Finally... -------------------------------
The journal of Vodrilus III Koganlelum, Overseer
3rd Slate
The topside dwarves are still fighting each other. Perhaps they have received a vision from the Catapult to struggle for glory between each other? Fortunately, also the monsters are fighting each other.
I found something today that made me gasp for air. I am both so overjoyed and so dismayed that I find it hard to keep myself in check. An adamantine... spiked ball? At first I thought that I was dreaming, but then I realized that there was no adamantine barrel of sunshine in my lap.
18th Slate
Our workforce swells with new pilgrims. Praised be the Catapult!
Also, another useless mouth to feed.
19th Slate
Work is progressing on my personal project, albeit slowly. What's that commotion I hear? Oh no.
Apparently, she is increasingly embarrased due to her exposed nether regions.
20th Slate
An evil mist drifted closeby.
Fortunately, the poor bastards outside were spared.
21st Slate
The "outpost liaison" that's been hanging here has finally dared to enter the fortress. By the Catapult, has he been here for half a year!? I doubt he'll be able to accommodate our needs, but I asked for some steel bars, anyway.
2nd Felsite
Oh no! The project! You fools, I said channels, not ramps! Now that floor is flooding. Quickly, we must protect the forge! Build walls, or die trying!
Too late for the project, but just in time to save the forges. One of the fools has paid the ultimate price. I hope he rots in some hell.
10th Felsite
The work on the project progresses only very slowly. Our miners slack every chance they get. The manufactury of the other critical items is also progressing with alarming sloth. I wonder if it will be ready even with a full year of work on it...
The only bits of news that have broken the tedium of Markedangels is that some pilgrim child wandered under our drawbridges. Poor fool. Also, another cloud has drifted to us, topside.
11th Felsite
Oh no. Now the dwarves decided to fill a finished goods 'pile in the forbidden parts with some old socks! A quick word sent them scurrying back.
12th Felsite
Now some of those 'pilers are going back topside to "clean". What's there to clean? Sand? Bird shit? I haven't seen the surface in a while now, but back then it was just a heap of blood and vomit. I suspect there is more to this than simple ardor. Perhaps they wish to leave? The temptation to activate the zombienihilator is great, but instead I will just ban all cleaning in the fort. I'd wager that it makes no real difference in this little heap of steaming hot dog droppings.
12th Felsite
What is the meaning of this? Today I found a strange graffiti etched on the wall: "Remember Citadel!" I had no idea what that could mean, so I quickly ordered the wall to me smoothed again. This is not the only suspicious thing here in Markedangels. I hear hushed words in the crawlspaces and unintelligible utterances that must be some sort of a code, like "The cavy flames bright today." -- Madness! sometimes I see gatherings of dwarves in the unused, winding corridors, eyeing me suspiciously. What is going on here?
13th Felsite
A mob of angry goblins has arrived! I counted around 70.
They must surely be out of their minds, for the sanctum of the Catapult cannot be defiled by such unworthy creatures. Even the evil mists seems to protect us, but the goblin scum blithely resumed their march for our rather unassuming entrance.
As a personal token of my appreciation, I ordered the passageway to be sealed. The filthy troupe promptly buggered off after some maimed monster -- perhaps a horse foal or a cavy pup. I hear unending sounds of fighting up there. There were some reports of the goblins attacking the monsters, of which I am glad. Let them first destroy the monsters and later we'll deal with the actual goblins.
19th Felsite
Topside, he fighting still continues. I can hear the goblins screaming with anger, but I can't comprehend their speech. One of our more learned dwarves told me that most of the screams were "why won't you die" or "die die die die die" or some other variation of the same idea. Serves them right.
I just received a report of another twisted beast in the caverns. I couldn't make heads or tails of the description, so I'm just writing it down word for word:
A skinny pile of shit on four legs?
Also, the project demands more copper, which means that we must have more tetrahedrite. I have ordered a new tunnel dug for prospecting in the shoreline shale, hopefully above the aquifer.
23th Felsite
Still fighting. The constant noise is haunting my dreams, even though it can't possibly reach the cavernous deeps. The "miners" finally reached the shale. How can they be so slow about it?
27th Felsite
Fighting. The prospectors found a cache of tetrahedrite! Now the project may continue...
28th Felsite
The mining has finally begun. Here is a sketch of Olon the Beekeeper mining and Ineth the Peasant hauling. Magnificent!
Now we'll just have to haul it all the way down... could there be a faster way?
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The summer is here! That was sticky.