Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Fleeting Frames]

Hm....I elect to take that as only IC regret and not a failure of embark preparations.

Do you plan to get the queen to move there?

[Thebtathtak]

Previous - Chapter Three

Fortress update - 1st Limestone, 5

   This is still an oral only update, prepared and given to Oiled-shield, per Roasting-staff.  As before in standard notation, the topic is followed by the assessor's level of concern.

»	Dwarf health	0/10	No reports of illness or injury of note.
»	Foreseeable attacks	3/10	The giant hamster managed to leave the map, chased off by various dwarves punching it senseless.  Magma crabs were spotted in the lava and magma, and are being watched with the hope that imps do not follow them up.  Covering the opening would be an immense undertaking.
»	Fortress progress	8/10	Things are improving, there are rooms dug and basic furniture for our Noble Roasting-staff, and work progresses for rooms for Oiled-shield and a common area for the rest of the staff.  Cells for the conscripts are not prepared, but the plan is in place.
»	Food	9/10	Now that some conscripts have arrived, there are plans for food and drink planting and harvesting.  There are also more mouths to feed and plans do not equate to drinks in barrels or pots.
»	Guards	7/10	The mountain home only sent us 1 additional guard with the conscripts, and he is without arms or armor.  Another guard is working on getting him kitted up and now that we have manual laborers there are plans for training to be held in the open courtyard.  The guards are asking for a training room to be dug once we have a functional tavern and dorms.
»	Wood Exports	4/10	Without additional labor, we cannot produce the required goods.  The Queen's requirements cannot be met unless She will provide the necessary dwarfpower.
»	Other Exports	1/10	As before, and we should not export the limited food, weapons, and armor that we have managed to create.
»	Morale	3/10	Things are great, Oiled-shield is keeping everyone quite happy.  Morale is as expected.
»	Other	5/10	Oiled-shield has not been given any new animals to train, and this should be looked into immediately, as it is his place to keep our guard animals stocked and ready.

   Yes, that is the report for Master Roasting-staff.
   And Urist thought, "Oiled-staff is a pain in my neck and I need to get him stuffed into a closet someplace so I can get some real work done.  Really, leading a charge to attack that poor hamster as it was trying to escape was a waste of precious dwarftime."
   Thank you for reading,
   Thebtathtak

Images

Spoiler: Fortress 1 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Fortress 2 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Fortress 3 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Food (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Noble's Soldiers (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Guard (click to show/hide)

Next - Chapter Four

[Fleeting Frames]

That's a surprising amount of bags.

You could use overhang for the volcano

Massive amount of stone/wood workshops tho. I see bars, but where's the forges?

Poor Kŭbuk has nobody to spar with.

[Thebtathtak]

Spoiler: Fleeting Frames' Quote (click to show/hide)

Hm....I elect to take that as only IC regret and not a failure of embark preparations.

Do you plan to get the queen to move there?

   Fleeting Frames,

   Can/how would the queen be moved...  I will need to research that.  It sounds like a good plan and doesn't at all break the initial theme for the fortress, so, maybe leaning towards yes.  Probably not something to be done soon, but later...

   Thanks for reading, Thebtathtak

[Thebtathtak]

Previous - Fortress Update Two

Chapter Four - 1st Moonstone 5

   One of the soldiers, Ryukan, came by today and let me know that it is winter.  That was kind of him as I haven't been out of my assigned quarters in over 2 weeks.  I'm finally able to get some real work done.  All of the stockpiles are noted, I've consulted with Roasting-staff and gotten the values of everything taken down and we finally know exactly what we have and done have.  It reminds me of the time just before we left Unolcatten.

-

   I was having a nice conversation with Etur, he has become the liaison for our fort, about what a nice place that Roasting-staff had and how much I liked living in our underground stone fort.  I understand that now he has some of the estate that I used to manage.  I bet that Etur doesn't do as well, but he never had a mind for numbers.  Much more into dice and storytelling.

-

   The thing about that conversation that didn't seem to mean much then but is coming to maybe mean more now is that he was talking about what Udil had been planning to do with the 'undesirables' - and I think that he meant people that didn't fit in with his plans back at the mountain home.  He said that Udil wanted to send them out to a fort to get some hard work under their beards so that the stopped thinking of new ways to cause the hard working nobles new frustrations.

-

   And now, at this fort, I've noticed the soldiers and guards occasionally talk about the new comers as if they were not good enough to be military, or nobility.  At least not until attitudes get better and they get all of the work about the fort done.  Of course, I still see the soldiers doing real work, and they take assignments from me like anyone.  Except for the new guard, he doesn't want to do any work, unless work means swinging his sword at the air in his bunk.  Or demanding that I get him nicer things for his bunk.

-

   He has also made a request of our liaison to get more of the queen's guards here, as he doesn't feel that one is enough to protect her property here.  As if anyone would want to come steal our trees or dwarven wine barrels.

-

   There was also the strange bit about not selling any wooden products to the humans, and not giving the elves an inch in the trade negotiations.  But I don't really deal with what our exports are, so much as I catalog them and make sure there is still enough for us once the caravan departs.  And I know that the queen wants revenge for what the elves did to her, but it isn't like our nation is strong enough to really oppose them directly.  But maybe that is what our site is for, a new place to get strong, to get deep metals, and get equipped for coming battles against the tree-lovers.

-

   Whatever it is, Roasting-staff assures me, and I think herself, that the queen will be quite happy with us managing the outpost.  With Oiled-shield managing our spirituality.  And with our laborers working to uproot every tree within sight in order to manufacture good dwarven products to use at home.  For not only are there almost no trees there, but as part of some negotiation with the elves there is a rule about cutting trees down, I don't understand it myself.  But I guess we've been told to never agree to such a thing here, should the elves demand it.

-

   Urist is finally happy with her work, stuck in an assigned room, centrally located to be near everything.  The only thing bothering her now is demands by her 'betters' that things need to be better allocated to their needs, and Urist is a professional at making sure that all of the needs of the fort are met, and that should keep her out of trouble, even if there are unreasonable demands for a magnificent 20*20*20 temple, and something equally grand for the soldiers.  Or a way to get more guards to show up.

-

   Thank you for reading,
   Thebtathtak

Next - Fortress Update Three

[Thebtathtak]

Previous - Chapter Four

Fortress update - 1st Moonstone, 5

   As before, as today, we have no materials to permanently write this down, so just going to tell Oiled-shield, because that is all we can do.  Going to use standard notation for some strange reason, the topic is followed by the assessor's level of concern.

»	Dwarf health	0/10	Nothing to report.
»	Foreseeable attacks	1/10	We have giant bluejay, I'm told.  That does sound dangerous.
»	Fortress progress	7/10	Quarters and minimum furniture are in place for our master.  In addition, Oiled-shield has his own home next to Roasting-staff, he has told me it is passable, for now.  The primary resting quarters are setup and the main hall of dining is prepared.  Both are undersized at this time.  The Soldiers would like their own rooms as soon as possible.  The guard would also like his own quarters at once, as he foresees many more guards arriving shortly.  Roasting staff would like a guest's home created next to his for visiting persons, such as our liaison Etur, who is presently here but does not have a place to sleep, and as such is bunking with the regular dwarves.  We are still being forced to drink from pots and barrels.  Mugs, a tavern, and a barkeep would resolve this injustice, and should be given priority.
»	Food	6/10	Planting has started.  The problem is that we only have out-door farming at this time and only strawberry seeds and plump helmet spawn.  Need to create a proper mushroom farm that can be secure against weather, invader, and wildlife.  We also need to have diversity of food supply in case of any one source of alcohol not being sufficient for our fortress's needs.  Also, a caravan from Oddomakil was here recently.  They supplied us with much needed food and drinks.
»	Guards	4/10	The guards are asking for a training room, a sleeping bunk, private dining area and a secure weapon locker to be dug.
»	Wood Exports	4/10	No change.
»	Other Exports	1/10	No change.
»	Morale	3/10	No change.  Oiled-shield would like a temple to Daros built, he has mentioned also that a small shrine to each of the other gods would be appropriate.
»	Other	5/10	No change.

   And Urist thought, "We have finally created a real home for the dwarves.  Now to make it something we can be proud of and defend.  And lava/magma, such an appealing source of power right over there and unutilized."

   Thank you for reading,
   Thebtathtak

Images

Spoiler: Fortress 1 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Fortress 2 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Fortress 3 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Fortress 4 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Wealth and Food (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Work (click to show/hide)

Chapter Five

[Fleeting Frames]

Sounds like you have lot of idlers. And that the captain o' the guard is one of those undesirables. How's the population?

Not selling wooden products to humans? Odd. Were the elves ever at war with dwarves in this world?

Yay happy Urist.

In these surroundings, food shouldn't be a problem. Though, hunter-gathering isn't without danger.

Hm, wood mugs. Unusual for me. Used to colored  ones.

20x20 temple is a few times larger than fotress still, but great to hear about ambitious plans.

Heh @ booze stockpile being mug pile.

[Thebtathtak]

Spoiler: Fleeting Frames' Quotes (click to show/hide)

Sounds like you have lot of idlers. And that the captain o' the guard is one of those undesirables. How's the population?

Not selling wooden products to humans? Odd. Were the elves ever at war with dwarves in this world?

Yay happy Urist.

In these surroundings, food shouldn't be a problem. Though, hunter-gathering isn't without danger.

Hm, wood mugs. Unusual for me. Used to colored  ones.

20x20 temple is a few times larger than fotress still, but great to hear about ambitious plans.

Heh @ booze stockpile being mug pile.

   Fleeting Frames,

• Roasting-staff and Oiled-shield are idlers, by design.  Everyone else is working.
• The non-selling of wooden goods to humans is a theme element, not something the game is enforcing.
• They should be able to manage food, I think, this is my 1st fort since about .34, so who knows.
• Those are mudstone mugs that are brown, no wooden ones that I can find. I didn't queue up any wood ones to be made, and I'm not buying wooded items from the merchants.  So hopefully no wooded mugs.  The odd part I find is that it is not a mug stock pile, only a food one.
• Not everything that Oiled-shield asks for will happen, he is the noble's flunky, not the noble here.  I could have made it more clear in the text who was asking for what, but I don't think with Urist's 'dislike for receiving advice' that she cares who is asking for things, all demands annoy her (in the story), and she is 'keeping to her own counsel' in most things. The demands from Roasting-staff she attempts to fulfil, because Roasting-staff is the boss after all.

   Thanks for reading, Thebtathtak

[Fleeting Frames]

I see.

" The odd part I find is that it is not a mug stock pile, only a food one."
Dwarves will take mugs to the barrels to drink and then leave mug there after they're done.

Without a stockpile for mug this results in the center tile of my stills often being ¶. I like that.

[Thebtathtak]

Previous - Fortress Update Three

Chapter Five - 1st Granite 6

   Spring had come to Urist, and she was busily counting some quality doors.  Which reminded her of some masterwork doors she had seen between the antechamber she was standing in and the throne room of the Queen, back at the Mountainhome.  The Queen's man had been making arrangements with Roasting-staff about how he was to organize his new home.

-

   Urist had not been listening to the conversation in the next room very carefully so she missed when the liaison Etur had spoken, "You are commanded to develop an outpost in The Incinerated Jungle next to the volcano The Fire of Stalkers.  Furthermore, Roasting-shield, you are to create wooden exports for the pleasure of our Queen."

-

   Roasting-staff had asked, "My household doesn't have the dwarves to populate such an endeavor, my Queen, how will I do as you require?"

-

   And the Queen waved her hand at Etur, who replied for her, "Dwarves will be provided for your needs.  The house-dwarves you have, they are not trained in outpost life, so leave them here for reassignment of duties.  You should take your manager, your personal guards, and any other dwarf that you must have with you."

-

   To which, Roasting-staff replied, "Yes, my Queen."  And he selected his friend Oiled-shield to accompany him to this new home.

-

   Etur continued, "Once you have established your domain over the land, send all of the wooded goods you can to the Mountainhome.  Do not trade wood with the humans, for it is destined for our halls.  You should create a good dwarven Rock outpost, so strip all of the soil around your lands and carve out the rock in a pleasing design."

-

   Roasting-staff busily agreed to these new conditions and asked, "What of the elves?"

-

   And Etur finished, "You are to antagonize them, don't break the accords we have in place, but if they should suffer the deforestation of the Jungle, or a few drowned traders, or some minor losses in battle..."

-

   The Queen cut Etur off then, speaking, "You are to punish those tall, pointy eared freaks."  This outburst had pulled Urist's mind away from the solid rock furniture she had been admiring.  And then the Queen recited a long poem She had written about Her husband, and all of the assembled dwarves had tears in their eyes, as the loss of the King overtook them.  It was very emotional, and even Urist had listened carefully to the poetry and wept for the loss of her King.

-

   Afterwards, Urist had noticed the masterwork engravings all about her at the Mountainhome and that reminded her of how little they had here, as nothing was even smoothed here, not even the rooms of Roasting-staff.  If only the Mountainhome would send them more laborers.

-

   Thank you for reading,
   Thebtathtak

Next - Fortress Update Four

[Fleeting Frames]

Wood exports, huh? I suppose it would work with junglification.

But what accords are there in place, if not cutting trees? No...rather, I don't think there is anything worse one can do to elven traders than all the queen listed.

[Thebtathtak]

Previous - Chapter Five

Fortress update - 1st Granite 6

   Again, we have no materials to journal this report, I'll report to Oiled-shield, as Roasting-staff expects.  I miss being able to document things.

»	Dwarf health	0/10	Nothing to report.
»	Dwarves work	4/10	We have four soldiers, and they are still assisting the conscripts.  We have two guards from the Mountainhome, and they are willing to move stock for us.  There are eight conscripts to manage, and they are making remarkable progess.  Finally there are Roasting-staff the Noble, Oiled-shield the Preacher, and Urist the Manager.  Four dwarves were recently noted as not laboring.
»	Foreseeable attacks	2/10	We have giant wren, I've even heard their song.  If we had the dwarves and cages, we could train them, and eat them.  Also, a giant coati was found looking for our treasure, it was killed and butchered. Yum.
»	Fortress progress	6/10	Basic accomidations are in place, everyone has a place, even if it only space in the dorms.  The fortress is starting to resemble a home.  Workshops are being dug, new quarters are being planned, and given time we will have a real stonehome here.
»	Food	4/10	Outdoor farming is working better then expected, and meat from the soldiers' activites are keeping us stocked.  I will feel much better when proper underground farms are established, with resevores and underground growth from the caverns working to supply us from within.
»	Guards	5/10	The guards are now demanding rooms and weapon locker to be dug.  The soldiers are asking for quarters of their own as well, near to Roasting-staff.
»	Wood Exports	4/10	No change.
»	Other Exports	1/10	No change.
»	Morale	3/10	A temple to the gods has been built.  Roasting-staff has asked another larger temple to Os be created for him to worship within.
»	Other	5/10	No change.

   And Urist thought, "Without additional labor-dwarves, additions to the outpost are slow, but things are comming along nicely."

   Thank you for reading,
   Thebtathtak

Images

Spoiler: Stockade (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Entrance (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Upper stockpile (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Upper stonepile and workshops (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Food processing area (in progress) (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: First Quarters (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Temple and additional quarters (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Wealth, food, and dwarves (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Work Orders (click to show/hide)

Next - Chapter Six

[Thebtathtak]

Spoiler: Fleeting Frames' quote (click to show/hide)

Wood exports, huh? I suppose it would work with junglification.

But what accords are there in place, if not cutting trees? No...rather, I don't think there is anything worse one can do to elven traders than all the queen listed.

   Fleeting Frames,
      Yes, the jungle will work.
      There are the demands of nobles and royalty, and those accords shall be fulfilled, even if they are delayed to allow for them to be accomplished.
   Thanks, Thebtathtak

[Thebtathtak]

Previous - Fortress Update Four

Interlude - Sometime in the Spring 6

   Urist was keeping count of things when a terrified worker ran past and into the temple.  Elves had been spotted; they are heading to the outpost.  The worker was panicking and voicing loudly to Oiled-shield.  Immediately, Urist felt a shiver crawl down her spine.  What were the elves doing here?  She thought about how little that was setup to defend against any real foe. 

-

   No, the defenses were started but incomplete.  The bridges had not even been setup to raise yet, the fortress' mechanic was only recently assigned.  The bridge linking duty was not yet finished, important as it was.  Urist wondered how many of the elven warriors had come, and how many soldiers and guards would be killed, and the conscripts.  How many injured?  Daros! They hadn't even setup a hospital zone yet.  Who would be left to work if dwarves died?

-

   Urist quickly tried to get up to a point where she could see the elves and manage a defense.  She was too weak.  And it took what felt like days as she was climbing to the surface and up on to the raised wooden platform.  From here she could see what was happening down in the jungle.

-

   She spotted the elves.

-

   They didn't look like elite warriors.  Especially not with those yaks laden with trade goods.

-

   She realized what the elves had done.  It was even worse than she had assumed. 

-

   The elves were cunning, she had to admit.  They had sent traders as scouts.  They probably didn't have warriors nearby, but these traders.  Traders were always on the move, and that is what the elves must be doing.  Trying to find the decencies in the defenses.  And the outpost's defenses were obviously not up to the task.

-

   She climbed down to the trade depot and told the elves that they were not welcome.  The elves unpacked the yaks into the depot and waited to see the trader.  Since the elves wouldn't listen to Urist, she went down to Roasting-staff's throne room and informed her of the intruders.

-

   Roasting-staff refused to see the elves.  She said that she forbade all dwarves from speaking to the elves and asked about ways to make the elves pay.  Urist suggested stealing all of the goods from the elves and Roasting-staff agreed.  Then Urist went back up to the depot and locked all of the trading bins, forbidding anything from moving at all.  Anything set into the depot would be stuck until the dwarves unlocked the depot.

-

   The elves were forced to leave with only their smelly yaks.  The dwarves had done it, stolen all of the elven goods that they brought with them to trade.  Roasting staff ordered that all of the wooden goods to be sent to the mountain home, as soon as the traders showed up.  It was to be just like the wooden goods fabricated here, the Queen would be free to find some way to antagonize the elves back at the Mountain Home.  She will utilize the stolen goods best; it isn't like the dwarves knew what to do with sticks made to look like swords.  The outpost's dwarves agreed with this plan and they liked it.

-

   Urist privately wondered if the two caged animals that they had stolen from the elves were going to be a problem.  What if the elves had trained those animals to figure out the dwarven outpost and report back on it?  She decided it wasn't likely enough to do anything about.  But maybe they should eat them to be sure.  Or, was that the elven plan?  Urist wasn't sure she was a match for the elf mind games.  She realized that she would have to trust her gut one way or the other.

-

Chapter Six - 1st Hematite 6

   Urist sat upon her superior quality mudstone throne and counted.  She counted, managed, and planned the outpost to best serve all of the needs as she figured them.  Dwarves had needs, beyond the trivial demands of Roasting-staff, Oiled-shield, the guards, and the soldiers.  The common laborers had it rough, just like her rough-hewn quartzite walls.  The Noble, his flunky, and the military minded didn't understand.  Plus, she was sure that the elves would be back before she had the outpost ready for them.

-

   The bossy fools, Roasting-shield and the like, wanted everything for them to be akin to her chair, superior quality, or even more demanding, masterful.  However, Urist was pleased that the mason that had immigrated was such an amazing crafts-dwarf.  The various immigrants...  Erm… no, Roasting-staff continued to insist that they are conscripts, all needed to be managed and that is what Urist would do.

-

   There was a polite knock at her door.  "Come in," Urist said to the closed, and superior quality, mudstone door. There were perks to being the manager after all, and Urist wasn't above utilizing them.  Ryukan opened the door and walked into Urist's work room.

-

   "Urist, how are things down here?  Are the temples too loud?  Or can you get all your work done?" Ryukan inquired.

-

   Urist replied, "Things are going well.  I don't mind the temples, in fact I very much enjoyed spending time in the temple to Daros.  He is such -a- Dwarf."  Urist's eyes looked at an empty direction as she thought about her god.

-

   "Yes, Daros is a ocean and fish loving god.  I think he is why so many dwarves enjoy fishing here at Dykelanterns.  So then, all is going well here for you?" Ryukan asked.

-

   "Well, not everything.  I recently enjoyed that good dining room we have, but I've also been frustrated.  I haven't been able to make anything with my hands recently.  I didn't think that I liked manual labor when I was forced into it, when we had only arrived here without anyone else to do it, but now I miss it."  Urist explained.  "Plus it is raining whenever I'm out surveying things."

-

   "Well then, fix that.  Not the rain, I mean, we are all suffering that particular insult. I'm saying take a little time and craft something." Ryukan suggested.

-

   Urist thought about what the outpost would be like if she wasn't guiding it, and instead was crafting a rock mug, or cutting a wooden trap component.  Then, she let out a little laugh. "Well there is the extra mason's shop.  I could make a throne maybe." Urist said.  And then she thought better of that, they had an extremely skilled mason, which was why no other dwarf was allowed to make the furniture. She kept going, "No, we don't need any low-quality thrones or tables."

-

   "So make something to build with then, like blocks," Ryukan counseled.  And Urist decided that is what she would do, probably.

-

   Urist then said, "I also miss my family and..." and she was cut off by the door slamming open.

-

   Oiled-shield, the Preacher, had opened her door and barged in.  Oiled-shield saw Urist and announced, "There you are, Urist."  Oiled shield then also noticed Ryukan standing there.

-

   Oiled-shield looked down her extremely long nose upon Ryukan until he walked out of the room, saying, "Oh, by the way Urist, it is now summer."  Ryukan then closed the door and was gone.

-

   Oiled-shield turned back to Urist, "Go and see Roasting-staff in her throne room.  You have been summoned, Roasting-staff has more changes to the outpost that you need to make happen."

-

   So Urist got up from her throne and followed Oiled-shield back up to Roasting-staff's.  They passed through the newly cut quartzite halls, and once again Urist thought to the needs of an engraver to smooth out all of the rough-hewn floors, and walls.  Once up to Roasting-staff's throne room. Urist found Roasting-staff seated upon her throne.  Roasting-staff was admiring an uncut clear garnet. 

-

   Oiled-shield walked over to stand next to the masterwork mudstone throne.  After Roasting-staff finished looking over the gem, she addressed Urist, "When will the mason start making obsidian furniture, that I may encrust these gems upon it, and give it value?"

-

   Urist thought back and over the plans that she had been working on.  "We can probably start creating and mining obsidian in a few years, master." she answered.

-

   Roasting-staff then inquired, "What is the reason for the delay?"

-

   To which, Urist explained, "You set forth the requirements, master, that we become self-sufficient underground quickly.  In order to do so, the cavern opening project is underway.  Also the creation of farming fields is of high priority.  Furthermore, it is expected that we will require the use of an aquafer for many uses, so there is a search for it.  Once we have located it, we will install a large tap into it and install floodgates and mechanisms to allow us to harness it without flooding.  The same sort of chambers will be installed next to the volcano, to acquire lava without burning down the outpost, master."

-

   Roasting-staff kept at her questioning, "But why will it take so long?"

-

   And Urist followed with, "We do not have enough workers.  There are only 20 dwarves working at the labors here."

-

   Roasting-staff did not look pleased, but she changed the subject.  Stating, "We require that better trade depots are made.  The wooden one -is- wood, and too exposed.  You need to plan out underground depots.  And keep them closed up until there are merchants to trade with them.  Don't allow a repeat of the elf incident Urist.  Create a floodable depot as soon as the water is under dwarf-control."

-

   Oiled-shield added, "Yes, Roasting-staff noticed your failure to expect the wretches, and she has had an inspired idea for using the force of water, harnessed by dwarf, to have a little accident next time they show those pointy ears."  Oiled-shield praised Roasting-staff as usual.

-

   Urist acknowledged the new mandate, "It will be as Roasting-staff commands, Oiled-shield."

-

   Roasting-staff then asked about her new chambers, "When will my new home be ready?  I have heard from the soldiers that the miners have finished, but that there is no furniture installed."

-

   Urist explained, "The required beds, tables, thrones, weapon racks, armor racks, coffers, and cabinets are ordered, master.  The mason requires time to complete the tasks.  And the carpenters are still working on the bins and exportables.  As requested.  All of this and more will be in the report I've prepared."

-

   Roasting-staff waved off the idea of hearing the report from Urist.  Saying, "You give the report to Oiled-shield.  Later.  The delays are acceptable, but frustrating.  Oh, and add statues to my chambers.  We can't have the liaison thinking we are barbaric humans here, can we?"

-

   Urist added the statues to her mental list of requirements.  She responded, "That is a fine idea, master, I will see to it."

-

   Roasting-staff added, "And masterful levers.  I love how mechanisms bring a room together."

-

   Urist held back from rolling her eyes, answering, "Yes, of course."

-

   Next Roasting-staff demanded, "And I want the floors smooth and engraved before the furniture is installed."

-

   Urist patiently explained, for the hundredth time, "Master, we do not have any master engravers.  We cannot hope to get but basic engravings, and you said to wait."

-

   Roasting-staff dismissed that with, "Ask the liaison to supply them with the next batch of dwarves."

-

   Urist reminded her, "Etur left, without those instructions, over a month ago."

-

   Roasting-staff narrowed her eyes and finished, "You are dismissed, go and complete the projects.  And hurry up on getting it accomplished.  We are dwarves.  No more excuses."  And Urist hurried out of the throne room to get back to work.

-

   Oiled-shield addressed her friend then, "That Urist is a menace.  She is an incompetent fool and she doesn't get anything done that you as for, as she should be required to."

-

   To which Roasting-staff challenged, "Do you wish to replace her, my friend?  Do you think that you would do better?"

-

   And she replied, "You know that I have my own responsibilities, the temple, the training of the animals, the tending to our souls.  I don't have time to do the managing here, that is why you brought Urist."

-

   Roasting-staff commanded, "Then let Urist work.  She has actually done a passable job so far.  I mean look at my fabulous throne; and Roasting-staff fondly touched the masterfully crafted throne."

-

   Oiled-shield responded, "I was just saying that we should find some-dwarf to replace Urist, you can do better."

-

   Roasting-staff's answer came back, shortly, "You are an idiot at times Oiled-shield.  Urist doesn't even understand what is happening here and she still manages to get projects completed.  She is a fine dwarf for this job."  And Oiled-shield changed the subject, fawning over Roasting-staff and how amazing of a leader she is, not wanting to hear that she was a fool.

-

   On the way back down to her throne, Urist once again thought about the elven animals.  They had been pastured outside, with the grazers.  But they had been found inside and required to be hauled out.  Repeatedly.  How strange for trained critters.

-

   Thank you for reading,
   Thebtathtak

Next - Fortress Update Five

[TheImmortalRyukan]

Just finished reading/ catching up, keep up the good/average work