Chapter 33 (Plowshares To Swords)
“Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.” -- Sanctume, Doctrine of Bridges16th Moonstone, 240Taupe ignores the whimpering sound coming from the Little House in the Jungle.
Taupe orders, “Everyone muster in the barracks. I don’t want the stragglers to come out here.”
I said, “Well now that this interruption is done, I can attend to my other duties.”
I declared everything here forbidden, and marked the corpses for immediate dumping.
I added, “The burrow alert should be lifted.”
Taupe reminded me, “In due time. You will need due diligence in your selections for these dumping tasks.”
I walked in silence to the barracks without looking back knowing a boy watches me.
When we arrived in the barracks, Taupe dismissed us.
I tell the rest of Shafts, Earthen and Watch that they can all help hauling corpses to the dump. They all look at me like I was insane.
I shrugged and left to store some gear, and when I came back, they were just lounging around, some went to get their gear too, and nothing, no activity whatsoever.
“Fine, go back to training.” And they immediately are energized and started sparring.
Oh, I so want to join them, but the King’s Mandate demands my attention for the rest of the season. I can’t wait for this year to end!
Mandate #1 Clear GlassGoal: Produce 420 clear glass blocks to construct ceilings for below ground farming.
Result: 12% complete. 50 of 420 clear glass blocks created in 1 year.
Goal: Implement Drink and Food Production (revision 2)
Result: Complete.
It is obvious that this grand plan of mine to have clear glass ceilings for the farms is a long term endeavor. I firmly believe that moving the farms below will increase our food production to meet the King’s Mandate.
So I commit our farmers to lay fallow their plots and destroy them on the surface. We have plenty of food preparations in stock that a season delay in farming will not be missed.
The miners tore open the surface and the farmers quickly lay their new farm plots below. Some fungus and the unwanted underground plants have sprouted beneath the stockpiles. These were resolved by constructing roads or floor, and removing them to reveal fertile soil or sand.
One minor issue that arise from this otherwise flawless task is a hole from
A fungus rapidly sprouts into a full tree, and Duke Gwolfski cut it down with a training axe, grumbling the whole time. A rock salt floor is constructed in its place, then designated a pond above. A bucket of water drop later muddied the floor and it’s flawlessly ready for a farm plot.
The seed feeders to specific seed piles are set.
Farm Plots from Left to RightFor Dyes
- Blade Weed and Sliver Barb
For Brew or Mill (Flour)
- Maize
- Whip Vine
- Rye
- Rice
- Barley
For Brew or Cook
- Potato
- Prickle berry
- Fisher Berry
- Rat Weed
For Cook Only
- Horned Melon Vines
- Rope Reed
- Red Spinach
- Watermelon
The cobaltite roads in the kitchen partitions the stockpiles.
Plants for dyes are funneled to its own room that can be connected to the Cloth & Leather Guild in the future.
There is a separate room for Fish with a hall connecting to the Fishing Shack.
There is also a meat locker with stairs leading above to the Butchers.
The stills are surrounded by brewable plants and fruits.
The pots and barrels are centrally located.
The kitchens have easy access to a variety of ingredients: Fish, Flour, Meat, Egg, Cheese, Press Cakes, Plants, Leaf and Bulbs.
A food preparation overflow stockpile is below the Mill house.
Mandate #2 Expanded BurrowsGoal: Maintenance of Burrows
Result: Complete.
Safe Indoor - is updated to include the marble levels
Outside In-Wall - needs to be update
Wall Construction - up to date to include power stations.
Corpse Retrieve - update as needed.
Happy Place - up to date. Added some citizens.
Lever Room - occasional use, no citizens.
Mandate #3 More StoneGoal: Produce more stone blocks for construction materials
Result: Complete.
Mandate #4 Metal EquipmentGoal: Evaluate current military equipment needs
Result: Complete.
Steel bars are now being made with access to marble flux.
Some steel weapons and equipment have been created.
Mandate #5 Moat Wall ConstructionGoal: Construct Defensible Wall around Breadbowl
Result: Complete.
The moat walls are 1z high.
There are forbidden logs that fell on level z+1 of the walls.
We really do not want haulers showing themselves up in these walls during sieges because that can invite climbers.
If the future overseers want to expand the walls to have fortification ramparts, remember to floor first before you above to to prevent trees from growing into constructions that causes world crash.
Two areas of ramparts are added.
The west drain and refill station is an enclosed roof and fortification bunker, accessed from the kitchen.
The north refill station is an enclosed roofed and fortification bunker, as its own building, accessed from inside Breadbowl’s walls.
Mandate #6 No Dirt Floor Below Constructions Goal: Ensure vigilance that no trees growing into any construction in the world.
Result: 80% Complete.
The basement apartments are on dirt floors.
The fast “cheese” solution is to create an empty stockpile that prevents further growth.
However, once the stockpile is removed, the fungus trees will continue to grow, so construct floor or build roads on it fast just in case there is an open space above with a constructed floor on it.
There are trouble spots in the animal pen where tree saplings are growing and constructions on the second level may pose risk. I have constructed floor on those sapling and will need to be deconstructed.
Mandate #7 Corpse Duty ServicesGoal: Assign dedicated workers to undertake the grim labor of collecting and proper disposal of all sentient remains, mandatory dump orders, and other refuse hauling.
Result: Complete.
After that barracks fiasco of me asking soldiers to help in corpse clearing, I selected twenty five more happy citizens to allow them to haul corpses along with their normal duties.
Of the previous fifteen I pre-selected for Corpse Duty, ten are now in the official Corpse Duty squad.
I ordered, “Let’s get this corpse removal done!”
The corpse clearing has been successful and completed.
Mandate #8 Moat Clearance ServicesGoal: Remove dirt and trees in moat to ensure body of water water is at least 3 tiles wide.
Goal: Remove dirt and trees in moat adjacent to walls.
Result: 90% Complete.
Prudence dictate that time is of the essence. Unforbid and dump all in the moat except for logs and ammo.
“Oh, ho, ho! I see here is the rare ‘wagon wood’. Secure a single wood stockpile on the north bank. Forbid it and save it for our legendary carpenter Neblime.”
Some stray lumbers, ammor, and other items are set to forbid and in the moat still.
The moat is also designated with to Restricted traffic.
Mandate #9 Subcommittee: Moat Drain ProjectGoal: Provide a means to drain moat in the most efficient method.
Goal: Provides solution to mandate #7 Corpse Duty Services
Goal: Provides solution to mandate #8 Moat Clearance Services
Result: Complete.
This mandate is completed fully.
The West Drain has a complement of two separate draining mechanical engineering.
A power generator enabled two separate pumps that sucks water from the moat and into the ever thirsty aquifer.
Each drain pump can be disengaged with a lever and gear.
Each drain pump can also be shut off their own with a raising bridge, that doubles as atom smasher in the moat.
Furthermore, this mandate also provides a means to refill the moat.
The West Refill uses a triple-triple pump-stack and uses the aquifer as it’s water source.
The North Refill also uses triple-triple pump-stack engineering design.
The moat is expected to near 7/7 full by year’s end.
Mandate #10 Fisherman’s WharfGoal: Centralized Fishing Guild to use wharf, and streamline fish production line from Wharf to Kitchen.
Result: Complete.
A Fishing Shack is created north of the West Drain and Refill Station.
Surround area near the Boneyard houses four Fishery.
This is prime location near the Dump Tower.
The second floor houses four Craftsdwarf shops to make use of the increasing shells.
Future construction site is located in basement 1 and 2 and have possible access to the CLG.
Mandate #11 Apartment ExpansionGoal: Build homes to the growing population of Breadbowl.
Third level apartments are floored and roofed. The spaces are ready for future demands on new living spaces.
Mandate #12 Duke’s MandateDuke Gwolfski stopped me in the halls. “so ‘Captain,’ how are you holding up?”
I asked, “captain?”
Duke cryptically asks, “you are the Captain of the Guard, are you not?”
I feel like a delicate silk cloth gliding between walls of refuse that any ill wind will leave me shit stained forever.
I answered, “oh, I’ve got me mandates met duke. I got me house in the apartments above. Very far from the the possibility of drowning chamber.” I grinned.
Duke seems amused. “Nice move, you’re learning. Anyway, I can look past that incident with your daughter. Our good mayor contradicts herself. I’m sure you can also look past those complaints.”
I agreed, “I haven’t thought much about it. So it’s there, but forgotten.”
Gwolfksi smiled. “Now I have a personal mandate. I want my own steel battle axe to chop wood with. You know, for style that comes with this office.”
I mused, “I ordered 5 steel battle axes as priority, and delayed the needed steel helms, steel iron mail shirts.”
Gwolfski soured his face. “Oh yes I know, but your Axe Lords think they have priority and gets first pick since the new weapons are stored in the barracks. I want my own. Do make it so.”
Now my mood is becoming sour. “We have no more flux to make more steel. I have much to do,” I complained.
Duke looks at me conspiratorially, “Now, now, you’re not the complaining type. You’re a do-er. Haven’t you ‘reach’ for something and grab for it.”
Puzzled I pause and thought, “I remember that report about a ‘Reacher’ in the caverns. And marble is exposed some 20z below. I will tell the miners to get you flux and make yer steel.”
Duke nods and went on his way leaving me scratching an itch behind my neck.
I went to the Mason’s Guild with Miners and Engravers and Mechanics in tow.
I point to the floor. “Dig here until you see marble. Before that, make this room, smooth it. Put a raising bridge and a lever pulled from the inside, room for a pantry, six beds, and dinning hall. On the mable level, put a bridge with a lever also.”
Mandate #13 Mayor’s MandateMayor Quasar has been civil, but we have not converse much since the incident.
I did observe she is liking the gold crutch she now uses.
I do wonder if a platinum crutch would have been a better choice.
Mandate #14 Royal JellyGoal: Include royal jelly in lavish meals.
Result: Complete.
These rare foods are part of the food production of Breadbowl.
Although I still lack the knowledge to mass produce and align the hives in a central collection building, I believe it is an acceptable addition for the King’s Mandate.
Mandate #15 Murky Pool Safety InitiativeGoal: Remove threat of murky pools inside Breadbowl.
Result: 50% Complete.
Three of the murky pools inside Breadbowl are pumped dry, and floored.
There are more, but are out of the immediate walking areas.
So their priorities will be determined in the future.
Secret Mandate, Special Project: Little House on the JungleResult: Construction Complete.
The house is a bunker that is roofed and fortification in the north and south.
It has a bed, rose gold furnishing, ammo stockpile, weapon stockpile for crossbow and pick, and a pantry. The weapons did not make the haul when the rose gold hatch is locked with `Wild Child’ Datan Fliersacks was placed on 31st Galena, 240. He is 10 years old at the time.
Mandate #16 Captain of the Guard Sanctume MandateGoal: Satisfy the mandate dictated by the office.
Result: Complete.
I think I know there is blood price to be paid in the future should I remain as Captain of the Guard.
But for now, the citizens happily obliged and gave me a nice apartment on the 3rd floor, and no neighbors yet. I should put a nice clear glass window, but I think that luxury is needed more in the farm’s ceiling.
I also got myself a family tomb: for me, for my wife, and my daughter in hopes that this give her happy thoughts in her melancholy state.
And I must show off my flair for Architecture.
I added Happy Place luxury room,
I also added the luxury suite jails that is part of Happy Place burrow.
Non Mandate ProjectsI did some organization, and expansion of the Furniture Warehouse
And some other stockpiles for ammo, weapons and armor
I added 3 levels of Archery Training. 2 of them should be ready for a squad.
The 3rd I left unfinished, or may be re-purposed.
My Architecture Project is done.
I have constructed areas in Breadbowl that have these architectural features composing the letters:
S - floor of hospital
A - dump tower
N - roof of clear glass building 2
C - roof of clear glass building 1
T - archery 1
U - roof of furniture warehouse
M - fishery 1
E - fishery 2