And here comes the summer update, wonderful for its uneventfulness.
Summer holidays in Murderflood
1st Hematite, 218Summer has arrived. I felt I didn't get much exercise with the Cobalt Charms lately, and I found the cause: the squad was ordered to train only two at a time, and the axelords tend to monopolize training sessions to maintain their skills. I changed the orders to have 3/5 of the squad working at a time, so as to be at least competent in axewielding before the end of the year.
As I was going trough military rosters, I also gave orders to our crossbowmen to resume training. 'Collin', the militia captain of The Order of Cactus, observed it was probably useless as we don't have convenient archery towers to defend the entrance. Another thing to work on...
7th Hematite, 218One of the teamsters, Stukosh Dodokidash, decided during a sparring session to name his axe "Ninurkudar", The Escorted Immortal. Strange indeed... To be fair, it's a beautiful piece of craftdawrfship, forged by the noble vice-captain 'Asmoth', and it took no less than fifteen lives, among which seven trolls and the forgotten beast Oxut Echoedmaze. Worthy of a name I guess, but how did Stukosh choose this one?
10th Hematite, 218I ordered to start stripping the inner wall of its fortifications. Since the raise of the dyke, they weren't even that useful, and I think we might need more magma in the future...
I'll have them replaced by walls: a little more work will be necessary to deal with various lava pools in the courtyard, and with those green glass pumps sitting on the inner walls for no obvious reason. A shame the engineers did not label the mechanisms to know how they are controlled...
13th Hematite, 218A human diplomat from Usmenbehal arrived. Let's see what he wants.
14th Hematite, 218And here comes the human caravan! I had a 'discussion' with the mayor yesterday, hope this time he will barter with merchants without interruptions, as such a lack of respect could have political consequences. As far as he only infuriates the elves it is not really a problem, but we rely on humans and the mountainhome for leather and iron, and we need to keep good relations with our trading partners.
15th Hematite, 218I was told 'Vuolipartha' got attached to his steel shield, and started a fistfight when one of his squad mates picked it up by mistake. I can understand that if that particular shield have saved his life before, he knows it is effective and wants to keep it. But when other soldiers said he got "attached" to it, they hinted it was not only the wish to have the best equipment that drove him, but a more dubious attitude, bordering fetichism. It was clear it disgust them, and I find it quite disturbing myself.
21st Hematite, 218The mayor came to tell me he just finished trading with the humans. He acquired all their metal bars, most of their cloth and food and a few horses, using worn cloth and bone crafts as trade goods.
I asked him to buy horses so we could breed livestock, to cope with our lack of leather. The human had none to trade, and each time we need it for tantruming dwarves I have to reduce further our dwindling herd.
I asked a human what they do with our old rags, to be so glad to buy them: paper, he says. What a stange idea...
1st Malachite, 218We are digging a water cistern to recieve water from first cavern lakes, and act as a buffer between the sink and water tunnels we will use to cast the spires into obsidian.
I also ordered a wall to be built above magma sea, to act as a "template" and limit water spreading. With luck no magma crab or fire imp will disturb the work.
5th Malachite, 218We got two more migrants, bringing our population to 108. They are useful people, one working as a Metalcrafter/weaver/glassmaker, and the other as Engraver/mason/mechanic.
I was frightened the titan would attack them, as they came next to the Ungodly Waters, but they did not see him
(OOC: they came by south border, next to the lake, with the titan only 2-3 tiles away. Either the water is opaque or the titan is really lazy)6th Malachite, 218The summer rain came. The weather was already really hot, but falling rain turns into steam in the dyke, making the courtyard an open sky sauna.
We are hall boiling alive, and our engineeers fear the pebbles produced by water drops falling into lava might one day fill some parts of the dyke, or jam mechanisms. THey say a solution might be to raise the dyke, or to introduce current in the lava. At least the former appears achievable: raising the dyke is our new priority. Among many others. And we already lack dwarfpower.
14th Malachite, 218
Another party. I think they are celebrating the end of the rain, but I don't have time to attend. I just realized I made a huge mistake designing our future magma delivery system.
Foolishly, I thought the most obvious way to fill minecarts was pouring magma from above. When limited tests proved that they needed to be submerged I designed an airlock of a sort using iron gates, but I realized afterward that device could not be fully automated. So back to the drawing board, now trying to work with a magma trench. The wasted dwarven labor makes me shameful.
16th Malachite, 218
The dwarf claimed a magma glass furnace, and is now gathering materials to obey the voices in his head, he says. I try to avoid him, as he makes me nervous with his wild eyes and his drooling gibberish. The worst thing are the quacks that randomly erupt in his mouth; I don't know why but they give me goosebumps.
20th Malachite, 218 Ral Zunthirrash, one of our best miners, appears to suffer a great deal of stress lately. I discharged her of all works except mining, as she seemed quite suceptible to break.
26th Malachite, 218From his mad rantings, workers in the furnace deduced the possessed dwarf needs leather to finish his work. Why in Armok's name did the human bring none?
Another reindeer must be slaughtered. If the autumn caravan brings no leather it might get difficult to satisfy dwarven moods, or even basic needs in the fortress.
3rd Galena, 218
A party again. I hate how they delay the work - the necropolis is only half-finished- but at least the populations seems happy.
6th Galena, 218
I fear the lack of exercise brings strange thoughts and desires into our military. That disproportionate attachment to their gear becomes distubing...
7th Galena, 218
Oops! I totally forgot I bought that beast from the elves. As it looks like a bear, I assumed it could survive in the pen. I was wrong. On the plus side, its skin will make a nice leather piece.
18th Galena, 218The possessed dwarf revealed his creation - a goblin statue, commemorating the fall of Visedmirrors. The artwork is impressive, but the subject depressing. I don't know where we will put that thing, as I don't think we have a historical gallery.
Good news today though: the head executionner managed to pierce the cavern lake bottom and to escape unscathed. We will begin to fill the reservoir as soon as we recover the last boulders from excavation site.
20th Galena, 218In order to raise the dyke, we need to plug various holes feeding magma cisterns, as they could overflow when we will pour magma. Here is the first try: a makeshift water pit, filled from above by buckets, will be breached to obsidianize the magma channel.
Z0 Z+1
The operation was a success!
We have another inner pool to secure, the wall to complete and a lot of work on the fortress entrances to be able to raise the dike. I don't know if I will be able to see the term of it as overseer.
______________
And that is the end of summer update. As nothing happened, it was difficult to write anything substantial.
I will finish Autumn this evening: for the moment we had a goblin siege and another FB, of the webbing variety this time, which might be dangerous. Expect an autumn update tomorrow evening, and I'll do what I can to have the year finished by Friday (narrative might be late though).
Poll
28 (93.3%)
Author
Topic: 'Murderflood: (Ardentdikes IIIv3) You, there, grab this save! (Read 229001 times)