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GO KEAS WOOUH!

28 (93.3%)

...They suck.

2 (6.7%)

Total Members Voted: 30

[Blitzgamer]

I speak of hnoring tradition, and ye say I'm lacking in determination? I'll have ye know that the thought of drowning our enemies in magma fills me with determination. I jest be thinkin' that we should be using teh knowledge of our anscesters and use teh power of magma to clease away teh infectious goo that be covering teh floors.

[Vuohijumala]

Hey, wait a minute.. You cut off access between the overseer tower and the main building! Now Vuohiparta has to go around and walk all the way from the dike walls to reach the dining hall!

I DEMAND IMMEDIATE DECONSTRUCTION OF THE DOME!

[Triaxx2]

He's welcome to go THROUGH the dome if he's too lazy to go around.

[QuQuasar]

He's welcome to go THROUGH the dome if he's too lazy to go around.

Yar, I be secondin' this proposal! In fact, we should build a tunnel directly from his bedroom to the dome so e' can get in an' out easier.


Something I learned: because magma doesn't actually move via pressure, what I should have done rather than opening a bridge underneath the dome was open the sides up and release lava from every direction.  Maximizing the number of openings would mean a faster flow rate.

Actually, it still might be possible to modify the dome to do that without releasing the magma: build a 'catchment' around the edges with retracting bridges like so:

M M # b #
M M # b #
# # # b #      Top view
b b b b #
# # # # #

M M #
M M # b #    side view
    # R      (R = ramp)


Then use this exploit to deconstruct the lead walls:

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110724

... between that, the architectural modifications that would make the Murder Flood itself more destructive, automating the pumpstacks, and connecting a bunch of more magma traps to the Murderlever, I kind of want to take another turn.

Ah, why not? Sign me up for another turn after Ghills!

[Triaxx2]

We should also rig the pump stack so it can also be powered by all the water reactors, and set it up so opening the bridges will also cycle the power to run the pump stack continually until the reactors obsidianize.

[QuQuasar]

Hey Taupe, question: as Ghills has yet to respond, may I take another year?

I know taking two in a row is unusual, but it's really bothering me that the magma flow rate ends up leaving the Murder Flood more of a Murder Trickle (I completely failed to take into account the fact that magma isn’t pressurised by gravity), and I've been testing a variety of ways to make it worse better.

So far most of them have failed miserably. I’ve tried automating the pump stack (doesn’t improve flow rate, just tops it up as it flows out),  opening up the bottom level so the magma can flow into a channel and then down the sides, (can’t perform Remove Construction jobs from underneath bridges), pumping it out of the dome (can’t embed pumps in the wall), creating a series of 2x1 ‘buckets’ on the lowest level (works, but requires a lot of dwarfpower and material for each single tile opening, and takes forever to link up), use a cave in to scythe off the walls of the dome (I thought cave-ins destroyed constructed walls. Apparently not) and so on.

Eventually, though, I found a method that does work, and I'm reeeeally itching to implement it.

I also feel like my dwarf hasn't undergone his full character arc yet. Simply stepping down and entrusting his grand tale to the next overseer seems a little too easy.

[Taupe]

Sure

[TheFlame52]

Sounds fine

[QuQuasar]

It was the 28th of Obsidian. Midnight approached and two dwarves, already somewhat the worse for drink, had snuck out of the dining room to share a moment on the walls. They sat on the fortifications, feeling the heat of the dike on their backs as they gazed inwards at this years addition to Murderflood's skyline.
         
In time the dome would blacken and tarnish, but for now it was a shining monument to the dwarven tendency towards self-destruction, a towering blob of silver. The arc of the dome reflected the starlight above it while a slight red glow, barely visible even in the darkness of this moonless night, marked the height of magma within it.
         
"Do you think it was worth it?" asked one of the two. His companion looked over at him.
         
"Worth it?" she asked.
         
"The dome. I mean... yes, okay, if the undead get in it's certainly better than being eaten. I'll grant that. But... we fought them and we won. We took back the caverns. For a while there, Murderflood felt... safe. And now we've got that thing hanging over us."
         
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll tell you a secret: it's not nearly as dangerous as it looks."
         
"Really?"
         
"Have you ever seen magma flow? Not pushed by a pump, like when we filled the Dike, but naturally, by gravity. It isn't like water: it flows slowly. Hah! With the tiny outlet the overseer left for it, we could probably evacuate everyone who wasn't standing directly underneath it when the lever was pulled..."
         
Unexpectedly a third dwarf burst from the darkness, eyes wild, smelling of drink and screaming in anger.
         
"WHAT BE THAT?!"
         
         
In the dining hall, Taupe was speechifying...
         
"The time has come to name the overseer for next year. Quasar, our honourable soon-to-be-former overseer, has agreed to stand down at the strike of midnight, as is traditional. As the final surviving founder of Murderflood..."
         
The hall fell silent at this. Taupe paused, reading the room, and then raised his mug. "To Gwolfsky."
         
"Gwolfsky," the dwarves chorused, toasting the old woodcutter.
         
"As the final founder, it falls to me to name the overseer for the new year 216." Taupe continued. There was murmering, and more than a few nervous looks from dwarves who might have reason to think they were a candidate. "And so, without further ado-"
         
"I BE OBJECTIN'!!!"
         
The doors burst open, and a drunk, squat, and very angry dwarf strode in. Taupe hesitated. "Uh-"
         
"Ye slovenly bunch of lily-livered, pox-faced, lice-infested, barnacle-bottomed, weevil-eating, parrot-fucking swine!* How many of ye knew? Huh? HUH?! WELL? TELL ME!" he shouted, striding down the hall, glaring at every dwarf.
         
Taupe broke the sudden silence. "Knew what, Qua... er, overseer?" he glanced at the hourglass. Still two minutes before midnight.
         
"KNEW WHAT? YE ALL HEAR THAT? "KNEW WHAT"! YE KNOW WHAT I BE TALKIN' ABOUT, YE YELLOW-BELLIED FARMLUBBER! ME TALE! ME STORY! YE SABOTAGED IT YE DID, YE MUTINOUS, CONSPIRATORIAL COWARDS! HOW MANY OF YE KNEW THE DOME WOULDN'T WORK?"
         
Taupe glanced around the room. A lot of dwarves were shifting uncomfortably or avoiding eye-contact. Well, the flow-rate of magma was common
knowledge.
         
Quasar's shouting subsided, his rage simmering as he gave the room a death glare. "I knew it. Ye lot knew and ye said nothing. Ye can't be trusted ta' do the honourable thing. Ye'd rather be driven from yer home by the undead, runnin' away like cowards while your comrades be eaten instead o’ burning together like dwarves!"

" WELL I WON'T LET YE! I'M NOT GIVIN' UP ME MASTERPIECE TA' THE LIKES OF YE! NOT TILL IT BE FINISHED! NEXT YEARS OVERSEER BE ME!"
   
There were gasps. An overseers word was law, and there was technically nothing stopping one from naming themselves as the next overseer, but tradition and honour dictated they step down at the end of the year except in cases of dire emergency.

"Overseer, please don’t do this."

" Enough with yer bilge, Taupe! It be done! Ye hear that, ye' sneaky bastards! Ye'll not be gettin' away with thi! Ye'll all burn, I so swear it!"
 
There were nervous murmurs from the crowd: it was clear their overseer was not right in the head. A few heads turned to Bomrek, Head Executioner of the Guard, wondering how the militia would react to this. She shrugged.
 
"The word of the overseer is law." She narrowed her eyes threateningly as she scanned the room. "We must obey the law."
 
Taupe looked down and watched the last of the sand trickle out of the hourglass.

“Well then... long live the new overseer same as the old overseer, I guess,” he said.

"Yar! Damn straight. Now get back ta' work, the lot of ye!"


* Footnote: Quasar calling the dwarves of Murderflood "parrot-fucking swine" is, of course, a gross slander. They're not swine, it was one parrot, and the Keamaster was very drunk at the time.

[Triaxx2]

"Awk! Yes, sir. More sir. Awk! Polly wants the lotion, sir."

[Ghills]

You mean an overseer wants to clean up their own mess instead of leaving it for the next one? It's practically undwarven!  I'm happy to let you though, changing architects midstream (or trickle) is risky. 

[QuQuasar]

I see it now. This be the low point, the darkness before the dawn, the end of Act 2, where the hero be betrayed by those 'e once called friends.

Those squid-loving worms! They knew, they all knew, of the tragic flaws in me magnum opus. They knew it would fail in it's purpose, and they conspired to keep it from me.
 
Well, I won't stand for it. Yar, they'll call me power-hungry, they'll call me mad, they'll call me evil, I don't care! If I have ta' be becoming the villain of me own story ta' ensure it be told, so be it! What matter's is that they'll remember me.

I've been up all night drawing up plans. The new Magma Release System won't suffer from the same flowrate problems. If the dwarves of Murderflood won't die with honour, then I'll make them!


First things first: everyone can stop pumping. If we automate the process, we can keep working on other matters while the cistern fills.

There be water reactors on the lower levels, but I don't be trusting those things. They use water from the lake. Who knows what foul magics stirring that water could release. We'll do this the old fashioned way: windmills!




Shipcat be one year old.
 


Good for ye, little one. May ye burn with honour and dignity when the time comes. Try not to grow up to be a sad traitorous coward like yer parents generation.
 
OOC: I didn't know custom professions showed up in the growth notifications. Neat. I should professionise more babies.


The elves be here. I don't care! Just feed 'em, take their animals, and send them on their way.

119 tree's? Who cares? Just agree to whatever they ask, we've got plenty of wood.


[CRRRRRR-UNCH]

"Whoa! It's moving! Everyone hold up!"



[cheers]

Yar! The pumps be automated, the magma be flowing, an' it's barely been one and a half months! We be occupying ourselves with other things now: it be only a matter of time before my masterpiece is full.

A bobcat suddenly started spouting blood and died. Symptoms seem to be similar to what happened to Gwolfsky.

I don't be caring anymore: such things pale in comparison to the importance of my great work, but to stop the complaining I ordered a few of the more suspicious pools of liquid around the fort floored over.


The new magma release be nearin' completion.



The moonscythe be a giant green-glass blade in the shape of a crescent moon, held up by collapsable supports. When the climax of my tale begins it will fall through the cistern and into the fortress proper, in one fell swoop slicing the cowardly heart out of Murderflood and replacing it with the heart of Armok.

The moonscythe won't be the only new addition to the magma release system, though. Oh no! I've given a new design to the architects, an' started work on a few more devices. Ye pitiful specimens of dwarvenkind can't be trusted with yer own fate, so I must be doing everything in my power ta' ensure ye burn.




Collin, ye traitorous bastard! Blitzgamer, control yer spawn!



Dammit, that be half the fort not workin' now! Ye pusillanimous pus-filled sponge-sac's!


Well, at least we managed to get the pump stacks goin'. Even if those traitorous scumbags not be working, I can take comfort in the sound of magma pouring into the cistern above our heads. It be the sound of a great tale being written, ready to be published with but the pull of a lever. Yar.




A few more of me devices be linked up in out-of-the-way locations. None but I be knowing their purpose.



Note to self: if anyone asks, they be special windmills what be usin' the thermals of the dike for extra power. And then jail them or something.


Interesting. I originally assumed it would require another entire pump stack to bring up magma from the sea more quickly, but that not be true. The pumps whir quickly, but their output be little more than a trickle. The stack itself could bring up far more, but it only pumps the magma that flows through this one small grate.

Therefore, a single extra pump somewhere else on the magma level could feed into the main stack and potentially double it's output! An' a bunch of em would be even better!

Yar, this be a great idea! Get down there ye miners. And someone build a few more thermal windmills, we're gonna need 'em.


 

FFFFFFFFFFF-



-orgotten beast. Lock the doors. I'd send the military, but who knows what it's deadly dust would do to them, and I don't want to lose any workers right now. They can go and die horribly later.
 
       
Ye know, being an usurper overseer gone mad with power isn't too bad. It's honestly not that different from being a normal overseer.
         
I wonder if I should have them build me a tower ta' live in, like the other overseers did? Hmm... nah, I'll just keep livin' in Gwolfsky's old place. It be grand enough fer the likes of me, and seeing my magnum opus through to the end be more important than such petty things.
       
"... through to the end..."
         
... hmm. Yar.

[TheFlame52]

Ye know, being an usurper overseer gone mad with power isn't too bad. It's honestly not that different from being a normal overseer.

It's been a long time since I sigged something, but this qualifies.

[Blitzgamer]

Colin be a grown dwarf, 'e can do as 'e likes!

ooc: has any of my family made artifacts? I don't think so but it's been awhile since i've read the entire thread.

[QuQuasar]

Colin be a grown dwarf, 'e can do as 'e likes!

ooc: has any of my family made artifacts? I don't think so but it's been awhile since i've read the entire thread.

Seems like a good time to catch up with the named dwarves, so here's a summary of everyone...

Notable Civilians
'Duck' Bristledcrypts, female (20), legendary miner, creator of "The Mindful Theater", a slate floodgate.
'CrAzY UriST' Tributetheaters, male (134),legendary engraver, hammerdwarf, son of Haerdalas the First. 12 kills (mostly zombie crundles).
'Pyrotechno' Obscuretongs, male (70), legendary armoursmith, legendary metalsmith, creator of "Bittenworn the Owner of Marshes", a copper floodgate.
'Flame III' Cudgeldashes, female (88). Legendary weaponsmith.
'Vuohiparta' Tomesamazed, male (96). Legendary grower, legendary metal-crafter, creator of "Griptraps", an adamantine mini-forge. 2 kills (including a named zombie draltha).
'Quasar' Dipropes, male (63). Legendary brewer, creator of "Murderdome" a silver bowl. 83 future-kills (entire population of Murderflood).
'Taupe' Arrowsoul, male (89). Legendary grower. 2 kills (both zombie gorlaks).
'Imic' Ballbasement, female (94). Expert animal trainer, master crossbowdwarf. 2 kills (a goblin and a honey badger)

Notable Militiadwarves
'De' Swordjail the Labyrinthine Jewels, male (88). Legendary Axedwarf. 20 kills (including a hill titan).
'Urist McKiwi'  Tangledpaddle, female (85). Legendary Crossbowdwarf, creator of Sneerpracticed the Turquoise Twigs, a honey badger bone crown. 10 kills (including a brush titan).
'Triaxx II' Boargravel, male (121), legendary engraver, hammerdwarf, creator of "Voidstokers", a sphalerite bracelet. Husband of Haerdalas II, brother of Sarrak. 25 kills (including a Hydra).
'Haerdalas II' Fancycloister the Fortituous Harmony of Mourning, female (115). Legendary swordsdwarf, legendary record keeper. Wife of Triax II, niece of Ilral, Duchess of Murderflood. 107 kills (including a named zombie giant earthworm)
'Sarrak' Theatertongues the Intense Rips of Gilding,  male (119). Legendary Hammerdwarf. Brother of Triaxx II. 48 kills (including a plains titan).

Asmoth's family
'Asmoth' Crafteddust the Triangular Scholar of Artifacts, female (72). Legendary swordsdwarf, legendary weaponsmith, creator and wielder of "Firelances the Shore of Confederations", a adamantine short sword. Mother of Azula and Morgan. 71 kills (including a desert titan).
'Azula' Lensmerchants, female (17). Adept clothier, creator of "The Letter of Partners", a hornblende scepter. Daughter of Asmoth, elder sister of Morgan
'Morgan' Speaktorch, female (15), accomplished woodcutter. daughter of Asmoth, younger sister of Azula.

Blitz Gamer's family
'Blitz Gamer' Frostystandard, male (83), Legendary Cook, Legendary Swordsdwarf. Father of Collin and Moira. 21 kills (including a kobold and a troll).
'Moira'  Dabbledmine, female (14), legendary woodcrafter, creator of "Distanceyell", a llama wool hood. Daughter of Blitz Gamer, younger sister of Collin.
'Collin' Ridership, male (15), expert pump operator, proficient wood burner. Son of Blitz Gamer, elder brother of Moira. Once killed a honey badger.

Probably Doomed
'Shipcat' Shipfuture, female (1). Novice Zuglarkun.