Diary of 'mideg' Athelkol1st of Granite 127I was eating today in the great hall, the one with the statues. It's not that great, but you know which one, yes? Well, the boss was there, he ate just
sitting on the other side of the hall. He came to me, pushed his jug against mine (why do they do that all the time) and said something about "Happy New
Year!" and "You're the boss now."
Except he used the word overseer. Armok be damned.
2nd of Granite 127When I woke up and strolled through the fort, everyone seemed to look at me in a weird way. Not used to it. Oh well.
When I came to the farms - yeah, I wanted to be alone and there's usually only one guy up there - I noticed that there was only one field being used. I asked
the farmer guy, don't remember his name, Geshud something, he told me it was all according to the old overseers plan. I looked through the plan. Didn't
understand it. So I just thought about a new one. One crop per field, leave it blank only if it can't grow in the season. Easy plan. And more crops, I hope.
When I told Geshud, he said something about "Jessir" or something, I didn't get it, and startet planting things. According to my plan. Ups...
6th of Granite 127Almost been a week. I don't get used to the staring. And the questions. Cog, the girl with the mace, calls himself militia commander while she is the only
one with a weapon 'cept for the miners and woodcutters, well she came up to me and asked about some rough gems in some bins in some stockpile at the
stockpile area. I told her to just cut them all. We might as well encrust some things with them later. Looks beautiful, gems everywhere...
Oh, and while talking to her I noticed the peace and quiet everywhere. We had a bunch of workshops, but no one ever uses one of them, so I ordered (this
sounds soooooo nice) some Magnetite to be smelted and charcoal to be made.
9th of Granite 127I just noticed some new kittens. Oooooh, they are sooooo sweeeet. I just luuuuuve kittens.
Butcher them! Except for some, so we still have new ones every now and then.
Yummy, kittens.
11th of Granite 127Some Farmer just ran past me with a mug shouting "Alarm, alarm", but it were just some monkeys or something. I told the militia commander to gather his
militia (harr harr) and kill them off so they don't disturb the poor farmer anymore.
22nd of Granite 127All but one of the Macaques is dead. Cog ran after the last one until she was too tired and decided to go to sleep. I'll just let the last of those beasts
live. Whatever.
Oh, by the way, one of the macaques was killed by the miner. No idea what he did out there, probably gather some wood.
25th of Granite 127Almost a month now. I saw the plans for the fortifications made by the previous overseer. Then I realized that the barracks had no archery. What good are
fortifications and embrasures if we don't have trained marksdwarves? So I ordered an archery to be dugged out.
1st of Slate 127It's been a month now. I ordered - am getting used to this - five sets of iron armor to be made. The pun about the militia commander commanding her glorious
militia shall not be heard for long.
12th of Slate 127Migrants. 19 of them. What shall I do, what shall I do?!?
After thinking about it, I ordered everyone of them to do what they can best. Apparently, we have a hunter and some fisherdwarves there. That should give us
some variety on the table.
I will begin furnituring new bedrooms.
4th Felsite 127Since the log stockpile kinda looks empty, I ordered more exploritory mining a couple days ago. Unfortunatly, instead of burnable stone, the miners just
found a cave. Well, as every dwarf learns in elementary school, the seeds and spores of underground plants are everywhere once a fortress breaks through some
underground cavern. So I ordered floor hatches to be made to seal of the cavern and I order several great halls to be dug at farm level. They shall serve as
pasture for the grazing animals and as tree farm, as we all know to well that the outside is dangerous. I mean, there's nothing protecting us from the sky
outside.
14th of Felsite 127Elves. They dare sending a caravan here. I don't understand everything about it, but if I remember the speech of the first overseer correctly, we are some
kind of rebellion against our elven king, or queen, or something, right? I have to think about these treehuggers before deciding what to do...
On other business, I have finally assigned a small bedroom to everydwarf. I also decided to open up a public dormitory. It's right next to the refuse pile.
(Yeah, I know, but better then no bed, huh? At least it's close to the eating hall.) I know the tales of giant immigrant waves that can't properly settle in
due to lack of room, beds or workforce, so I gave future migrants at least someplace to stay until miners, carpenters and furniture haulers have done their
jobs.
19th of Felsite 127Once the elven merchants had unloaded everything, I asked Durkon to deal with them. He just went to the depot and told the pointy-eared forest-dweller that
all their goods are belong to us. That was easy.
The merchants announced their leave shortly hereafter. Hah!
1st Hematite of 127It is summer now. Wow. I just looked over the things the elves left us, there are several seeds that only grow aboveground. I shall make it my project for
the summer to construct save aboveground farm plots. Summer whine, Hmmmm.
4th Hematite 127I just ordered the expansion of our military. It just seemed right, with more than double as many dwarves as before, that the military also is more then
doubled, so I told two new guys to get into some of the new iron armor and grab some battle axes. Which still need to be forged, but at least I am starting
things.
2nd Malachite 127Eight new dwarves have arrived. I've recruited one of them as a hammerdwarf for the military using the bought steel hammer. The rest is just a useless bunch
of lazy diggers.
7th Malachite 127Ilral, a simple peasant without any further orders, became posessed today. I didn't really feel bad about it, but I sure hope we can get here whatever she
needs. She later ran into her own workshop, closed the door and asked us to leave her alone.
A couple days later she began with two Carmelions, though she is not letting anyone have a look.
13th Malachite 127So, she is done now. Well, impressive. I mean, it's a really perfect Carmelion. With bands of Carmelion. And spikes of Carmelion. Menacing, of course. Hm.
So. Ahem. Let's go on.
19th Malachite 127I've ordered the animals (except cats'n'dogs) to the new underground pastures and tree farm area. Two or three animals per room. That should give them enough
grazing space and freedom to move around and such.
17th Galena 127Long time no write, diary. Nothing much happened. The construction of the outdoor farm security wall is progressing slowly. I will draw it in here once it's
done. Oh, one thing happened: The humans arrived today. I kinda think they are like the elves, same height and stuff, but I'm gonna talk to them before
taking their stuff, at least.
21st Galena 127The humast had quite some interesting items. I bought some bars and almost all of their metal weapons, instruments, cages and armor, 'cept for some expensive
stuff. I paid with all the rock stuff that Dumed and Sakzul keep pumping out of the Craftdwarves Workshop, and some stuff from the last dwarven caravan that
I didn't think we needed.
It's good that humans are so silly, trading quite some metal items that can be perfectly melted and used for stone crowns, rings, amulets and statuettes.
Pfft.
Oh, and I also got all of the human food. Actually quite a lot. And diversity, too. I ordered about a hundred lavish meals prepared for the celebration. I
think I will make a new food stockpile right next to the dining hall where only prepared meals are to be stored.
27th Galena 127Hah, that'll teach the pointy-eared scumm: I just saw some dwarf carry this into the refuse:
While looking outdoor where the unicorn came from, I found this:
One of those three beasts is lying around and unconscious, one is lightly hurt, the third one has its head! Cut! Open! Remind me to congratulate our hunter
later today, diary.
Addendum: After putting the first slain unicorn to the refuse, our hunter returned outside and got the second, unconscious one, too. The other two fled.
We'll get you one time, pointy-horn-horses!
16th Limestone 127Finally!
3rd Sandstone 127Six immigrants were just spotted at the horizon. I have not even made living quarters for the last group. This job is very stressing.
One of them seemed to be a decent macedwarf, so I drafted him immediatly.
As I went through the stocks I saw that we had only four drinks left. I paled and saw the doom of the fortress rising. Some dwarves had started drinking from
the pools at the main entrance already. As the order to brew drinks is still standing, I can only assume that barrels are missing, so I ordered new barrels
to be made.
14th Sandstone 127Armok be with us. We are out of alcohol....
1st Timber 127My head hurts. I had no drink since... I can't remember. I cannot function like this. Anyways, the miners dug out the new bedrooms.
We don't have enough beds, yet. I ordered some. Must continue. Barrels are a priority.
4th Timber 127Still no alcohol. We are drinking water. WATER! oO
Either my nose stopped working during my last lunch or there is something rotting in the refuse pile. WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE AN INDOOR REFUSE PILE?!? We need to
move it outdoors!
When I asked around who was supposed to do the drinking, the dwarves told me that I had given the job to Kulet. Who was also a farmer, tanner, dyer, soap
maker, lye maker and doing like half the hauling work of the whole fortress. No wonder we don't have anything to drink. The one dwarf that is supposed to
make it is doing a thousand lesser tasks instead.
I immediatly ordered some nobody to do brewing! Only! Full time! No breaks!
13th Timber 127Finally. Some dwarves from the mountainhomes have arrived. I just hope they got drinks....the new brewer just has no idea what he is doing. I mean, it is
alcohol after all, but, you know.
23rd Timber 127While I was still talking with the liaison dwarf, or, well, I mean, I let Durkon do the talking mainly, some kitten meowed outside the fortress. It was clear
to everyone what this meant: AMBUSH!
Well, what for did I give my militia commander a militia to command? I ordered her to go out there and kill all and any goblin she finds! Cog immediatly
gathered her dwarves and confronted the green gobbos and just after the fighting started, this happened:
Kadol chips away an arm of one of the enemies who promptly retreats. Soon his companions run for their lives, leaving a trail of blood for our brave soldiers
to follow.
When the dwarves who were not fighting looked at me with greed in their eyes, I just nodded.
10th Moonstone 127After my, you know, the usual 'my', so Durkon's, audience with the liaison guy was over, he had handed me alist with things the mountainhome would like to import. Whatever, they'll get the same stuff as everyone else gets from me: stoney crafts.
4th Obsidian 127I just tumbled over a coffin. When I asked a furniture hauler to put it into the stockpile all right, he just looked at me and said: "But that's the final resting place of Imush, our heroic Swordsdwarf." Now I remember some of the commotion last year, but I am, err, was at the time only a lowly craftsdwarf, so I didn't pay much attention to it.
I've ordered a tomb to be digged out. It shall be smoothed and engraved and donned with statues for the hero Imush Fokerushrir, Swordsdwarf of Wallslaughter's, who died defending the fortress against evil .... wait, I gotta ask, what did he die against?
...
Apparently he bled to death due to some badgerman's tender touch. Well. That's .... heroic. It is. IT IS! So he will get a proper tomb.
9th Obsidian 127Just when three quarters of the fortress were down in the new tomb to haul all those stones away, Tun Likottel got posessed. I bet its Imush's spirit, rewarding the fortress for building him a proper resting place. I feel proud.
He claimed a craftsdwarves workshop and gathered some rock salt. I waited outside to look what else he would go and get, but apparently it's all there is. Oh well, he'll make something spectacular. I can't wait! Hee hee.
14th Obsidian 127Tun walked out of the workshop just a couple moments ago. He immediatly showed it to me, while talking excitedly. Apparently, he made a rock salt crown. That's, ahem, impressive, I told him, trying hard not to think about our goods stockpile where there are like a dozen rock salt crowns. Oh well. On the downside (I know the upside is kinda missing, except Tun's still mind-healthy. As mind-healthy as any dwarf out here, anyway) Tun doesn't know how he did it. He still kinda doesn't know a thing about stonecrafting.
I hope the tomb will be ready before the spring. It must be. I ordered everyone which a little bit of skill in it to help with the detailing of the walls and to stop hauling stuff around. IT MUST FINISH!
17th Obsidian 127Inspired by Tun's work, I crafted some truly marvelous things:
18th Obsidian 127An Ambush! Curse them! A swordsgoblin and several lasher. I dispatch the military, who were not on duty, so they might take a while to get there. (They are off duty every third month.) Fortunatly, the goblins decided to attack a tame reindeer. Oh well.
DAMNATION! A second goblin squad hid beneath our own bridge. Hammer- and swordgoblins. I ordered the military to defend the bridge first. No one can expect such trickery of something with so little brains.
The swordsman at the bridge duelled with Tholtig and his axe. Tholtig won, the swordsgoblin is fleeing and obviously in pain. Tholtig catches up to him, he cuts him down. Oh, watch out! Two other goblins have come up behind Tholtig, he doesn't see them, they are going to cut his legs down.
Oh, I am so thankful for those iron armor.
Tholtig doesn't look to happy, he retaliates against the hammergoblins foot - and severes it. It's not enough. He start's chopping the goblin's extremities away one after the other. He actually cut off his right leg at the knee and then cut off the rest with the next blow!?!
Now he turns toward the other goblin, one with a sword. They exchange some blows, then he cuts his leg off. Oh, watch out, there is another one! Ah, phew, it's Alath, a macedwarf. (Hm, where's her mace?) The goblin squad is decimated to two uninjured swordgoblins now, but they turn around and flee. In the distance I can see the other goblin group attacking the reindeer they finally cought up with. It's a short fight and the bull is cut down within seconds.
All four military dwarves are now in close pursuit of the two swordsgoblins, but they can reach the safety of the border. (Why all dwarves except traders and immigrants respect the border, I do not know.)
Now the fighting starts again: 4 dwarves armed with 2 iron axes and a mace ... wait, Alath is unarmed? At least they are relativly safe in their metal armor ... what do you mean, Alath forgot her helmet and her shield?!? WHY? Why did he go out there unarmed and only partially armored?!? Oh, I hope I don't have to dig out another tomb.
When the two groups meet, Cog immediatly dispatches the goblin swordsman, knocking him unconscious with a mighty bash on the head with his mace. Tholtig and one of the lashers collide with one another and both fall over, rolling all around. Alath doesn't look to good. She is in pain, now there are two of them fighting with her, one is wielding a silver whip, Alath's hit, again, there's blood everywhere and what's that, her head has been hit, she falls down, she doesn't move anymore. Noooooooooo!
One of the golbins is fleeing, limping away after receiving a wound in the leg.
Kadol duels with one of them now, she has hit him in the mouth with his axe, I saw something small sail away in an arc, now the lasher jumps into her, they bite and kick, ouch, the goblin just kicked her into her cheek from behind(!). Cog has just struck a goblin with her mace and it's stuck! She can't get it out. I guess with a mace stuck in the head, the fight is over for that goblin.
Only one goblin left now, who is limping towards the border and he gets away. We won. But we lost a good - if somewhat forgetful - dwarf today. The tomb has to be made for two dwarves now.
What do you mean, three? Someone handed me this list:
When did that happen? I went through all logs that I got, but I couldn't find a report about someone dying?!? After sending out search troops, questioning a lot of dwarves and searching through all logs of this year and last, a miner told me that he had found a dwarves skeleton while digging out the ice lake.
I had done that about a month ago just to test wether it can be done. It can. Why he did not tell me about finding the skeleton of a fellow dwarf, I do not know. I will place three coffins into the tombs, as all dead dwarves were military, I fathom its ok for them to share a tomb.
27th Obsidian 127The tomb won't be completed in time. I decided to step down. Which comes in handy because Durkon just told me that I have to. I cannot continue this. Sending dwarves to their death is one thing, but dwarves dying under my rule without anyone noticing is too much. I will do as my predecessor: At midnight, in the first glimpse of the new year, I will give this job to the next best dwarf. I will ask nothing of him in return, but one thing: Complete the tomb and place all three dead in there. The engravings didn't even start. I failed.
1st Granite 128I did it. I am finally free again. Back at the craftdwarves workshop to make beautiful things out of stone and bone. I met some dwarf, shook his hand and told him that he's in charge now. He looked quite puzzled, when I tried to explain to him, what needs to be done in the tomb: The last coffin is being hauled there, but he needs to tell everyone that they may use it to bury people in there. The engravers need to be told to engrave the place. Oh, and the coffin next to the trade depot needs to be deconstructed so that the remains there will be buried properly.
While I was at it, I told him about the partial roof of the aboveground farm that should be completed. I had hoped to put the new refuse pile there, it's safe because it's walled in, you know? Oh, of course the dormitory situation is not really good, either. I just forgot to put the beds I ordered to be made into the bedrooms. Oh well, no one really complained, everyone seemed happy, so what.
Also, the production of steel is lagging somehow. I thought, two iron bars, two flux stones and two units of fuel would make two bars of steel, but even though I counted everything involved before I ordered the steel to be made, the furnace operators keep telling me something about 150(!) units of iron needed. Maybe I misunderstood. The steel production was meant to be a surprise for everyone as I told the furnace operators to keep quiet about it. I wanted to only tell the smiths when I was done with the steel and finally show off with steel armored military. But it didn't work out. I won't think about it anymore
In fact, I won't think about anything anymore but stones and bones and art. I retired. In fact, diary, this will be my last entry. Let me be one of those lazy dwarves, not caring about anything, doing as we are told (if not doing something more important, like, example, party) and demanding better quarters occasionally. Goodbye.
The save can be found
here.
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Topic: Wallslaughter's diary entries (Read 3965 times)