First Fall -- It was a mitten!The celebration for our new building are cut short for many reasons. First of all, while we have blackberry seeds, it seems that none of them can grow in a desert biome. Second of all, the dwarven caravan is on its way, and we have neither trade goods nor Depot. i send Triaxx to expand the basement, order a few idlers to floor over our new ground building, and then tell them to build a Depot there. it's not like we'll be planting anything there soon, mostly because...
Well, there are the whip vines, but ghills hasn't been cooking or brewing recently. We aren't getting our whip wine seeds from her. Zuglarkun isn't using the new wood we got to make tons of bed either. Neither can explain to me what happened, but something definitely happened.
Zuglarkun was hit by a myasterious object falling down the stairs. Nobody will claim responsibility for this incident. Her leg and arm were both pulverized by the incident, leaving her in a terrible state. we need water, and we need a doctor. Fast.
Ghills sadly suffered something similar. we don,t know what attacked her, but her leg and arm were also smashed to bits. She was also stabbed in the stomach from behind, presumably by what i can only assume to be a mysterious, white-haired dude with a katana at this point.
Could it be the lake's influence at work, setting events in motion as to doom us all with subtlety? After all, we brought two doctors with us, and both of them were neutralised within two seasons... I ask our migrant bone doctor and suturer to take over the role of doctor for now. we'll still need water... but the lake is haunted.
Thankfully, Triaxx has a plan. If he digs a small trench towar the fort, we'll have easy access to fresh water, while avoiding the evil influence of the Ungodly Waters. I'm unkeen to bringing water so close to the fort, but we have no choice right now. If the area is safe, then maybe we'll be able to keep our fisherdwarves busy, and get some food from it at the same time.
I restrict traffic down in the trench, so that people don,t go in there and die when the water starts flowing. Triaxx is done soon enough, and within a few hours, a small stream is flowing toward our bunker. Our chief Miner carries the much required bucket of water back to the fort himself. I tell Gwolfsky and his apprentice that it is ok to fish now.
''What, you want me to chop trees?
-No senile old fool, I said fish freely!
-Ok lemme get my axe young Gwolfsky!''
And thus old Nil became our main woodcutter. We now have a steady influx of wood, which keep the idlers busy. I've ordered a few stone crafts carried to the depot, and the kitchen has been moved above our new dinning hall, leaving room on basement 2 for a new farm plot. my apprentice is planting plump helmet spawns as we speak. Our wood furnace is running again, and some copper armor is being made by our new armorsmith.
Time to acquire some more goods! My bargaining skills aren't that high, but when the traders start asking for our prepared food barrels on top of the deal, I remember to be
fierce as a war dog, and say no. Rawr. In the end I grab some more plump helmets, some cheese and a few fruits, which can become food or drinks in time of need. not much, but we should be able to survive for now. at least, as far as supplies are concerned.
In addition to the caravan traders and single guard, the mountainhomes also sent a liason agent, who is all too eager to meet with our expedition leader, Thoryane. I kindly tell him where to find her.
The liason starts discussing with our leader. She dismisses his questions. he starts getting insistent.
The discussion quickly goes nowhere. thoryane is busy. The outpost liason just fills in random numbers and says he wants armors and prepared food next season, then departs.
The caravaneers grab the few goods they carried to the depot (We have no weapon access right now) and get on their way quickly. they've heard bad things about this place. As soon as they exit the region, a strange thing occurs: countless yellow flowers start growing everywhere across the desert! how beautiful. As a farmer and herbalist, I know these to be pebble plant flowers...
To the northeast, a few migrants made their way to Murderflood. They leave the clay fields and enter the black sand dunes, now covered with yellow plants. A horse and a dog accompany these migrants. they are:
Zefon Heathercrafts, a keen woodcutter and hunter. I make good note of his crossbow skills, as we may need to station people atop the bunker soon.
Melbil Mirrorchanted, an elderly fisherdwarf who survived to 154. I command his elderness and experience, but can't help and wonder why the mountainhomes are sending us nothing but aged dwarves and old fisherdwarves. Are they secretly using this outpost to dispose of their elders? Or maybe I'm too paranoid, and only seasoned dwarves dare to make the trip. I must applaud the lack of children at the moment. This place is unfit for youngsters...
Next is
Kogan Lancehelped, another confused old man. This one claims to be an engraver, so I set him on smoothing the temporary living floor right away. I'm sick of hitting rock pebbles and sharp corners every day.
Sazir Squirtedoild is a fisherdwarf much like Gowlfsky, who once received rudimentary battle training. Once we have the gear to enlarge our militia, I'll definitely consider her...
Her husband
Dastot Perfectrag is definitely a valuable dwarf. Not only is he a fighter comparable in skill to our own leader, but he's also a great record-keeper and one of the most charismatic dwarf I've met. his highest skill is great consoler. While he won't tell much about it, I can feel he's lost one too many companions in the wars.
(definitely dwarfing material here folks)Oddom Shipfeast is yet another elderly dwarfwoman. She'll be working the fields with me if I need an extra hand, and her brewing experience means we have someone to take over Ghills' duties until she heals.
Despite his advanced age,
Olin Booklobsters is a remarkable person, a great hunter, and a seasoned soldier. He also has... twenty-one children? He and his wife Oddom Shipfeast sure have been busy.
Finally,
Zas Markmirrored is the youngest migrant this fortress as seen, at 46 years old. As an herbalist, I send her to grab a few plants outside, and tell her she'll be helping with construction projects in her free times.
This brings our total numbers to 23 dwarves, stacked into a very small area indeed. At least we have some people fishing, a brewer, and some plants being gathered to that effect. With now three farm plots of plump helmets, we won't be getting anything fancy, but at least we'll be fed. I ominate a replacement carpenter for Zuglarkun. We'll need more beds, and I want to turn the upper 6x5 room into a good dorm. Nil is getting wood, someone is burning it, and our metalworkers are slowly outfitting Thoryane and Gwolfsky with copper equipment. Once they are done, I tell our staff to create a few more copper crossbows, and some spears and swords for our newcomers. At least three of them would make decent soldiers, if given the chance.
For the time being, tho, they'll be working on construction. I designate a new area in front of the entrance. 4 tiles long, with wings of 6 units on each side. we'll add a ceiling and a second floor soon enough, making this our official barrack, with room for sparring, equipment storage, and more. Everyone who doesn't have a job, get on that project.
I'm expecting good results, but as soon as the migrants check in and are dispatched to their respective tasks, disaster strike on many front!
Poor old Iden Granitejade tried to build a tanner workshop in one of the corner spaces, while thirsty and sleepy. He blocked himself in due to poor logistics, fell asleep, and never woke up. Everyone was upstairs greeting the migrants so we never noticed. that's now our third doctor that has succumbed to foul play. Ghills and Zuglarkun's condition are only getting worse!
Also, for reasons I cannot possibly understand, someone carried an eagle and a horse's corpse on the roof and left them there. Why. Oh why. Now they are rotten, unbutcherable, and i must order them dumped.
On the plus side, opening the upper dump bridge and then raising the inner bridge creates an accidental corpse atomiser. The bodies fall on the lower bridge, which obliterates them against the wall when raising. Very, very useful indeed! And gory... speaking of gory, the greatest problem is about to show up, a strange creature that has been stalking the migrants for a few days now. Now that they are distracted, the beast feels the urge. The moon calls.
Nako Usbuluspuz, a simple peasant most of the month, turns into a terrifying beast on full moons. His weak naked body wretches and convulses in the dark, twisting him into a towering killing machine, with sharp, metal-slicing claws and a pair of unnatural green eyes. he is carnage incarnate, and the new migrants have inadvertantly led him to Murderflood...
Melbil Mirrorchanted, the oldest fisherdwarf in the nation, is by the fishing channel when the beast strikes. his body is old and frail. he had no chance.
Within instant, the river runs red with torn cloth, blood and remains. His screams echo through the desert, and people are called inside.
''Hey Google, werebeasts aren't building destroyer, right?
-Boy oh boy, are you not gonna love this search result.''Needless to say, we are unprepared to seal the entrance from such a creature. It is too strong, too fast, too unforeseen. The civilians cower inside as i call our soldiers to work. Only their might and timely response can save this settlement now...
''Where's Thoryane anyway?''''Oh she's sort of asleep right now. She won't get out of her bed
-FUCKING DECONSTRUCT HER MOTHERFUCKING BED!!!''At least we have Gwolfsky.
''Hey where's Gwolfsky anyway?
-Oh he legged it the second her heard the screams. He's very very fast.
-!!!''The situation is dire. A bipedal bear, twice as tall and strong as any normal bear, powered by a frustrated god, is assaulting our bunker, shattering our door into bits. Our best hope of fighting it won't fucking wake up, and her sidekick left his post to run away, and save his own skin. Now we are stuck inside, and the beast is advancing at tremendous speed. Nako evilacrid the Rains of Disemboweling is upon us. There is nobody to stop it...
''Yes there is!'' announces Triaxx.
Nako the monster barges into the new construction side. a few dwarves are flung left and right, some of them mauled. before it can enact more bloodshed, a small, bearded creature with a pick charges, unwilling to give the beast any more footing into our base. Werebear versus miner, you'd think the fight would be fairly one-sided, but triaxx is strong and fit as any dwarf can claim to be. a flurry of claws and teeth try to engulf him, but he parries most of the shot effortlessly with his pick, dodging left and right as needed.
''It's no more deadly and sudden as a cave-in'' he thinks to himself.
''You know how to deal with cave-ins!''At some point triaxx is mauled in the head. moments later the beast charges him, and he loses his ground. But he gets back up. He
must get back up. Blood dripping from his head and legs, he keeps denying the beast access to the bunker. The old rangers use this time to grab crossbows and some bolt. They start firing back at the monster. The battle rages on for a moment. Werebears have many strenghts. Raw power, toughness, swiftness, size... all of these things favor them. but time? Time is a werebeast's bane. By holding his ground and blocking most of the beast's atack for two days, Triaxx the miner has saved the fort.
The blood moon is over. Nako the werebear turns back into a friendly peasant, naked as a molerat. He has been in this situation before. He tries to act cool.
''Sup people? goes Nako.
-Fucking kill him!'' replies the whole fortress.
Thoryane gets out of her bed at fucking last. Once he sees the fight is over, Gwolfsky returns to the fort, and joins her. Great timing, guys, you missed
nothing. They pursue and strike at the peasant for days, but the dude is quick, and nimble. Everyone runs around for a week, until Nako finally makes an escape deeper into the desert.
He will be back. We must be ready. I start to count the bodies, and check the wounds...
Zuglarkun is found dead in the dinning room. As soon as the beast attacked, everyone pakicked, and no water was brought to her. Ghills is unconscious, and our other doctor died shortly after, so it,s unclear if our Master Builder died from her wounds, or from lack of water. Only a slab will reveal the truth.
Melbil Mirrorchanted is found in several pieces near the fishing spot, brining the death count to two. That actually seems to be all of them, thanks to Triaxx's heroic stand. Many dwarves were injured during the fight tho. I ask everyone the details of their encounter. I've heard the tales about werebeasts. I explain the situation to them. we must know for sure who was injured. we cannot take any chance. With our three doctors dead or out of commission, I have to take everyone's word for it.
Six dwarves come forward, claiming they were directly involved in the fight. I take their testimony. Thoryane and Gwolsfky return, without a corpse.
''So bad news is, I didn't get him'' admits the millitary commander.
''Bastard was too fast, couldn't get a good swing at him, only shield bashes and crossbow whips'' ''Well, I managed to get one of his teeth!'' boasts Gwolsfky, ignoring any remark about his earlier escape. He shows the small, ivory trophy to his friends.
''Big deal'' says Olin Booklobsters.
''I also managed to knock off a tooth with my crossbow, but unlike you i was there in the real fight, helping Triaxx'' The ranger swears he only fired steel bolts at the monster, who dodged most of them with rolls (?). Triaxx confirms that the crossbowdwarf wasn't injured in any way.
Senile old Nil says she also took part in the fight.
''I tried to slap that little scoundrel, but I kept missing. Little rascal was way too short'' I ask her if she actually was attacked by the werebear creature.
''A furniture? why yes dear i was near a dining table recently, this could be bliss!''. Her responses are not very helpful, but I honestly assume that if the werebear got a hold of her, she'd be in many pieces.
Young Zas the herbalist's story doesn't make a whole lot of sense. but then again she'd been unconscious and vomitting quite a lot, so that could explain it.
''Beast kept slapping me around with a silk mitten. Just slappin' me with it. Slap slap slap slap! almost destroyed my guts with da mitten i tell ya! Thing never bit or clawed me tho, i swear!'' Her left ear is a mess, and she is covered in her own barf from head to toe. Yeah, hum, I<m still not gonna take a chance on this one, sorry.
''I swear it only bruised me with its paw once, I blocked all of the other attacks with my bronze battle axe!'' Sorry, Zefon the woodworker, we cannot take such a risk. You have been injured.
''Yeah sure, he got one of my teeth off with a claw attack, but the rest of the time the beast was only slapping me around with a mitten I swear!'' Nice try, blacksmith Datan.
Our engraver Zefon is covered in bruises and scratches. He too tries to blame the wounds on mitten slaps, and even add a silk shoe in the mix. People, we cannot take any chances, those of you who were injured must be locked up. Stop making shit up like this, you are endangering the whole fort by lying!
It is too late. Everyone is now going with the mitten defence to avoid the lock-up. They are so foolish.
They can't even agreeif this was a mitten or a shoe or even a cloak. I should
not have done this publicly.
At least I can trust war veteran Dastot Perfectrag. He says he was attacked once but roleld away using his soldier training. his body doesn't bear a single scratch. I guess that's why they call him Perfectrag. He tried to catch the peasant-sized Nako after the big fight, but to no avail.
Flame's apprentice Bomrek tried to also tackle the peasant with a body slam, but failed miserably. Nice effort tho.
''Oh I was also there against the werebear. Yaknow, doing stuff.''Kogan the engraver can't answer my questions right now, but I don't need him to. His feet was biten off, from what I can tell. Definitely wasn't no mitten that did
that.
''Alright folks, lots of ya ain't coming clean like I'd like'' announces Triaxx.
''Almost a shame I defended such a bunch of story-makers, but oh well. We gonna be digging some cells down here, cause the next full moon is kinda soon. Everyone who got in the fight, mitten or nat, gonna be locked up. grab a pick, I'll show you how it's done!!''Triaxx leads the ball. He was wise enough to create a few spare picks himself, in case of accident. Or.. emergencies like this one. They should have enough rooms to seal everyone in, if they act quickly. his head still hurts from the fight. Blood flows on his side, and into his magnificent beard. He knows all too well that if someone's gonna turn, it's gonna be him...
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Topic: 'Murderflood: (Ardentdikes IIIv3) You, there, grab this save! (Read 229469 times)