Print

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

[Radiofort]

That was really cool! Nice writing, indeed.

I'm also glad that you decided to continue my scuffed glassification project. Our dorfs really need to see some relaxing green colour from time to time.

At first I wanted to make three furnaces but made only two, as I had an idea of garbage disposal magma dump. Unconnected jet lever should've been operating the hatch between the furnaces, but due to brain overload I made a grate instead of a hatch cover and froze the project for the best, as we surely don't need any magma mist in a fortress. In the end I kinda forgot about it 

There's two dump zones in a zombie chamber, which can be also used to dispose of trash via atom smashing (though I don't recommend to throw corpses here because of, you know, miasma).

The only reason Solon haven't snapped yet is, probably, him being an artifact creator, as artifact creators cannot go insane from stress. At that point I'm not even sure if it's good or bad for him, as his whole life now is like...

[QuQuasar]

I attempted to have the dwarves of Smallhands dump the remains of the goblin attack, but they consistently seem to value short term personal gain over the good of the fortress. Plenty of time for looting crowns and amulets to enrich themselves, but none for disposing of the corpses rotting upon our doorstep.

I tried to encourage them to stop behaving like children by placing a minecart tipper with which to dump the corpses into the garbage disposal device. That worked.

It was also a poor decision. I am now seeing a great many complaints about the stench of death infesting these halls.



I am unsure how that is different from the usual state of affairs in Smallhands, and frankly would be feeling insulted if I was capable of it, but the living seem to consider it a problem. Very well. I am aware of a small hole filled with magma along the southern edge of the pastures. It will become an incinerator for post-siege refuse.




I discovered that the asylum is currently being occupied by 'Auze', a speardwarf and a child. The mayor is utilizing it's office as his own. A clear example of the monsters of Smallhands valuing their own comfort over that of those who suffer the most.

With exactly three stressed dwarves it would be irrational not to make use of the asylum's three rooms. I have evicted the squatters and assigned Solon, Urist and Elpho to the asylum burrow. They have also been assigned to a 'Combat Therapy' militia squad, since improving ones skills is known to assist in the neverending fight against stress. This may make their tantrums more damaging, but if so, so be it.

We will coddle our weak until they recover, or they will destroy one another entirely. I do not care either way, but Dastot would have. It is the kind thing to do.


Speaking of things my former self cared deeply about...



Kubuk continue to haunt the Siege Breakers barracks. His eternal torment and occasional minor poltergeist activity is becoming a distraction to the militia members. Also, ZultanKing tried to interrogate him for some reason.



Good to know that death has not reduced my husbands naivete.

I am tempted to have the love of my life (such as it was) memorialized, and say goodbye once and for all. Indeed, that would be by far the most rational approach.

But...

... [rattling corpse sigh]...

... I cannot ignore that she would not have let him go. Every fraction of my rational mind is demanding I put him to rest and end his suffering forever, but if I intend to use the memories of my former self as any form of moral compass I cannot ignore the most important thing in Dastot's life.

I will research the means by which Overseer Nogood returned from the dead. And, if that unique incident can be replicated, as foolish as it may be, I will endeavor to do so.

I can't imagine it will work, and I'm not capable of caring whether it does or not. But it must be attempted.







The moment Kubuk's ghostly figure vanishes over the horizon, Asmel Cloisterweight, a professional swordswoman, is possessed. I do not know whether this bodes well or poorly.

She claims a mechanics workshop. Just what we need. Another set of artifact-quality mechanisms. It seems plausible to me that Smallhands has been blessed by a minor deity of mechanisms. Just in case, I offer my prayers to the unknown god.

Thank you, god of machines, for your blessing this day! I praise you in the name o the sky and the net! May your workings be lubricated and your physics malleable to the point of exploitatative!



If I was still alive, I would feel acutely self-conscious right now.

... okay, that's a lie, I would have found it hilarious.



[rattling sigh] I miss being able to laugh.




What? The Siege Breakers are back already? That was astonishingly quick.

Well, Smallhands will not say no to five free tame Beak Dogs, but surely you fools knew you were supposed to stay afield until we finished installing the slab, right? The Ritual of Nogood stated quite clearly that the ghost of my husband must not be within sight of the fortress when the slab is-



... Kubuk?



Heh. Kubuk, darling, this isn't funny. Come back. You can't go yet. You can't. Not yet.



Heheh. Kubuk, no. Not like this, not again, please. I... I can't even mourn you like this. You know that! I'm not even capable of mourning you! Kubuk!



I can't... feel things... Kubuk... come back... please... come back...



... *sob*... *sob*...

come back

... *sob*...

I still love you.

[Radiofort]

NO! It wasn't supposed to be like that! T_T
sigh I kinda hoped he will clash with Ikud the blind demon in a future and kill him for all Smallhands' woes.

Note 1: it seems the resurrection procedure needs improvement, as most of dorfs are slowed by fever and all remaining hostile settlements is too close to fortress for assault squad to stay off-map long enough. I think it's better to start building the slab when the squad is still on map, then suspend it partially constructed, THEN send the soldiers on mission and THEN unsuspend the construction. That will require a lot of microcontrol, but, in theory, should buy our feverish sloths enough time to memorialize ghosts off-map... probably.

Note 2: on the other hand, we can just send them to explore the ruins of Cactushexes. Pretty meaningless mission, but it's distant enough... probably, too.

Meanwhile, what was the result of attack? Did we win, at least?

[QuQuasar]

Meanwhile, what was the result of attack, at least?

Oh, right. I meant to include the spoils in the original post, but I got a bit distracted by the out-of-the-blue tearjerker moment.

The raid was a flawless success. The goblins didn't even notice the Siege Breakers, and we got 5 new tame beak dogs out of it!






I need help again: these little buggers won't haul refuse. I've got the entire fortress on refuse hauling duty and no other hauling duties, and not one of them will so much as touch any of the corpses stinking up the main hall and entrance way.



The corpses aren't forbidden or marked for dumping, refuse orders are set to "Dwarves Gather Refuse from Outside", and the stockpile is set to recieve them, but Smallhands has just given up on refuse hauling entirely and I don't understand why.

[auzewasright]

It took me about 3 savescums to time Nogood's slabbing right, and that was before everyone was slow. Looks like you learned that the hard way.

[recon1o6]

try forbid/unforbid the refuse? and make some of the more resilient hauliers have no other labours than refuse, that tends to work
Oh and refuse on the surface tends not to make miasma

damn that tear jerker though. Looks like Quasar is slowly getting her emotions back after all. Worthy attempt though!


how did magma get into the old ballista bolt storage I made? and better still, now where am I gonna build the pumping system to the Tall Bar's magma weapon if the channel I dug is filled with water and the bypass is now an incinerator

I'm going to have a lot of work to do in my next reign.

[Darkening Kaos]

     Check that the refuse stockpile is set to receive corpses as well.

[King Zultan]

Well that's depressing way to end that update.

[delphonso]

Even heroes must obey me, or perish.

This is a super cool line.

Oof, my emotions. Sad Kubuk didn't make the Smallhands Special and achieve a third life. Really love your style, QuQuasar.

Also, we made it to page 69. Nice.

[QuQuasar]

Heheheh.

And here I thought I couldn't feel anything anymore. Turns out the numbness, the detachment, the cloying, stifling apathy of the dead... they were nothing but illusions this whole time.

Of course they were. Ha! I should have known. Of course the gods wouldn't be so kind. Not to me. They're probably responsible! Surely, somewhere out there some sadistic minor diety of fucking prawns or something is toying with my existence, amusing itself personally with my suffering. Well go on, laugh. Laugh you sick fucko!

Hahahahaha! I feel! I'm a dead thing, my soul long gone, and yet I feel. Not physically, of course. I can't feel the touch of another dwarf, or taste the burn of strong alchohol. Blood does not course through my dead veins. But sorrow... grief... heartache. I feel those.

But all of those pale in comparison to the one emotion I feel most of all.

HATE.


Reforming Smallhands? Hah! With what, some work orders? A bit of glass furniture? An incinerator? Heheheh. Ahahahah! I was a fool.

Smallhands can't be reformed. The monsters that live here in the guise of dwarves will never produce anything other than suffering. I used to think it was those in charge that were to blame, but I know better now. It's all of them. All they had to do was install the slab before the Siege Breakers got back. It should have been easy!

This entire fortress is a feverish engine of suffering, producing nothing but torment and shitty craftworks.

Ending the suffering of Smallhands once and for all will require a more... drastic approach.



Heheheheh. Aaaaahahahah!


The masons came to tell me they'd finished the glass furnaces: three magma furnaces for glass and two conventional ones to run sand collection jobs. I told them I didn't care. They told me a spare barrel is still required for the ashery, but otherwise the facility is functional. I told them to leave me, I am busy orchestrating their doom. They told me it is connected to a small sand collection area directly above it. I screamed incoherent zombie noises at them until they ran away screaming. Heheheh. Their fear pleases me greatly.



But then they came back to inform me that the roof leaks. Dwarves are bad at taking hints. Fuck off.





Another report from a project started in a simpler time.



The blunt weapons were supposed to reduce hauling requirements and prevent a repeat of the unnecessary scuffle earlier this year. Now, though... all I can think is that it will be good for hurting those I hate. Hahah.

A good enough reason. The project will continue.


The entrance staircase continues to smell of death. The consequences of their actions will continue to haunt Smallhands for as long as they exist. Or at least for as long as they refuse to haul any the damned corpses.



Some small amount of hauling has been done. They're aware of the problem. They're just too damn lazy to do anything about it.





Solon has at last been released from jail. He immediately secured a llama bone earring for himself, then reported to the hospital to have his wounds tended.



I sense in Solon a kindred spirit. His pure, justified rage at the injustice of the universe very nearly equals my own.



Yes in fact, I think Solon will be a good choice. My project nears completion. Aaaahahaha. Yes. He will be the first...

[recon1o6]

I'm getting heavy 5 stages of grief vibes. Only dwarfy. Dastor really had a number did on her over time, small wonder she's enjoying overseership

[QuQuasar]

On the other hand, perhaps a different dwarf would be more suitable for my plans.



Hahaha. Of course. It's not like anything I plan could ever actually be allowed to happen.

For once the dwarves of Smallhands acted quickly. The moment Solon's enraged berserker cry echoed from the corridor to the hospital, they locked him in it. I suppose they have plenty of practice when it comes to neglecting the suffering of others.

Solon will die in that corridor. I hate it, but there is little I can do to help him.



Radiofort tells me this is a problem because now he can't bring the man his crutch.



I tell him he's missing the point. He tells me I'm missing the point, because now our only hospital is inaccessible. I concede the point and order a wall dug. Then I tell him it's rude to point. Then he tells me he's not pointing at me, I'm pointing at him. I attempt to correct him on the subject.

This continued for several hours. If I still had a will to live, I am certain this conversation would have rectified that.


OOC: Yep, Solon had never actually created an artifact. He was never immune to breaking at all. He just bore all that stress on his own like a fucking champ.

Of course, now I can't even transmoghoulify the poor bastard because the stress residue would rapidly drive him berserk again, just like it did to Quasar. That's a shame. He deserves better.

Though... perhaps he didn't go berserk while we was in jail because he was chained? Probably just confirmation bias, but perhaps if I convict him of a crime he didn't do after rezzing him? I don't have anything in the crime list, though. Or maybe I can find a way to KO him over the top of a cage trap?

(Edit) I ran a ghoulification test on a different dwarf and the process of dying set their stress to 0. So a) this gives me hope for Solon, and b) I have no idea how Quasar managed to become a babbling ghoul. Shouldn't even be possible.

[Radiofort]

I tell him he's missing the point. He tells me I'm missing the point, because now our only hospital is inaccessible. I concede the point and order a wall dug. Then I tell him it's rude to point. Then he tells me he's not pointing at me, I'm pointing at him. I attempt to correct him on the subject.

Considering Radiofort's liquid brain, this conversation makes me laugh again and again.

So Solon never made an artifact? Then just F for poor fellow, as he stayed in a darkest zetsubou for more than a year.

Still, I have an idea. If Solon will be lucky enough to arise as a ghoul, and if ghoul/zombie type of undeath is choosen permanently for a creature (I'm not sure but i think I've seen someone researching it in this thread), AND if the insanity tag won't linger after off-map memorializing, then he probably still can be saved if brought down, reanimated as ghoul and then rapidly sent off to explore/raid some world's asshole and slabbed. Moreover, if it would work, then Dastot/Quasar can be saved too the same way.

[QuQuasar]

Still, I have an idea. If Solon will be lucky enough to arise as a ghoul, and if ghoul/zombie type of undeath is choosen permanently for a creature (I'm not sure but i think I've seen someone researching it in this thread).

I can confirm that this is not the case. I've managed to raise a specific dwarf as both ghoul and zombie. However, simply by savescumming over and over, I only ever get a zombie. From what I've seen, in the current save, the first corpse he raises is always zombie, the second corpse is a ghoul so long as it is sentient and the third one is a zombie.

So you cannot get what you want simply by savescumming, but at the same time, it is possible to manipulate what you get. If you know the next one will be a zombie, you can have him raise a buzzard head or something first to 'get it out of his system'. The one after that might be a forlorn ghoul. And if it is a ghoul, it will always be a ghoul regardless of who you send to him.

I don't have any data beyond the first two or three: they seem to alternate, but I only have 3 data points to go on.

[QuQuasar]

It is ready. Now, all I need to do is- why is there a sock in it? WHO DARES?!



I can't use it if there's a sock jamming the door. This is sabotage! Somebody dump the damn thing.


The incinerator is all-but complete. A few dwarves have even deigned to use it to start stockpiling refuse.



They're only stockpiling the teeth at this stage, though: nobody is moving any actual corpses, because godsforbid they be forced to touch something icky for the good of the fortress. Still, it's a start. It proves they are at least aware of the refuse dump.


The glassmakers came to tell me the the farmers keep taking their potash to use as fertilizer before they can process it into pearlash. Clear glass is more than twice as valuable as green glass and it only needs wood logs to make it, and more importantly this stupidity is ruining the long production line I had envisaged. It took literally minutes to draw up those work orders!


Logs ===> (Wood Burner) ===> Ash ===> (Ashery) ===> Potash ===> (Kiln) ===> Pearlash ===> (Glass Makers) ===> Clear Glass Furniture
                                                     |
                                                    Stolen by idiots


Oh. Annoyance. That's a new one.


They're actually dumping the corpses! Finally.



I will give them some time to empty the fort of all the random body parts strewn about, then narrow it down to sentient corpses and loose clothing. All our fresh, fortress-made clothing is safely stored in stockpiles on the textile floor, and the rest shall be burned.

Dwarves should not don goblin clothing. It's not a matter of preference, but of hygiene. I saw the daily life of goblins while I was imprisoned in Dimplesteal. My colleagues might not know where that -troll-fur loincloth- has been, but I do.

We shall have to find a more suitable trade good than used clothes for Smallhands to traffic in. I can think of at least one possibility...






Oof. I remember that feel.


They still won't dump that bloody sock, though. And now they're hauling clothing in circles between a couple stockpiles I don't actually understand the use of?

[sigh] It doesn't matter. Let's try installing a second door. Maybe we can wash it out when it's used. Let's try it...


The Ghoulifier.

An extention to the necromancers chamber for the quick and definitely-not-painless transmogrification of living dwarves into forlorn ghouls without harming their material body. No more waiting around for dwarves to die of natural causes and hoping their body is intact afterwards. An end to the eternal fever and untreatable stress, all in a single no-fuss cure-all treatment!*

*Side effects may include death, loss of personality, loss of empathy, loss of emotion, and becoming a mindless undead abomination consumed by a terrible murderous hatred of the living. Savescumming recommended.



Well, I did say I would end Smallhands suffering. The burden of existence in this tiny hell is too much for living creatures to bear. But a ghoul does not suffer so easily.

Unless they're me, of course. Hah! The exception that proves the rule.

It is a terrible price, to never again experience happiness or love, but it is a price those of us who know true suffering will be more than willing to pay. And if they're not willing, well... heeheehee...  it's not like this fortress is ruled by a tyranical lich queen drunk on power and sorrow. Ahahahahahaha! It's funny because I get to murder people I hate.

But before revenge, it's a good idea to help those who need it the most. Come, Urist, my friend. I have prepared something to soothe your pain.



First, the door is forbidden. Then the Jet lever is pulled to release the water. The water fills the drowning chamber, and we pull the Jet lever a second time to close the valve bridge once the room is full of water.



After a minute or two, the muffled gurgling and thumping on the door ceases. No turning back now. The bauxite lever is pulled, and the water and Urists fresh corpse is
emptied into the necromancers chamber below.



The water drains away through the grates, and we can now open the shutters to let Kol Kabobok do his foul work. Rise once again, Urist. Rise!



It's alliiiiiive!!!! Kyahahahahahahahaagh!


The procedure was a complete success. Urist remains haggard, but he looks quite a bit less on-edge now that he has joined the ranks of the ghouls. I believe that, given time, he will revert to the emotionless state common among our kind.



He is going about collecting clothes now. I do not see the point, personally, but to be fair his body is a lot less... desiccated... than mine.


OOC: That's about a 28,000 stress drop during the revivication process. That will certainly help, but for someone like Solon who is going to die with stress up near 100,000, it's unlikely to be enough to save him. I'll try to do it anyway, though.

OOC: Also, has anyone else noticed that Radiofort is just... obscenely happy? That liquid brain of his is doing him wonders in the stress department. Dwarf Therapist says he has a Stress Vulnerability trait of zero.