The other don't seem to recall our journey. That's fine. It was designed that way. They are lucky, and don't know how lucky they are; they barely touched deep waters, didn't feel the deadly cold inside.
But I did, and I woe my curiousity and stupidity.
Anyway, our first year here is ended, and SwordSpiritAlpha says I am in charge now. I wouldn't prefer it, but maybe making decisions will make me feel better, add a little touch of reality to this place and time...
I have my goals, clear and precise, as always. First of all, we need to find way to penetrate aquifer. From what I saw, we are sitting on the mountain full of various metals, but they are of no use to us, if we can't dig them up.
Second: we should dig deep down and seek out the blood of earth. We are sitting in the middle of desert, and we have no forest around us to make coal, so magma complex is a nessesity. Sooner or late we are going to need it: better to prepare for it now.
Third: so far, our mighty dwarfen bastion, first real fortress of this unknown world, look more like hole in the earth. Hastily dug up rooms without engravings, workshops in one place without stockpiles... there is almost no room to breathe. That was fine during the first year, but now we have to dig up something more dwarf-like.
And fourth: secure enough drink and food to avoid hunger. The booze barrels are already empty, and soon we will feel the thrist, unless we do something about it, and fast.
Time to get busy.
The first thing I do is trying to make more picks, and suddenly I find out that I don't have real informations about what and how many do we have. Our manager instantly promoted up to manager/bookkeeper. I forbid him to drink until I have all documents on my hands.
About half of dwarfs here don't really have a job or occupation; anyone who isn't doing something important like growing food, or making booze, or smithing things, told to get pick and start digging. I, for my self, going to find out there aquifer ends. This is a solid mountain – there gotta be a place where water doesn't go.
5 Granite.
Didn't took long – found place, where digging don't doesn't make streams of water go from the walls. Also, from now on (and ever) miners are relieved of hauling duty. I also relieved SwordSpiritAlpha (because carpenter need to make barrels, not run around doing nothing) and jwoodward48df (for the same reason). Also, I found out that our only brewer is a military guy, and as such, spends more time playing with his mace then actually brewing things so that we wouldn't die from thrist.
I was but one of the time machine architects, small cog in greater machine. More builder than designed; my responsibility was keeping the right pressure of magma in secondary magma cisterns; fairly simple job without much risk to die fiery burning death. As I recall, most of us didn't even knew what we were building. I was not the most. Nekik was my teacher and I was his pupil. I doubt he ever noticed me; his grand mastery of mechanics was already too big a burden on his brain. And being one of the victims of Great War, that is what could be said about many of us.13 Granite.
Okay, we found a way around aquifer and at the same time dig a little too deep and penetrated caverns and the same time. Nothing dangerous, I commanded to seal breach at once, but from my look, there a lot of fungi and water down where. So, now moving to my second part of the plan...
22 Granite.
Everybody who should finally taken the picks up, and we are working at the beginning for great fortress tenements – lots of simple, yet fine rooms. We are going to need them then new wave of migrants will arrive. Next in order – workshop and stockpiles rooms.
6 Slate.
The furniture complex is ready. It is small now, but it will be larger in the mean time. Now digging up food complex.
25 Slate.
The furniture complex is expanded, and food complex is ready. I am currently moving workshops down, closer to stockpiles.
The huge wave of migrants have arrived, about 20 of them. We are low on drink and food, so I don't know how we will feed them, but I can't just leave them, alone, in the middle of the red desert in alien, distant world.
We will somehow manage.
Most of them, of course, are useless. Jewelers, potash makers, dyers – everyone who isn't fit to hold arms in their hands and can't fight – sent here to build a better world. I assign most of them to the hauling duty and relieve others, more important ones, of it, giving them more time to do real work. Two of them have some experience with arms, so I appoint them to the military.
5 Felsite.
Hah! Most of them rightly understood and now are trying to find solace in religion. At least, we have a small shrine for them to pray. I... do not pray now. It's difficult to communicate with deity, if you know what I know. They believe, but I know – there is world of difference.
Anyway, the food complex is mostly finished (except for the querns and need to produce bags, but I'll think about it later), so now I am still expanding tenements and going down to the blood of earth.
Great war... thousands dead and thousands more would be dying. The Orcs, once just a small breed of goblins, have achived dominancy other their small bretheren and started their conquest. In their rise was our fault, too, for where there we, then Orcs burned down Humans castles and destroyed their walls? Laughing on outr great fortresses. And then they came for us in force, killing our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters - all of us. Nekik lost his family in the war. Being just the mechanic, he could not avenge them on the field with warhammer in the hand. Instead, he devoted himself to traps. His curious mechanisms killed many Orcs and made many more bleed. Traps were everywhere. When Orcs besieged Tunnelportals, they lost two of their to the traps for every one killed in the field, and brutal conquest turned into slow war to starvation. Tunnelportals still fell, of course, but it was our chance.14 Felsite.
Some strange, giant reptiles with horns are wandering near the fortress. They look docile enough, and looking for grass, which they will not find in this desert, so hopefully they will go soon. SwordSpiritAlpha says we should catch them and tame them, but they look too big and dangerous to me to do that. Perhaps after my goals will be finished...
22 Felsite.
I struck semi-molten rock. The heart of the mountain is surprisingly high here – only about 60 levels or so. Also, as I predicted – wood stock running low. Soon we shall be forced to open cavern and start cutting fungiwood.
It is summer now. I think we are good on food – 105 drinks, plenty of food, even prepared one. I forbid to cook plump helmets (wasting seeds), but ordered to prepare meals for meat and other animal products. Furniture and food complexes are ready and working, one fourth of great tenements was dug up, and we are currently making furniture to set rooms. I am enlarging the stairs down and looking for the place to build magma complex. After that, I'll dig and build barracks, hospital, temple and library. If I'll have the time, I'll dig and set rooms for upcoming dwarven nobility (it's only a matter of time before some fungisucker in purple robes decide that he want to be “noble explorer” and “honor” us with his “glorious presence”) and seven of founders.
But we still lost our Mountainhome, and run away. And then strange thing happened. That happens then mason have fey mood. He create a beatiful statue, born of his imagination cut loose. Jewelers make shining miracles, woodworkers turn log into art which makes Elves jealous, and so on... but what happens, then greatest of Dwarf mechanics have fey mood?6 Hematite.
Setting up magma complex. I also ordered some cage traps to be build outside. With any luck, some of these towering monstrosities will become our food.
28 Hematite.
Magma complex is almost finished, and soon we will start setting up smelters and forges, but we need to expand stockpiles – current place is all gone to ore and bars. Also, some human bard (first time I hear we have humans in this world. This is kinds nice, I suppose) came to my room with, as he put it, “petition to stay in fortress and entertain visitors. I don't have a problem with him staying (humans aren't drinking as much alcohol, are they), so I said to him it was no problem. It's shame he can't help with the digging, but, you know. Humans.
12 Malachite.
Digging the magma canals now. Hard work – like digging in hell. Damned heat makes you crazy for booze, and you know that you first mistake will be your last. Another bard petitions to stay, I don't give a damn. But I am slightly worried about this tavern. We are invaders in this world – last thing we want is to draw attention.
17 Malachite.
Shit. I guess we are not really alone after all.
I order everyone to get inside and wait. After he is back into human form, I order our military to nail the bastard, but they said he run too fast for human. Well, not going to blame them.
Bastard killed our best planter. Need to bury him. Well, that moves tombs up the query.
23 Malachite.
More migrants arrive, 9 of them. Surpirsingly, not all of them useless this time! We've got two (!) masons and one competent bone doctor. Rest are promoted to haulers. Also, sent magma into magma tubes.
27 Malachite.
Human warrior petitions to remain in our fortress for soldiering. Hopefully more will come.
Nekik had the vision. The fortress, where he resided, became his personal project; the last and best hope for victory, of dwarfenkind. He told us of his Machine; of windows in other worlds, other possibilities; of being free from this cursed world, being free to pursue our destiny. Yet he did not told us all. "What is there?", I once asked him, looking at perfect blackness of portal. "Infinity", told Nekik to me. I thought it was metaphor; way to describe his genius vision to mine lowly intellect. Yet he told me precise truth.
If only I have listened to him.6 Galena.
Magma smelters set up, one magma forge already working. I appoint two our metalcrafts as blacksmiths: we need anvils, barrels and cages. Mechanics bothering me for some cages months now. We started digging up place for hospital, barracks, dining room, temple and library. I also found out that two of bards are actually pretty good fighters; I can't enlist them into militia, but they are pretty capable of holding their ground.
Autumn is here.
Most of my objective accomplished, more or less. Workshops and stockpiles are in order, there is enough rooms and food for everyone, smelters and forges working all the time and there is no lack of booze (although I got tired myself of drinking only wine; we should get some sunshine, really). Now, then production of goods is set up, it's time to take care about spiritual side of our life. Space for hospital, barracks, dining room, temple and library is ready; we need only the furniture and engravings. I appointed three haulers to do engraving work and let Feral engrave again, so, in a few months, we should have smooth floors in our big rooms.
One of our jewelers went fey mood, but strange one: he would not demand anything or say a word. He just stares into space, and sometimes move step away from the workshop, only to return to it after a second. I think we will lost him soon; I tried to get any reaction from him, but he just... stares to me. I... wonder.
I wonder what he see.
The other ones should've seen it. I remember their mad, white faces, like faces of dwarfs who were without drink for far too long... we could not help them, could not got a word from them. They would not drink or eat, just... stare into space. Like they could see it. Like they could see it still...4 Limestone.
As I predicted, Dastot lost it. He runs around, screaming and babbling and crying and trying to say us something important, for which he has no words. I know what he is talking about. Fortunately, nobody else understands him, and I won't speak. In fact, he is fortunate to lost his sanity.
The only thing that worries me – if he recalled, can the other recall it too?
14 Limestone.
The wagon has arrived. Merchants, bloodsuckers of society. They are here to tie us with invisible chains; to indebt us and make us plead for their useless goods; to drain our time with meetings, and enslave us to sell our hard-made craftsmanship. I would like to spit on them, but I have no time for this, so I just say to the broker that we need wood for beds and can take care of themselves otherwise. Besides, we need some animals – cats, for example, for I am tired of catching dead hamsters in my wine.
"The dwarfs, going through portal, should be unconscious all the time. Otherwise, their minds can't hold. Pass them through while they asleep".21 Limestone.
Some more migrants have arrived. Most of the are nobodies again; assign them to hauling duty and forget about them. But after standing in the sandy wind again for hours meeting them, I had this wonderful idea about bath in aquifer...
3 Sandstone.
It is done. We lack soap, for now, but we do have a real bathroom. I wonder if I can water move in it, to, you know, wash away all the vomit and blood, which will appear, but for now, I just glad to be once get rid of this damned sand all over me.
12 Sandstone.
Gods must have heard my prayers: somehow merchants never got to our trade depot. Tox is enraged: he waited for them for better part of the month, and they never appeared. What a dicks. Personally, I enjoy their absence, yet we need wood. Is it time to open caverns yet?
I know someone is reading this. Stop, I beg you. I know you will not believe to that I am going to say to you. But you will read. And you will discard these notes as madman rambling. But the worm of curiosity will get in you.
And you will wonder "Could that be possible". And one day, you'll step into portal with your eyes wide open. And then...1 Timber.
We penetrated wall to caverns, and cutting fungiwood. For now, I will only use it to make beds.
7 Timber.
Another hauler is taken by mood. I had a bad feeling about this, but he gathered his materials quickly and started his work.
13 Timber.
He made an impressive stone figurine.
Winter is here.
The big temple for anyone who wish to pray or meditate is build. I specifically built it in the middle of corridor, so that believers may test their concentration and faith. I also built six smaller shrines to gods with most worshippers in our fortress; mu successor may wish to build a shrine to each and every god, but that's on him.
Library is build and readt to receive guests, visitors, scholars and researchers; in fact, it is already got some. I appointed two scribes to work in it and got orders to make some paper and bookbinders. We still need books to fill it, but I am sure that will be done in due time.
The dining room, barracks and hospital are also ready. They could use more statues in my taste, but they will be fine.
So, the final thing I want to do is somewhat to expand our militia and make some final diggings. After that, I'll retire and become a scholar in library. There is much to expand.
"Cogs, wheels everywhere. Moving, constantly moving back and forth. Storing things. Memorizing and recalling things. I wanted to scream, to run, to hide, to close my eyes... but I had no mouth, no legs, no eyes. I was cogs.
I was wheels. I was in the Mechanism, I was part of it. There was nothing to escape to. I - just - could - not - pass - out... And so I saw. I saw how the world inside the cogs, created, moving silently back and forth.
And I saw the rise of earth from water.
And I saw how earth was filled with rivers and vegetation, and animals, and...
And I saw every move of the Mechanism.
There is nothing not of it! You are just part of it! Your birth, life, family, values - everything that was, is, or will be - just movement of cog inside It!".5 Moonstone.
Our militia taken their first cavern kill – a cave crocodile. To my fear, I found out that no barracks were set up near cavern entrance. Luckily, crocodile hasn't killed any one, and I'll correct my mistake at once.
18 Opal.
Oh, joy – some nameless hauler has been elected mayor and now demands his own cool room, office and dining table. I given the orders to smooth his rooms, but wouldn't bother with setting up his rooms – couldn't care less.
Also, given orders to enlist four more people into the military and produce armor and weapons. There is no much to do for me now, so basically I am just waiting for the spring.
12 Obsidian.
Wow, a whole troupe is performing.
...Nekik knew. He must have. Being a greatest dwarfen engineer ever, he found some way to pass information from one state of Mechanism to the other. The hidden truth of cosmos was open to him. And he found the way to use it, to save us, all us.
But after that, it was too much to bear. Should be so.
And I couldn't stop him from walking right into cistern... but now, I wouldn't.15 Obsidian.
Approve for some soldier to have a residence. Also approved for troupe to stay. Hell, maybe they'll teach us new songs.
20 Obsidian.
I have discovered... Some passage. Should go and check it out, maybe.
The spring has arrived.
Nothing really interests me anymore, except pondering the lever (being doing for months now) and thinking about Nekik. He was my mentor and everything I aspired to be. Yet if not for the Nekik madness, I might have retained my own sanity. I might have...
But it doesn't matter now. Nothing matters now, except for the small pleasures, for they are the only thing truly real.
I am calm. I accepted the truth. And if I am mad, then I am calmly mad, for harmony means everything after the end. The perfect symmetry...
I leave position of overseer to Urlance. As my last action, I appoint myself to be scholar in our library, and will work again as mechanic now. Time to rest.
You have read this slab to the end now. Suits you well for defiling my tomb. The greatest curse - knowledge. Know that you do not exist - and never existed - as anything except movement of the Mechanism. Know this - and despair.
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Topic: Stonepage: Dwarves and Dinosaurs Succession (Version 42.04) [Always Open] (Read 3322 times)