I have been playing dwarf fortress for a while now and I have decided to write this story while playing. This is chapter one. I have more already written down but I still need to go over it and fix some mistakes and inaccuracies. I have been trying to stay loyal to what actually happened as best as I could.
Please forgive me if you encounter a mistake of any kind. English is not my native language and I promise you - I am doing my best not to bore you - but that may not be enough for all of you... So please... read it if you like, but - if you have nothing nice to say, please don't say it, as I will not even bother responding to it.
===The Journal of Jix Akumstukos===
==Prologue==
We have set out from the mountainhomes towards The Great Fields to the North. It is a thick forest which has never yet been explored. Our task is to establish an outpost in our beloved king's name.
==Year 201==
=1st Granite=
We have arrived safely with our wagon and equipment, at "Crimsonsmith". A quick look around reveals a thick forest and a nearby brook. Also, we have noticed a few snailmen and wildlife spectating us from a distance. My first concern is for our food and shelter. The hills around us are made of soil, however I bet we could find a stone layer not so far from surface-level. I am on my way right now, to "strike the earth!" - as Samnite cheerfully put it.
=19th Granite=
We are working all day long non-stop. I am sweating like a swine. Flix has wanted to start the construction of some workshops so we could make our own beds. The truth is, I do grow weary of sleeping on the floor every night. However I demanded we will construct the carpenter's and mason's workshop only and only when the designated underground chamber for those will be complete. I will not risk our goods being made side by side with snailmen! Definitely not!
There are some good news though, earlier today I have struck a cluster of clear Tourmaline while digging a room! Might be worth some coins for the coming caravan later this year.
=21st Slate=
We have finished digging out our dormitories, food-storage, dining and workshop rooms. All of us who weren't too busy digging (thus everyone besides me and Dugnuch) were busy cutting trees, gathering plants and training our three dogs. Two of them are now officially declared 'hunting' dogs by our amateur animal-trainer, Dodgydun. The other is trained for war purposes (although I can't imagine much of a war going on for this deserted piece of land).
I have ordered farms be readied for the planting of our seeds and crops. Also, our booze supply is running low, a still will be constructed very soon I reckon. At least I have my own room and bed now.
=10th Felsite=
It has started raining! Thank you Armok! Although this may seem a trivial note, rain is crucial for the development of our little outpost. There are regions in this world where not one drop of rain falls during the whole year! Now I can erase 'Thirst' from my 'Reasons to Die Here' list.
=16th Felsite=
Aha! Onyx Opal! This place is full of glittering little treasures!
=21st Hematite=
We have finished an expansion to our production area and have built a couple more workshops, including a tanner's workshop and a craftdwarf's workshop. Sapplir has done a marvelous job with the farms and we now have a stable supply of plants. Also our still is working non-stop producing more and more booze! I ought to dig some booze chambers in some strategic locations through our outpost to spread it.
Anyhow, I have ordered stone crafts to be made. It is already summer and we need as much trade goods as possible for the caravan. Mainly for that we have yet to find any metal ore around.
At last I figured we could use some more meat in our dishes, thus I have ordered Nastroll to take our two hunting dogs and try to see if she can catch anything not too dangerous.
=12th Malachite=
It seems that Nastroll is more interested in detailing our dining room than getting us some fresh meat. I dragged her aside this morning for a little dwarf-to-dwarf chat, and persuaded her to stop this esthetic nonsense and get her arse outside and do what we need her most to do. And so later today she returned after a long absence outside with a lot of wooden logs with her. She's driving me nuts! Which reminds me, I better order some rock nuts from the caravan, whenever it arrives.
=23rd Malachite=
I was surprised to find a groundhog corps in our refuse storage this morning. I am pretty much sure it wasn't Nastroll's work. Maybe one of our dogs? Or a snailman, perhaps?
=5th Galena=
This is a day to celebrate! Another groundhog is lying down and my meatballs soup is actually containing meat this evening! We all praised Nastroll's "Natural Beast-Instinct" - as she likes to call it.
=20th Galena=
Nastroll is a killing machine! She brought us another groundhog and 4 other macaques in just less than a week! I told her we have more meat than we currently can handle, so she may go back to chopping wood, which we now lack.
=11th Limestone=
The caravan from Zas Kashez has arrived! I have ordered all the crafts Flix has made to be transported to our humble trade depot, which in a second thought looks rather too accessible, standing stranded there by the entrance to the outpost. I think we will move it indoors after the traders leave.
=16th Limestone=
Met with the liaison today. There is much to discuss...
=22nd Limestone=
Solon, one of our hunting dogs, has given birth to puppies! How adorable! Now where can I find a cage around here?
=26th Limestone=
More puppies! Thanks to our war dog!
=8th Sandstone=
I have went to the trade depot today and traded two bins (out of the three we have) of stone crafts in return for a rope, a steel spear, some seeds, meat and a horse. The traders drove a hard bargain, but with our limited resources, I had no other choice but to accept.
In regard to the iron spear I have purchased, Dodgy told me that we ought to dig dipper and try to find some ore ourselves. We are quite in the hands of traders, as things are.
I also got a little idea for a project we might try later during the winter. An underground water supply from the brook nearby straight into our outpost. Honestly, I haven't drank water in months, but I bet it will come in handy.
=10th Sandstone=
The merchants went on their way and left us here to deal with the coming cold.
=28th Sandstone=
We are running short on plants. Actually, we have none at the moment. I have asked Sapplir what in Armok's name is going on and they replied that they were producing loads of plants out of our farm plots. This seemed a little strange, and so I checked our stockpile records and noticed that we have tons of booze. It looks like Samnite is brewing everything that's green and eatable around here. I have told him he's done a great job with the booze, but that we need him to take a break for a while.
Luckily we have some meat and fish from the caravan. I have instructed Nastroll to begin with a new hunting session to get us some reserve-meat, at least until we get a stable plant-stock.
=19th Timber=
Nastroll surely did not disappoint us. She managed successfully to supply us with meat-oriented meals until Sapplir and Samnite had their plants ready for consumption.
=3th Moonstone=
I have struck something while I was digging the future barracks. Something which is probably valuable, so says Dodgy. Dugnuch blurted that it is called Bituminous coal, whatever that is. None of us is a metalsmith. Could it be a metal ore? We will find out soon enough, when we'll have a forge and a wood furnace up and running.
Speaking of wood. We consume a lot of it lately. Nastroll kills forests just as good as she kills wild animals.
=17th Moonstone=
Dodgy has encountered a kobold thief earlier today. He beat the carp out of the filth until the poor thing died.
=23rd Moonstone=
Another one! This time he was lucky and managed to escape alive while our pair of hunting dogs were chasing after him and making sure he isn't coming back!
=3rd Opal=
Today a group of macaques stormed the outpost. I quickly mustered all seven of us and chased the creepy monkeys until they were lying dead at my feet. While chasing a macaque, the monkey jumped right into a bush, revealing the skulking thief (the third already!) hiding inside. Lucky for him, we all were too diverted by the macaques running all over the place so he managed to get away.
On the bright side, we do have a lot of extra meat.
=12th Opal=
Another thief has been spotted by one of our hunting dogs, Solon. Nastroll, who was nearby and heard the barks, ran closer. Alas, by the time Nastroll had arrived the poor dog was already dead, and the thief has been only light-wounded. Nastroll took revenge for her beloved pet and dispatched the kobold with her axe. I have ordered a coffin be made and a burial chamber dug, so we may give the dog the honor it deserves, as the first causalty taken by this place. May Armok curse the kobolds and their trickery!
==Year 202==
=5th Granite=
We have finished digging out the future barracks. I have ordered all our available weapons and armor be stored in two rooms on the same floor. I have also asked that both storage rooms will be trapped. We don't want any of those kobolds getting away with our beloved metallic friends!
=10th Granite=
An elven caravan from Disa Malayu has arrived. Let's see what they have for us.
=3rd Slate=
A column of migrants has arrived. Lots of them. I have led them all to the quarters' hall and showed them their rooms. Dodgy has also mentioned that since our population is now quite larger than before we might need a sheriff, just to keep things safe. I have agreed. Our dwarf-count now lies at 31.
I have also consulted Ginx, an immigrant metalsmith, regarding the possible uses of the Bituminous coal which we have found a few months ago. He said that while it is no metal-ore. We can use it to produce great amounts of coal. That's good news.
=8th Slate=
Magnetite has been found! At last! Now we can get our military a needed push.
=10th Slate=
I have gone to trade with the elves. All they had was some wooden nonsense. But I did want the seeds they brought with them. I have offered two whole piles of stone-jewelry and crafts, but they refused, saying that "What once was a beautiful tree is now...?". I have tried to explain all our crafts were made of pure stone, then I realized they meant the bins in which our crafts were stored. Elves... no wonder their civilization is called: "The Valley of Craziness"! They left very soon after the incident.
=26h Slate=
We are very busy digging and expanding our quarters' hall - I didn't think this place would attract so many dwarfs on our first year. Anyhow, Ginx, our new immigrant metalsmith, has been taken by a strange mood. He has claimed the forge for himself and began the construction of some mysterious artifact.
=5th Felsite=
Our new immigrant ranger has been struck down. None of us knows what has caused his horrible death. We do suspect the lying about group of snailmen, who were looking at the corpse from a distance when we arrived to collect it. I have ordered a coffin be made.
=7th Felsite=
While the death of our beloved ranger had not yet been forgotten, we have all raised a toast this evening in honor of Ginx, who had finished his masterpiece, an Iron ring. On the ring there is an image of a cat - "He died on our way here" - says Ginx.
=9th Felsite=
We seem not to be able to recover the corps of the ranger. Not only the snailmen are constantly making menacing gestures at us, but there is also an alligator lying nearby. Nastroll insisted she will take care of it herself, however I refused - I will not lose another dwarf this year! I have ordered the production of armor sets and weapons, we will recover the remains of our citizen, no matter how long it will take.
=16th Hematite=
A human caravan from Takrupesor has arrived. Lovely! The humans are known for not being mad, unlike the elves...
=26th Hematite=
I have traded the bins full of crafts the elves rejected in return for meat, barrels, seeds and weaponry. I am now on my way to conduct a meeting with the human Guild Representative.
=15th Malachite=
The merchants have left. Things are calm. We began the construction of an automated water-reserrvoir that fills itself when running empty. We have lots of varied food: meat, fish and plants. We are about to construct a temple for Armok, just a place for us to relax and rest.
=18th Malachite=
Tanin, a fishery worker, has stumbled upon a goblin snatcher today while he was taking a walk outside. The goblin ran away and managed to escape Tanin's grasp, who although not being armored whatsoever, kept running after him, while shouting mild curses.
=4th Galena=
Another snatcher. This time it was spotted by Lighter, our bone carver. The goblin managed to escape, but not before he had his head almost ripped off his body!
=22nd Galena=
Lighter is being taken by a fey mood..., I hope his last confrontation with the goblin snatcher hasn't had a negative effect on him... Right now he has claimed a craftdwarf's workshop and has begun a mysterious construction.
=27th Galena=
Lighter has created an outstanding turtle-shell ring. On the ring Lighter has drawn an image of a dwarf, striking down a kobold mercilessly - now this is art!
=10th Limestone=
Ah! The liaison from the mountainhomes arrives just on time. We have lots of trade goods this year...
=10th Sandstone=
Today I have attempted to trade with the dwarven caravan, but with no luck. The trader has become upset by one remark or another of mine and left immediately...
Perhaps I should pass the broker's job on to someone who could make better use of it than myself...
=21st Sandstone=
Another snatcher. This one was chased away by two of our dogs. I have consulted the sheriff, Tamaia, and together we have designed some defensive measures. We are about to build a large wall, with only a limited number of exits, each of those would be trapped and also guarded by a war dog or two. We intend to finish construction by Spring.
=24th Sandstone=
More migrants. We now total up to 38 dwarves. I do not like the fact that this season came so few of them. That means we've been slacking off too much. Our created wealth, according to my listings here... is estimated at around 100k worth of currency. My goal is to by Spring have double that amount. "Impossible" said Flix. "Come on, Flix! We're dwarves! To make a long story short (a favorite phrase of mine): yes we can!".
=17th Moonstone=
Tanin has encountered a kobold today. And while he was chasing him away, a goblin snatcher has used this opportunity to penetrate our outpost. However our guardian war dog has made quick work of him. Nonetheless, the animal suffered light wounds, and thus we have released it from it's chain and put a healthy replacement instead.
=18th Moonstone=
Another snatcher. They come in packs, apparently. He has been spotted and killed by Dodgy.
=20th Moonstone=
It is the kobold- and snatcher season. It is a mystery to us why they always appear in this time of the year. Today it was a kobold, who managed to escape unharmed.
=1st Opal=
Another snatcher. Again spotted by Tanin. We all praised her for her sharp eyes. The snatcher managed to escape. And I have now assigned a war dog to Tanin.
=3rd Opal=
Another one! Our fortress is constantly being raid! Our defensive wall is almost complete though, shouldn't be too long until every miserable goblin or kobold will find themselves dead when trying to pass our defenses!
==Year 203==
=1st Granite=
It has been two years now. Spring has arrived. We have accomplished much during this year, and are expecting the elven caravan. Hopefully this time I will be able to trade something.
=6th Granite=
Tekkud, our clothier, has been quite excited lately, he has simply ran into his workshop and he keeps shouting: "Thread! Bones! Thread! Bones!". We do not have any thread in our possession currently. The elves will surely be able to help. We are expecting them any day now.
=14th Granite=
Just in time! The elven caravan is here. Those elves may be childish, but they sure are precise!
=24th Granite=
Along with the elven "riches" of the caravan come the thieves. Two kobolds tried to penetrate our wall simultaneously, but they have been dispatched by nearby dwarves.
=27th Granite=
Our village has attracted some more migrants this season! Perfect! Our humble community grows in size, might and wealth - or as the liaison put it: "Our fortunes fall and rise together." We are now a total of 55 dwarves. With that in mind, Tamaia (our sheriff) has officially found the "Fortress Guard", an internal police force intended to make sure law and order are being respected.
=9th Slate=
As usual, the trade with the elves was a disaster. This time they didn't have any problem with the wooden bins, but with the tradable goods we offered. They wanted more of our goods in return for less of theirs - I have tried multiple times to add some goods of my own to the counter-offer, and that seemed to upset them. At this very moment I watch them stroll into the untamed wilds outside our walls.
=20th Slate=
Tekkud has gone mad! No! Worse than that! He has gone berserk! He started chasing other dwarves around the production hall! As soon as word came to me, I went down there myself, accompanied by our swordsdwarf and speardwarf squads - together we managed to kill him.
=1st Hematite=
It is now early Summer, and we are right on schedule regarding wealth-production. We now have almost 200k worth of items lying about. By next year's Summer I told everyone we will have 400k. Actually, I have also bet with Flix that it will be so, if I win, Flix and the rest will begin the construction of a marvelous sanctury in honor of my determination. Otherwise, the sanctuary will be dedicated to Flix and his sharp sense of economy.
Later today I was wandering into our barracks and found one of our sworddwarf's lying dead on the floor! It might be a sparring-incident, but I have told Tamaia to start a broad investigation of the case. I will find the one responsible for this, sooner or later...
=16th Hematite=
Our brave soldier has been buried with a proper ceremony. Tamaia has concluded, based on the lack of evidence, that it was an incident, and that the one guilty dwarf is too afraid to confess.
On another note, the human caravan has arrived along with their Guild Representative. Let's not ruin it this time shall we?
=17th Hematite=
The Guild Representative has discovered a snatcher hiding in a bush outside our village-walls. And then the human caravan almost rolled over another who was hiding in the high grass! The human bowmen have pierced the goblin's body multiple times with their sharp arrows. He hadn't had a chance.
=19th Hematite=
We were ambushed! A squad of goblins stormed the eastern drawbridge! All dwarves were immediately recalled into the village (the traders were already inside) while I set out, together with our little militia (four in total), to deal with the menace. I also ordered all drawbridges raised. I did not want any more surprises than I could handle with.
And so we rushed up the stairs to meet the enemy head-on. We have arrived at the eastern drawbridge just in time to see the goblins struggle, and strangle both our guardian war-dogs to death. We were even matched in numbers, and so we stood there, facing each other, trying to taste each other's patience and skill with our glances.
The leader-goblin sneezed at us (a goblin sneeze makes a high, intolerable sound, which is intended to scare small animals and is seen as a war-cry by other goblins). I have raised my axe in answer, looked into the eyes of my fellow soldiers, and at that moment I understood, that the outcome of this fight will either mean life or death for the rest of the citizens of Crimsonsmith. I couldn't possibly trust the humans to come to our aid. And I also didn't want them to. They would steal all my glory. It is my glory. It is our glory. It is our duty as dwarves and as slaves to Armok, God of Blood!
"Dwarves! Let's spill some blood!"
"Blood for the Blood God!" - we all cried and charged. At that same moment the goblins roared and charged at us as well.
The first goblin I came in contact with tried to grab my axe and dispatch me, I swung it and hit him right in his stomach. A spattering of blood flew to all directions as the he fell to the ground, running out of breath and blood... I turned around and saw Azmuth "The Pike" - as we now call him, delivering a decisive thrust into the guts of another goblin. Meanwhile, the other two sworddwarfs and speardwarf made short work of the remaining goblins. I have declared victory, and ordered the spoils be taken into the fortress. It has been a bloody day at Crimsonsmith.
Yet three goblins have been caged in our cage-traps placed at the entrances to our village. Two of which are snatchers which tried to penetrate our walls while our main force was distracted by the ambush. The third is an unlucky goblin squad member. I have yet to decide what to do with them.
=24th Hematite=
Zas, a mason of ours, has gone into a strange mood and started building an unknown construction at one of our mason's workshops.
=28th Hematite=
Zas has finished constructing his spectacular grate. It is decorated with all sorts of pricy gems, menacing bones & slitstone spikes. Above all that, Zas has managed to magnificently add an image of lizards to the package. "They're not just 'lizards' - they're artistic snailmen!" - and I respect you for that, Zas, old mate...
=4th Malachite=
At last a decent trade! I have now taken possession of some armor, loads of meat, leather, cloth and thread, also some seeds and ropes too - oh - and dogs, two of them.
=19h Malachite=
Migrants have arrived. I have welcomed them and, as usual, showed them their dormitories. We are now 65 happy, stubborn dwarves.
=9th Galena=
I have finished designing a temple for Ertal, god of wealth (that will also be the sanctuary given to either me or Flix).
=23th Galena=
I have ordered to imprison Reg, one of our metalsmiths, for not producing the zinc items I have requested. I really am sorry I had to do this, but in order to show the entire community I control things I must express my leadership by such orders. Not to worry, though, 25 days and he'll be out of that cage.
=15th Limestone=
The dwarven caravan has arrived!
=21st Limestone=
The kobolds that without doubt followed the caravan are now trying to sneak into our village. Onul, an animal dissector, has slaughtered one of them this morning, just outside the western entrance.
=1st Sandstone=
I have managed to reach a compromise today with the traders, and so we have now again lots of supplies and raw materials ready to be processed. Even the trader himself seemed pleased with the goods and large profit-margin he got from us.
=4th Sandstone=
Azmuth "The Pike" has become a spearmaster, all children now look at him with astonishment as he wanders through the corridors. He is the most experienced soldier we have.
=13th Sandstone=
Rigoth, an engraver, has been possessed. He claimed a craftdwarf's workshop, picked up a stone and now demands rough color. I'll see what I can do.
=21st Sandstone=
We have managed to obtain the requested color and thus Rigoth has quickly snatched it from our hands and began his mysterious construction...
=25th Sandstone=
It has been four days and nights since the last entry, during which Rigoth has worked furiously and did not stop to drink nor eat. Today, we all celebrate the marvel he has created, a slitstone scepter. It is encircled with bands of slitstone and Tourmaline.
=3rd Timber=
I have ordered a pond to the north be emptied, as we had plans for a brand new dining room and food-store right beneath it. We set up a pump and pumped all the water out of there. However a war dog managed to fall into the pond during these actions. Not to worry, he cannot drown in the shallow waters left in there. We will get him out in no time.
Also, more migrants have arrived. We are now 74 dwarves.
=17th Moonstone=
Nastroll, my old friend, has been ambushed today by goblins while chopping wood in the western forest. A peasant stormed into my office and cried: "Mayor! An ambush! Goblins are here!"
"How do you know?" I asked. "It's Nastroll, I was on my way to pick up some wood logs and deliver them back to the village when I saw Nastroll running like a kobold, and a whole pack of goblins chasing after her. She shouted at me: "Get word to the Mayor! I will try to distract them as long as I can!"
"Very well" I said. "Muster the militia. Also bring me my armor, shield and axe. Tell them to meet me at the western drawbridge. I want the other two raised immediately! Do you understand, peasant?!".
"Yes sir, right away!" And he went on his way. I took one more slurp from my private dwarven whip wine barrel and stepped out towards the western bridge.
When we all got to the bridge, we saw Nastroll sprinting towards us. She came to me, almost out of breath, and said: "They're coming Jix! They have almost put their hands on me, I would have been dead by now if it weren't for my hunting dog, he saved my life in return for his."
"Get back inside, calm the others down. Leave the goblins to us." I answered, and she went running inside.
We waited by the bridge, we could hear their sneezing already. They came running like mad-elves at us. There were no hesitations this time.
"For Armok!" we cried. I charged first, and bumped into a goblin wrestler, I swung my axe, but he dodged it. I swung it again, he jumped backwards, my Axe cut nothing but air. I cried with anger: "Come here you goblin filth! Come closer!". In response the goblin only took two more steps backwards. I swung my axe for the third time. I knew the goblin could not go backwards any more, as his fellow goblins were blocking the way behind him, thus, I reckoned, he will try to dodge my blow, that is why this time I didn't aim for his head, but a little lower. My axe penetrated his upper body, a deep cut was seen, and the poor thing's liver slipped out of the opening. The creature looked somewhat surprised to see his liver lying in the grass. By the time he lifted his gaze I have already grabbed his left arm. I twisted it until it made a cracking sound. "Ahhh!" cried the goblin: "Me arem! Me arem!". "Ye arem?" I answered, "You wouldn't be worried by such minor nuisances for much longer". The goblin's face was struck with horror as I lifted my axe, and swung it as powerful as I could, cutting him to half, literally. The goblin's lower body fell on the grass beside me while the upper body collapsed backwards. The goblin gaped for breath a few last seconds, said a pathetic last - "Me arem..." - and died.
I have lifted my gaze just in time to see a goblin lasher step into a cage trap. I smiled at Logem, our master swarddwarf, and so we charged together into the remaining goblins.
They were so horrified by the gruesome death of their wrestler; they turned back, and ran one by one into our remaining cage traps.
Only one lasher remained, who was too shocked to retreat. We surrounded him. He lashed Azmuth The Pike a few pathetic times. Azmuth didn't feel a thing, protected by his iron gear. Our sword master dashed forward and bumped his heavy iron shield at the goblins left lower arm, which broke instantly. The goblin tried his luck with our rookie-sworddwarf. But also he was fully armored, thus he suffered only minor scratches. Azmuth has released a roaring laughter and so did the rest of us.
The frustrated goblin, encircled from all sides by dwarves, tried to breach a way to freedom by force, of all possibilities; he chose to make his heroic breach through me and Azmuth. I felt a deja-vu when I swung my axe, and for the second time today, spilled the creature's liver to the ground. Azmuth's laugh only grew louder - "At least you didn't break his other arm, huh?". I quickly fixed this matter. The goblin was now symmetrically wounded. Two broken arms, one perfectly symmetrical horizontal opening in the upper body - now I fully understand what they mean when saying: "the art of war".
Logem has no artistic sense at all. He ruined my perfect symmetry by cutting both broken lower arms off. "What are you doing dwarf?" - I demanded - "You have complaints, Jix?" - he asked, and added: "I'm just doing my job here, please don't interrupt." And while the goblin was lying on the ground, half way in to the underworld, Logem has raised his shield and delivered a bone crushing blow into the goblin's lower body, which made a cracking sound. Then, Logem demonstrated to us all, using the unconscious goblin, his real passion in life, butchery, he systematically cut off chosen limbs and body parts, talking us through while he does it. He even separated the fingers from the goblin's hands, after the hands themselves have already been cut-off. "What's the point in first cutting-off the whole hand and only then the fingers? The goblin won't feel any more pain this way..." - muttered Azmuth. "Clearly you don't have any idea how goblin psychology works" - answered Logem - "You see, it is much more frightening, to a goblin, to KNOW his fingers are cut-ff, the fact whether that will bring more or less pain with it has no affect on the creature itself whatsoever." - "Mmm..." sighed the half-dead half-goblin (as now Logem has cut almost every possible limb off the body). "At least he is doing it in the right order with the toes." - said Azmuth. "Yes well... I like variety you know..." answered Logem.
And so we stood there watching Logem does his thing. After a minute or two, Azmuth has walked towards Logem and asked: "Finished? He looks dead to me..." - "What? Oh yes yes... I am finished, do with him as you like." said Logem. "Right, here we go" said Azmuth as he lifted the corpse. And with one full swing he threw it across the bridge - "We don't want the children seeing this around." - "Nonsense" I said.
And so, on our way back inside, we argued whether butchered goblin-corpses were a fundamental pillar in the education of our young.
I have ordered the caged goblins be transported into the fortress. We still also have the three goblins from the last time they tried to ambush us. I have also decided to draft myself into the military, in order to polish my axe-dwarf's skills.
=5th Opal=
A goblin snatcher showed up. They don't learn their lesson do they? Ironically it was Logem who found it. No, not that Logem! We also have a furnace operator called Logem. We now call the swordmaster Logem "The butcher". No explanation needed.
=11th Opal=
Lorbam, our ranger, has broken his hand today while hunting. "That's no horse! That's a monster with no heart that all day long wanders through the woods in search of other unlucky animals to butcher!" - "That sounds like a perfect description of himself" - muttered two dwarves who stood nearby to each other.
=13th Opal=
Another snatcher has been caught in our cage traps. I should really start thinking what we ought to do with all our prisoners.
=27th Opal=
A goblin snatcher has been dispatched by an iron pick held by Ast, a miner.
=14th Obsidian=
Lorbam is resting his injury. And thus is not able to get us our beloved meat dose we now all miss. I have ordered Nastroll to take a break and replace him for a while. She has kindly agreed.
=25th Obsidian=
Sending Nastroll outside on her own was a bad idea. I forgot her hunting dog has died protecting her during the last ambush. And I guess I should have foreseen, that Nastroll, as because of being so determined to impress me, would pick the most dangerous animal she could possibly find as her first target. She chose the alligator. The replacement-woodcutter has spotted her this morning: "I was chopping down a tree when she walked up to me. She was covered in blood, I could see that her left arm was broken, and also her lower body, but what looked the worst was her left upper leg - completely mangled. She tried to speak to me, but before she could say a word she just collapsed unconscious. I found the dead alligator not too far from there."
"So then," - I said - "is she still unconscious at this very moment?" - "I wouldn't know that sir, I left her lying in the woods, I really detest blood and gore, couldn't touch her. Besides, this is a new pig tail shirt I have just come to posses."
"You little piece of vermin! How dare you treat a fellow dwarf like that? I'll show you how you recover a wounded citizen around here! Hey you!" - I shouted at a passing clothier - "get your arse outside, follow this pathetic excuse for a dwarf, he will guide you, and bring me back Nastroll!!! Preferably alive!!!"
"Y.. Yes sir!" - he answered.
He went away and came back an hour later. "Well?" I asked. "Well what?" - he asked in return.
"What well what?!"
"Oh right.... I meant: 'well what?', sir."
"No you idiot! Nastroll, where is she?"
"Oh right, it is actually quite a funny story... I was on my way to recover her, and then I felt such hunger, it was sensational! You would understand of course, that when one feels such hunger, he must make haste to the nearest dining room and eat as much as he can."
"You have delayed my order in favor of a meal?!"
"Yes, but I was disappointed there has been no meat..."
"Why that's because.. - If you would have.. - Oh leave it! From now on you will be known as 'The boneheaded vermin'! I don't want anyone calling you otherwise, do you understand me?"
"Why, you are being clear as glass."
"What?!"
"I mean, you are being clear as glass, sir."
"Just get out of my sight!"
I suspect it will take a long time for our loved Nastroll to get back in shape. I ordered her quarters be engraved. And I now seriously have plans involving both our Boneheaded Vermin and caged goblins...
==Year 204==
=1st Granite=
It is now Spring, and as we have agreed, Flix and I took a look at my listings. Our wealth is estimated at 425k. And it is not even summer yet. Flix shook my hand with respect and said that I deserve a sanctuary in my honor as agreed and grinned.
=3rd Granite=
I would like to make a little note regarding the enormous amount of gems we have been uncovering lately. This place is full of them!
=5th Granite=
Our ranger has completely healed and now is back hunting outside.
=11th Granite=
The elven caravan has arrived. I already expect the worst, and it was very rude of Dodgydun to agree, out loud, in the middle of a party.
=14th Granite=
A human ambush?! What is going on in this place? Our ranger, who has just been healed from his broken hand, has been ambushed and surrounded by a squad of goblins, led by a human! They do not belong to The Just Confederacies, our trade allies, but to The Bejeweled Realms. I have never come to contact with this civilization before, and I accept this intolerable ambush as a declaration of war.
The squad of allied humans and goblin has been reported to kill our ranger in an unfair fight! We shall make them pay! In the meantime I have ordered all bridges to be raised.
=15th Granite=
With the bridges raised, the enemy has no clear path into the fortress. I have mustered the militia and together we discussed the situation.
"Are we going to simply wait until they'll leave by themselves?" - asked The Butcher.
"Of course not! We are dwarves! Not squeaky elves that run behind their walls and shoot the enemy with chicken-weapons like crossbows..." - I replied.
"Then what are we waiting for? How many are they?"
"That question should not have been even asked!" - Cried Azmuth - "No matter how many they are, we will fight, even if that means that each of us will die a thousand times and endure a thousand injuries in the process!"
"Calm down Azmuth," - I said - "of course we will fight, but first I wish to see what we are dealing here with. Let them get closer to our walls, and then let us continue this discussion."
Azmuth was a little frustrated, but he was a minority and thus agreed to my proposition. And so we wait.
=16th Granite=
The allied enemy is circling our walls, trying to find a weak spot. They have also slaughtered one of our horse foals which has been trapped outside when the drawbridges were raised. I have ordered all our chained war dogs be released. I have then assigned 2 to Azmuth, 2 to Logem and 1 for myself. I had a good look of the enemy from our walls. We are even matched in numbers. But I reckon they are more experienced than us, with the exception of Logem and Azmuth. They also are no bunch of brainless wrestlers or foolish lashers. They are three goblins with maces, one wrestler and their apparent leader, the one who killed our ranger, is the human hammerman. All of them, except the wrestler, are geared with chain armor. I believe that with the aid of our war dogs, we could win.
However Azmuth has been posing a problem: "I will not have my glory stolen by a dog."
Upon hearing this, Logem complained as well. And so we have agreed to assign the war-dogs to the rookie-sword- and speardwarfs, the respective squad members of Logem and Azmuth. I too realized it will be a shame to fight alongside a four legged mammal. so I have assigned my own dog to the rookie-sworddwarf, Dast.
=17th Granite=
Bad news. I was told we miss a dwarf. His name is Urist and he is the replacement woodcutter. I figured we couldn't stay inside our walls much longer, thus we have taken backpacks and waterskins, filled them with supplies, and set out to confront the enemy before they will confront poor Urist.
I have ordered the drawbridge be raised behind us when we left.
=19th Granite=
We have been wandering the woods for two days. They must be nearby!
=20th Granite=
While marching through the forest, Azmuth suddenly noticed that Dast is missing. "He was right behind us a minute ago." - said Logem.
What did Dast thought to himself, abandoning us and wandering off alone to the wilderness? Luckily two of the wardogs we have assigned to him were still with us, so we ordered them to find him. They began sprinting southeast. We followed as best as we could.
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Topic: The story of Crimsonsmith (Read 720 times)