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[Roach]

Ice and Iron

The mountainhome libraries hold an old, old story.

A nation of dwarves and a nation of goblins are locked in war. The goblins are winning, and winning well. Situated in a fortress on a frozen, hellish island, nested in a glacier of the southern ocean, they send out filthy legions to wreak havoc, then retreat into the ice where no dwarf might follow. Military command hatches a last-ditch, desperate plan. A well-equipped unit of 21 dwarves, headed by their commander, would sneak across the ice, establish a camp, and fetch the head of the goblin warlord -- and in it, the safety of the mountainhomes.

The plan failed.

Seven limping survivors made it across the ice, sparse on equipment. It won't be long before the goblin city they camp outside discovers their exact location. But the mission must go on, and the goblins must die. Failure is not an option. Once a year, a hardened supply caravan treks across the ice. To the camp, it brings sustenance. From the camp, it takes one thing: Correspondence. Letters from the soldiers make their way back from the desolate camp to the hands of family and friends. In their pages, colorful characters and tales of ice and iron unfold. Here, they are remembered, one letter at a time.

Year Listings:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

• Year 251: Below
• Year 252
• Year 253
• Year 254

Year 251 Common Era

The beginning of the campaign, taking the war to the hellish home of the goblins.
In this year, the mountainhomes received the following correspondence:

• An annual command report from Commander Asobbab: https://docdro.id/AHFocfs
• A personal letter from a watchmaker to her mother: https://docdro.id/WNJ89f2
• A personal letter from a chef to his friend: https://docdro.id/QpJRSY4

[Roach]

Year 252 Common Era

A second year sees the very beginnings of goblin offensives, as well as officer commentary.
In this year, the mountainhomes received the following correspondence:

• An annual command report from Commander Asobbab: https://docdro.id/s19D44s
• Another personal letter from Chef Reg to his friend: https://docdro.id/UkhoDMC
• A friendly letter from an officer to a colleague: https://docdro.id/wM0eT0Z

[Roach]

Year 253 Common Era

A third year sees responses to bad news from the mountainhomes, increased goblin presence, and curious intrigue in the camp's heart.
In this year, the mountainhomes received the following correspondence:

• An annual command report from Commander Asobbab: https://docdro.id/DALC92E
• A letter from Sigun the Watchmaker to her Cousin: https://docdro.id/UtHf2nB
• A letter from a Stalker to her Brother: https://docdro.id/YurGZ0v

[Salmeuk]

I like your style and the scale at which you are approaching this story. Kind of a loosely-zoomed out version of DF, where focus is less on a single fortress overseer, and more on the larger society that all fortresses are a part of. I'm curious if you are also playing multiple fortress or adventurers, or if this is purely fiction?

I am a sucker for any mention of ocean beasts. keep it up!

[Roach]

I like your style and the scale at which you are approaching this story.

Hey, thank you! I'm stoked to hear that someone's liking it. The epistolary format is really fun to write in, and it's very comfortable for me.

I'm curious if you are also playing multiple fortress or adventurers, or if this is purely fiction?

This is actively following a 0.34.11 fort I'm playing; every in-game year, I write a handful of letters -- with a few gaps filled in to nudge the plot, naturally. 
The characters sending the letters are all real dwarves in the fort, doing real things in-game.

[Roach]

Year 254 Common Era

A fourth year sees strange intrigue inside the fort, thoughts from officers, glacier survivalism, and the camp's first KIA.
In this year, the mountainhomes received the following correspondence:

• An annual command report from Commander Asobbab: https://docdro.id/Pck7X3B
• A letter from a Survivalist to his Nephew: https://docdro.id/Y93sYbK
• A letter (and package) from Captain Scrim to her colleague: https://docdro.id/vkEZFRs