-Remains of a journal of a miner in the Highquake mines, dated est 2 years before Steelhold, author unknown-
Journal entry #732
8th Hematite
Even after 14 years of hard digging, we have not struck adamantine. Our mining expedition leader is extremely unpleased with the standards of work the miners produce these days thanks to the lack of booze. The mountain homes would not give us the luxury of a rest, so we are set to mining all day. We can be thankful that this year no one has gone insane, berserk, or melancholic. My wannabe detective friend, Firecrazy has just uncovered some sort of scheme to flood the mines with magma, and he is investigating it full time, skipping mining, which earned some angry visits from the head miner. Seriously, when shall he learn that dwarves are not meant to be detectives? This side hobby of his is slightly irritating me. General Earthgrowl is demanding so much iron for the royal army that our veins of hematite are going to be depleted soon.
Journal entry #733
9th Hematite
Another boring day. We got about a few hundred ores of iron, copper, and silver, but that is pretty much about it. Today, the doctor from the mountainhomes arrived to treat the poor dwarf that was injured by a cave in a few days ago. After looking at the state of everyone, he decided to stay here for a few weeks. On other news, Firecrazy found a piece of paper titled "Magma flooding plans". It seems to be a drawing of some complicated device that floods the fortress? Firecrazy is the only one in the fortress who has any skill with mechanics, so he is the only one that can understand the drawing. He has bought it to the head miner but he says that it is not "conclusive evidence and may be just a forgery". That is quite a pathetic excuse for just not wanting to move your lazy ass to investigate, but what can you do? Nobles are a lost cause.
Journal entry #734
10th Hematite
2 miners joined our cause, both are novice ranked, which is the lowest rank for a miner. Usually there would be a welcome celebration, but with the state of this place, the lack of food and booze, nope. No welcome celebration. Deal with it. Meanwhile, I spotted my detective friend Firecrazy was openly questioning people in the dining hall. Isn't that a little too obvious for a undercover investigation? "Er hey sorry to waste your time but do you know of any plot to flood the mines with magma? no? okay thanks". In fact, the head miner is starting to accuse HIM as the schemer, since he is the only one who can do mechanics in the fortress, thanks to his previous job of managing the complicated minecart stuff. Anyway, I doubt Firecrazy is the one planning to flood the fortress. How easy is it to just say "Oh, i don't know any mechanics, thank you." to the manager guy?
(The rest of the journal is burnt by the magma flood. The details are still unknown, but the official reason is stated to be Firecrazy. Who knows, he may be wrongly accused?)
OOC: Trying to get a bit of backstory for my dwarf in. I dunno.