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[Sanctume]

I'm enjoying the updates.  Can't wait how the giant recluse and wolf do in fights.  A wimpy recruit with an artifact war hammer sounds like a hero in the making. 

You have a scholar in line yet?  I say make the wimpy hammer dwarf become legendary and retire to scholar duty if he/she is curious about knowledge.

[Massenstein]

I'm enjoying the updates.  Can't wait how the giant recluse and wolf do in fights.  A wimpy recruit with an artifact war hammer sounds like a hero in the making. 

You have a scholar in line yet?  I say make the wimpy hammer dwarf become legendary and retire to scholar duty if he/she is curious about knowledge.

Considered adding scholar to Rime's endless list of jobs but that would have slowed bookkeeping and work managing down a lot. I am glad you enjoy it. Next update will come today when I finish editing it. (I play few months at a time writing down everything than happens, then edit it as if it's a letter written in single sitting)

[Massenstein]

Felsite, 254

Goodest mountainhome

The last few months have been eventful.

The autumn of 253 caravan from mountainhome made their visit, as did the liaison. With Rib handling the diplomatics I did not feel the need to loom over the meeting. So I was not aware that the liaison wanted to elect our little outpost into a barony. Surprised Rib offered my name for consideration, thus continuing the tradition of Angersquats's leadership of piling work on poor Rime's shoulders.

I guess I am Angersquats leadership now. Baroness Rime Raglures at your service. I wanted to chew Rib's buttocks, until Bomber pointed out that the title comes with extensive personal quarters and hardly any actual work. That calmed me down. A bit. And allowed me to focus on what Rib was trying to say. The liaison had brought news of the fortress Lancetax falling to enemy, a human nation The Trim Union. That was worrisome. Though our human contacts are from a different nation and our relations good.

I told Rib to bring it up with Minty and went to meet the merchants. I was happy to see good selection of literature in the wares. Among them such treasures as Ontha Growshark's Questions About Locks and Rislu Fuchsiabrave's The Human Might Help.

After the trading it was time to excavate my personal quarters. I chose to have them near the library. Turns out a baroness is entitled not only to a fancy bedroom, but also a personal dining room and a grandiose office. I had no complaints. My rooms were furnished with the best masterworks our craftsdwarves had made.
   With the exception of the bed. I had my grubby old bed brought from my previous room. Made from bitter orange wood, it is one of Dishman's earliest works and quite crude. But I am fond of it. It reminds me of the days when it was just the seven of us and I was slightly less overworked. This bed has cradled me through all these years and it is still good enough for me.

The spring of 254 saw Bomrek the giant spider pass away. Its kind has very short lifespan. Though few of us will miss the sight of those huge hairy legs appearing from the stairwell, I know Mintchocolate loved the monster. At her request we had Bomrek transferred to her personal tomb. When it is time for Minty to go, Bomrek will be waiting and together they will spook everyone in the afterlife.

The elven caravan visited that same month, as did the elven diplomat, an eerie woman with scarlet hair reaching almost to the floor. She expressed unhappiness at our tree-cutting ways. I expressed unhappiness at her trying to tell us what to do. We concluded the meeting unhappy with each other. Then I went to see the elven merchants. They were very happy. They had brought two giant animals this time; a kangaroo and a cougar. I bought them both. I knew someone in the military would want them for pets.

Unpleasant elements seem to tail caravans. An ettin was seen approaching our walls. Alarm was sounded, but 'Booker' Archwork, a herbalist, did not make it in time and fell victim to the two-headed monster. Everyone else made it to safety, and when ettin was breaking the gates, Mintchocolate's troops were in formation. They ganged up on it and took it down with minimal casualties. Bomber's giant wolf, Sibrek, was of immense help in the fight.

'Booker' Archwork was buried in the catacombs, a first dwarf to die in Angersquats. She will be dearly missed, most of all by her husband, 'Paddle' Tooldyes. Berry made a memorial statue, for once not focusing on violent death, instead having chosen a gentler angle.




Rendered with Armok Vision!


Sadness and loss mark the beginning of this year, yet I feel hopeful. The children are growing, we have enough alcohol (126 barrels, for those of you back home keeping count) and have so far averted major catastrophies. Though the rumors of war worry me, and I wish I had more able-minded dwarves to share responsibilities with. Even mayor Rib defers to my judgement in most matters.

Yours thoughtfully,
Rime Raglures, Bookkeeper & Manager & Broker & Planter & Stonecrafter & Chief Medical Dwarf & Baroness of Angersquats

[Massenstein]

Opal, 254

Goodest mountainhome

Last summer a curious guest arrived with the human caravan. A thin, unassuming young dwarf by the name of 'Pertti' Diamondtrade. He introduced himself as a travelling bard and asked to join Angersquats as an entertainer. What makes him in interesting are the rumours surrounding him; the human diplomat is certain Pertti is a general to the royal guard of The Persuasive Mansion, another dwarven civilization.
   What is a high officer doing so far from home? The diplomat did not know. She could only tell me Pertti has been traveling for years, visiting towns and fortresses, entertaining audiences with music.
   Though I was intensely curious, I refrained from harassing our guest with inquiries. Perhaps one day he will tell us his story.

On Malachite a group of immigrants arrived, running. The reason for hurry became immediately apparent: A cyclops was after them.
   There were children in the group. Mintchocolate abandoned the safety of the fortifications and led the troops storming out to meet the monster.
   Rousey Ironmorning, a macedwarf, is the hero of that battle. She kept the monster's attention to herself and landed the killing blow, even after having her shoulder completely smashed, something she considers 'annoying minor injury'. Rib appointed her the champion of our fort. (To most immense relief to myself - I have been fearful she would find some way to grant that title to me!)

The mountainhome caravan and the liaison honored us with their visit. The liaison had more news from the government: They wanted to upgrade Angersquats from a barony to duchy. I was initially worried, but was assured the only practical change was more luxury upon my person. That quelled my objections. I don't mind luxury after working my buttocks off for years.

The early winter saw our first siege, if you can call it that. A lone goblin bowman parked himself outside the wall, hollering demands for surrender. Mintchocolate went to negotiate.



Mintchocolate believes the attack was meant probe our military strength. She says we should prepare for a significantly larger assault within a year.
   Once more I find all of my workers drafted for aboveground projects. But maybe it will be pay off. I took a glance at what Minty has accomplished so far; the Angersquats has truly become a veritable fortress. A building covers the trade depot and the entrance to underground; the upper floors host a barracks and Minty's personal quarters. A wall with a fortified walkway and guard towers surrounds this central building. Minty is now directing efforts to make yet another outer wall so that invaders can be directed to trapped bottlenecks and archers can siphon their strength before any melee combat needs to occur.

I have said this before; I don't always agree with Captain Mintchocolate, but I am glad we have someone like her to deal with all things martial. I am fine dealing with numbers.

Yours luxuriously, Rime Raglures, Bookkeeper & Manager & Broker & Planter & Stonecrafter & Chief Medical Dwarf & Duchess of Angersquats

[Massenstein]

Galena, 255

Goodest Mountainhome

Last spring that spooky scarlet-haired diplomat, Iÿe Abecomasami, arrived with the elven caravan again. Still deeply distressed by our timber industry, she requested we limit our woodcutting to 115 trees for the coming year.
   The amount fit well within our needs, though I was initially disinclined to agree as a matter of principle. But it was not a busy day, and as alcohol-fueled negotiations progressed, I gained some small insight on elven thinking. I still do not understand why their love for trees is so great; I just know it is so. I decided to respect that. The relations between our peoples have always been precarious. Too many leading minds on both sides think war is a good option.
   Iÿe and myself do not have much in common, but we both value peace. We made a pact to work towards ensuring that between our nations.

She stayed some time after the caravan had left and had to be smuggled out past Minthocolate's watchful eyes. By this point most of Angersquats is in on the plot, including several of the visitors. We still don't know if there is real need to worry. We still don't want to find out.

The year has largely gone peacefully. Some long-standing visitors requested citizenship and were granted it. During summer a bunch of giant keas followed the human caravan, an event that is always celebrated by our archers. Around the same time miners had some trouble with cave crodociles and giant bats. Only minor injuries were suffered. Medical staff lacks opportunities for serious training.

Mintchocolate has been training her gang bullying the giant rhinoceri that sometimes wander the outskirts of Angerqsuats. Few of the beasts avoided death by punching long enough to be caught in cage traps. Reine is busy trying to tame a breeding pair. She is dissatisfied with the capabilities of war dogs.

Autumn is nearly upon us. Life in Angersquats is busy but comfortable.

Multitaskingly yours,
Rime Raglures, Bookkeeper & Manager & Broker & Planter & Stonecrafter & Chief Medical Dwarf & Duchess of Angersquats

[Massenstein]

Moonstone, 255

Goodest mountainhome

Mintchocolate Steelfaint is dead.

Few weeks ago a gremblin snuck through the checkpoints of the cavern entrance and pulled down a lever, opening the main gate into the grotto. There had been no sightings of dangerous beasts so dealing with the situations did not occur to anyone, until a giant cave spider crawled through the open entrance and started making its way upstairs, towards living quarters.
   All of military was alerted, but most were in the aboveground barracks. Mintchocolate was closest, enjoying rare off-duty time. She went to meet the beast without grabbing her armour or weapons. There just wasn't time. There were children in the living quarters. One of the kids, 'Kele' Skullshot, followed Minty and reportedly delivered some shin-kicks at the spider.
   The child survived the encounter unharmed. Mintchocolate did not. She did hold the monster's attention until rest of the military arrived and chopped it down.

Mintchocolate's body was laid to rest in her personal burial chamber, next to the coffin belonging to her beloved pet, that other horrible giant spider, Bomrek.
   I like to believe Bomrek was waiting for her on the other side. Minty amused it with tales of battling it's cave-dwelling cousin, and now they are riding together to afterlife to scare the lidod out of the gods and spirits therein. May they have good time.



Another tragedy struck in the form of a giant, just few days ago. 'Raakku' Bittendyes, a cleric, fell victim to it before the military could attack, and will be missed.
   There have been other brawls with creatures, most of them resulting only in minor injuries.

Bomber took Minty's place as the captain of the guard. He learned a lot as her second-in-command. I still remember him as the humble, burly woodcutter who arrived to our outpost all those years ago. Now, after years of training, he is burlier than ever, a giant of a dwarf, with iron in his voice. Yet, he hasn't lost that humility. He listens. He considers before acting. He will do good.



Finally some alcohol-related news. Our wares currently account to 294 barrels of 36 different kinds of drinks. Production is keeping ahead of demand and carefully monitored, naturally.

I will write you with more news as soon as I am able.

Yours with heavy heart,
Rime Raglures, Bookkeeper & Manager & Broker & Planter & Stonecrafter & Chief Medical Dwarf & Duchess of Angersquats

[Massenstein]

Felsite, 256

Goodest mountainhome

The winter burdened us with more trouble before succumbing to spring's embrace. A goblin force rushed through the still unfinished outer wall and started shooting at farm animals. The military had little trouble dispatching them and our only casualties were some turkeys and cows.

Iÿe Abecosamami visited again and was happy to see most of the trees in our area intact. And surprised that we did not need to smuggle her in through the side door. With Mintchocolate gone there is no need. We had many drinks and talked and I cried a lot.

Work had pile don while I was tending to diplomatic relations. I didn't feel like doing anything. What do I have hundred, variously skilled dwarves for? I decided to radically prune my job list. Uhraaja Castlepelt from the medical staff took my place as a bookkeeper. Armorer Krusty Palacerings became the new work manager.
   After some thinking I decided to also relinquish the position of a broker. I enjoy chatting with the merchants, but there is much that goes into trading I have no patience for. I assigned One-Ball Earthenford on the job and set him on the elven merchants.
   I am still managing the hospital and doing some crafts, as well as overseeing general fortress planning with mayor Rib Springarch. Rest of my time I am going to dedicate to studying and drinking. Speaking of which, we have launched plans for a new tavern, this time located aboveground, near the caravan entrance. I will have more to tell about that in my next letter.

One more thing of note was the creation of an artifact battle axe by Gummy Craftseas. He named it Focusletter. It is made of silver and perfectly beautiful, except for one detail:



I absolutely detest bats.

Slightly less overworkedly yours,
Rime Raglures, Chief Medical Dwarf & Duchess of Angersquats