Udib made a bracelet and immediately ceased abnormal behavior.
A disappointing end to a fascinating phenomena.
Experiment 8: Observational Study of Forgotten Beast hunting behavior.The two goblins captured in the latest siege represent an excellent opportunity to perform tests that, by necessity, require expendable subjects.
While I am quite aware the third rule of science is "all subjects are expendable", it does no harm to use the less valuable ones in tests more likely to result in physical harm.
Test Subject: 1x goblin, unknown age, self-identifies as "Dostngosp Xokstrodno".
Procedure: Test subject will be 'pitted' two z-levels into the territory of "Amas Murkydeeps the Lurid Lice", a gigantic blob of snow.
Results: Experiment failed to take into account that the caverns are larger than just the small area where Amas patrols, seeking to enter our fortress and kill us all. Test subject fled into the darkness.
Addendum: Whoops.
Meanwhile... Onul and Honeymoon walked the rough-cut corridors. The laughter of children could be heard as Zulban, Morul and Udib played somewhere in the small, rough carved fortress.
"It's small, but so are children. There's room for all of them, a dining hall and a small farmroom. The furnishing's aren't in place yet, but we've got enough doors leftover and it was easy enough to slip a request for beds into the work orders. There are a few spaces for workshops, too."
"Workshops?"
"They'll need a kitchen, a still and a farmers shop if this place is to be sustainable, as well as a craftsdwarves shop for pots to hold..."
"Wait up. "Sustainable"?" asked Onul, frowning in puzzlement. "I thought this was just until that armok-damned monster stepped down as overseer?"
Honeymoon gave her a look. "Onul...
think for once, will you? This isn't about one madman. I know it's hard to remember while we're all working, but those dwarves out there... they're
not good dwarves. Some of them have done far worse things then murder."
"You're saying we should seal the children in, is that it?" Onul said in a worried tone of voice.
"I'm saying we should seal everyone else in Icehold
out. We few ensure that nobody threatens them ever again, and the rest forget that Icehold ever held children."
"You really think that's the best solution?" Onul asked hopelessly, a note of pleading in her voice. "I mean... you're talking about imprisoning them, maybe for years... they're just kids..."
"If you have any other solution..."
"I... no..."
Zulban ran past giggling. A second later, Morul chased after him. With the perfect hand-eye co-ordination only years of training can develop, Onul caught the 7 year old by the shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks with a grip like a vice.
"Hey kiddo. Question."
"Yes, miss Onul?"
"Do you like it down here? In the secret kids room we built for you?"
Morul looked surprised by the question. He squinted at Onul, trying to work out if she was going to force him to come back upstairs if he answered wrong, then grinned and said "Yes Miss Onul! There's all these rooms, like a maze, and it's great for hide an' seek, and there's big rocks *everywhere*!"
"You like playing with the rocks?"
Morul nodded, then looked at Honeymoon suspiciously and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Auntie Zaneg said I should always carry a big sharp rock around in my pocket, so I could smash in the head of people who looked at me funny."
He grinned widely and showed her the rock he'd produced from his pockets. It was indeed quite sizable, and possessed a commendably sharp edge.
"Is that so?" said Onul in a strangled tone.
"Yeah, but Uncle Difio said I should only do that if they tries to smash my head in first," Morul continued happily.
Onul nodded in something resembling relief. "That's good advice. You listen to Difio, okay?"
"Alright miss! Will do!" Morul shouted over his shoulder as he ran off again.
Honeymoon put a hand on the swordsdwarf's shoulder as the child vanished around a corner. At 27, Onul was 4 years her elder, but so much more naive. Somehow she'd survived these years in Icehold without being overcome by the cynicism that came native to someone who'd spent years running a honey cartel. Somehow, in spite of everything, Onul still thought of herself as a good person.
And good people didn't imprison children in small rooms underground. Onul was struggling with this. Uncharacteristically for her, Honeymoon felt moved to give some advice.
"Onul... sometimes there is no right choice. Sometimes there's two wrong choices, and you just need to decide which of them is least wr-"
"First we get them away from that monster of an overseer," Onul interrupted. "
Then we can decide what happens next. Deal?"
"Deal."
...two days later...
Why can't anything go right lately? The beasts cannot be trapped, and they kill each other at the slightest provocation. The dwarfs produce useless, pitiful trinkets. The goblins run away without triggering any sign of hunting behavior...
And the local idiots simply won't stop poking the wildlife with sticks! For the love of all that is scientific, will you please leave the cave spider alone, Onul? You're making a hell of a racket and it's distracting me from my notes.
And now it's wrapping you in a silk cuccoon and biting you in the head, and the sound of mandibles scratching on your steel helm is making even more of a racket! Hehehe! Do you have any common decency at all, Onul?! Some of us are trying to work!!! HAHAH!!!
AND NOW YOU'RE SCREAMING IN TERRIBLE PAIN!!!
HAHAHAHAAAH!!! FINE!!! I'LL HELP YOU, SEE IF I DON'T!!!IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICT... I LAUGH IN THE FACE OF DEATH!!!!!I say, I'm doing rather well for someone who's never used a mace and shield before.AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!Oh, hello DeMarco, I'm glad you could make it. Do jump in!BWAAAAHaHA HAHAHA HA HAARGH!!!!Zaneg! Get up, quickly you fool! Swing! Slice! Cut it in half with your axe!Yes! VICTORY!MAAAAHAAAAARGH!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Aaaaaaahahahahahahahaha!!! ahahahahahaah...Now, how's that fool Onul doing?hahahaha... huh?Onul?
Onul... wake up...