And I am sorry, the episode proper is gonna be delayed 'till Wednesday...
Here is the Transcript, as a form of apology... do not get used to this order of things though.
Late summer was one of the more productive periods so far. KB has ordered specific areas carved out for masonry and engineering, as well as preliminary planning for forges. Stone may be sparse but there is more than enough trees to fuel the furnaces.
All was going well, despite some hiccups when it came to the dead as every time a ghost was exorcised another two appeared. After a while one started to consider it almost mundane. On the other hand the ghosts were noisy and hid things so the citizens of BankCrystals worked day and night on getting rid of as many of them as possible.
As Autumn arrived most of the caskets needed were finished. Due to the relative lack of stone, and fact that after almost a year of moaning and groaning the ghosts did not win the sympathies of the living, all the burial receptacles were wooden. It made no difference to the spirits, and it felt weirdly satisfying to the dwarves to break the tradition when it came to those undead nuisances.
And with Autumn the caravan from Likot Zimkel has arrived. And with it the Liaison. And KB was not happy. For the Liaison was human; and despite his fluent dwarvish KB found it difficult to talk with him. How unfortunate it was that it is a duty of the Overseer to negotiate with the diplomats, and this human was no exception. The look of th creature alone was aggravating to KB, with his shaven head and braided moustache and medium length beard he looked like a mockery of the dwarven kind. What’s worse the only news the Liaison brought were useless to the Outpost. “Everything is same in the World”. Everything was the same. To KB it translated to “Boredom as far as the Eye could see”. What he would not do to have a proper Militia and a Bunch of goblins, or better yet elves, besieging the fortress, being shot, crushed, slashed and burned as they tried to kill everything in sight; The Honest way to conduct the foreign negotiations. But those times seemed gone, and all KB could do was to ensure BankCrystals became self sufficient outpost.
The fortress slowly developed, growing in wealth and food stocks, but lacking in dwarf power. Saying “all in due time” can only take one so far. And as if summoned with a spell more migrants arrived on 27th of Limestone, in Year 127. Measly bunch but better than nothing, among them a Farmer named “Prudence” and stoneworker who called himself Itlud. Both welcome additions to the fortress, however disillusioned they were with the situation. As they entered the gate and saw the first of the ghosts the only thing that escaped Itluds mouth was a curse and a shriek. It would seem that it indeed takes time to get used to BankCrystals.
As the time run on more and more parts of the fortress started taking their proper shape. One of the towers by the gate was finished, if without a roof, and the balcony that ought to serve as the viewpoint on the migrants entering, allowing for examination without getting in the way. Soon a lever was built to raise the wooden bridge that was the only entrance to the fortress, not counting climbing over the walls that is. Native Gold was also found, ensuring that when the forges are up and running the wealth will follow quickly.
As the winter arrived some misunderstandings arose between Flame and KB. Despite his assurances that he could care less as to what his wife was doing around the fort Flame could not help but be angry with KB about what he was doing. Special Training he said. To ensure ground infantry and the ranged units on the walls cooperated, he said. But Flame knew what was up, and he was almost ready to shove his ladle up KB’s hind quarters, if not two factors. Very pointy and sharp factors KB never let out of his grasp. Flame also considered confronting his wife, but she behaved unusually lately, with frequent mood swings and occasional undeserved quarrel she had Flame participate in.
At the same time, a little to the North West of the gate, KB lied flat on his stomach in the tall grass, eyeing a Giant Tortoise as it grazed. He did not even know that tortoises grazed but it was not important right now. The training he came up for his Marksdwarf Captain was simple, and hopefully effective. The basic idea was that she observed the ‘enemy’ from a nearby hill and chose the marks she felt needed to be taken down as a priority. She was to start the attack by shooting at her mark, hopefully either distracting or even outright crippling the target, allowing the Melee Fighters to close the distance and eliminate it quickly, while she looks for another mark. KB needed to know he is not going to receive a surprise friendly present in his back when he charges the enemy, without a shield he will have enough problems avoiding fire coming from the enemy in front of him.
The training exercise was a success, not counting the fact that KB noticed the looks Flame gave him as they entered back. He was also sure that Flame spat in his supper that evening, but it did not matter. Kitten Biscuit was finally starting to relax and enjoy the abominably joyous landscape, for once.
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Topic: Dwarven Chronicles: The Audiobook [NeedDwarves! #Come1ComeAll] (Read 4164 times)