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[NCommander]

Inspired by Twitch Plays Pokemon, I've been kinda curious what it would be like to get commentary on a fortress in real time. After all, we (usually) don't see the aftermath of !!FUN!! until a post gets updated well after the fact. So, this is something of an experiment; I'd like to 2 or 3 times a week, keep playing the same game, with Bay12ers (and others who happen on my stream) watching and helping make the story evolve in relative real time. My thought here is after each stream, this thread can be updated with the plot and an ongoing summary and such.

I've already set a chunk of time aside for this on Saturday from 12-6PM EST (I had planned to do this on Sunday, but I'm tied up this Sunday ), and I've already had a suggestion on my blog to do this on tundra, and one dwarfing request right now. I'm genning worlds looking for a site I like right now, and if you're interested in being an active participant in this, ask for a dwarf and join the stream.

I'll post the site once I locate it as well with what the initial embark will be (something I can debate long and hard about before things go). I'll also probably use a graphics pack for this, possibly Phoebus or similiar; I'm normally an ASCII player, but previous stream experience shows tilesets make it much easier to follow whats going on ...

Next Broadcast Date: Sunday, April 19th, 12-6PM at NCommander - Twitch

[NCommander]

So after genning a two worlds (and waiting patiently for 550 years to tick by), I finally found a spot I like with access to all races:



Half Tundra, Half Glacier. I ran prospect on it to get an idea, no iron, but *lots* of gold, tin and copper, for plenty of bronze, as well as some zinc to make brass. The lead is good for training metalcrafting, and if we can survive, I can imagine some seriously impressive metal megaprojects given the sheer amount of stuff we have to work with:

Code: [Select]

              NATIVE_GOLD :     59895 Z: -23..103
               SPHALERITE :     13599 Z:  63..99
             TETRAHEDRITE :     13080 Z:  60..99
              CASSITERITE :      4878 Z:  66..103
                   GALENA :      2520 Z:  91..99
            NATIVE_SILVER :      2340 Z:  66..75
          NATIVE_PLATINUM :       180 Z:  95..103
              HORN_SILVER :        90 Z:  66..75

I feel the world name of the Planes of Vision sounds rather fitting given this. I'm debating the embark equipment now, for being able to hit the ground running come Saturday.

[NCommander]

And, after much deliberating, here's my initial thoughts at starting build, to the future fortress of Gemhammer Gemgorge (realized going with gorge, given it IS a glacier is much neater)
`NCommander` Cogotad, Proficient Mecahnic, Judge of Intent, Appraiser
`Tynin` Thalalrigoth, Proficient Armorsmith, +2 Ambusher, +2 Archer, +1 Marksdwarf
`Splint` Dodoksakrith, Proficient Metalsmith, +2 Ambusher, +2 Archer, +1 Marksdwarf
Kogan Arrosolin, Proficient Miner
Likot Cilostakud, Proficient Miner
Thikut Kilrudsanred, Proficient Carpenter
Mebzuth Cattenag, Proficient Mason

Our Starting Supplies



The rough idea is to dig straight into the caverns, and then use the hunters to clean out the pests until I can get a proper toehold in there. Eventually, I want to have active things in all three caverns, to maximize FUN potential from megabeasts/titans/FBs.

[jrrocks1]

Can i be dwarfed as the first dwarf you put in the military other than the militia commander (but not crossdwarf please)

[NCommander]

Can i be dwarfed as the first dwarf you put in the military other than the militia commander (but not crossdwarf please)

Listed! Also added Splint to the starting dorfs list.

[NCommander]

The Rise And Fall Of Gemgorge

In my time as a scholar, I've poured over the many pieces of sometimes contradictory information relating to Gemgorge. Many who are unfamiliar with the fort's history question on why a settlement would even be formed in such an inhospitable land. Accounts vary on who was the first to explore the northern reaches of the Planes of Vision, but they universally reported just an endless expanse of snow and ice. Written records from Gemgorge are rare, but with a stroke of luck, I managed an embarkation log show that seven dwarves set out in the year 550, as well as supplies procured from the trip. What surprises me about this record is of two of these seven dwarves were well respected smithes, not one generally expects from your usual groundbreaks.

I can't help but wonder if they knew in advance what they would find below the ice; after all, even all this time later, works from Gemgorge are highly valued amongst those who can afford them. At the time though, there was no reason to suspect that this settlement would be nothing more than a tiny outpost with little of value. I find the more I look for answers about Gemgorged, all I find are more questions. I hope that though I can help sort fact from fiction, and perhaps give those who will come after me at finally understanding the truth that lays at the art of the Ice Fortress.

Although it is cliché, I suppose our story begins at their arrival, on the 15th on Granite ...




OOC: I've got everything setup for the stream, and I'll be in the Twitch chat from about 11:30 til stream start fielding questions and chatting. I may try to update this during break, but anyone who watches should feel free to write their own updates and post screenshots on the fly to hopefully keep it more real

[NCommander]

OOC: Ugh, DF crashed twice on me in the stream, so in the end, I only managed to play the first year out. The stream is exporting to YouTube as we speak; I'll edit in the link when it goes. I need to go to NYC for family reason over the rest of the weekend, and my laptop is so anemnic that I doubt it can run a stream. I'll test it, but I suspect I won't be able to stream again until Wednesday.

Overseer Log - NCommander

It's hard to believe we've already spent a year here. It seems it was just like yesterday I was trying to find those willing to brave the cold to try and find their fortune and glory. Although I can't say our current accommodations are wonderful, we've got a steady stream supply of food and beer, we've found a fresh source of water, and our mining team is working hard away at building out what the first major section of our permanent fort.



The visions that led me here have as thus far proven true, as one can barely swing an axe, and some sort of precious metal or gem doesn't fall out of the wall. Not to all it has all been smooth sailing; the unexpected presense of an aquifer slowed our progress down, and not realizing that rock might be difficult to get, forgot to pack some in our supplies to smelt the ores we had brought with us. Let's just say I was very happy when I got reports of mica and other normal stone our initial strikes through the glacier kept exposing layer and layer of ice. Fortunately, and unexpectedly, the large amounts of sand allowed us to get crops in the ground and quickly get plants going; my initial plan of beelining for underground caves has proven to be unnecessary.



Under the ice, our masons and craftdwarfs are quickly building furniture and nest-boxes to both make ours and our animal lives more and more comfortable. While its a far cry from gold encrusted furniture that we all dreamed about, I feel there's nothing wrong with at least having some simple comforts. As I feared, we've yet to find any coal or lignite to power our smelting operations, so to turn this vast bounty around us into usable metals will require tunneling every downward, to the magma sea itself. Despite this, our supply of coal is going to good use to smelt down the metals we need now, and we have healthly supplies of bronze, copper, gold, silver, and brass, as well as a surplus of lead, and a few bars of tin which will be useful for glazing.



Our hunters have managed to bring in a nice supply of meat, and although they have exhausted their bolts for now, I've ordered several sets of bronze bolts to be cast for fortress defense. Unfortunately, we've already had our first, of what I suspect will be many deaths in Gemgorge; after all, one does not live on the frontier for safety. A Marksdwarf working to remove a Reindeer that had wandered into our mines was tackled by the beast and fell down several flights of stairs, snapping his neck.



A grim reminder of the frailty of life.

[NCommander]

Overseer Log - 551 (Continued)

Not all news is bad. Our miners have nearly finished cleaning out what is being called the central corridor, and a permament bridge crossing the caverns has been completed. I expect our miners to start clearing out this level within the month, with completation by mid-summer. Additional picks are being forged and new miners are to be recruited from the expected migration wave to help speed the process along.



Furthermore, a dwarf, perhaps inspired by the greatness of our quest created an artifact; a cabinet that is perhaps the finest ever made in the history of the Planes of Vision.



... though I admit, I rather the imagary he chose be more dwarven. Then again, at least its not filled with prancing elves.

Perhaps inspired by this great work, another dwarf who calls himself Urdid has gone forth and claimed a workshop of his own, demanding cut jems and cloth. Unfortunately, we've yet to have anyone truly skilled as a jeweler arrive, but one of our miners managed to cut an amethyst in such a way Urdid accepted it. He still demands yarn cloth though, and I've ordered animals sheered to try and get it to him in time. With luck, 552 will give us our second great artifact ...

[Splint]

PTW, and things look like they're going well, more or less.

And on seeing my dwarf is a marksdwarf, my hopes for them surviving a real battle against anything larger than a marmot dropped to virtually zero because of marksdwarves' suicidal tendencies.

[NCommander]

The export to YouTube finished something through the night; I have no idea when I'm going to get a chance to sitdown and edit the video, so I'll post this for now, and hope to get some sorta hilight reel going in the near future. For those who want to watch me fail and build a fortress, feel free to watch here. Right now, the next session is scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how I feel after my trip to NYC.

Until then, here's the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCpeqIbr4BgJUbkYlSH71o2QWjg5thL2S

[NCommander]

The next broadcast date is tonight, 7-11PM EST; I hope to see you all there .

[NCommander]

Overseers Log - Slate 552

It has been a very busy couple of months. Urdid finally finished his artifact ...


It appears that Urdid has some serious issues to work out. I think he'll make an excellent volunteer to charge into the next goblin visit to the fort.


In happier news, our miners are working to dig out the mining level. I've desiginated notches for statues and other nice things that our dwarves can appreciate. We still will need a legendary mason or metalworker before building those statues but one step at a time, I always say.


And our workshop level is nearly finished being dug out. Unfortunately, our miners have YET to find the magma sea, though have managed to find "odd" magmaflow times. I have no idea what to make of this:





Furthermore, our birds initial clutches have started to hatch. From 20 animals, we've hit 100, and more on the way. I do think its time to start harvesting the fruits of our turkeys.


Unfortunately, not all news is good news. My initial attempt at setting up a millstone ran into what, in hindsight, should have been an obvious problem:



With luck, we can replace the windmill on sand, and that will prevent a lockup. Else we'll have to use an old fashion quern to grind our plants ...

However, the largest problem is the monstrosity that showed up in the caverns


We barely were able to seal the primary entrance before it charged us. It has shown no interest in our grazing animals for the time being. With the caverns inaccessible for us, we're cut off from our primary supply of wood.

---

I'm streaming tonight, 6PM-11PM, perhaps a bit later.

[NCommander]

THe next Gemgorge date is set for Sunday, 12-6PM. Unfortunately, I had a BGM track going during my stream, but it seems to have died early in, which irritates me. It should be *really* fixed next go around. Join up to 30 minutes early for pre-stream discussions, dorfings, etc. I'll get the story summary updated tomorrow.