This game is my first attempt at building up a respectable fortress in a glacier area. Since the mood has struck me (Possessed, mayhap?!) I will attempt to follow the events from the point of view of a single dwarf in this fortress. Should he die, I'll switch to a different character in the fortress, though I don't expect any sort of horrific deaths early on. Also, this is my first time writing such a story, so you'll have to forgive me for any sort of paragraph/grammar/spelling/whateverbothersyou that may come up, and I'll listen to any suggestions you make, assuming they aren't in all caps and seem based in irrational hatred. Now, with my monologue struck down, let's proceed with..
**Note: This will be heavily edited until I get the beginning straight, so bear with me. It is also being played with the Minerals and Martial arts mod.
"Warmth of Glory Expedition: Manifest
Picks (Copper) Seven
Dwarven Brews of all sorts (32 barrels)
Meats (24 barrels)
Sturdy Tower-cap: 30 logs
Fine Granite: 16 blocks, 30 stones
Charcoal: 4 blocks
Excess barrels: 25
Leather Bags: 25
Quarry Bush Seeds: 40
Sweet Pod Seeds: 40
Three dogs and two cats have also been brought for protection and vermin control.
Cog crunched miserably through the packed snow, muttering to himself. The name of their little band had seemed so promising when he heard of a new expedition to the north, the 'Warmth of Glory'. "There is certainly no warmth to be found in this wretched wasteland, by Steelscar.." he muttered, following the wagon as it broke through the snow ahead of him. Stint, the one who had arranged the whole expedition, had hinted of glory and wonders, as well as fame and profit to be made. He had foolishly believed her, and now was cursing his luck. It had been three months since they had left, going on a torturous journey through mountains and forests. Luckily enough, they had not been waylaid by the dark elves or goblins, and still had plenty of food to last until they began growing crops. At least, according to Stint. Though he felt that there was enough drink, he was dubious at their choice of provisions. Turtle? Horse meat?! He knew the reason, though. It was the cheapest fare that could be afforded by their expedition. Hopefully, bland food would be the worst of his worries, and if things went bad, maybe he could get back home alive...
The wagon finally ground to a halt, and Cog was afraid it had broken down, stranding him in this icy tomb for eternity. He would never get back home, and would surely die and be gnawed at by feral wolves, unknown to- "We're here!" Stint yelled, her wide smile not doing much to offset Cog's fears. The other dwarves began grabbing their picks from the wagon, and marched to the east. "Here?" Cog asked. "But... We're in the middle of a glacier! Everything looks the same! How can you tell??" Stint frowned at him. "Don't be such a spoilsport, you've been grumbling the entire journey. I know exactly where we are, now grab your pick and help us get out of this cold." Uneasy, Cog did as she asked, and they began digging a ramp underground to begin their fledgling fortress.
They quickly dug into the ground, beginning with a large sloping ramp to accommodate any traders wagons that might come to the fortress. They then dug a short, wide tunnel segment, and narrowed it to wagon-width, and, from that point, dug further to begin the main hall. Cog found some degree of comfort in the work, despite the strangeness of red sand this far north, and soon the hall had been dug out, a stockpile had been placed, and several buildings were being built. The Trade Depot had been built first thing, then butchers shop and tanners were up. The carpenters and masons workshop soon followed, with beds, tables and chairs being the first order of business. Finally came the mechanic's shop, though Cog knew the more experienced Likot would be working there, rather then himself.
As expected, Cog found himself making tables and chairs out of the granite that had been brought painstakingly from the mountainhomes. He was somewhat dissatisfied by such simple work, but knew it was a necessity to get the fortress set up. The first months were uneventful, with the main concern being with acquiring a steady source of booze and food. Stint had somehow managed to break her left lower arm fighting wolves with her mining pick, of all things As soon as the first bed had been placed, she dropped into it and declared that she would rest until her arm healed. As the time passed, the fortress slowly came together, with Cog thankful for the lack of any more excitement, for the time being.
All the supplies had been hauled in, and it was time to breach the aquifer that had been found in the third level of soil. Cog and the others (except Stint, of course) proceeded to dig into the cold earth, and soon the aquifer level was exposed. With a quick job of channeling into it, the water proceeded to leak out, then froze into an ice wall that prevented more water from escaping. They then dug out the inner wall of ice, and built a granite wall to ensure that water could not escape into the deep shaft that they would soon be digging. After the wall was built, they dug through a layer of peat (which included compacted peat, which might be useful in the future) they reached a layer of chalk, which they attacked with vigor after digging through soft soil for so long. With raw stone to be used, the dining room could be further expanded and the decoration of the main hall could occur.
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Topic: Frostbound Fortress: Palace in the Ice (Read 892 times)