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[Imp]

15th of Galena

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Late summer and still snow falls from the sky more days than the sun shines.  An undead cave crocodile's has been stinking up the caverns recently and undead elk have been slowly circling the wall - they've still not noticed the entrance in though.

I've bullied the miners into starting work on a side chamber to protect the depot and merchants when they come, and our living space is being increased, down below the cold of the snow but above the stink of the cavern beasts.  Furniture and rooms are slowly being prepared.  A bridge is being connected to a lever so we can seal the fortress off from the caverns below if needed.

In a more established fortress there might be humans here right now, merchants soon to head away with their guards and packbeasts.  Oh, that I could head away with them, safe and warm in the back of a wagon until we reach some place that's never seen snow out of season.

28th of Limestone

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Oh, sure.  Now the miner's tell me.  See, we've a caravan coming, and we've need to impress them so they'll take me with them.  A small thing to ask; just a few thousand Urists should be a large enough bribe.  If they've not heard of me, of course.  If they have, well, that might raise the cost by two or three powers.

So this fortress is in need of valueable goods to pay for my passage.  Some spidersilk clothing I thought might do the trick nicely, afterall, that's what caverns are for, right?

Down below, one finds caverns filled with cave fungus (well, not in our caverns), a great forests of giant mushrooms (our caverns only have a few, puny ones at that), and huge amounts of gleaming exposed ore just begging to be hewn from the exposed cavern walls (though in our caverns, this ore is on the very weak side of metallic, and in rather the opposite of 'huge amounts' as well).  Caverns are well known for being rooted in vast lakes, even oceans of magma (ours seem to be floored by a few 'murky pools' of semi-molten rock instead - not even hot enough to power a forge) and for being filled with amazing fell beasts (here too our caverns have not sought to exceed themselves - the terrifying monsters in ours mostly just have a horrifing stench).

There's another thing that caverns are very well known for - well, most caverns.  Ours just do things differently.  But who ever heard of a cavern not filled with spiderwebs?  How am I supposed to buy my way back to civilization (and a mount to get there on) without even webs to fashion fine garments from?

11th of Sandstone

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Four new migrants arrived today, wisely approaching from a direction well distant that of the undead beasts that slowly circle our fortress.  One of the was an experienced miller, and another had some training in a few combat basics, but none of them have any skills we really need, or enough knowledge of fighting to effectively start the militia.

We've been slowly expanding our mining near the tetrahedrite found earlier and have uncovered a second vein.  We've decided that mechanisms will be our primary export this year, and have started manufacturing a few.

Every month at least one new snowstorm comes, and today this month's storm started.  Wonder if the sky will clear or if this one will be the storm that ushers winter fully in?

11th of Timber

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A tame reindeer cow had followed the recent migrants here.  It's a little small to ride, but it could serve as a pack beast.  I'm seeing if we can keep it alive on the fungus that has started to grow throughout the upper chambers that have been dug, and have ordered the digging out some safe soil areas to serve as room for more fungus, shrubs, and shroomtrees to grow.

I've tried to be kind to these poor fools as well.  Each of them, save for the newest migrants, has space for their own bedroom.  There's a dining room, crudely hewn but spacious enough to please the mind as the stomach fills - it will desperately need additional tables and seats if the population ever actually grows here - a thought that horrifies me, but as I won't be one of these immigrants for much longer I won't need to feel to sick about it.

The merchants arrived today, following the merchant's path as I'd hoped.  We pulled the levers once they were inside, so now they're safely sealed in with us.  With any luck I'll be leaving with them.

15th of Timber (Image only)

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1st of Moonstone

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They agreed to take me!  I don't even have to pay them until we get back to the Mountainhomes, which is utterly perfect.  Not only do I have a lot of wealth secreted away there in one place or another, but once they get me back there they will never, ever find me again - I'm not going to have to pay them!

The storms are terrible above.  It's barely the first of winter but the wind simply screams as it drives snow sideways through the air.  The snowpiles already on the ground are not growing, but not being blown away either - they're frozen to the dirt.

I'm going to try and talk the caravan into waiting until the first of spring to leave.  Hopefully the weather will be easier to survive by then.

Mechanisms are heavy, for all the well made ones are valuable.  I traded as well as I could for these sorry sods that have kept me alive for this whole year here - I know I'd have died without them.  There's even a hospital started, a very small and barely equipped one, but it holds some plaster powder and that will keep it safe until its needed.  When the liaison is ready to talk to me (Trading has kept me quite busy - I was trading information for the right to leave with the caravan and pay them the balance owed once we reach the Homes) I'll be ordering all sorts of important raw materials in case these louts survive until this caravan comes back next year.

1st of Opal (Candy Spoilers, so please consider spoilers within any and all future updates as well) (All spoilers after the first are images)

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Undead wolves are right outside the gate and two actually found the way in.  They were easy enough to trap, but are so horrid to behold, and worse to smell.  We may need to make a special place to keep the cages until we're ready to destroy these monsters.

Of greater concern to me is that the merchants, who really do not want to brave the savage storms, also really do not wish to continue to stay.  I've been so busy trying to keep them calm that I've not had a chance to speak to the liaison, so I've asked the expedition leader to do so if he gets a chance.

Of greater concern to the rest of the fortress though is either that the magma sea has been breached and is gushing down the stairway that was dug to reach it, or that raw adamantine has been discovered - both are so exciting and horrific that I cannot tell which is getting screamed about more.

As of right now, -noone- has gotten hurt.  I was very surprised myself.  I'd told the miners to start working a stairwell carefully upwards along a stretch of warm stone we'd found - ahh, this was found down as far as we could dig before the semi-molten stone stopped us.

So the miners worked that stairwell upwards, discovering more warm stone each Urist they carved, until suddenly they found a span where all the stone was cool.

So I told them to channel out on that level, a single stone's worth right above where warm stone was beneath.  I really wasn't sure what would happen, but it seemed like a good idea and none of them protested.  I'm still not sure what really did happen either, there was so much excitement as the sea was found and then the adamantine too - but I couldn't help but notice the magma gushing down the stairwell that had been carved to reach this place.

But no one was on fire!  No one is even melting.  So we are sealing off that stairway from both above and below, and the miner (and liaison - oh will he have a story to tell when he gets to the Homes again - as will I) who are trapped there can dig a way out that connects with original stairway we used to explore that area.  And the seal lower down should hold the magma breech in a fairly small area - one that we might be able to make use of from above.

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3rd of Opal

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After speaking with the Liaison, I realized I'm more adrift than I'd thought.  The Mountainhome he is a liaison for is -not- my Mountainhome, a very disturbing thought.  I come from a rich Home, though my thefts have rendered it slightly less rich while greatly enhancing my wellbeing and notoriety.

This Mountainhome is already more impoverished than I find interesting.  It clearly has a small territory - the only ores the Home mines are Bismthinite, Pitchblende, tetrahedrite, and silver, though they trade for a tiny amount of metal bars and can bring us steel and pig iron if we asked for it - which I did, I asked for every scrap of metal they could send.  The Home I know can send almost a hundred and fifty different types of gems - this one mines less than thirty types.  The only wood they can offer is Towercap and Fungiwood.

I requested a wide range of raw materials for the next caravan.  I'm no longer certain I wish to leave with this caravan though.  For one - I suspect that this Home is in rather dire straights, and possibly is extremely close to this location.  Wouldn't that be horrid, to have promised so much value to be led over a nearby hill and into a squalid hole barely more pleasant than here?  And likely underpopulated, making it harder to disappear in the crowd and without my caches of valuables either.

That's settled then.  I'm sending these merchants out into the snow and not going with them.  I'll leave when the time is right, maybe with the human caravan if one comes, perhaps with elves.  If I have to, I'll head out alone - hah.  Maybe I won't, but I'll think of something.  I always do.

29th of Obsidian, 591

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I could almost accept you all as my chosen people, though you are a poor and sorry lot and quite unworthy of me.

I'd have never come to you save I'd lost a bet, and my forfeit was to be present, visible, and known to one of the most pitiful of my worshippers for an entire year - and yet never be recognized for who and what I was.

Lolor Orrunsazir, you and I together have satisfied this condition, and I am much pleased with you.

To you, and yours, I grant all the gifts I have left for you:

The hospital, complete though unstaffed as none among you are as yet worthy;
The magma forge, smelter, kiln, and glassworks, for whenever you shall be ready to use them;
A Hidden Merchant's Path to protect your trade and traders for those materials your poor homeland cannot provide you;
A wall and gate to keep the horrors out, both above and below;
And too this journal, should you ever find it and understand any of its words;
And lastly a new name.  My mark upon you is 'Imp', may you bear the scar of this for the rest of your days.


So ends Journal 591 of Shulmik Vildangn'zom Zotir Thol - sometime Dungeon Master, sometime thief and smuggler, always and forever Profanedreams the Fiend of Deeps, female dwarf of lies and trickery (though not, this once, of cruelty).

[Imp]

Here is the save:  http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=5465

I am drowsy and did not post zscreenie or final images of the fortress at the end of the year, if this really dismays anyone let me know and I'll fix that.  In short, 13 dwarves, ~17,000 wealth, ~50 drink, ~250 food.

Details that did not make it into the journal -

The next fall caravan offered to pay best for scepters and musical instruments.

Every lever that is used has a (N)ote.  Every used lever connects to a bridge.  Each lever's note has a description of what pathing it is intended to control, as well as a name, and that name is also on a (N)ote that is on the bridge(s) that the lever controls

There's only two stockpiles in the entire fort, one for liquids and one for solids.  The solids one contains a quantum garbage dump in the center - watch for it to fill up, and when it starts to get full (d)ump everything in it, then un(D)ump the center square to avoid a long wait while dwarves constantly redump items there, and (r)eclaim that center square to unforbid all those dumped items - the dwarves will use that pile like any normal stockroom and leave the items piled up alone until they are needed for use.  OR you can change the system however you please.

All dwarves currently have almost all labors turned on.  I just play that way, sorry if you cant stand it, feel free to fix if you want.


Hope the story was fun, and that everyone enjoys their upcoming years!

[blorx1]

Thanks for finishing, I guess I'll end up redoing this system of dump abuse, since it bothers me.

Journal of Blorx Athelurvad, Fortress Overseer
1st of Granite

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The previous overseer finally decided to retire, and now I must begin to fix this mess he left behind. The previous orders I had were just to do every job that needs to be done, an inneficient system to say the least. But atleast the fortress is somewhat safe, so I can afford the time to revamp this system. Additionally for fear of destroying the universe, I have ended the construction of the quantum stockpile, it will have to be done differently. I have also begun exploratory mining to begin exporting large amounts of metal objects

2nd of Granite

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After finally cleaning up the mess with dwarves doing every labor they felt like, the fortress should be running smoothly, I'll get back to my job of farming and it should be much cleaner and generally more efficent.

7th of Slate

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 I've begun the process of counting all of the piles of stuff lying around in the fortress so we actually have more accurate counts, additionaly, I have begun the construction of spiked metal balls for the purposes of trade, we have also run our of wood (we never had any) and I hope we get no moods that need some any time soon. All else is at the moment running smoothly, we just need to find some ore, iron or tin is what I need badly at the moment, and all should be running smoothly. I also plan on making a pump stack to extract magma with at some point. Everything as a whole is running smoothly and we shall be fine. exploratory mining also has turned up large quantities of bismuthinite, but nothing else. Proper sleeping quarters and bedrooms are in construction.

10th of Slate

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 Our broker has just given birth to our first child, a girl. If the fortress actually survives another 12 years, it might actually make a reasonable difference. In addition the spikey ball's we've been producing shall work as decent trade goods, trap components have surprisingly high value. Migrants too, a few masons, and random people plus a mighty warrior with expert level in many useful combat skills and speardwarf. They also include 2 useless jewel cutters and one useful jewel cutters, after those two, we now have 5 miners. A total of 21 migrants brings our population to 35 over the course of just a few days, and also we have more animals. they should be able to eat the expanses of mined our dirt.

21st of Slate

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Trees have grown in the path to the Depot, being cleared as I write this, I have also ordered that path paved, miners have been sent to special burrows depending on their skill levels to mine our dirt or stone, we should have even more highly skilled miners soon, also, many of the immigrants shall finally be assigned new, useful jobs so we can get them to do something

More updates to be edited in soon.

16th of Felsite

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 Those dirty elves have arrived, they don't like to use wagons, so they didn't use that special thing the previous overseer designed, which is also currently being paved over, also, apparently the tree blocking the path was never cut since we don't even have a woodcutter with an axe, the situation has been fixed, and should be done, I'll add some pics to show the improved dining hall and empty bedrooms (which will be filled once I buy out all of the elves crap). I bet the elves will be happy that we didn't cut any trees down yet this year, not like there were any to cut... Oh and I forgot to mention, the previous overseer likes the fortress enough to actually throw a party, the foolish party was quickly put down to avoid wasting my time.

Pics of stuff

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I'm using this to train miners by having them carve upward staircases then destroy them, quite fast.


This the road to the depot, you can also see the elves who kindly brought us piles of wood


These are the bedrooms and the dining room, tasty beds are currently in construction.

@Imp's post below
Didn't realise I had to deal with having that second path to the depot, blocked, which makes sense since it was open to allow the dwarves to pave the road, and I'm pretty sure if they used a wagon the only path to the Depot would be through the entrance you made.

19th of Hematite

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To detect ambushes and other sneaking enemies, I'm constructing small watchtowers outside the gate to spot any hidden invaders, The elves also left at the start of the month. Exploratory mining is continued, hopefully we will find some tin in the layers of granite, so that we can make large quantities of bronze.

11th of Malachite

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More migrants, I'm rather surprised so many dwarves useless migrants want to "help" us with our fortress. This time we got about 9 new members and some animals, and I already haven't made enough beds. Some of these dwarves seem to think that I'm not doing a good enough job and would like to see me improve or leave, I have until the end of the year, I've been told, well, I'll show them. I hope.

1st of Galena

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A random unskilled mason decided to withdraw from society, lets hope he decides do complete his mood. And he just decided to begin, using, an amazing, one piece of phylite. I bet its gonna suck, mabye not, I bet it'll make a great centerpiece for the dining room.
The humans will probably show up soon too.

7th of Galena

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And mister mason made a pretty much worthless piece of crap, but now he's legendary. Its an artifact weapon rack worth 2400 db, its only decoration is an image of itself

23rd of Galena

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The humans arrived a few days ago, and we have begun trading with them, they brought enough wood to restock my supplies of beds, I only need a few more and the housing crisis shall be over, also, I've begun work on some glass pump components for use in a future magma pump stack somebody will probably want. Additionally, I have ordered the removal of one tile of candy, for no particular reason.

1st of Limestone

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I've grown attatched to the candy, I feel a strange need to mine it, I've ordered the mining of even more. I can barely resist, yet the other dwarves seem fearful and warn me of something nasty dwelling below the veins, I shall resist further temptation for now, I may have to step down if I continue at this.Ah well, I did promise that I would accomplish something interesting.

24th of Limestone

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The humans are leaving after giving me what I wanted, also more dwarves are migrating here, fortunately they have decided that entering near a crowd of zombie muskox was an excellent idea, and I'm not about waste some one useful to help them. We'll see how many survive. Thanks to their sense of "self preservation" all 10 migrants survived, I myself am rather surprised, but also dissapointed as a result, more beds to make, more moochers to house, clothe and feed.

1st of Timber

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Another mason has been taken by a mood, this time he was possesed, so hopefully he'll actually make something useful, since I wouldn't be getting anything else out of it. I have also opened a hole into the caverns so my dwarves can gather large amounts of wood, the military has made sure its safe, so lets hope I pay attention and my dwarves don't get mauled by trogs or something. After claiming a crafts dwarf workshop, he gathered some cheap gems and a piece of phyllite, hooray for uselessness, and I probably can't decorate with it either.

6th of Timber

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Although the possesed dwarf obviously gains no experience. The item created is far more valuable than the last one, but still worth very little by artifact standards, it was only worth 38400 db, which is an improvement, but still low. Behold this "great" artifact

I have also begun a tomb for both me and imp, although mine is currently getting far more attention due to my selfcenteredness, I feel like putting an adamantium statue inside, but I know I can't trust my metalworkers to make a masterwork statue. Mabye I shall just mine more, yes... it is still calling to me... yes...

16th of Timber

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Our liason and traders for this year have arrived, I haven't really prepared anything to trade them, but they always like piles of tasty roasts, of which we have plenty. the liason didn't enter through the safe way, so we sent our a squad to intercept the elk that were outside the gate. The charge was led by a recruit with little miltary experience who slew all the elk with merely a few bruises. This leads me to believe the undead are much less bad than we expected, I will be releasing the ones we captured earlier and have our soldiers quickly euthanise them.

1st of Moonstone

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A second pathway into the cavers have been made giving us access to webs and some more wood, no threats have been observed yet, if they appear we will evacuate. The traders have kept their promise, we now have tons of metal bars, many of them are like pewter etc, which are nearly worthless for making more good stuff, but we are still doing better. The undead cleaning campaign is almost complete. we should have a few more cages free again. The merchants were also kind enough to offer us some useful animals for whatever we need them for.

According to the liason, the dwarves are most willing to pay for meat, chese and (what I reccomend) prepared meals. Ammo, leather waterskins and horn figurines, as well as toys and powder.

11th of Moonstone

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As winter begins to set in I feel the cold getting to me to an even greater extent, I feel myself spending more time in the warm depths of the earth, near the great metal. I must... I must return life and heat to this forsaken land, yes...[the rest of the page is singed]

12th of Moonstone

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I nearly fell back into madness, I must finish first. I have finished the tomb for myself in case I do die, but I must not let that happen, I must stay in power and finish my goal.

16th of Opal

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The tower construction operation fo detecting ambushes went wrong. Apparently something was wrong with the supports and it collapsed, somehow now dwarves died and were merely injured, we lost a cat, and a masterwork glass window but no dwarves, the situation shall be rememdied in the other tower.

1st of Obsidian

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Madness is truly beginning to set it, I can no longer lead, says the other dwarves, after the collapse of a guard tower they blame me for every problem. And I can do nothing to appease them. I should just stay near the warm blood of the earth until another comes to lead and convinces the dwarves to stop complaining.

21st of Obsidian

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As my rule draws to a close, I am comforted in that I have created some effective watch towers, that although too close to the fortress to be truly effective, if at all, look interesting. In addition our best bowyer, who was an immigrant was taken by a mood, I hope whoever takes over when I resign at the end of the year will be able to help said bowyer.

1st of Granite

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As the year began I stepped down and allowed a new overseer to take over, the madness this fortress has brought unto me has begun to become too much, and I have headed to the mines to bring visit the blood of the earth and stay there.[The rest of the entry is smudged]

I was dragged out of the mines before I could while waiting in the deep mines, by the new overseer, somehow I feel that my madness has waned, and that this problem is now in the new overseer's hands. And although I cannot trust myself with the fortress, I have returned to work

[Imp]

Those dirty elves have arrived, they don't like to use wagons, so they didn't use that special thing the previous overseer designed

If you want to use this, and it's fine if you don't - the only way to get merchants to use that 'special thing' is to have the inner bridge raised and the outer one lowered when the merchants spawn.  This forces there to be only one path into the depot and forces them to appear in that tiny bridge-secluded area.  Once they are safely inside I would flip those two levers - so the path out is sealed and the path in is open.  Once trading is done, I would flip the two levers again to allow merchants to leave - rarely they fail to path out through their hidden path and need another route out opened.

If you have both gates open or the outer one closed when the merchants arrive, the merchants will ignore that path totally.  If you have both gates closed the depot's totally sealed off, so the merchants will spawn anywhere they can and act like you don't have a depot until they can path to it.

Have fun, wether you choose to use this or not!

[Fishybang]

Yes a spear dwarf! His (or her) name shall be Fishybang!

[Imp]

Yes a spear dwarf! His (or her) name shall be Fishybang!

Woo Fishybang!  So sorry I didn't get you decently dwarfed on my turn.

[Fishybang]

Yes a spear dwarf! His (or her) name shall be Fishybang!

Woo Fishybang!  So sorry I didn't get you decently dwarfed on my turn.

Your fine. You did a good job on the fort btw

[kilozombie]

Whatever you do, DON'T place the weapon rack anywhere! The paradoxpicture on it will crash the game ;-;

[Imp]

Whatever you do, DON'T place the weapon rack anywhere! The paradoxpicture on it will crash the game ;-;

Hah, I have to say, if I was a dwarf in a fortress like this - I'd be trying to make the most simple possible artifacts too.  At least, in comparison to the forts I usually touch, this place is bare skin and bones - were it a grazer it'd be starving!  There was practically nothing extra, no metals, no wood, no silk....

Mr Dwarf!  Here is YOUR one big shot to create something of sublime glory.... or burn out in a flash of brilliance.  Double Jeopardy, Mr Dwarf... how much are you going to wager?

ONE Urist?  Just one?  Fine.  You win - here's your two coins for your trouble.  Bah!

[blorx1]

And this concludes my turn, the next player may take their turn and continue with the fortress.

Sorry about not also noting the wealth/stocks/situation of the fortress. Food supplies are extremely healthy we have about 54 dwarves and probably about 175000 wealth. Also, the next overseer should probably build more beds, since we are running out and more migrants are undoubtably on their way. I also, forgot to change my proffesion back from overseer, so could the next overseer please change it. I also can't get around to posting the final images right now, but if it bothers anyone, I should be able to do so. Also, I reccomend expanding the drink stockpile, its starting to fill up.
Also, to the next overseer, whatever you do, don't forget about the moody dwarf trying to make an artifact crossbow.

The save is posted here: http://www.mediafire.com/?gc09grm4f2ct00r

[zombie urist]

Downloading as I write.

I'll start play later today and have the first posts up tomorrow.

[zombie urist]

Spoiler: Granite (click to show/hide)

Granite 1
Previous overseer Blorx recommended I watch over the moody bowyer and on the first of Granite, he gathered up two willow logs and a phylite stone and started working furiously. Meanwhile, I ordered more channels to be dug into the magma sea so that we can continue our metal industry. Theres no use having a bowyer and marksdwarf squad without any bolts, so that will be the next order of business.

Granite 5
The bowyer finished his mood. A willow bow. Absolutely useless. At least we can start making proper crossbows now. Bolt production has also began and so has quiver production. Although we will focus on melee units, marksdwarfs will provide an essential backing force to support the rest of the military.

Granite 9
Some animals seem to be fighting in the pastures. A new pasture has been designated close by and the offending animals have been relocated. Of course at the same time, I've begun making orders to build myself a tomb next to those of the previous overseers.

Theres a ramp into an aquifer on the same level as farms and pastures. A well has been constructed over the aquifer. A better well will be constructed soon and will serve as an additional meeting zone, made of precious metals.

Granite 23
A new marksdwarf tower is under construction. The tower is the first part in securing defenses against the west side of the map. Since we only have 55 dwarves total and only a few of them are masons, it will be quite a while before the defenses are completed. Its unlikely the defenses will be finished by the end of my term.

Granite 25
The broker has given birth to a boy! Tulon Speargale was born today, which makes him very young indeed. The broker immediately canceled his job and started seeking infants. Its unlikely that either of her children will survive to adulthood. I assigned some quivers to be made for the marksdwarf squads. A room has been dug out for ammo.This will connect to the archer tower.

[kilozombie]

Welp.

Might be hard to continue the "fort" with all this new update business.