Diary of Kadol Tumammelbil, 10th of Slate 252
Things have been so busy lately that I haven't really had time to write in this diary. With a bit of spare time available, I can finally put to words some of what has happened this past month.
Our trade caravan was going quite well when our broker suggested that we take a "shortcut" through the Desert of Odors. We were traversing through this aptly named death-trap when the unthinkable happened.
The yak bulls who pulled our wagon were near fainting due to the sweltering desert heat and the sheer weight of our cargo. However, what finally stopped us was a wheel on our wagon which finally gave in and broke. Our idiot of a mechanic had convinced us to upgrade to a new, "improved" wagon model now explained that the wheel mechanism was far too advanced for him to fix without an anvil - which he assured us we didn't need to bring along before the trip.
I suggested we take the little food and booze left to get to the nearby stream, but the legendary Dwarven greed set into the hearts of my compatriots. They feared that we wouldn't be able to find the wagon again, or goblins would rob the goods. And so we're staying here until a caravan with an anvil just so happens to stop by. I really should have stayed home in the mines...
Looking at the inventory list I made shortly after our arrival, it's a bit difficult to understand why. Several Urists worth of coal, wood and sand? It's little wonder the wagon broke. Apparently the "sheer bulk" trade strategy is supposed to be smart, but I have difficulty understanding why. The wood could be useful in our predicament, but whatcould sand possibly be used for in an Armokdamn desert?
Also, I can maybe understand turkeys, but why seven dogs?
Surrounded by stupidity, for the good of the caravan I took up the role of supreme leader - no more of their shit. As a start, I reviewed our abilities.
(a note has been attached to the diary page)Two Miners
-Both Adequate Miners
One Mason
-Adequate Mason
-Adequate Engraver
-Novice Carpenter
-Novice Appraiser
One Glassmaker
-Competent Glassmaker
One Mechanic
-Competent Mechanic
-Novice Stonecrafter
One Planter
-Competent Grower
One Farmer
-Competent Herbalist
-Adequate Ambusher
-Adequate Brewer
-Novice Cook
-Novice Clothesmaker
They're not the best and brightest, exactly.
It's bad luck to make a settlement, even temporarily, without giving it a name. However, I can't interpret "Desertdeath the Dreadful Tomb of Horror" as being especially lucky - the rationale is apparently that it's supposed to scare would-be thieves away.
While I wrote "supreme leader", there were some... political differences. For example, only perhaps a day after the wagon accident a giant louse was spotted, and the farmers merrily agreed that one would get the crossbow while the other built a butchery. The others kind of wanted to do their own thing as well, so I commanded a carpenter's, smelter and glass forge to be built on the surface while me and my pal started digging.
The hunting trip ended in utter failure, him never having held a crossbow in his life, and the louse slinking away. A waste of ammo.
This didn't stop him from immediately rushing out when a pack of giant thrips showed up. After running out of ammo, I gave him a rough scolding and told him to
get brewing, since we're out of alcohol. The stocks are dry, and it's very important for the morale. Not dieing of thirst is a secondary considerment as well.
I decided to deal with the food problem myself, and ordered a yak slaughtered - poor things are starving, anyway. While I'd like to move the butchery down, having it on the surface is kind of good for dealing with the smell in case of rot - though I ordered most of us on food hauling duty still, because I don't like wasting food.
Speaking of which, I forgot to set up a tannery first, but I'll strike that down to the others' stupidity distracting me.
My fellow miner, who always struck me as reasonable, somehow fell for that no-good mechanic. While they're happy, I can't say I'm overjoyed by this development.
Seriously, what does she see in him? That double-braided moustache is simply
hideous.
Those bad news aside, I'll now make a basic layout of the settlement we've built so far.
First is the top floor. I plan to move the butchery down, but the carpenter seems to like the proximity to wood and the glassmaker absolutely refuses to burn coal underground - quite understandable, honestly.
There's talk of goblins in the area, and while my pick is ready to split some skulls, our military prowess doesn't impress me. Thus, I've commissioned and a couple of walls to be built should we be here long.
One story below is the kitchen area, which is very much a work in progress. On the left I also plan to build a trade depot to accomodate any passing caravan - it's
what why we're here
for, right?
Two stories below the kitchen is the workshop area, which isn't all that impressive to be honest. The boys and gals don't need a lot of space for what they work on, really.
Furthest down is the living quarters, which is starting to like rather good considering the circumstances.
I'll have to admit the place is growing on me.
[several pages worth of vomiting and retching]Note: There's a slight chance we might be able to eat thrips real soon. Though I'm not sure I necessarily
want to.
Author
Topic: Desertdeath the Dreadful Tomb Of Horror (Read 3796 times)