Overseer's Log, Year 178.
Entry 2:
It has been close to half a year since I last wrote here, and late summer is upon us. The days are still, with hardly a breath of air stirring, and the air shimmers with the heat as the black sand soaks up the sun. In stark contrast, the evil clouds never seem to move from over the swamp, and more goo frequently splatters against the tower walls, filling the air with an evil scent.
Production here in Smallhands is notoriously slow, but having half our working population desperately training to meet the goblins when they come again is slowing everything even more. The first fragments of Adamantine were finally mined a little over a month ago, and the foundation of the spire was only just completed. More and more dwarves are coming back to work from their holidays, but progress remains slow.
One matter in which we have fared well is trade. Neither the elves nor the humans brought large caravans, and auze obtained all we wanted from both for one pot of food apiece. The elves demanded we cut no more than 130 odd trees this year, which I grudgingly allowed Salmeuk to accept. We are not likely to have that many available to cut anyway. The humans were more reasonable. They offered a grand list of assorted goods we could request from, and auze and I spent an evening going through it, marking anything we had interest in. They, in turn, offered us a list of preferred goods they would most value come next year.
Our military has been as diligent as always in training, and even the Overseer's Army, composed almost entirely of dwarves stricken by the swamp fever, is gaining some semblance of skill. Two of the elite Seige Breakers have gained so much confidence in their equipment as to bestow a name on a piece. Aban named her shield, and Nezclaw his axe.
I have contemplated sending the entirety of the army down to the second cave layer, to drive out the forgotten beast that makes it its home, but am unwilling to endanger one of the last standing forces against the march of the goblins.
The interest in the caves springs from a need for wood. As I have endured the heat of summer, I have frequently noticed the lush growth of fruit and nut trees in the swamp. It occurred to me that water could be pumped from the aquifer to replace the liquid in the sludge, and a vast glass roof could keep the vile liquid out, while allowing sun in. Clear glass seemed far more pleasant for such a purpose than simple green stuff, and I ordered the glass furnaces started. Unfortunately, production will soon come to a halt unless more wood can be produced for ash.
There have been few other events of note, but one exceptional occurrence was the discovery of a star ruby. Malfoy and a few other dwarves were clearing a large area for stone, and uncovered a mass of ruby crystals, with a brilliant starry piece in the center. All work was suspended for the day, and a celebration was held in the Tall Bar for blessing of the gods.
ooc: Some notes on ghouls: Elpho seems to be endlessly gushing ethereal blood from her throat. It makes for a grim picture. Also, I am not about to intentionally attempt to ghoulify anybody, but if someone somehow dies, I will attempt to revive them.
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Topic: Smallhands - nearly 40 years and still tiny! (Read 441316 times)