☼Kobolds☼ Year 3:
First month of Spring
1st Granite: I am Arcvasti, born under the sign of the Salamander. I am Metalsmith here, a title which carries far more respect among kobolds then amongst even the dwarves. And, as of today, I am also its leader. Smakemupagus died leading the offensive against the Elves and Asmoth, while they remain Arch-Druid, has declined to assume their old responsibilities. So it has fallen to me. I make my way to the top of the Watchtower to make my speech. Several of the younger kobolds need to be told what exactly a "speech" is.
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☼☼Some of you may not recognize me. I am Arcvasti, Metalsmith. And I am now Head Kobold.☼☼
Dropping the title of "Metalsmith" had the intended effect. The gentle ubiquitous koboldian murmuring became silence. Those who could SHAPE Metal were rare and considered important.
☼☼This Valley, this Promised Land is a paradise. But even paradise has threats from without. The deaths of those who stood against the Elves should be seen as a reminder, a bucket of icewater to the face of one who is asleep. We are not safe here.☼☼
Pause, to let it sink in.
☼☼But that does not mean we cannot BECOME safe. It is said that each craftsman leads differently. Asmoth tended this place like a garden. But I am no Druid. I am a Metalsmith and I will lead this place as I work the Metal: With fire and hammer. The Elven Massacre was the fire. And I will be the hammer.☼☼
A couple kobolds seem somewhat alarmed by being hammered, until older kobolds get around to explaining the metaphor.
☼☼This Valley is a paradise. But it will be an ORDERED paradise. Starting tomorrow, I will begin re-ordering job assignments and instituting a full time militia. Thank you for your time.☼☼
2nd Granite: Today was exhausting. The fort seems to consist of three groups: Fisherbolds, Bone Carvers and Leatherworkers. Kobolds were also doing just about every little odd job that specialists were ALSO doing when they were idle. I stopped that. We have several skilled Leatherworkers, we don't need 4-5 more unskilled kobolds doing the same job. I reassigned some of the less skilled members of each group to cover other areas. I also completely dissolved the non-druidic military, since none of them had very much skill with their weapons and also had useful civilian jobs. In its place I've put eight completely specialized kobolds who will train full-time. I also order a smelter constructed[I can't very well smith without fuel or metal] and designate the highly valuable Mithril residue the Elves left for melting. The new militia will not suffer the same equipment problems as their predecessors. The new militia has been split into two groups of four, one group of spearbolds, one group of machetebolds, named the Blossoming Spears and Withering Blade respectively. Oh, and, with our criminally low food supplies, we NEED to butcher every non-essential male creature or starve. Plus I had our newly appointed Engraver Now I need some SLEEP.
3rd Granite: After a well-deserved rest, I awake to see everyone hauling things about every which way. Someone thoughtful had laid out the platinum bar the smelter was to be constructed with, so I get on that right away. After noticing some meals rotting in the kitchen since no one had hauled them away, I designated the jack rat pasture as a food stockpile.
7th Granite: I order a Thieves Tunnel built at the apex of the cave, as we have several legendary Thieves, but nothing to steal. I also have a Firepit made, for easy access to ash from burning vermin. Everyone is taking forever hauling stuff to the new stockpile I designated, but work is getting done, sort of.
11th Granite: I have several leather blocks made, so we can further fortify the entrance, which at the moment consists of a single drawbridge, left open most of the time.
17th Granite: I've walled off the Depot and the approach from Westgate to the Depot. Only access to the Valley proper is past a door behind a cage trap. It isn't perfect, but its a lot better then what used to be there.
23rd Granite: I have a Wood Processor built next to the wood stalk farm plot.
27th Granite: I have our legendary thieves begin raiding the Gnomes for their unique technology. With a source of endless mechanical power at our doorstep, we could put their designs to good use. Plus their mechanisms and traps could be useful for defending the fort. Our trained animals and bone-equipped militia might be able to handle wild animals and snatchers, but until my assistant finish's melting the Mithril into manageble bars so I can make weapons out of them, we're sort of helpless military-wise. There's also the fact that the militia isn't very well trained at the moment. They'll need some time to learn the necessary skills to be useful on the battlefield. Wait... There is ONE machine even kobolds can build. Do we have the wood? Probably. If we do this right, we could break a siege without so much as lifting a finger. I'll have to look into this.