So, my first attempt to settle an aquifer didn't go too well. I almost made it out alive, but well, enjoy the story ^_^.
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My heart heavy, I walked into the office of the Baron.
“Why did you need to see me?”
“There's been a great tragedy, my lord.”
“Has something happened to Migruratir?”
“Many somethings, disaster after disaster, and I fear I was the final one,” I slumped down into a chair, my memories of that place haunting me, “I do not wish to relate it, but I have brought this journal,” I handed to him the journal that was all that remained of the dwarves of Migruratir, and the Baron began to read, I helped him read along best I could, stained with blood and water logged as it was, I had taken time on the trip back to understand best what happened.
---
First of Granite, Journal of Kogan Dakostsakrith
We arrive at Migruratir, cold, but well filled with supplies, and we shall need them. The land is covered in snow and there doesn't appear to be anything growing, and the reports the mountainhome have left us with say that the ice does not thaw here. We'll have to dig down beneath the ground to find underground plants and water to sustain us. And this, too, seems difficult as the ground below our feet is filled with water, digging through to the sturdy rock will prove difficult. It shall not be easy beginning our lives here, but we will make do. A dwarf does not let challenge stop him.
I have commanded the boys to begin carving us out somewhere to stay. With the aquifer all around, we cannot carve any great quarters, lest the water floor us out. But it shall do to get us out of this blisteringly cold wind, and back underground.
Fourth of Slate
Our quarters dealt with, I decided it was time we begin to fight the aquifer. Without rock, a Dwarf is no better than a human. A miner myself, I devised a plan. We could not stop the aquifer from flowing, but we could stop it from being a problem. The idea was to not just mine tunnels, but create a quarry! The air would freeze the aquifer shut, so that we could tunnel through it.
Alas, disaster struck, Rovod, my good friend fell into the flooding water as he carved into the rock. Whether he drowned or froze to death, we shall never know, as he was buried in the ice that formed around him. We could not even attempt to retrieve his body, or his pick, for fear of the same thing happening again.
Still, I continued work and eventually I alone beat the aquifer. Now, we would carve ourselves some homes, and build our mine. But that night, we all rose a pint to Rovod.
Sixth of Slate, Supplementary Entry by As Rakustcog
Kogan has gone missing in the mines, I am uncertain as to what has happened.
Sixth of Slate, Supplementary Entry by As Rakustcog
The rock had crumbled as he mined, leaving him no way to return to the surface! We had no rope to retrieve him with, and do not know how to proceed. If Kogan dies, his pick with him, we shall not only have lost our leader, but any hope of us doing any mining until the caravan arrives next year.
Seventh of Slate
Sweet Armok, I can't believe I survived that. I have taken up a new appreciation for masons. I was barely able to construct a stairwell from the rock I mined to climb my way out. Climbing to the surface, I gazed upon the ice-bound body of Rovod. I fear this place is cursed.
Twenty-Seventh of Slate
Disaster again. I could have sworn the rock was solid, but perhaps, it only took a bit. The water started to flow. I ordered a wall to be put up, lest our whole encampment be flooded. We survived, but only one room was saved the water. It was dangerous to build up here. We would move into the mines tonight.
Second of Malachite, Journal of Unib Orshathob
I can't believe it. This place seeks our blood. And it has taken it. The mountainhomes said this land was perpetually frozen. IT ISN'T.
The ice we left to seal the aquifer melted. Only three of us were on the surface. Me, Cilob Udoskeskal, and Kogan. Kogan told me he was going to see if he could save anyone, saying this was all his fault, and that if he died, at least he would pay the price for his failure.
He never returned.
We waited hours, but in the end, it was just me and Cilob. With no axe, and no picks. Stranded in a frozen land with nothing but the clothes on our backs.
I think I blacked out for a while. Cilob told me I had been shouting at the mule. I found this journal left above ground, the only thing left of Kogan, his failures, his triumphs, and his bravery. I will keep it for now, so that perhaps others will know what came of us.
Fourth of Malachite
Armok's Beard! There are plants here! I do not know why we saw none when we arrived, but now we might just survive. Perhaps the last year had been unusually cold. That would explain their absence, and why we thought the ice walls would hold. No matter, we have food to eat, and they might even be grown in our own farm plots, if we can crack the frozen soil.
No longer in a depressive fit, I remembered the stocks of wood and stone we had kept above ground. While we lost much underneath it all (Including all of our food) not all the wood nor rocks had been brought done. We would make a still, a kitchen, and barrels. We still had the one room that had not flooded. We would survive.
First of Galena
Migrants have arrived. No-one in the mountainhomes must have known. Instead of warm beds and comfortable caverns, they were met with us working outside. I feel miserable that still more must suffer in these lands.
But still, progress has been good. We will have enough food to last the winter, and when the caravan comes, we will be able to trade for picks and axes. And we will be able to build again.
Nineteenth of Galena
Tempers are getting high. The one cave is serving as our dining room, the barracks, and the only place to get out of the cold. Still, we may just make it. I won't be writing in this for sometime, every second not getting more food could cost us.
Thirty-first of Opal
THE CARAVAN IS HERE.
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“Is that it?” The baron asked?
“Yes, we arrived, I don't think I've ever seen dwarves so happy to see me, almost delirious. I should have known... Anyway, they brought out some wooden crafts and some food, and asked for our picks and axes. It was a terrible deal, I don't think the broker had any idea of the value of goods. I was insulted and told the caravan to packup and leave. Then... they went mad.”
“They attacked the caravan. Every one of them. They were half naked and unarmed, but now, in hindsight, those tools meant the difference between life and death, I think they saw me as their only hope. And my guards killed every one of them.” I took a large swig of brandy.
“Amazed at the sudden change in the behavior of the dwarfs, we looked around, and found exactly what this book described. Nothing but farm plots, and a single room in the mountain side. This book is all that remains of them. I think the many long months living above ground in the freezing cold drove them mad, that my caravan was the only thing that could save them, and when they thought they had lost that chance, they went mad... They never said they were suffering at all, but still...”
The Baron stood, “I understand. It is most unfortunate. But we must not let those poor dwarfs be forgotten. They survived disaster after disaster, it is not their fault they were finally claimed by madness. I will order a new expedition, to continue their work. But most importantly, they will entomb the bodies. Deep below the rock. Those dwarves were forced to live like filthy elves. And it is too late to change that. But at least they will lie in death as Dwarves.
*****
So yah, I managed to survive for over half a year on nothing but logs and stones left over from the flooding. And then, the caravan came and due to the abysmal appraisal skill of my dwarves, I completely failed to trade for anything. I could have survived another year until the next caravan, probably, anyway, but there was pretty much nothing to do as I had no way of tunneling or building anything. So, I ordered the dwarves to attack the caravan en masse, and they were promptly cut down. I've started a new settlement there, and once I can get things setup, I'll create 16 empty tombs to commemorate their sacrifices. I should be able to handle the aquifer this time through. I think. Still, despite claiming the fortress, it's not like I'm left with much to help me along. My dwarves really were just living on the surface with all their activities devoted to eating and drinking. In terms of stuff all that was left was a single barracks/dining room, a carpenters workshop, a kitchen and a still (The last three were all outside). So basically, the first year left me with little more than a good story and a fun time.
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Topic: The Cursed Waters of Migruratir (Read 749 times)