257, 7th SlateTobul Asteshbidok, an unmarried hauler has been found dead. The vampire again. Damn it, we need some proof it's Udil. I won't just condemn a dwarf on suspision.
257, 19th slateWork has begun on the artificial lake which will cover the entrance skylights.
257, 11th felsiteThe elves have arrived to trade. I've ordered the military to alert in case they have brought goblins with them.
257, 23rd felsiteThe mining out of the woodcraft hall is complete, I have a strange urge to party to celebrate..
257, 1st HematiteOur usual trade with the elves: Wood and cloth in return for gems, statues and crafts.
Summer has arrived. Work goes quickly on the site of the artificial lake. Things seem worryingly quiet.
257, 19th HematiteMonom, our apprentice glass-maker just wandered past, looking blank. I recognise the look now. Another dwarf intent on creating some remarkable artefact.
257, 28th HematiteI just got a stark warning about the dangers of living in a fortress with so much ongoing construction when myself and 4 others found ourselves trapped in the trade depot worksite after removing the wrong ramps. Luckily after some time, someone heard our cries for help and came to dig us out before we got to hungry. I really must be more careful in future.
The wood hall is completely smoothed and the workshops built! The miners have also dug out the first level of our new main stockpiles, for finished goods and furniture. Everyone is busy hauling all the junk cluttering our old stockpiles and workshops to the new stockpiles.
257, 29th HematiteThats really quite pretty, I'm rather taken with it:
257, 24th Malachite.Looking out from the top of the final wall to seal off the caverns a child sees something huge moving in the caverns, it emits periodic bursts of dust...
What is it with deadly dust and forgotten beasts around here? I'm tempted to let our marksdwarfs have a crack at it, as it can't fly it shouldn't be able to get close enough to them to harm them with it's dust.
257, 28th MalachiteDamn it. Yet another dwarf has fallen to this cursed vampire! When we have proof, that creature is dead if I have to arrange the 'accident' that kills it myself.
257, 11th GalenaThe human caravan has arrived, in case of ambush, Dobar has taken the Sculpted rocks out to meet it.
257, 28th GalenaA kobold thief is caught trying to sneak into the compound by Zon Eshtansebsur Ngurash Luk. He does not survive for long against the spearmaster.
Trade with the humans is a successful as always. Many gold and stone crafts were traded for booze, raw ingredients with which to make more booze and cloth.
257, 1st LimestoneAutumn is already here. This year is passing fast.
A lone kobold thief runs into the Watchful Gazes and is trapped on the edge of the dig site. I almost feel sorry for him.
257, 17th LimestoneWe have finally closed all the possible ways into the cavern fort. We are secure from flying underground attack.
257, 3rd SandstoneMigrants have been spotted for the first time this year. I wonder if this wave contains the Baron?
Diary of Onul Eturcog, Baron of RhymedmansionWhat a journey... Miles of desert, with the fear of Goblin ambush always with us. It was a relief to see the low walls of Rhymedmansion up ahead. I'm still not sure why I was chosen to be it's Baron, can't say I'm looking forward to it in all honesty. OK, it's a position in which to enrich myself and look after the family interest but it's a small compound in the desert with little military. The only redeeming feature seems to be the good quality of the trade goods coming out of it. But what do I care about art? Honestly, better if they produced fine armour, weapons and traps given the increasing goblin threat and give me a chance to practice with my crossbow.
Looking ahead at the low, unimpressive, wall I can't help but feel a little dispirited. The liaison reported little of interest going on here since last......
Well, THAT wasn't in the report. Either he was blind or this was dug out in the last year. Interesting. I proceeded to the gate, walking through a pile of goblin remains outside. Hmm, quite a few spent crossbow bolts around, maybe I'll get to see some action around here after all...
As I pass through the gates I see a pile of cages to my left. Hmmm, lots of camels, some strange large birds (all obsiously tame) and.. Gobins! My first look at our ancient enemy. They don't seem to much of a threat in a cage though. Some of the cages have cobwebs on. Honestly, how long have they been there?
Descending into the fort I pass what is obviously a military barracks. It's bigger than the last report, but obviously not home to a huge military. Still those that I can see are now armed with steel weapons. There armour is only iron, but well crafted and obviously well cared for. A powerfully built dwarf walking on a crutch (though heavily armed and armoured) glances at me as we pass. "New migrants? Good, down the corridor. Small office at the end, Doc should be their."
The others follow this 'advice', but I slipped away to satisfy my curiosity. To the east the main corridor opens out to the third floor of the dining room. Can't say I'm much taken with art, but it seems nicely decorated. It is quiet considering it is supposed to be the hub of a fort of over a hundred inhabitants. Could they all be busy? Leaving the room I retrace my steps. The rooms off the corridor obviously once housed the forts industry, but all are strangely empty. A large stairwell to the west is very active so I head there next. It descends deep into the ground, and opens out into...
Oh my! The cavern is a hive of activity, everywhere I look dwarfs are running about, carrying all sorts of goods to Armok knows where. I can see the entrances to a number of halls and workshops and all around is a cacophony of hammers, picks and all manner of tools. In the distance I can even here the squeaking of a minecart. Unbelievable. The stories from this place mentioned it as being pleasent enough to live in if you ignored the local eyeball plants, but nothing like this ever came up! Well, no way they can hide it any longer. I can just imagine the screams of shock from certain members of the nobility.... I bet the king will be pleased. In fact, hmmm, my father always said (admiringly) that this new King was sneaky... I wonder....
Time to go meet the good Doctor. Better give him a heads up about the requirements for my suite before the position becomes official.
Diary of DocNew migrants:
An expert stone mason/engraver, a glass maker and a novice furnace operator, a macedwarf, 2 marksdwarves, 3 haulers and of course our new Baron and his wife. The baron himself seems to have gone for a walk, I'm not sure I feel comfortable about him wandering around poking his nose into everything that's going on here. His wife is an interesting case though, I recognise her from the mountainhome hospital as a novice bone setter. She has expressed interest in becoming what she describes as a "battlefield medic". Given that we now have a reasonably strong medical team I have no problem with this. Seems like a dwarf with her head screwed on straight. Somehow I can't see her having married a complete idiot, which could be a good or bad thing....
Soon after I sent them on the way, Onul turned up. He didn't have a huge list of demands, just let me know he'd be needing a suitable suite for himself his wife and son. Asked that we have it ready when he is confirmed in his position. He also said he wished to help in the defence of the fortress. I'm not sure how that will combine with his duties as a noble, but I'm sure a place in the fortress guard can be arranged. Strangely he seems fairly reasonable, certainly very interested in the plans for the future of the fort. I'm pleasantly surprised.
257, 25th SandstoneAnother dwarf found, dry and empty of blood. There is growing unrest in the fort due to the deaths.
257, 13th TimberThe caravan and liaison have arrived. The military went out to meet them, flushing out a master thief...
Some goblin spearmen jump out of ambush on an ox directly in front of the gates, the military are onto them in moments. Another squad of maceman leap from hiding, catching Atir Settatddodok out in the open changing a cage trap.
A mace shatters several of his ribs, then the training squads arrive to take apart his attackers.
I also order that in future all children are to be confined to the fortress, I know they like to follow our military, but following them onto the surface whilst on military alert is a little too risky.
257, 22nd TimberAtir has a number of broken ribs, they are to be set and a cast applied. Some rest should then see him back to normal.
Trading was successful, more cloth and leather in return for gold and brass crafts.
Nil Zonbelal, one of our armoursmiths has claimed a workshop, the furnace workers tell me he is babbling in a strange tongue and looking for metal bars. I hope this will be something worthwhile.
257, 27th, TimberWe have a new guest in the depths, down in the 3rd layer. It has no way to get into the fort, we'll deal with it when we need access to those caverns.
257, 17th OpalIt's been a quiet winter. Digging out of the entrance way has commenced, our second mining team, having gotten practice digging out the soft sand for the artificial lake is carving through rock like it is loose soil, meanwhile the 1st team is continuing to work on various projects in the cavern. The craftsdwarf shops are being dug out of a column in the cavern, a trapped access tunnel to the rest of the cavern has been dug out (soon we will have to deal with the forgotten beast lurking there) and the rooms for our Baron, Onul have been dug out and are being decorated.