Dear Armok, it has been over a year since I wrote in our Logs. Not that it could be helped, we moved in by Autumn, thank Ostelth, and have long since forgotten the problems of starving.
Then we dug deep to the bottom of the mountain, out to the brook. We intended for this three way tunnel system to allow us to bring in water and traders, and make a wonderful 'greeting' for the Orcs should they bother us. They did, and before the thing was finished.
We holed up behind our walls, the seven of us far ill-equipped or trained to deal with them returning so fast. They stayed, obviously having caught note of us having survived and gained sustenance, bastards.
Canu was getting bored, so we butchered up a batch of cats, and gave him a rusty crossbow that we had found outside, and let him go to it,, not having anyone to spar with him for melee arts. The Orcs eventually left, but not before sitting around for nearly two seasons.
Then the unthinkable happened.
We had dwarven visitors, not just wandering traders, but, migrants? Besides wondering if our ale had been pissed in by the cats again, we were all trampled by Clanratc, who ran the distance to them in an instant. It was a lovely reunion with his child and brother. Apparently she had been "made possession" of the King, fat old sack of catflesh, to "improve his quality of life". She had been saved by a child recruit named Atreyu, who seems to fancy himself the greatest warrior ever. Methinks I see a rivalry coming.
Others came as well, victims of the usual bueraucratic bullshit. I've always wondered how a blacksmith or farmer is worth less for "survival rates" than a Duke, who happens to eat three times as much as the rest, but it is the fate of Despotisms I guess.
Here we will make a better life, if we don't die first.
Honestly though, we're doing pretty good at that, and the mood throughout the fortress has definetly improved. For very obvious reasons.
We are now finishing up our three way tunneling system, bringing us fresh water and irrigation from ten levels below. It is a task I relish with anticipation, and hope I haven't gotten rusty with my mechanincs over the last year.
Canu is an amazing man, the stories he told of the old Fortress he resided at give all of us great hope we can survive here. NotMeh has also taken great interest in what Canu knows of the great hunter Bunz.
I have asked him to repeat his visions of the last battle of Ushilkeshan Sedilgesorbisol Alnis many times. It is tragic what happened there, and we do best to not repeat their mistakes of low in-fort supply. It is good to have the man with us though, he gets more of his skill back every day, soon he will be playing Armokarathbal with ever Orc who dares cross us. Then again, I think he much prefers Swords to hammers.
Maybe things will turn out fine.