off because fuck migrants. Iron is probably a good idea anyway, though.

I think this find will occupy my miners for a very long time.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here's the progress on the metal industry so far. Not much, but it's only the first spring.

Until it isn't. Summer rolls around, and we stop it here to continue in the Summer post. Until then...

[PyroTechno]

Fortress of Nightmares
Expedition One

Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys", Summer - Winter 125

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Urnvalleys does not currently possess a broker or a bookkeeper. Perhaps I should fix that soon - or perhaps it doesn't matter.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A new stockpile is set up for bars and blocks on the floor below the metal industry. Meanwhile, at the wood furnace, a wood burner executes his job for the first and last time.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A single wood log is sacrificed to kickstart the metal industry. Perhaps it would have been better to bring a bar of fuel to start with - but this accomplishes the same thing, really.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Construction will soon begin on a smelter, and then a Metalsmith's Forge. And then a second one of each, since I remembered that I brought a second anvil.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The supplies of coke (AKA, refined coal) and iron bars climb quickly.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Of course, with nothing to do with them, I simply designate a 1x1 meeting area and get down to business.

I have migrants turned off, because fuck migrants. So to expand the population of the fortress, I need to get dwarves married off and having children - hopefully, with more than one couple, there won't be INBREEDING RIDICULOUSNESS.

This, of course, is a boring process that takes a very long time, so I won't be keeping such a detailed account of the entire thing.

3rd Galena, 125

The donkey died at some point, and after a 2-page combat log, its fellow pack animal succumbs to its attacks.

14th Limestone, 125

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Um. This is the dwarven caravan. There's no outpost liaison, so our parent civ has something very strange going on...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Have fun with that.

Undead ravens? Those are apparently REALLY BAD NEWS.

2nd Sandstone, 125

Both the dogs and cats have puppies and kittens, respectively. This dangerous phenomenon requires immediate action.

20th Sandstone, 125

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A Dwarven Atom Smasher is quickly set up and the dangerous small animals are set in a pasture beneath it. The lever is toggled.

They don't even get a combat log. They simply vanish into the aether, floating amidst an endless field of random dwarven debris.

Speaking of combat logs...

Spoiler: Combat Log (click to show/hide)

This is the caravan guard's combat log. The single raven that has attacked the merchants so far is dismembered easily, and is finally decapitated.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The raven will soon rise again - at least, assuming its various parts still have the [GRASPING] tag. The merchants have embarked after only one attack. Their guard walks off with a single bruise, and probably gets a pay raise.

I thought undead were dangerous?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Lovers already! Excellent. They'll hopefully be married soon, although it will still take decades to get the population up to a reasonable level.

Of course, the side effect of this level of socialization is a much bigger hit if one of them dies - possibly even a tantrum spiral. To keep this from happening, I'll have to do some major quality of life work. A legendary dining hall will be a good start.

17th Obsidian, 125

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here's the legendary dining room, as well as the food stockpile, farms, still, and kitchen. All of the furniture in the dining room is made of iron. This layer is composed of clay, which would be useful for stoneware production if we actually had a safe supply of wood, and therefore ash. Cassiterite would work too, but I don't see any of the valuable tin ore here. Do you?

Nothing else interesting happens until winter becomes spring and the year 125 gives way to its successor, 126. Until next time...

[PyroTechno]

Fortress of Nightmares
Expedition One

Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys", Spring - Summer 126

24th Granite, 126

I forgot to make a post like this on the 1st, so here's the stock screen as of the 24th.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The 1 speardwarf mentioned is a project of mine - a single guard as another line of defense, and because I couldn't spare more than one. He's a homosexual, so for reproductive purposes he's useless.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He trains alone in his barracks, across from the bar/block stockpile.

25th Granite, 126

After looking over the "clay" entry on the DF wiki, I learn that it can be used in buildings and constructions. I was intending to build some defenses on the surface eventually, so a theoretically infinite supply of building material will be a nice thing to have.

I'll set up some kilns somewhere and get collecting, I guess.

18th Slate, 126

There aren't any undead on the surface at the moment, so it's time to set up some walls.

25th Felsite, 126

There are some issues with construction, so when the Ogress corpse attacks, I'm not too surprised. My speardwarf has full iron armor, an iron spear, and an iron shield. I send him out and seal the inner entrance behind him.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

But it's too late for a civilian, the expedition leader, broker, and a reasonably skilled blacksmith. It is our first death. The speardwarf goes in for the attack.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

... Or not. Well. So much for that. Hopefully, the ogress leaves soon. Both of the dwarf corpses are mangled but in one piece, which means they will not rise.

6th Hematite, 126

The Ogress walks off the map, and construction begins again.

21st Malachite, 126

Construction on the second level of the wall is once again interrupted. It appears that the ogress has returned with a friend.

The Carpenter jumps off on the wrong side of the wall and flees in terror. He's one half of the only couple in the fortress - and he's as good as dead.

At this point, I'd rather get all of my dwarves killed and then reclaim.

So, I put the survivors in a squad and order them to attack. It is their final charge against the undead.

Spoiler: Final Combat Logs (click to show/hide)

The last log, that of Vucar Calolducim, the other half of our only couple, is cut off.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

In all honesty, I suspected nothing less. But the deaths of these seven will not have been in vain. They have laid the groundwork for the next expedition, whoever they may be.

END EXPEDITION ONE.

[PyroTechno]

Fortress of Nightmares
Begin Expedition Two.

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Summer 126

A second party of seven set out for the journey into the Plains of Chilling, determined to reclaim and rebuild the fortress of Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys", from the undead. They are woefully unprepared for this task, as is only fun (read: I accidentally pressed "Play Now!").

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yep, that's about right. Here's the top level of Urnvalleys, the partially constructed courtyard and walls. There's plenty of the item scatter that I'd heard so much about, but no actual undead - for now.

I unpause, and immediately I am faced with an ambush. The ogress from before has stayed here, and more dwarves will soon face her wrath.

I reuse the alert I created in spring of 125. The burrow still remains, and still includes the levers and such.

But this is also too much to ask. The other ogress waits inside, hidden in another ambush.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

By forbidding a couple doors, I can lock her in the workshop room easily enough - although I've probably lost another dwarf.

But no, the dwarves jam the doors open, and they once again die.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It all happened so fast...

END EXPEDITION TWO.

[Immortal-D]

Bwahah An Ogress is bad enough when she's alive; the buffed zombie version will be pretty hard to handle.  Maybe invest some points in a Marksdwarf next time?

[PyroTechno]

Bwahah An Ogress is bad enough when she's alive; the buffed zombie version will be pretty hard to handle.  Maybe invest some points in a Marksdwarf next time?

I figured it was the "Ogress" part. The zombie part is apparently complete shit. Everyone keeps complaining about how tough they are - but are you sure they haven't been nerfed?

[Immortal-D]

Bwahah An Ogress is bad enough when she's alive; the buffed zombie version will be pretty hard to handle.  Maybe invest some points in a Marksdwarf next time?

I figured it was the "Ogress" part. The zombie part is apparently complete shit. Everyone keeps complaining about how tough they are - but are you sure they haven't been nerfed?

They were, in so far as they are no longer 'Champion Dwarf' level.  That said, zombies still gain a massive boost to strength and toughness.  If you really want to reclaim this site (and the Ogress remains), you will need to invest some points in a moderately armed & armored soldier.

[PyroTechno]

Fortress of Nightmares
Begin Expedition Three.

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Summer 126

A third party of seven had once again been formed from that pool of migrant dwarves that always clings to life. They set out for Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys", as the third wave of colonization and second wave of reclamation.

They were a bit more prepared than the second expedition, who had met their fate two weeks ago, only a day or two after arrival.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The second expedition's wagon still sits here, a creepy sight for the dwarves.

The marksdwarf quickly puts on his equipment and stands guard as the dwarves quickly break through a wall and carve a new pseudo-fortress into the cliffside.

(I'm not particularly attached to the old fortress - I just don't want to lose the spectacular mineral resource of both magnetite and bituminous coal in one site. Have I mentioned this is the second time ever that I've found that?)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

An "ambush" triggers in the middle of the old fortress. One of the ogresses is in the main stairway. The doors leading to her are forbidden and tightly closed - AKA magically locked and sealed by the godly powers of a DF player. Screw you, ogress!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A fight breaks out with a zombie dog on the surface. It is quickly beheaded, but various other zombie creatures begin attacking, including at least one zombie cat. These are probably the animals of the previous two expeditions, killed offscreen by some creature other than an ogress, as the ogresses always leave their kills mangled and unsuitable for reanimation.

The cat skeleton gets its claws on the marksdwarf's face, and it's all over for our military. Another dwarf falls into the pool by the walls and drowns. One tile of wall is deconstructed, and a farmer is crushed to death.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Clusterfuck 3: Clusterfuck Harder.

The next day, autumn officially arrives on the calendar - as if anyone is looking at a calendar right now.

1st Limestone, 126

Remember the dwarf that drowned? He's a zombie now, and he's not happy.

Almost immediately, he generates four pages of combat log with a stray dog, who seems determined to bite him to second death, even though the dog is getting punched to death simultaneously.

The expedition leader then dies, although I can only tell because someone else gets promoted to the role.

2nd Limestone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

See the dwarf in the top right? She's the last dwarf of the third expedition.

This fort is beyond reclamation at this point. I'll have to found a new one nearby.

Since the last dwarf is about to get eaten by a zombie cat, here's some info about her.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This miner has already beheaded 3 zombies with her <copper pickaxe>. And I'm not just saying that because of the kill list, either - I looked in the combat logs.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Expedition leader? That would require an expedition. But, if it's her dying wish to think she's important, then that's fine. She's been very brave so far. We can give her that.

But of course, not even her madly swinging pick can save her in the end. Two cat skeletons gang up on her, and shortly after that...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Thus ends the fortress of Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys". Twenty-one dwarves have been consumed by this place. Seven of them, the third expedition, which was killed by mundane zombies that didn't mangle their corpses, will soon rise again to haunt this place eternally.

But this story isn't over yet. The dwarves will rebuild elsewhere, and eventually build a fortress to stand the test of time, a beacon of hope for a failing race amidst a living nightmare.

END EXPEDITION THREE.

(Note: So, you know what I said about zombies being weak and nerfed and so on? Yeah, funny story...)

[endlessblaze]

a few silver maces are handy, not that I have lasted that long in evil embarks.

((ninjaid by expedition 3, those dwarfs move fast))

[PyroTechno]

a few silver maces are handy, not that I have lasted that long in evil embarks.

((ninjaid by expedition 3, those dwarfs move fast))

 

Yeah, I discovered the power of silver war hammers way back in DF2012. Then I discovered the Hammerer, twitched for ten minutes, and deleted the save.

[endlessblaze]

.....HAHHAHahahhahahahahahahha!


but yha, I hear silver maces are better at killing undead than silver hammers for some reason.

the big issue with reanimating biomes(as you just saw) is that once you fail once or twice its just to hard to reclaim.

[PyroTechno]

Fortress of Nightmares

Expedition Four
Autumn - Winter, 126

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Though all agree that the fortress of Vucarolil, "Urnvalleys", is lost to the undead, the area still has value. The immediate surroundings of Vucarolil contain sand, clay, very deep soil, shallow and deep metals and resources confirmed to include magnetite and bituminous coal, and, somewhere, a flux stone layer.

Thus, a new fortress is founded to the immediate south.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Angelmark". This name seems somehow inappropriate for a fortress of nightmares - or perhaps a good omen of things to come? Nevertheless, it is the name we have been given.

I just hope that the zombies to the north stay to the north.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Okay, we're fine for now.

20th Limestone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A wall is quickly built on the surface from the granite brought on embark.

Mining quickly begins.

26th Limestone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

With the initial mining complete, the wagon begins to be offloaded into the custom stockpile.

14th Sandstone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The construction philosophy found in Urnvalleys hasn't changed in Angelmark. This will be the farms, still, kitchen, food stockpile, and legendary dining room, as well as a spare room that I haven't decided how to use yet.

22nd Sandstone, 126

Magnetite is struck once more. Bituminous coal, however, has not yet been found.

13th Timber, 126

It rains normally here. There's no acid, no elf blood, nothing. Thank Armok for small favors.

17th Timber, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The pack animals are once again locked in a 1x1 room.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This level, right above the magnetite, will be the combined stonework/metalwork level.

21st Timber, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

According to the wiki, blood gnats are a type of bug found in evil biomes that can cause food to rot and gives dwarves bad thoughts. And they're swarming the food stockpile. Hopefully the bugs can't affect plump helmets and the dwarves don't go into a bug-induced tantrum spiral.

25th Timber, 126

The spare room will be used as a pasture for the turkeys and various other animals.

1st Moonstone, 126

The calendar hails the arrival of winter.

2nd Moonstone, 126

I notice several dwarves with "Hunt for Small Creature" as their labor. They've been trapped outside since I put the wall up. It's a miracle that they haven't died yet.

I order a section of wall deconstructed so they can get in.

10th Moonstone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The hole in the wall is plugged by a door. That was kind of embarrassing, and a disaster that was narrowly avoided.

But wait!

(Image apparently eaten by Imgur)

This dwarf is on the wrong side of the river!

Hopefully, Angelmark's luck when it comes to zombies - there still aren't any on the map - holds.

13th Moonstone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hey, look - a bridge used for its originally intended purpose! Such a thing is rare in dwarven society.

Now, you - yes, YOU - get in the fortress this instant!

14th Moonstone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And stay in!

19th Moonstone, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And now, for some exploratory mining! There should be some bituminous coal around here somewhere...

21st Moonstone, 126

I stop the exploratory mining - I think it was killing FPS. No bituminous coal, for now, I guess.

1st Opal, 126

So, I just saw a miner teleport through one of the outer walls. I guess it must be a bug - which means it may not have been my own incompetence that stuck all of those dwarves outside! I feel a bit better about myself now.

7th Opal, 126

So, the whole "bituminous coal" thing kind of fell through, and now there isn't fuel for a metal industry.

Or is there?

I start work on a project that will most likely not be more efficient than just eventually finding coal, but will be more fun for me.

The project is a secret. You cannot see it... for now.

12th Obsidian, 126

Another dwarf magically teleports to the surface. I wouldn't be quite so annoyed with this bug if I wasn't playing in an EVIL BIOME.

Dammit, DF...

15th Obsidian, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

An Ogre corpse and two Ogress corpses enter the map.

...

What.

What is this.

I don't even.

I... I'm sorry, but I can't deal with this.

I wouldn't descend to this if the game hadn't forced me to.

But persistent Ogre antagonist bullshit is something I don't want to be a part of - especially when that dwarf from before is STILL OUTSIDE FOR SOME REASON AAAA

By the powers invested in me, the DF player, by the Toady One, the modding community, and, indeed, Armok himself...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

16th Obsidian, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Um.

Is that supposed to happen?

17th Obsidian, 126

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It seems to be stopping now.

...

Note to self: never use "exterminate magma" on undead. It doesn't actually work. You're just supposed to type "exterminate undead" and they vanish.

20th Obsidian, 126

If anyone asks, a column of heavenly fire sent down by the dwarven gods melted the terrain there, which is why the river is now dammed.

Anyway... back to my secret project.

1st Granite, 127

And so, Angelmark has made it to the dawn of another year.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Fourth Expedition has already survived hardships of another level - the game has tried to actively sabotage it more than once. So, I retaliated with DFHack. This, of course, is a battle I will eventually lose, but it should be fun along the way.

[Gwolfski]

i have idea: retire the current fortress, anbd use dfhack's embark anywhere to embark on both the fortresses. might suggest building a wall in the liv ing fortress before that.as in big,big,BIG wall.