1 Granite 78“Where’s my emerald silk cloth?” Sodel hunted through the selves in his clothiers. “An’ why is the sheep wool over here!? I walk away for
one month…”
“Oh, I reorganized for you. Now everything is so much easier to find.” Walking by, Lorbam had overheard the mutterings and now lounged in the door.
“No it ain’t! It’ll take me forever to find stuff, and all my clothes will have completely rotted away by then.” Sodel grumbled. “D’you
really want to see a bunch of naked dwarves running around? The children’re bad enough.” He shuddered at the thought, and Lorbam blanched.
“You have a point. I could—“
“No! You’ve done enough, now leave me be to figure out this mess!” Angrily waving the other dwarf away, Sodel went back to contemplating the shelves and muttering.
3 Granite 78What is it about underground crops that makes them so finicky? The above crops –“LOTU!” Imic’s roar could have been heard in Swordgangs. Rapid footsteps approached, and Imic burst into the crafters’ where Lotu had been working, brandishing what appeared to be a suit of armor.
Warily, Lotu looked up at his friend. “What?”
“Do you know what those idiots are doing?!” The armor was shoved beneath Lotu’s nose. The latter recoiled at the stink rising from it.
“I assume you’re about to tell me.” He said mildly.
“They’ve been putting the armor, Olon’s
brand-new armor, into the refuse pile!”
Lotu stared. “What?”
“This!” Imic shook the armor hard. “This’s brand-new last month! And now, lookit it! All tattered from the rats that’ve been chewin’ on’t!”
Lotu rose. “I’ll take care of it.”
And that does explain why Olon’s reported progress doesn’t match Lorbam’s numbers.Imic followed. “An’ ‘nother thing.”
“Yes?” He asked even more warily than the first time.
“Why’re we givin’
our armor, that
my boys need, t’tha’ incompetent prick Bomreck!”
“Because King Dodok—“
“An’ tha’s ano—“
Lotu’s hand shot up to cover Imic’s mouth. With a quick look around, he pulled the other dwarf into a corner of the pasture, away from the workshops and other dwarves.
“Don’t!”
Imic glared.
“Listen!” Lotu urged, almost in a whisper. “We have how many fighting-capable dwarves? Six. How many dwarves are in King Dodok’s army in Theaterknowledge alone?”
Imic admitted reluctantly, “Quite a bit more’n that.”
“How well equipped would you say they are?” But that was clearly a rhetorical question as Lotu continued, inexorably hammering his points home. “And our best weapon is a poorly-crafted iron axe. The Pillars of Ink don’t even have proper bolts. Mooney’s been bitchin’ about havin’ to use wooden ones for months, but where I we going to get metal right now?”
Imic shrugged, silent.
“And what do you think will happen to us if King Dodok decides to send his steel-armored, steel-armed soldiers here?”
Imic scowled.
“We can’t, literally
cannot afford to make
anyone that mad. Not while we can’t even work our way through the aquifer, let alone build and arm a proper defensive force.”
Imic crossed his arms, and his scowl intensified.
“You think I don’t get it? You really think I’m happy trying to juggle Bomrek’s demands with everything else there is to do ‘round here?” Lotu gestured helplessly. “You think I
want to spend my time making useless scepters and crowns, when I should be digging?”
Imic grumbled something softly enough that Lotu chose not hear it, at least in an official capacity.
“Listen. I’ll check with Lorbam, but Olon should have enough leather left over, even with that stockpile snafu, to make enough extra armor that your boys can get some. Naturally, we’ll keep the best for ourselves. Go, sit down with Mooney, and make a list. Everythin’ you want, and what you
really need. Prioritize. I’ll see what I can get you.”
Imic snorted out a breath, and clapped Lotu on the shoulder, making the other dwarf’s knees bend, just a little. “Yer righ’, fer now. Bu’ someday…”
Lotu watched him walk away.
You’re absolutely right. Our king is a feckless incompetent, at everything, including those spears he likes so much. Bomrek is a narcissistic self-centered selfish bastard. And someday…we’ll be ready. ______________________________________________________________________________
Excerpts from the journal of Lotu Sizzlediron, expedition leader.8 Granite 78I told Erib to thin the aurochs and two-humped camel herds today, so Olon now has two more pieces of leather to work with.
I need to increase leather production. Erib says turkeys work for that, I’ll need to order some in the fall.
10 Granite 78The elves have returned, and they apparently think we’re wealthy. There’s four of them heading for the depot, instead of the previous years’ two.
With all of the quota work, I realized we have very little to trade. Only the last few glass items Mebzuth made last autumn before I shifted his duties. It looks like Mebzuth will be excused from quota production, as soon as he finishes collecting sand.
16 Granite 78
The elves haven’t received the message. The extra two pack animals were carrying tons of more useless wooden crap, and another of those benighted keas. We don’t want keas!
I did buy all of their brewable fruit, as sand pears make surprisingly good cider. I also bought a lion and a leopard, which NCommander assures me are trainable. She’s working with them now. And I bought a hippo and some large birds, an emu and an eagle. Maybe Ral can try cooking at some point? I miss the occasional poached egg I used to have back home.
Before trading: After trading:
18 Granite 78Babies keep growing.
And I have to wait another eleven years for her to get large enough to be useful.
25 Granite 78Mooney’s been having more and more of his episodes lately. I noticed because Besmar and Ustuth have been shadowing him more closely than usual.
I’ve ordered a fourth crafters’ built, so he can take some time off and still feel useful.
7 Slate 78And another.
I suppose there are worse things.
10 Slate 78
After making a few crafts, Mooney insists that he’s feeling better.
I still insisted that he take the rest of the month off. Some praying and socializing, free from bird-related stress, is exactly what he needs.
And maybe he’ll finally sit down with Imic and get Lorbam that list?
______________________________________________________________________________
7 Felsite 78“Waaaaahhhh!” The sobs could be heard throughout the cramped settlement.
Spriggans looked up from the kenaf plot she was tending, and cocked her head. “Yup, that’s Udil.”
Abandoning her task, the weeds would still be there later, she went to find her adult son.
Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him to her, as she had throughout his childhood whenever he had skinned a kneed or banged into furniture.
“There, there. There, there. Tell Mum all about it.”
Udil burrowed his head into her shoulder. “Atir –
hic– Likotath –
hic– ser is –
hic– is dead!” He sobbed.
Spriggans pursed her lips. The dog had been gravely injured fighting with the capuchins in Obsidian, but after so long she had really thought he would pull through.
Hugging him a little more tightly, she rubbed gentle circles on his back. Eventually the sobs eased, and she leaned back, rubbing thumb gently beneath his eyes.
“The only thing we can do for him now, is make sure he has a decent burial.” Udil sniffed, but nodded. “And,” Spriggans continued, “I’m sure Atir wouldn’t want you to be alone, so why don’t you go ask NCommander to assign you another one?”
“No other dog can take Atir’s place!” Tears welled up in Udil’s eyes and Spriggans quickly backtracked.
“I’m not saying that. But another dog can give you comfort, and help you with Atir’s loss.”
Udil looked at his mother for several minutes, before finally nodded. Getting, somewhat awkwardly, to his feet, he walked away, still sniffling.
Spriggans looked after him for a moment.
He’ll be fine. It’s better to learn such things early.21 Felsite 78Lotu was having lunch with Airith, NCommander, Dr. Urist and Lorbam, discussing the current status of various projects around the fort, when their attention was diverted by a sudden outburst from the training corner.
“It’s mine!” Imic cried, snatching back the shield Udil had just wrestled away from him, and hugging it to his chest. “Mine!”
Udil stood there, confused. “I wasn’t really taking it…we were sparring, commander.”
Imic seemed to relax a little. “Just’s long’s you know, it’s mine. That Bomrek’s not takin’ this.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Excerpt from the journal of Lotu Sizzlediron, expedition leader.28 Felsite 78Another season done and, even with that armor issue at the beginning of spring, Olon has almost finished that part of the quota.
The clothing…we need to ramp that up.
Current character list:
Ast (Lotu) Sizzlediron (miner)-> Dame de la Licorne (alive)
Olin (Lyra) Coppertargets (carpenter) -> Lyra (alive)
Ushrir (NCommander) Anvildimples (woocrafter/animal trainer) -> NCommander (alive)
Kadol (Airith) Helmflashed (architect/mason) -> TheImmortalRyukan (alive)
Urist (Dr. Urist) Drilledhatchet (doctor/engineer) -> Gwolfski (alive)
Likot (Mooney) Tongsgirder (marksdwarf/herbalist) -> MoonyTheHuman (alive)
Kogsak (Imic) Stokerblocked (axedwarf/woodcutter) -> Imic (alive)
Sodel Stockadecharmed (weaver/clothier) (alive)
Erib Razordrinkers (butcher/tanner/planter) (alive)
Vutok (Spriggans) Pleatsteels (wood burner/planter) -> Spriggans (alive)
Lokum Weaksilvers (hammer->axedwarf/woodcutter) (alive)
Udil Roomrouts (axedwarf/woodcutter) (alive)
Minkot Bannerthrone (planter) (alive)
Mebzuth Cudgelleaves (glassmaker) (alive)
Logem Laborgirders (gem cutter/woodcrafter) (alive)
Olon Worshipglazed (leatherworker) (alive)
Ustuth Shieldfences (marksdwarf/herbalist) (alive)
Uvash Toolsport (carpenter) (alive)
Mestthos Stafftown (furnace operator/leatherworker) (alive)
Lorbam Clawdike (bookkeeper/manager/woodcrafter) (alive)
Ral Scalemerchant (brewer) (alive)
Nil Goldenname (child) (alive)
Medtob Boatsmessiah (child) (alive)
Besmar Minepink (marksdwarf/herbalist) (alive)
Catten Fencedlearned (bowyer) (alive)
Zutthan Paddledact (thresher/spinner/shearer) (alive)
Edzul Lanternnotched (potash maker) (alive)
Id Craftcrabs (child) (alive)
Tobul Cloisteredmoistened (child) (alive)
Litast Citystorm (child) (alive)
Solon Pageletter (child) (alive)
Stodir Hallesteems (child) (alive)
Endok Boltprairies (child) (alive)
Datan Paddledclutches (child) (alive)
Thikut Doorpattern (child) (alive)
Endok Glacierpaddle (baby) (alive)
Tayldis (kobold thief)
Logem Echoworked (outpost liaison)
Dodok Itdunonul (king)
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Topic: The Story of Atölasob (A Community Fort with an Export Challenge) (Read 63014 times)