Print

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

[delphonso]

With all the dead teenagers going around this place is really living up to its name.

FTFY

[Eric Blank]

I will not be able to participate in anything until at least the 11th because my laptop is dead. The power cord broke and it's got that "smart tip" technology that ensures only cords made by the manufacturer to be compatible with it can be used, and actively shuts off battery charging if you attempt to plug in anything else. So I'm fucked until the new adapter arrives by mail.

I'm kinda disappointed y'all haven't been invaded by like a vampire bat yet. I always get attacked by them in evil biomes.

[delphonso]

I will not be able to participate in anything until at least the 11th because my laptop is dead. The power cord broke and it's got that "smart tip" technology that ensures only cords made by the manufacturer to be compatible with it can be used, and actively shuts off battery charging if you attempt to plug in anything else. So I'm fucked until the new adapter arrives by mail.

I'm kinda disappointed y'all haven't been invaded by like a vampire bat yet. I always get attacked by them in evil biomes.

No worries, Eric Blank. When the machine's back up and running, let us know!
I didn't write about it, but I did get an attempted theft by one of your civilizations (snatcher mages, maybe?). He ran off immediately, though - like some kobolds do when spotted.

nogoodnames, you up for a turn? Otherwise I can start to...bury the dead, so to speak.

[nogoodnames]

I will not be able to participate in anything until at least the 11th because my laptop is dead. The power cord broke and it's got that "smart tip" technology that ensures only cords made by the manufacturer to be compatible with it can be used, and actively shuts off battery charging if you attempt to plug in anything else. So I'm fucked until the new adapter arrives by mail.

I'm kinda disappointed y'all haven't been invaded by like a vampire bat yet. I always get attacked by them in evil biomes.

No worries, Eric Blank. When the machine's back up and running, let us know!
I didn't write about it, but I did get an attempted theft by one of your civilizations (snatcher mages, maybe?). He ran off immediately, though - like some kobolds do when spotted.

nogoodnames, you up for a turn? Otherwise I can start to...bury the dead, so to speak.

I'm a bit busy at the moment, so feel free to pick it up now and I can go afterward.

[delphonso]

Cool - I'll try to salvage the fort and then pass it on to you. Update coming sometime today!

[delphonso]

Stay Tuned For The Spooky Adventures

In a dimly lit office, a dwarf sits at finely crafted pine wood desk. His thick black hair is slicked back and oiled. A manicured hand rubs across two weary eyes and rests on five o'clock shadow somehow growing on top of a beard. The dwarf sighs and focuses on a nervous looking dwarf standing on the other end of the desk.

"Okay, tell me how this happened one more time," delphonso said, his hand reaching for a small stone mug of whiskey.

"Well, sir. I um...I wasn't sure what would be considered normal amounts of frights, so I just sent whatever I received. I was...I was just doing my job, sir." The dwarf fiddled with the stack of papers in his hands. He cleared his throat, his eyes darted to the chair in front of delphonso's desk and he made an attempt to sit.

Delphonso shot upwards, shoving his desk forward slightly with a horrible wood-on-wood screech. The whiskey splashed on the floor. "No, no, no. That seats only for employees!"

"But, sir...I am an employee." He gulped.

"That remains to be seen. How many requests did you receive?" Delphonso pulled open a drawer, a pad of pink-slips sat at the ready.

A list was produced. "Several, sir. Three demons on Tuesday alone. Plus this small army of chuds. Then there were the zombulls - we had to cut corners there, sir. They're just real bulls that we made very angry."

"And you didn't think that maybe - just maybe - this was too much? Like, well, I don't know - maybe there was an error or something? Perhaps a prank. Even a test of the system?"

"I had my doubts, sir, but...I mean who am I to voice them?"

"Right. Who are you, indeed. So, care to tell me the end result of your incompetence?" Delphonso placed the pad on the table and began filling out the form. The nervous dwarf tried not to notice.

"18 dead, at least - likely more over the last few hours...sir."

"And, ignoring the cost of all those extra frights we sent, how much will each death cost us," delphonso asked, he paused in his scribbling and looked up at the dwarf - a dark look on his face. "Just a ballpark."

"Well, sir... Zero."

Delphonso attempted to hide his surprise. Not sure if he should jump across the desk and strangle the man to death or hear him out, he decided caution was the better part of valor.

The employee spread a few papers out on the desk, intentionally covering the half-finished pink slip. "You see, sir, if you review the releases we had everyone sign, death by being scared to death is an accepted risk by every participant or their guardian. That means, sir, that if we can prove that the dwarves died of fear rather than...say loss of limb...then we're in the clear. It's a gamble, but it could get us out of this."

His eyes darting between the different sections and subsections, delphonso put it together. Christ, he's right. Why didn't I think of that? He placed his elbows on the table and folded his hands. Leaning forward, delphonso said, "Well then. Perhaps you should take a seat and we can discuss this further."
-=-=-=-=-=-

Alright - well...first thing's first, we gotta get those merchants and the Inspector out of here. There are a lot of witnesses on the surface - those "zombulls" (I guess it's just very angry bulls instead of men in suits like it's supposed to be) are wreaking havoc up there.



The dwarves on the surface need to get gone. I guess a few down below have locked themselves in for the time-being. That's not a bad idea. Those surface dwarves made an interesting move – they ran off to attack some zombie village in the middle of nowhere. Not really what I expected from a summer camp, but if it gets them out of my hair, I'll take it.



Well - it seems the zombulls have found the merchants. Their wagons shattered into pieces instantly, some of the merchants tried to fight, others ran away.


(This is DF in a single picture)

I'm going to try not to get excited about all the things they left behind. This is only good if the zombulls kill everyone.

Spoiler: Vertical image (click to show/hide)

In fact, let's just send in the clean-up crew.



Yes. I mean everyone.



Here's everyone that's left in the fort. Well, except for those who haven't returned from their mission yet. It seems that the mission idea was a pretty good one – it kept them out of harms way, and means they're not witnesses to what happened.



Oh look, they've returned.



Well, here's everyone that's left in the fort.



Still plenty of time to give them a good fright! I knew that contract with SAG (Screen Actors' Ghosts) was a good choice. This one put on such a convincing depiction of that kid's mother, she'll need therapy for years! It's the little things that make all the difference.



Lie Bad-moral rose a birdemic bird before dying,  an interesting strategy which will probably just hurt the residents of The Camp more than it helps.



So now it's just those seven locked in downstairs. Wait...



Oh God! The Inspector is down there with them!

-=-=-=-=-=-
OOC:
Whew - this was only a month or so in game but we went from 27ish to 7 real quick. I'm going to make sure the awesome area built by Salmeuk is fully self-sufficient, give some nicer furniture, and then do a little practice with this whole magic thing before opening the gates again. It seems most of these creatures were not building destroyers - so all of this death could have been avoided by locking the 4 doors at the top. OH WELL.

Also...sorry LuckyOwl. Anyone want a dorfing/redorfing? I'm guessing turn-over in Crystallake is pretty quick.

[Salmeuk]

oh my god everyones dead lol

Why don't you dwarf me as Zan, one of the engravers? Just give him the nickname 'Zan' and maybe I'll write a journal or something. I'll also happily take another fast turn, after nogood, or whomever else is next in line.

The employee spread a few papers out on the desk, intentionally covering the half-finished pink slip. "You see, sir, if you review the releases we had everyone sign, death by being scared to death is an accepted risk by every participant or their guardian. That means, sir, that if we can prove that the dwarves died of fear rather than...say loss of limb...then we're in the clear. It's a gamble, but it could get us out of this."

His eyes darting between the different sections and subsections, delphonso put it together. Christ, he's right. Why didn't I think of that? He placed his elbows on the table and folded his hands. Leaning forward, delphonso said, "Well then. Perhaps you should take a seat and we can discuss this further."

I like how the line between employee and customer is heavily blurred at Crystallakes It's got these Truman show vibes where no one is really sure if they're the employee, or the victim. .

I should point out, I never finished building the temple. That room might be used for all manner of things.

[ZM5]

Well, the list of goods left behind by the merchants sure looks normal.

Except for the dementia essence. And the communing/recuperation essences. What even are those? How do you even get dementia essence? Just scoop it out of someone's brain with a straw, spoon or vacuum?

[delphonso]

Well, the list of goods left behind by the merchants sure looks normal.

Except for the dementia essence. And the communing/recuperation essences. What even are those? How do you even get dementia essence? Just scoop it out of someone's brain with a straw, spoon or vacuum?

What's more concerning is that some essences are in cages.

[Eric Blank]

Sorry, that stuff is all Spellcrafts' fault. Essences are a type of fishable-vermin I had to use to make magic accessible and easy(er) to obtain. You eat them and a syndrome they possess gives you access to the powers associated with them. I tried blobs of cheese, drinks, etc made of inorganics but making it a fish was the only way to make sure carnivores could consume them and thus learn magic. And drinks get spilled on the floor. Technically, they are a "living" thing because of this, and technically they're a pet, because adding them to a civ as a pet allows them to be brought as trade goods, so you can trade with the mountain homes for magical essences. So because theyre alive and pets they can be caged. I don't know if they can be used though, since they're tame.

Dementia is a school of magic in this case, chiefly evil/black magic. "Dementia Madness Essence" grants an attack that can cause targets to become crazed/berserk. Medisephos is chiefly holy/healing magic. Recuperation grants a spell that heals open wounds/stops bleeding but doesnt regrow body parts. Communing let's one resurrect the dead as a "spirit wisp" that is a useless orb, to talk to them. Spirit orbs can't work and will probably.spam complaints about having no hands, so id expel them if someone resurrects someone else as one.

I should really write a proper guide/tutorial/bestiary/spellbook at some point. Maybe that's what I'll do while my computer is down.

[delphonso]

I figured as much - I bought a caged essence in the first round but didn't use it. A fox familiar has been very useful for moving stuff around, and I'd like to get more of them and...not accidentally get this one killed. I just built the magic workshops but they seem to be more for when you have more than 5 dwarves.

Update coming soon as to why we have now only 5 dwarves.

[delphonso]

Wind Knocking At The Window

delphonso slammed the receiver down on the phone. He paused for a moment, trying to keep his anger from boiling over. The levy broke and he ripped the phone off the desk, mechanisms scattering across the floor. He threw the phone at the door, knocking it off its hinges and into the hallway. He began to pace the room like a caged animal. A dwarven intern stood rigid - fearing any movement would trigger delphonso's wrath. An employee stepped over the rubble and into the room, he held an invoice and a grim expression.

"For you, sir. I take it that you've just been informed," the dwarf gestured to the door in splinters behind him.

A threat in the shape of a quick glare hit the worker and put considerable fear into him. "What gave you the hint?" delphonso asked and snatched the invoice from his employee. He sat down and tried to breathe. "Christ almighty... 150,000☼. What were you able to cancel?"

"Well, sir, we stopped the skeleton invasion, but the carcass was already sent. All other pending frights have been cancelled. The clean-up crew are finished and awaiting payment. They...seem to be staying around at the camp, sir. Some sort of strike, I think."

Delphonso rubbed his temples. He asked quietly to no one in particular, "How are we going to pay for all this?" His attention went to the intern, a young dwarf clearly from Mountainhome U. She stood terrified. "I need you to take a message to Spooks Management - we are to keep up the scaring, but as cheaply as possible from here on out. I'd tell them myself but my phone is not working. Call IT while you're at it." The intern nodded and rushed off, thankful to be out of the room.

"Sir, the invoices remain outstanding. Don't forget that the SAG contract is coming up soon too."

"I know. I'll call in some favors at the bank - and get this paid off. For now, we just need to stop bleeding money and figure out how this whole mess got started."
-=-=-=-=-

The cleanup crew has cleared out everyone on the surface. It seems the dwarves of Crystallake have abandoned it totally. They've walled themselves in near the caverns, which are filled with real monsters and monsters under our employ. The latest report says the surface looks pretty messy.



That Inspector Olon is still around, which means we can't have too much violence, but we still need to meet our fear quota. The last of the frights should be arriving soon - a "carcass", which isn't the most inventive name, but boy, they sure look terrifying.



Somehow, he got into the central stairwell of Crystallake and started punching people. I thought I told them to scare, not maim! Christ, I hope the Inspector doesn't see this...



I'm not sure how but he made his way into the fortress. But I'm glad we met our fear quota for now. That should be the last of the spooks for a while. We'll see what Spooks Management can come up with to keep the dwarves uneasy.

Speaking of which, the ghosts from Screen Actors' Ghosts are doing a lot of work - they've horrified that child constantly, and now some of the other dwarves are having trouble working because their hands and knees are shaking with so much fear! I don't think they're going to take it well when I say I can't pay them the agreed-upon amount...

Even worse, the dwarves decided to put up slabs - which, for some reason, stop SAG ghosts from appearing. This is pretty good - maybe I can get them on breech of contract.


(Crystallake, home to a 2-story graveyard)

The boys down in Spooks Management. Sometimes...I just want to kiss 'em. They're brilliant. Since the dwarves are all locked up - they just sent a few interns to make the noises of monsters. Who knows what the dwarves inside think is happening in the caverns! They've got no way to see it anyway.


-=-=-=-

Hello. The camp's accommodations are exemplary, however the limitations to the surface are unusual and poorly explained.
I was overall satisfied with my experience, but am deeply disturbed by the noises and smells coming from above.
Best,
Inspector Olon

-=-=-=-

I just got off the phone with SAG. It didn't go well. the ghosts are leaving really unhappy. I think that bridge might be burned for a while - we can go indie if we need more ghosts though.



Oh, you bastards!

Deep below, Moldath got started on a little place. The dwarves seem to be getting interested in the occult while locked up like this. The clean-up crew are still wandering the surface. Their payment should be arriving soon and then their strike will end.



You know - some of those bird costumes are pretty sexy.



Moldath's area seems to be done. And I was just informed that the clean-up crew have left - some Ice Giants just arrived to trade, too. Things are looking pretty good for them down there. Might be time for some low cost-spooks again...



-=-=-=-=-
OOC:
Some things of note:
Olon disappeared - perhaps through the same location that the carcass got into the fort. The carcass came in through the caverns and somehow made it into the stairwell. I cannot find the point of entry - I think there is a clue in that occasionally pygmies are spotted by the fort and we're told to drive them off. Other than that one carcass, no one else has gotten it - but I really can't find the location.

Noble positions were assigned and offices were built. A hospital and small water source were also secured. Two dwarves were dehydrated scared to death after the carcass attack. One of them was holding the only pick we had and work was too slow to make a new one so I couldn't make a well - everyone kept trying to give them water which interrupted all jobs. My own fault, at the end of the day.

Everyone is pretty happy and the siege is over, meaning migrants should be coming soon. Merchants just arrived, so feel free to reclaim the surface - there are lots of free items up there and only two undead or so. Everyone was memorialized, so feel free to burn/obliterate their corpses. Familiars are GREAT - free laborers who don't get distracted/upset which is normally a problem with worker-pets. Well done Eric Blank on that.

Oh, and Zan did basically nothing except burn corpses for a year - he feels great. nogoodnames, it's yours whenever you're ready - if you need more time, and someone else is ready to go, post about it.

Save is here!

[Splint]

Gonna have to go through an read the previous couple pages before I commit to anything besides a dorfing, but PTW.

[Salmeuk]

Nice update, you're really selling the 'movie set / haunted house' perspective. Now the SAG is involved, lol

I can jump in again, if you are still busy, Nogood. However I would like to give priority to someone who hasn't taken a turn!

Huh. So IS there any documentation about Spellcraft? Or should I just fool around with the workshops and see what happens?

..

And yeah, there must be a leak in the caverns somewhere, a gap maybe where I built bedrooms. Climbing creatures can get in just fine, but our dwarves are stuck inside.

[Eric Blank]

No there's really no good documentation right now. I had a readme file, included in the thread's OP, that explains only the most basic stuff. Basically, from the workshops and using the inscribed slate Del made, a dwarf with the alchemist labor enabled can turn two different item types (rough gems and wood, or rough gems and home, etc) into aether salts, and with the slate and those produce, slowly and unreliably, essences, which ones dwarves can eat to gain spells. Other tools are available, including aether focusers, beastiaries, amulets, and athames, which combined with the slate and aether salts provide access to the specialized schools of magic, like medisephos and dementia. Hyazith provides fire and ice spells. Dwarves love burning the whole place down.
The conjuring circle can "trade" with other worlds through the exchange interaction, and might receive a tome of planes, or useful and useless materials and other things. Essences to summon critters can also be produced there, but dwarves have to be in combat as of the last time I updated to use those iirc.
The alchemy lab can produce potions, but you need the correct reagents, and potion effects/abilities are temporary. There were also reactions to turn various useless materials into more useful component parts.

And yes, familiars are great to have around. They do various wonderful things for dwarves, including making them slightly less stress prone, resistant to disease, etc, and become intelligent. They're tiny and wimpy, though.