This is a story of how a legendary artifact can sometimes turn out to be a mixed blessing.
I started my latest fortress in a small (3x3), heavily forested area. It was supposed to be a relatively low-challenge build, mainly meant to acquaint me with breaking through aquifers. I managed to punched through it in the first winter (after some trial-and-error and save scumming). Below the aquifer, I found two flux layers, with enough iron ore to equip an army. Conveniently enough, my armorer then went fey and produced an iron gauntlet worth 67200 monies. Come next spring, my fortress was thriving. I had started to strip-mine the flux layers and in the meantime, I was selling rock mugs to elves by the dozen (and building a dining room furnished with bauxite thrones and tables).
Unfortunately, this was when disaster struck. Out of the blue, a goblin ambush: and not the two or three thieves I had expected but a squad of spearmen. My small fortress was all but unprepared for this. My only military consisted of two marksdwarves, both of whom were taken down in an instant. Then the goblins proceeded to hunt down and slaughter the civilians; my legendary armorer was among the first to die. Things were looking very grim indeed. Fortunately, a caravan arrived soon after and the caravan guards chopped the goblins into tiny little pieces.
In a different world (Tolkien's Middle Earth), this would mean a happy ending. Unfortunately, this is Dwarf Fortress we're talking about here - and this means a fortress full of dwarves throwing tantrums. The next year was spent in an attempt to bury the dead, heal the wounded, and calm down the mournful. When things finally settled down, 20 dwarves lay in bauxite coffins.
Addendum: one of the newcomers from the last immigration wave just went fey and produced this:
quote:
Bebmalathel, "Glenring", a goblin bone throneThis is a goblin bone throne. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is studded with Steel and encircled with bands of steel and Cedar. This object menaces with spikes of turtle bone.
On the item is an image of a dwarf and a goblin in goblin bone. The goblin is striking down the dwarf.
On the item is an image of a lizard in carp leather.
Edit: the creator of the goblin bone throne just died in another ambush. Half my military was asleep.
[ February 28, 2008: Message edited by: Daniel Charms ]
[ February 28, 2008: Message edited by: Daniel Charms ]
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Topic: A mixed blessing (Read 486 times)