Journal of SkaiaMechanicI knew Doomforests. Its odd, inefficient design. Its tiny stairways to forever. I knew Astville, and I came to know the history of all the places in it. I remember Doomforests, and I remember my respect for it. But most importantly...
I REMEMBER WHEN I HAD A BLOODY OFFICE! Doomforests, the one place in the world where being the broker was a RESPECTED position, not just something to assign the closest dwarf that talked the most, like in most fortresses. "What do you even do there?" they ask. "I WORK," I reply.
Well we'll have to fix that, because WHO'S LAUGHING NOW? Finally, after years of attempts, deals, favors, brown nosing, and begging, I am now Overseer. Maxcat I is dead, and not even by my own hands. There was an opportunity for the Purple Rutile Hat, and I took it.
And now I have been handed the keys to hell.
The year is 1059. And the Curse of Doomforests has returned. It had subsided with the death of all inhabitants (all but one, of course), but now it is back and dwarves are dying. We have reawakened the horde of beasts in the depths. The wereantelopes are rampaging towards us. I need to take advantage of the time I have.
First thing is first, take a survey of the area. I'm still unfamiliar with the new design and the new architecture created in the past few years. I found a map, but it was scribblings to me. Shorthand only works if you know what the symbols stand for!
Actually, scratch that. I see a report of a recent werebeast attack, including some infected. I need to find out who they are and secure them in the depths. Perhaps they'd have better luck fighting the Forgotten than Ast did. Huh, speaking of which, it's a curse of wereantelope, same as before. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
So a Trapper was bitten but not killed. The reports don't indicate which Trapper, but I'm going to take a random guess and choose the one stuck in the hospital with a broken foot. The fact that what's left of our “military” is stationed around them gives a good hint as well. Quickly, what's today's date? 15th of Felsite. And what were those dates that werebeasts change? Taupe drilled this into me, but it was a few years ago. There was the 25th of Granite, the 23rd of Slate, and the...21st of Felsite. There are six days before they turn, and they're stuck in bed. Is there time to build a wall? It doesn't help that someone threw another ill patient on the table alongside them. It also doesn't sit well with me that my cousin in The Kinetic Swans, Iamblichos the II, is one of those stationed to attack.
Which reminds me, the knowledge has gone around about all the deaths, but there isn't that much information regarding them. Is someone trying to hide something?
I look at the connections to parts of the old fortress. It seems the route to Astville is blocked by one uncarved stone. Astville is completely sealed up from everything else, so we'll be opening that up right away. It will also give us easier access to Old Doomforests' metal and ore supply. That'll also give access to Mate888's jail cells (Even though we have a more convenient one now) and statue garden, so that should make our Hammerer pleased. Wait...speaking of Old Doomforests......DID SOMEONE GET LEFT BEHIND?
Seriously, alone with her child? That's cruel. Now...how to get them out without having everyone else rush into Doomforests to retrieve some old items. Yes, I love the place, but there was a reason for the move, and I don't want to undo all the effort put into this. I'll have to think on that. Bonus task: Retrieve all the golden items in the control room and Smunstu's office in Neo Old Doomforests, which Taupe carved out.
Also, thank you Maxcat, for pointing out the vampire before you died. I'll thank your predecessor. That's very helpful. I plan on using him against the Forgotten in the caverns, so that should be fun.
I also hope a caravan brings a cat soon. I'm not even joking we have a huge Cave Spider Infestation. I don't care HOW much that silk is worth, people are getting tangled up in webbing trying to get to bed and everyone's tired of it.
6 Days.
What did I get myself into.