Well, as spring rolled around, Stoat decided to roll around as well. "'ey. Amaranth. Y'wanted something t'do, I got somethin' for ya." With that, I was left in the kitchen with a short stack of papers.
- - - - - - - - - -
"You're shoving the overseer position on ME?!"
"Yeah, lass, that's what I bee' sayin'."
"
I swear to *mumblemumble* strangle your firstborn Fine. I'll take it."
- - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from the journals of (there are strange markings here that don't match any known language)First things first, then. I've been thrust into the position of overseer for this den of low-key insanity. I've taken a look around and found... problems. There is good, as well, but one must address the problems first.
Issue #1: The entrance hall. It is filled with defensive fortifications in the walls, yet the militia has not been informed to make use of this. This has been rectified by telling them to "burrow" behind the arrow-slits. Should an invasion occur, they will
know where to be and will be able to fire upon the invaders from behind the walls likely make it there too late to be of any use.
Issue #2: Latrines.
Issue #3: There is a lever installed in the north wall of the temple. This lever controls the access gate to the trading depot area, but the lever itself was unmarked. This has now been rectified, a note attached to the lever.
Issue #4: How many of us are even here in this bloody pit?
Issue #5: Our food stocks are in a dire state - we've only a few dozen types of edibles! This must be addressed.
Issue #6: The defences are still somewhat lackluster. We should have access gates along the entrance hall. Traps. A gatehouse. Soon.
Issue #7: Zan is now our captain of the
gourd, due to a clerical error during paperwork transfer. To match this new role, a pumpkin was assigned.
Issue #8: A fisherdwarf murdered a turkey hen. We may need to implement anti-rage measures.
In addition to the above, I have had the
gigantic pain in the arse highest honour LIKE HELL
Lokum has decided that her name is now "Xenir". I have set aside her document for the liaison to take back, should the fool ever decide to do some work.
First order of business was to get MORE. FOOD.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Ye said to gather
what?!"
"THE PLAAAAANTS."
"From th' surface?!"
"The plants. From the surface. For food. You like to have food to eat, right? Get. The. Plants. Take whoever you need, as long as they know what to gather."
"Bu', we're
dwarfs-"
"You also need to eat. Go forth, and gather. Or we'll run out of booze, too."
A great rumbling can be heard as the half-dozen dwarfs that were in earshot all begin running to the surface in unison.
- - - - - - - - - -
"We need more space dug out for farms. I have the plans drawn up already. Begin from this point and dig south - you'll avoid all known water this way."
"Aye, looks fine. Should take no more'n seven days."
"Faster than I expected! I'll leave you to it, then. When you're done, the farmers can set fields in the middle of each."
- - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from the journals of (there are strange markings here that don't match any known language)We also have no proper dining hall. This
is kodo shit cannot stand. I have laid out an area for a great tavern below. What are kodos? I still don't bloody know. Now that the farms are dug, the booze hall shall be next! WE SHALL BE DINING UPON GREAT
CANNABIS HEMPSEED ROASTS BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. I have also put in an order with the manager for twenty table-and-chair sets for the new dining hall.
Three larger farm plots have been assigned near the temple, next to the existing farm. These, along with the new pod farms, should give us plenty of expansion space for growing whatever we may find of use.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Kooobolds, kooooobolds, they the kobolds shall taaaake the-" "KOBOLD SIGHTED! THIEF, THIIEEEEF!"
"No, you idiot, I was singing."
"Nay, a kobold was sighted topside!"
"Oh for the love of- Go, just, go chase it off, with your 'big sticks'.
*snrk* 'Sticks'. Right. *snrk*"
"Aye!"
[...]
"LUKAPAYNGIS NO IS SAY! GOING!"
[...]
"Sorry, lass, the little bugger go' away."
"
*Wheeze, snrk* I'm sure your
big sticks scared the blighter senseless!
*snrk*PFBAAHAHA-
*cough* WATER!"
- - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from the journals of (there are strange markings here that don't match any known language)I have instructed our "engravers", such as they are, to smooth the hospital floor. After seeing the ridges and edges of the floor of what should be a place of healing, I was
appalled. These fools are clearly slowly going insane, and it all started early on in Granite, I'm sure of it.
Speaking of insanity, I was told to cook some of our limited supplies of booze. Nobody. NOBODY.
NOBODY in their right mind would cook a beverage! "Words" were had, oh yes. Speaking of which, we require more beverages. Our stocks have gone from "paltry" to "emergency rations" levels, and THIS MUST BE RECTIFIED.
Of course, I was soon overrun by a deluge of morons complaining of a lack of barrels. MAKE MORE BARRELS, YOU LACKWITS. Soon we shall be drowning in barrels and pots. WE SHALL SOON BE DRINKING OUR BEVERAGES FROM BARRELS OF HAZEL AND
SMOKING QUARTZITE POTS.
[Three weeks go by in the journal, the entries entirely - and surprisingly - mundane]
The great hall has been dug. IT SHALL BE SMOOTHED!
- - - - - - - - - -
"An' we're gettin' ready t' smooth the floor an' walls in the tavern ye had dug - bloody huge, lass, bu' it'll be a beauty when we ge' done with it."
"Ahead of schedule, again! Yes, go ahead and smooth it out. Smooth it to a
shine, yes, as SMOOTH AS A HUMANS'-"
"AHOOOOOY, ATTENTION!"
"What manner of boorish rubbish is this?" Amaranth looks over the edge of the entrance to the depot and squints. "Migrants?"
The migrants - all two of them, and the collection of pets they brought with them - crest the hill to the north and head for the entrance, stopping to greet the group talking at the depot. "'ello, lasses. I'm Ral, this is Nish. High Master Glazer, and Talented Bookbinder, hope you have extra beds and barrels! Heh har."
" ... High master? Glazer? High master glazer. And a bookbinder." Amaranth rubs the bridge of her nose.
"Tha's right, lass."
"So what you're saying is that you're a master of getting high on glaze."
"Nay, lass, earthenwa-"
"I don't care. We have no use for either of those skills right now. Nish, you're carrying a crossbow, and comfortably. Go introduce yourself to our crossbow squad, I'm sure they'll be glad to have a new mate. Ral, your mastery of sniffing the glaze has been noted and is disturbing. You know what, never mind. Go, haul or something. Help the others gather plants from up here, I'm sure you saw some on your way in."
"Aye, we'll get to it, riiight after we take a load off downstairs."
"Oi. Hold up, you two. Why the hell did you bring a llama, an untrained dog, and... whatever that thing is? You know what this place is, right? This is a
forward staging point for raids, not a menagerie! Sod it. Someone get that llama into the pasture before it dies in the middle of the temple- WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT THIS NOT BEING A MENAGERIE?! Why did you bring a
reindeer?!"
- - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from the journals of (there are strange markings here that don't match any known language)I can't
this s
I need a book. And a gneiss pot.
And a nice bedroom.
We are getting better lodgings before something...
stupid... happens.
[A week of entries pass, many of them somewhat rambling.]
SIX ROOMS, THEY DUG SIX. ROOMS.
- - - - - - - - - -
The scream of "YEEAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHHHH" echoes through the hallways and out of the tunnels to the surface. Above, a kea turns around and speeds away.
- - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from the journals of (there are strange markings here that don't match any known language)Better! Larger! More! SMOOTHER! THEY'D BEST BE SMOOTHER THAN A HUMAN THROUGH A [The rest of the line is a scribbled line.]
Someone just ran by, screaming about how they can't find their lunch.
I can feel the minds of all around me snapping. NOT MINE, NO, NEVER
- - - - - - - - - -
"We have NO DRINKS?! You're telling me that someone is dying of thirst and we have no buckets, but you don't think to MAKE A BUCKET? Oh dear light... Just... make a bucket. And then MAKE. MORE. BARRELS."
"I NEED A BUCKET!"
"WE NEE' A BUCKE' O'ER HERE!"
"BUCKEEEEEEEEEET!"
Amaranth sighs, before taking a deep breath. "Shut up about the buckets! YOUR BUCKET FETISHES WILL SOON BE SATISFIED, SO JUST
SHUT UP!"
- - - - - - - - - -
Amidst the chaos of dwarfs screaming for buckets, booze, and berries, a single dwarf wanders through the halls, her mind on other matters.
'What is this disgusting... tentacled mass, anyways? Why is it in the temple? OH DEAR GODS IT CAN MOVE.' As the dwarf passes a carpenter's shop, she stops. There, in the centre of the work area, is a finished bed, a great work of art that would cause all but the most hardened to stop and gaze at it. '... Dear gods. This bed. Why can't I stop staring at this bed. Sod it, I'm taking it to my new quarters.' As the screams of "I CAN'T FIND A BUCKET" fade, the dwarf picks up one end of the bed and hauls it to the new bedrooms.
- - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from the journals of (there are strange markings here that don't match any known language)A few things, this time.
First, my new bed is a thing of beauty. Yes.
Second, the bucket fetishists have finally stopped their screaming now that we have four buckets and plenty of alcohol. I hope to never again see sober dwarfs.
Third, a registration error seems to have left my papers without the seal of the armoursmiths. I'm here to cook and forge, so that got fixed with proper application of Special Berry Wine.
Fourth, some idiot left a llama skeleton in the temple.
Fifth, something has struck me. I must ponder this great victory.
[The entries skip two days.]
The tables and chairs for the tavern are being
neglected. THE GREAT YAAARRRGGH SHALL VISIT RETRIBUTION UPON YOU ALL
breathe breathe
which is admittedly very weird. breathing. Just use your leaves except you DON'T HAVE THEM NOW they must NEVER KNOW OF THIS
[Later entries seem much calmer.]
[A list of names is scribble on this page, under a header of "bucket fetishists"]
Snow Dwarf, Puppyguard, Hun, Derpy(?!), Ingish,
that damn birdMottled Petrel
[The list of names is scribbled over]
EVERYONE
EVERYONE IS INFECTED
THEY ALL MUST DIE, THEY ARE ALL INFECTED
[The next page has "S U M M E R" written diagonally across it.]
- - - - - - - - - -
Alright, so, despite the length, this was only spring. I need to learn to
say less so I don't burn out. Any tips?