Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: The Halls of Archage  (Read 1316 times)

Kipi

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
The Halls of Archage
« on: March 25, 2010, 03:53:47 am »

At the late autumn of year 52 I, Oddom Safemirrors, was summoned to queen's throne room, as the queen supposed to have mission of great importance to me. Wondering what it could be I ventured to the throne room, where queen was already waiting for me.

I knelt before the queen.
"My queen, you summoned me, your humble servant."
"You may rise. And yes, I did, as I have important mission to be given to you. As you may know, this fortress can not support much more citizens."
"What would you want me to do then?"
"I want you to venture north, to the mountains month travel distance away and establish new fortress to support this one. Sadly, I can not spare many fellow dwarfs to accompany you, and there is not much equipment to spare, though enough to ensure your survival to the moment we can send caravans and more dwarfs to the new fortress."
"What exactly you, my queen, can give to this journey, if I may ask?"
"Yes, you may. I can spare six other dwarfs, one with skills with axes and wood cutting, two miners, one farmer who has also knowledge of producing alcohol and two marksdwarfs for ensuring your safety. Also, you may have two trained war dogs and one cat. As for the actual equipment, tools for the miners and woodcutter, two copper crossbows, some bolts, couple of ropes and enough food and alcohol to last until you get farming running."
"So there is supposed to be trees to support our basic needs?"
"The last reports indicate so, though those reports are one year old. Last two scouting teams haven't returned, and thus when you reach the area you should also try to find out why."
"What will be the name of this new fortress then?"
"Archage. If you don't have any more questions you should leave immediately to prepare for the journey, as you will leave as soon as the weather allows it."

And so I left my queen and returned to my chamber to start the preparations.

1st Granite, year 53
We have finally arrived the area where we should build this new fortress, Archage. The first thing we noticed was that there was not a single tree around! That means the knowledge the queen possessed was either totally wrong or something has happened here since then.

We also found out the probable reason why the scouts have not returned: there is this huge pit in the ground so deep that none of us was able to see the bottom. As I fear what may be inside of it, I decided to start the mining operation some distance away from it, and try to avoid attracting anything living inside.

Excluding the lack of trees the area looks promising. There was some magnetite ore visible, and we decided to establish the fortress east of it. There was also some hematite ore visible west from the magnetite as well as a bit higher in the mountain near the pit. That area also had visible gems, but both the gems and the ore in there has to be left alone due the pit. The land seems to be able to support farming, though it's unknown at this moment how deep the soil layers go and when the stone layers begin. My assumption goes that there won't be much soil, perhaps layer or two at maximum. But even one layer should be enough to support the farms, so I'm not concerned.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

22nd Hematite, year 53
I know I have not updated the records of our Archage since we arrived, and I feel bad about it. The last months have gone so fast that I hardly noticed the passing of time as there has been lots of organizing and planning to be done.

Today we finally finished the area for farming. Lots of digging had to be done to reach the proper site, as made the entrance to the face of mountain with stairs leading down two floors. At the third floor, the first one being the floor where the entrance is, miners had to tunnel quite a distance to east and the one floor up again to reach soil suitable for farming. That meant lot of digging, though it revealed four small clusters of gems and a vein of bituminous coal. The coal especially was finding of great importance as it will allow us to power furnaces and forges as we haven't seen any hint of magma around here, and it's even possible that none even exists here.

As the farm is being built even as I write this, I have to decide what would the miners focus on next. As I see it, the most important thing to do right now is to get all the stocks inside the fortress, as outside there is no way to tell if the soldiers can protect them.

Writing this reminded that I have to think what to do with our woodcutter, Kib Onehandle. As there is no trees to be cut, he has been without work since we arrive. Perhaps his skills with axe should be put in use in military? Have to discuss this with him.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

15th Malachite, year 53
The first immigrants arrived today, which is much sooner I had anticipated. Eight more dwarfs call this fortress as home, though I wonder if the words "fortress" and "home" would be the correct terms. So far we have got farms running and food stockpile established, but that's everything so far. Miners are working hard to get area for crafting industry ready so that for incoming caravans, whenever those will get here.

Here we get to another problem. While I'm glad that we got new blood to the fortress, none of them actually has any useful skills to offer this fortress. Where do we need dyer or potash maker? Gem cutter and setter are remotely useful, but masons or stone crafters would have been far more useful. Peasants are okay, though as we have no industry running there is hardly anything to haul.

16th Malachite, year 53
Earlier today I organized meeting with the immigrants to find out what role they could fill here. It turned out that most of them possessed at least minor knowledge of more useful trades, and so now we have three masons, two stone crafters, one butcher, one mechanic and one carpenter. The carpenter part is a bit tricky right now, as there is no way to produce wood here. I can only hope that we get some from caravans.
Logged
Room Values - !!SCIENCE!!

Quote from: zanchito
You know, they could teach maths like this at school. "There are 105 dwarves in a settlement. A goblin invasion appears and 67 die. Then a migrant wave..."

Kipi

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2010, 04:57:36 am »

4th Galena, year 53
Life here in Archage has begun to look better, as we finally managed to get the brewery running. Nil Paddlepointverb, our farmer and brewer, has been working hard to replace the alcohol supplies which were already getting dangerously low. I have to take the blame on that, as I totally forgot to order the construction of still. Luckily it's running now, and there should not be any shortage of alcohol in near future.

The area for crafting industry is also ready, as well and two workshops. The stone crafters should soon begin the production, hopefully there is enough time to provide at least something to be traded when the first caravan arrives. I really hope the queen sends us some wood, as we have only three logs in our disposal from the wagon, which is still intact. Another mistake of mine, those three logs are needed fast for bins to hold the crafts.

The stockpiles for bones, skulls and shells is also ready, and it's right next to the crafters. This will become handy as bones may be needed to produce bolts. Also, the clearing for gem stockpile has begun right above the crafters and bone stockpile, and should be ready soon. Next we should concentrate to place stockpiles for crafts, perhaps under the workshops?

While digging the gem stockpiles, Sarvesh Rampartpartner discovered another vein of magnetite. It seems this place is rich of ores and gems.

On a side note, the masons have already been working, as they cleared some boulders from the front of the entrance as well as constructed trading depot.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

21st Limestone, year 53
The first caravan from our former home arrived. And we have nothing to trade! They even brought some wood with them, but we can't buy any of those. This is so frustrating!

Logged
Room Values - !!SCIENCE!!

Quote from: zanchito
You know, they could teach maths like this at school. "There are 105 dwarves in a settlement. A goblin invasion appears and 67 die. Then a migrant wave..."

r3d5kull

  • Bay Watcher
  • Hows this look for professional.
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2010, 10:01:47 am »

sign me up for a miner

Johann Shmidt

Logged

Kipi

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2010, 09:19:12 am »

sign me up for a miner

Johann Shmidt

Done
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


27 Sandstone, year 53

New wave of immigrants has arrived. Eight dwarfs exactly, among them the daughter of sheriff of the mountainhome The Dented Tower. Her name is Asmel Burnfloor, and her father has taught him the basics of security and justice. Now, when I interviewed her for the reasons why she decided to leave her family and move down here, she said that the liaison who visited earlier this year had noticed the alarming drop of morale and happiness, and that she was instructed to move down here to help keeping things under control. I don't object, as I have noticed the very same thing, and I have been worried lately when will the first wave of riots hit.

Among the immigrants, besides our new sheriff, there was one weaponsmith, one woodburner, one brewer, one leather worker, one siege operator and one bone crafter. The rest were peasant. Now, the weaponsmith will be useful one to have, and the woodburner will support this. Though we still need some wood to even begin our metal industry. Others, well, they can serve as peasant to the point when I can think of better work for them.
Logged
Room Values - !!SCIENCE!!

Quote from: zanchito
You know, they could teach maths like this at school. "There are 105 dwarves in a settlement. A goblin invasion appears and 67 die. Then a migrant wave..."

Eztuzt

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2010, 10:43:52 am »

Requesting the weaponsmith, named Flashbang :)
Logged
In August of 1943, while serving as skipper of the PT-109, John F. Kennedy's boat was ripped in two by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. Kennedy and his crew were tossed into the water and surrounded by flames. Kennedy, despite a chronic back injury and an even more chronic boning-induced-exhaustion, managed to swim four hours to safety while towing an injured crewman by the life jacket strap with his teeth. His fucking teeth!

CrossBolt

  • Bay Watcher
  • Lucid Dreamer
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2010, 03:26:28 pm »

Requesting marksdwarf (if theres a male one use that one, if not still name one) called 'Derp'
Logged
Dwarf Fortress: The only game where nosebleeds melt your face off.

Slayer

  • Bay Watcher
  • [PREFSTRING:magma]
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2010, 09:41:48 pm »

Sign me up as a carpenter.
Logged
Derp.

Kipi

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Halls of Archage
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2010, 03:00:44 pm »

Requesting the weaponsmith, named Flashbang :)
Done.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Requesting marksdwarf (if theres a male one use that one, if not still name one) called 'Derp'
Done.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sign me up as a carpenter.
And done.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


9th Timber, year 53
The area for making furnitures is finally ready. The wood stockpile, which is basically empty at this moment, is one level above the workshop floor, and the place to hold all our furnitures is one level bellow the workshops. All three masons are beginning their projects as I write this, so soon we will have some tables, doors, thrones and such to make our life better.

The dining room has also been mined out at last, though it still lacks furniture. We have already made it as new meeting area, so now there is official place where everybody can gather when not working, and where I can find all those lazies if I need something to be done.

14 Timber, year 53
I had to give some free time to our military, as they were grumbling about long patrol duties. In normal circumstances I would have just ignored them, but as things are what they are, I can't afford them to get more angry, especially when those two dwarfs are our first and final line of defense. Of course we have those two war dogs as well, but in tight situation, who would trust just one pair of dogs?

12th Opal, year 53
Earlier this morning I was informed that the miners had finished six smallish rooms just one floor below the grant dining room (which, by the way, has still no furniture in it. I have to find out why our haulers have not carried the tables and thrones there). When checking them out I decided to dedicate two to myself, one for personal dining room and the other shall be my new office. Right next to them are now personal dining room and office for the sheriff as well. Those two rooms left has been furnished to be ready if or when I need someone to take bookkeeper's position. I'm not sure how long I'm able to do all the trading, fortress management and bookkeeping alone.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

15th Opal, year 53
PRAISE THE MAINERS!!
One of our miners, Sarvesh Rampartpartner, struck to raw adamantine vein while mining out housing area! The queen was right to send us here, as something as precious as adamantine will make us respected among all the dwarf civilizations out there. The actual size of the vein is still unknown, though Rampartpartner thinks that it could be quite big, as she has heard tales of very big ones, but  not anything about small ones.

Now, while the discovering of adamantine is more than I could have hoped for, I must confess that I'm quite worried what this could cause. Surely the adamantine itself is enough to attract all kinds of thieves and hostile entities to try to get it from us, and thus I should make the defense of the fortress better. Have to discuss this with Derp, as I think he might have some ideas of how to make the defense better. After all, he has spent nearly all his time here guarding the entrance, so he must have at least some knowledge what we need or do not need. Though I must remember that not everything can be done, basically all that requires stones, but nothing else.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Adamantine? At this stage of fortress?? This is going to be FUN!!  ;D
Logged
Room Values - !!SCIENCE!!

Quote from: zanchito
You know, they could teach maths like this at school. "There are 105 dwarves in a settlement. A goblin invasion appears and 67 die. Then a migrant wave..."