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[Reelya]

(just checking is it ok to 'blog' about a solo fortress i'm setting up in this section, if not i'll move the thread)

Hey I got an idea to start a new fortress with a specific theme. The basic idea comes from the 1967 science fiction novel Chthon by Piers Anthony:

Deemed to be beyond salvation, Aton is given a life sentence in the underground prison of Chthon.

Chthon is a garnet mine in which the inmates trade garnets for food. An upper level to the prison houses the less dangerous criminals where the garnets are fashioned. Escape from the upper level is impossible since all of the underground tunnels have been sealed off. The garnets are actually mined in a lower level reserved for criminals too dangerous to live peacably in the upper level. There are rumours that escape from the lower level is possible through uncharted labyrinthine caverns.

Once in the lower level, Aton reasons that he is unlikely to survive an escape attempt alone so he manipulates the inmates into a failed revolt against the upper level. The upper level cuts off food supplies in retaliation forcing the entire inmate population to attempt escape. One by one, the inmates are killed by an unseen monster known as the chimera until only a few remain.

The basic idea is for a top level which houses soldiers / nobles, a middle layer housing artisans, and a lower section with miners fighting the perils of freely-accessible cavern levels. The lowest level will export raw minerals to the middle level, the middle level will process everything, and the top level will export materials in exchange for caravan food.

The basic idea is that the starting seven will become the overlords of the mines, and live above the surface. There will be no farming or livestock animals (except right at the start), and I plan to embark on a treeless glacier. Each migrant wave, 1 dwarf will join the overlord caste. There will be an "airlock" to a section of the fortress below, which will house an artisan class, below this will be the mines, with another "airlock". Any surplus dwarves, or those who tantrum will be stuffed down into the mines.

The mines themselves will be fully open to the caverns with no defensive structures at all. I plan for the slaves and miners to wear nothing but cast-off goblin clothing from sieges.

My first question is how should I construct the "airlocks" between the fortress sections? I'm thinking of a minecart that gets filled with food on one side, gems on the other, and get's kicked over a pressure plate/door set-up. Any idea if this would work?

[peregarrett]

Posting to watch.

Minecarts would work, but better push them over chasm - this way they won't have a chance to pass through railway.
And airlocks for citizens should be just a room with two gates.

[Tirion]

Posting to watch. I believe without a military down there, even organic FBs will wipe the whole damn place out in one go.

[peregarrett]

Posting to watch. I believe without a military down there, even organic FBs will wipe the whole damn place out in one go.

Guard posts. If threadstarter is good with military alerts, this can be done automatically.

[Reelya]

I plan to have the top miners drafted into squads armed with steel picks, and might let them make wooden crossbows from cavern trees, and hunt down there to get leather for the squads.

With the "no farming" rule, they'll probably be killing each other long before FB's turn up due to booze shortages

[Tirion]

I plan to have the top miners drafted into squads armed with steel picks, and might let them make wooden crossbows from cavern trees, and hunt down there to get leather for the squads.

With the "no farming" rule, they'll probably be killing each other long before FB's turn up due to booze shortages

You'd be surprised how much food can be gathered from butchering cave animals, and a meaty FB can feed a whole fort for a year. Add some plant gathering there, they might even make enough for booze production- of the 6 plants growing in caverns, 4 are brewable, and underground plants have more chance of a successful harvest compared to above ground ones.

[Reelya]

Hmm, I might have to restrict either the slaves activities, buildings or what plants grow down there After all, the idea is that each level is interdependent for survival with the other 2.

[Tirion]

Hmm, I might have to restrict either the slaves activities, buildings or what plants grow down there After all, the idea is that each level is interdependent for survival with the other 2.

It really depends on the available moss-covered space down there.