Hi guys! This will be my first-ever story fort, possibly to be a succession fort if I generate enough interest. I'm using Deathswords Dwemer mod, Nchardahrk. It's still a work in progress, so there might be some bumps along the way. Everyone is welcome, regardless of your level of familiarity with the Elder Scrolls Universe.
So what are Dwemer? The easiest explanation is that they are the dwarfiest elves, ever. Their name means 'Deep Elves'. They eschewed nature and magic in favor of science and technology, they have beards, and in the province of Skyrim, the local Dwemer populace enslaved an entire race of elves, the Falmer. In Morrowind, their ruins show that they had a strong understanding of using everyone's favorite cleanser, magma, to power their machines. They also built robots of a sort. If you want a better, more in-lore explanation, Putnam here on the forums has a strong knowledge of lore, especially for the Dwemer.
I refer to them in the past tense for good reason: they're gone. In the TES lore, they tried to create their own god, and something went terribly wrong. Talk about failed megaprojects! In the mod, however, that never happened. The Dwemer still exist. People who enjoy and appreciate TES lore will enjoy this mod, but the loremongers will probably run away screaming.
I already have had two groups of Migrants, bringing us to 20 Dwemer (this includes five kids). I played the first season, as you can see, and if you want to be Dwemered, just let me know. The roster of Dwemer is below:
Miner, Male
Miner, Female
Trader and expedition Leader, Male
Carpenter, Female
Bookeeper/Farmer, Female
Mason, Male
Potter, Male
Potter, Female
Glazer, Male
Surgeon, Female
Stonecrafter, Female
Random Dwemer kids, about 5 of them
Just tell me who you want, and you'll be Dwemered
First to respond will be the next write up's Expedition Leader
Also, while there is flux, there are no metals to be found anywhere, so far. Oh, cruel irony! Invaders are off for now. I justify this as my piddly fort isn't attracting the interest of the bad guys yet. Anyway, on with the good stuff!
17 Morning Star, !st Era, in the Year 81
From the Journal of Egish Turremeht, Expedition LeaderI'd thought I'd made it pretty damn clear to the Tonal Architect back home (Home being Ixtam Aud, the Labors of Chastity) that I wasn't leadership material. He seemed to think that my way with people and longer fuse than most Dwemer makes me a good candidate to lead the expedition. Just because I'm friendly and a good listener and a decent trader doesn't mean I can lead. I've known Nix Hounds with better organizational abilities.
"What if we get eaten by alits and it's all my fault?"
"I suppose you wouldn't be in any position to worry about it any longer, now would you?" So then Akkaqh gave me his best "I have spoken." look, and so here I am, out in the middle of Dagon only knows where. Fetcher. Aqqakh, not Dagon. It won't end well to call the Lord of Destruction a fetcher.
Anyway, unrolled a map, and showed us where we would be settling:
I let everyone decide our group name, which considering that we are now down officially in the records of Ixtam Aud as 'The Tools of Clasping', this may have been a mistake. I should have known, seeing the smirk on Lelek's face that it was intended to be lewd. Nothing to be done for it now, I suppose.
I insisted on choosing the fortress's name myself, and have called it "Emelsttelz", Boulderthunders. I imagine that once we have sufficient numbers of Dwemer Centurions and Sphere Centurians stomping and rolling about the place, it will be very suitable, indeed.
The trip went rather well, much to my pleasant surprise. The area, though extremely hot, has enough trees, grazing fodder, and water, what with there being a huge lake to our east. though of course geothermal energy is superior to that of water, I imagine we will be making grand use of the power of the lake in due time.
Everyone got to work right away, at little urging from me. I suppose that was mostly due to all the pent-up boredom and energy, not to mention the desire to not be eaten by alits, than my own leadership. Ah, well, as long as it gets done, I'm happy. Gado and Abelis got to work digging out a sizeable area in the hillside, and Catoka is hacking down trees. The horses have been pastured, and our small flock of chickens will soon have nestboxes. So far, so good.
A short while later, I spotted a Cliff Racer near the lake. Disgusting creatures. I avoid them whenever I can. It flies around for a bit, then departs, thank Azura.
10th of Sun's Dawn
Time flies! Been so busy haven't been saying much here. Work continues. we now have a flock of ravens in the area. Though annoying, they're basically harmless. I ordered Craftsmer Workshop, Masonry, and Carpenter's Shop to be built. We're getting tired of sleeping on bare sand, sitting on the sand, and if I don't also order a butcher and tannery built, we'll be eating sand.
16th of Sun's Dawn
Gado and Abelis, would the two of you please do more than mine out more than one cubic meter of sand before deciding you need a snack? Thank you.
At least you got back to work quickly! We really need to find stone so we can get some crap--crafts--traded to the caravans. Aaaaand now they've gone for a drink. Rall, I know woodworking isn't your thing, but could you make up a few wooden trinkets until we find some stone or some bones? Thanks!
25th of Sun's Dawn
Hegnira. I gave the order to make beds back on the 10th. It's now the 25th. How many beds have you made?
One.
I'll be taking that one for myself, thank you. If you want one, work faster! Bal's Balls, I've seen Sloads move faster than you. Sigh. I couldn't lead ants to a picnic.
12th of First Seed
Hooray! The miners tell me they've hit siltstone. Not the most glamorous material, I'll admit, but it's something. Rall will be pleased, and our horses can continue their lives. Also, pink tourmaline.
25th of Rain's Hand
The Cliff Racer has been found dead. None of us killed it, but it is dead nonetheless. Catoka said she spotted what might be a harpy off in the distance. The Cliff Racer sounds better already.
Gado and Abelis continue to have ADD. Still no actual stone dug out. I hope they'll enjoy drinking water, because it will be all we will have if we don't have crafts to trade.
7th of Second Seed
Migrants. A surgeon, her husband, the Glazer, and three adorable children. Maybe one of the kids would like to give leadership a go? They can't be any worse at it.
Mystery solved! I found bits of Racer plume and blood on our Spider Centurion. Good boy!
28th of Second Seed
We now have proper bedrooms. Of course they're still full of rocks, but I hesitate to give orders to move them all until Winter. Considering how some Dwemer get over-immersed in their work, I don't want the lot of us to be hauling rocks like our lives depended on it while the caravan gets tired of waiting and leaves. Also, our new doctor informs me that there are kangaroos in the area. I'm hoping our next group of migrants bring a hunter.
20th of Midyear
Rall is turning out some very nice crafts Very nice indeed! Who is that handsome fellow, I wonder?
5th of Sun's Height
Catoka (who is also our Bookeeper) has informed me that alcohol stores are dangerously low. I approach Lak, our Surgeon, while she is drinking and appoint her our Brewer. She seemed agreeable enough, probably because she would be as unhappy as the rest of us without booze. The caravan will come at the end of Autumn. This year can't end soon enough for me.
11th of Sun's Height
Guess who still doesn't have a Trade Depot? Truly a conundrum that not even Hermaeous Mora could solve. Half of us seem to be on break, but I figure I can throw one together quickly enough... right after I stockpile these rocks.
8th of Last Seed
Good think Lak is so on top of things with the booze. We just had a married couple and their three little ones arrive. The two adults are both Potters. If I can get some good clay and a kiln going, we can get some nice ceramics for trade. Speaking of, the Depot is done!
11th of Hearthfire
Preliminary surveys of local minerals show that there is little no metal to be found anywhere on site or within a reasonable distance of it. That isn't good news. we'll be forced to import all of our metals from home. If we get lucky and the caverns are generous, then that won't be necessary.
16th of Hearthfire
The caravan has come! Of course, this coincides with my seasonal break. I will just have to entrust someone else to get what we need at a decent price for the winter. Vile help us: it's Gado. I tell him 'Buy low, sell high' and just get us the basics: crafting materials, booze, and food.
We're doomed.
17th of Frostfall
It didn't go well, but it also didn't go as badly as I feared. I think we might have enough until traders come in the Spring. My jaw hit the ground when Gado told me they had a wheelbarrow made of Adamantium! If we could have afforded the 2000 gold they were asking for it, it would even now be sitting in our smelter. sure, show offs, you've got metal and we don't.
13th Sun's Dusk
We've gone into survival mode: gathering plants, fishing, and so on. We have to work hard if we're going to make it until Spring. Azura willing, there won't be anymore migrants until we're stable.Speaking of stables, we had to butcher the horses. Their hooves also go to good use, in beautifully crafted items. Their bones are carefully put aside in case one of us is stricken with a sudden creative urge. Bad enough we have no shells, since there seems to be no turtles nor shellfish to be caught. That big huge lake, and nothing in it.
We're almost at the end of our first year. I've not decided to whom I'm turning over the reins, but I do have some thoughts on whom it won't be.
6th Morning Star, 1st Era 82
Spring. By Azura, we made it! I'm done now. Who's next?
Oh! One of the potters made a figurine of me, too. I feel so flattered. What a most excellent--
Oh. Ew.
The fight with the Cliff Racer and the spider Centurion actually went on for about three pages, but I didn't want to paste three pages of reports in. If someone wants to see, I'll go ahead and upload them