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[BlackMuffin]

Alright, sounds fair.

[Sarrak]

Extracts from the journal of Sarrak, Overseer

*the initial entry looks quite old, as if few last pages were ripped from the book*
Nice to see ya, bloody diary! It was a wonderful day! I tried my best to comprehend bone structure of an elephant. Sometimes it feels like beasts tusks go straight to its brain, others - like they doesn't matter to that bloodthirsty giant at all.

There are some dwarves. Those, who work not as much as others. Some have their own issues. Others are smart. And they are now thinking. We must be able to overthrow guards whaen we will be ready for this. So, we must train for that day.


Today I planned. Many things were completed; much more still continued. Few other dwarves, which I mentioned earlier, agreed on my proposal. Now complex is getting much more complicated. It would be hard to hide, if somebody will come with inspection. But we'll be ready. I'm sure.

Oh, for the elephant bloodthirst! How I managed to bisect that damn goblin so fast and so clear?! Not much to work with... Must find something... Must...
*words become unintelligible, page is stained with few blood trails*

1st Slate. One young dwarf, a member of doing-nothing, eating-everything youth community of our...fortress, suddenly turned mad. Er... I was just informed by Rock-Eyes, it is commonly referred to as a "possession". Indeed, child has some interesting qualities and acts strangely... Hm... Does spiritual invasion changes body too? Maybe I will have a chance to discover.


Uh-oh. Small bugger threw Modi out from her workshop, walked through it, fell on ground and crawled to crafters place, where it started to shout unintelligibly in whistling, highly disturbing voice. Sometimes even I start to think that this world is too damn mad to comprehend...

*a few pages are washed in alcohol, scent is still in the air*



"Hey, Modi! Come closer!"






Excavation beneath sea level is moving swiftly. FireCrazy still makes finishing touches for our project. Maze must be finished this month. Jackal is occupied with other things now. I manage to keep him away from our quarters when it becomes too obvious that work goes on something completely wrong. Oh, and I have some fear for the other dwarves. Not everyone of them is dumb as basalt. There are some, that know. And some, that bear ill thoughts. To project or to me directly...

First session is done. Everyone became relieved, when they got their first chance in years to get their hands on a weapon. If I haven't planned things beforehand, now trouble would have surely occurred. Many dwarves don't trust each other, some have developed grudges, others just hate each other from the years before this colony.

Sadly, but initial plan of project had to be modified. Now, not only FireCrazy knows about it, but two other miners too. Somebody already told Jackal. But he was resting at the moment and came to inspect only today. I assured him it was only a ventilation system. He... Nodded and walked in other direction. Bizarre luck or my own plans still working for me? Don't know. But it can't last longer. Cold breeze get warmer with each day and soon new party of inmates will come. And a few guards to reinforce justice, of course.


"Ventilation" was completed just in time! New inmates were seen by Modi on a horizon!

Several notable people. Remeber I said something about Jovus? Being pacifist and all? I take my words back! (OOC: Sadly, in my first journal I have mistaken Jovus and Lenahan...) Now we have a proper elf-lover... Goes by the name Lenahan. Interesting, does he have any elf traits? Hm... Probably worth investigating... Bomber. Strange fellow. I quite understand his reasons, but not managing to steal... Eh. Oh, I was too soon. We now have Ensomden "thunder-smth". Well... He surely outclass Bomber by far. And, of course, dim-witted enormous brute. He said that he is Gob, a Bone Doctor. You know, that kind of a "bone doctor".



*Next few lines are scribbled in hurry*
I think she noticed me... Yes. It was hard to hide... "Fisherdwarf", you mother! I studied bodies left on battlefield. I know, how true warrior may look like. And I don't know, who she is if not a guard. No one with that kind of experience would be sent to faraway place!
(OOC: Ninety four kills of various animals... And yeah, she is Bomber's wife. Nearly everyone in this party is married)

My suspicions may be true after all. Bomber hunts now outside - and no one says a word...


Elves! Shut Lenahan's door immediately!


*and a few scraps about height and posture of thiefs*
Two... Four. Six! Eight!! Nine!!!
Our colony get too many visitors. And, while Jackal enjoys his leisure time, Bomber train himself with sharpshooting kobolds.

We had some problems with wood. Dwarves happily trotted through trade depot with freshly cut logs, making rude comments about elves. The aforementioned traders were silent, even a bit melancholic. The only dwarf that could trade with them was lying on his bed, doing nothing.


As one of my informators told me, we traded quite a lot of wood from elves, as well as some plants and fruits. Oh, by the way. I finally got my hands on the animals that came with the last dwarven party. Delicious!

23rd Hematite. Elves are gone. Not in a bloody way, sadly. Migrants came in their steps. Not much interesting personalities, most just
got unfortunate enough to piss off noble or two. I talked only with two of them. Somneth, miner in past, could provide quite useful, especially with his kind of experience. I know now, which inmate I would like to have beside me in a locked cell... The second... Only use I can see is setting panic to the population. No skills and not reliable... Hm... We will see.
By the way, colony now look like a madhouse. Dosens of prisoners doing whatever they want to, guided by few directions of guards... If I wouldn't be suspicious, now would be perfect opportunity. We could strangle two of them in sleep and... We will encounter too many problems. I'm now happier than ever by the fact that Jackal disagreed with my proposition of overseeing thing. No, thank you. Better watch my own head.

Sounds of picks striking stone deep in mines are now regular noise. From shouts and cheers I figured that they found all kind of minerals and ores down there. Well... I'm not that interested in stone. Flesh, in my opinion, is much more intiguing...





For the Bloody God! My head ashes! Noise, noise, noise... Only beneath living quarters, in "project", I can be at peace with myself. Even studying new species, when everyone tries to stare from you, is problematic... I don't want it to end like the last few times... By the way, humans. And another possession...










*Unintelligible passage*. Goblins run away. Bomber is now no more. In a bloody way. Sadly, I only received a pair of goblin arms from this. And lost a good fellow. We just recently had interesting conversation, while drinking. He said, that his so-called wife is indeed a guardian, sent here by Queen for who knows what. On her way she stacked with him and revealed herself as corrupt and possessive person. I then assured him, that he can always come to our training room, to which he waved his hand and cheerfully said, that hunting is better. Damn...

Autumn. Here, underground, it means nothing. Aboveground... It is just a bit less scorching. Or so Rock-Eyes told me. Apathy settles in. Even breaching of caverns was somewhat ignored by everyone.





Everything goes well… Or mostly well. Miners, under FireCrazy guidance, dig to the core, to free Armok's blood. As if I will allow it to happen. Hm… Maybe later. But, obviously, not now. Caverns are quite up to expectations. Still no animals, sadly. I really want to bisect something unnatural…

Nothing happens. Autumn laziness or something. There were human traders, but I had remembered about it later, when they already went their way.





So… We  are doomed. There are goblin scouting squad on a horizon! Nothing, but iron and steel will stop them. And I fear that we don't have enough of both. And, of course, only guards have armor. I barely managed to talk Jackal into giving weapons to able prisoners to help in fortress defense… Now everything depends on luck. Because I really, really don't believe in our "strength", "honor" and "dignity".



Oh yeah, I was right. Twenty weapons were roughly converted into eight inmates. Well… Not as bad, as it could be. Now we have only to wait a bit. Goblins will come…
I really want to drink some alcohol. It is not right for any dwarf to die sober.








*these scraps look like the were finished much later after the events mentioned*
And so the battle ended. Goblin warlord fell, killed by the guards and Gob the "Bone Setter". The last one quite amazed me… Really. He bashed goblin warlord into a horrible mess. Even before he beat his mount into unrecognizable pulp. Some of the goblins tried to fight even after that. Others run. Oh, and what about me? I lie here under the scorching sun. Sweat drops from face and pain beats in the leg as I look on a dwarf procession, which takes FireCrazy back to home. He is shorter now. With just one leg and arm… He was the one, who started the fight. And he started it gloriously. From one mighty swing of his pick the great bird-like beast was sent unconscious. And, as a goblin dismembered his, he dismembered him in return. Something says to me that he will be fine. I'm far more concerned about myself…

Vultures come and go further, taking no interest in my body. Remains of the battle, which started to rot really quickly, are far more appealing. I don't mind.



Two voices. Somebody came here for me? No, probably not… Jackal. And… That cold-blooded guard. They take interest, seeing that I'm still alive, but, after some rude comments, start conversation about situation in Mountainhomes. I'm too tired to listen. Agonizingly aching head doesn't help. At all…





Caravan has arrived. I still can't get up and is restricted to slowly crawling. Back. Ho... No. I have NO home.
By the way, it looks like inmates are steaing medicine from caravan... Guards can't stop them.

*This entry is done with a shaking hand, next few pages are bloodied*
Ale. Sweet ale. And animals! You waited for me, fluffy? Let me borrow some knives, and I'll return!







Babies... Oh, Armok, babies... They are everywhere! Argh!







I locked myself from all this madness. Betrayals, murderous goblins, babyfloods and even maniacaly laughing crippled FireCrazy have nothing to do with me for now. I need rest. Just some proper rest...
*the excepts end here*

(OOC: I freaked out on such ending of my turn. Babies, babies everywhere! I don't think I have done much apart from some bizarre patterns in architecture, but still it was really fun. Especially - with siege. I drafted few total noobs just to compensate inferior numbers. What to say? They made perfect meatshields, from named dwarvess goblins kicked only Sarrak and - debatebly - FireCrazy, who tried to kill all of them by himself)

[Gnorm]

(OOC: Sadly, in my first journal I have mistaken Jovus and Lenahan...)

You might want to correct that in your post, so that it will be less awkward to read.
From the Journal of Lenehan, bound in fine rope reed fiber cloth, pages made of tattered pig tail fiber cloth crudely sewn in with yarn. The ink is runny and thick, and the writing is scratchy.

Date Unknown

Even in the lowest depths of the Dwarven prison, one can sometimes hear the jovial conversation of the of the guards. I heard early on that the good queen was building a penal colony and was flushing guards and prisoners out of the Mountainhome. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was to be sent as well; after all, I was, perhaps, one of the least-liked dwarves in the entire fortress. Realizing that I had a journey ahead of me, I set to work to create this journal so that I could properly document my experiences in my new home. All I had to do was tear up the Elven suit that I smuggled into prison, as well as some of my prison garbs, to create a bound-book with pages. Next, I took the bones from the meat scraps I had been forced to suffer in the prison, whittled away at them with a stone, and made myself a set of crude pens. My own blood was used as ink until, in the colony, I had access to the real thing. In truth, I was quite prepared by the time I was snatched away by the guards.

The journey to the colony was long and hard, though at least I was outside among the natural world, it did give me time to think. Away from actual form of government, the prisoners would eventually rise up and form their own government. Although they would likely hold onto to their culture for some time, it would be much easier to convert them to the Elf Party without their queen. I was excited, though at the same time, I wasn't happy at the thought of returning to the mountains after the journey in the outdoors.

I was quite happy to discover. when we arrived at our destination, that the colony was not build into a mountain! This is perhaps the first instance in recorded history that a Dwarven outpost has occurred in such a way. This shall make it even easier to convert the inmates. I was introduced to my cell, and set about discovering the ins-and-outs of the prison. As I had expected, the prison is practically an anarchy. Though it has an actual warden, he seems to be quite lenient, and anyone can see that the true leader is a dwarf named "Sarrak." This sociopath represents all that is wrong with Dwarven culture, but the other prisoners take orders - likely out of fear - from him, he's the governor. I don't think he likes me very much, so I'll have to lay low, recruit my followers carefully, and strike when the time is just right. We'll see who wins command of this fortress, my friend.
By the by, does Lenehan have a wife. Secondly, what should an overseer do if he is offered to have the fortress become a barony. Should he allow it, or should he maintain the penal/anarchist aspect of the game?

[BlackMuffin]

I'm really liking this quasi-insane narrative style you're putting forth Sarrak. A bit tough to understand but entertaining nonetheless.

[4maskwolf]

Requesting entry as a reader observer under the name maskdwarf.

Backstory:
Nobody knew who he was under the mask.  Nobody knew what he was doing.  Nobody knew where he was from.  And that suited him just fine.  The less they knew, the better.  The true gods, the ones these people called "demons", they spoke to him in his dreams.  They told him he was their prophet, the one who would usher in a new age of prosperity for those in the world who believed.  He would rule.  He would, at last, be king.

They found out.  How? Why? They couldn't.  The gods had promised that they couldn't.  It wasn't possible.  There was talk of execution.  It didn't matter to him: he had failed.  They had told him that in his dreams.  He was no longer fit to be their prophet.  He would burn like the others when the true gods rose to power.  But no, they changed their minds.  Sending him off to some "rehabilitation colony" to "get back in touch with reality".  What little they knew.  He would prove himself, he promised himself.  He would prove he was fit to be the prophet.

Edit: I may request entry as an overseer later, but for now just put me down for entry as a reader.

[Sarrak]

Insane? Well, this fortress is insane in the first place. We kicked asses of goblin siege with just two normal soldiers, one casuality and disfigured wargod, who after losing a few limbs only got real...

Oh. And I now fry outside, while dwarves cheerfully run around, meeting caravan. No-one. No-one of them thought to help me to bed 

I dwarfed everyone beside soapmaker and new readers. No migrant waves for a time. And the end is near.

[BlackMuffin]

the end is near.

I swear on my ancestors' gravestones if you flood that fortress with magma on just its second year I will personally find you and I will rustle your jimmies so violently they will implode upon themselves and create a singularity that will suck in the earth, planets, sun, and stars faster than you can say, "But wait I still need to go pick up my XxCave Spider Silk SockxX in the middle of that battlefield just give me a fuckin' second."

[4maskwolf]

Oh. And I now fry outside, while dwarves cheerfully run around, meeting caravan. No-one. No-one of them thought to help me to bed 

That's what you get for a life of crime, I suppose.  Particularly around other criminals.

[Adventurer]

Pretty cool so far, all this queen worship on the artifacts is kind of funny since they are all sending us to the colony.

[highmax28]

Pretty cool so far, all this queen worship on the artifacts is kind of funny since they are all sending us to the colony.

I guess people like the queen for sending us here

[Adventurer]

Pretty cool so far, all this queen worship on the artifacts is kind of funny since they are all sending us to the colony.

I guess people like the queen for sending us here

Something we will probably regret later on

[Sarrak]

Save is up, in the guardian hands. To the next person to command this place - give it some sanity. In your own maddening way.

Rest is nearly checked, but will be up tomorrow. I need sleep.

[highmax28]

Save is up, in the guardian hands. To the next person to command this place - give it some sanity. In your own maddening way.

Rest is nearly checked, but will be up tomorrow. I need sleep.

Well, here's to hoping riots DO break out and cause dissension amongst the fortress (it's inevitable)

[Jovus]

Save is up, in the guardian hands. To the next person to command this place - give it some sanity. In your own maddening way.

I should be able to get to it on Thursday at the absolute latest. Can I assume the save will be in your finishing post?

[4maskwolf]

Maskdwarf intends to set himself up as a cult leader in order to wrest control of the fortress and release the demons onto the world, or, as he would call it, "purge the world with cleansing fire.  He refers to them as the "true gods" and if anyone questions him as to who the true gods are, he simply smiles (you think, the mask makes it hard to tell) and says that they will reveal themselves in time.  Would anyone's dwarf join/be duped into joining such a cult?  If not, I can just use some of the many nameless dwarves in my posts.