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[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 12

With the undead on the surface the dwarfs decided to do what they could without access to the above ground resources.

First it was decided that the millstones could not be powered by the wind.  A wind turbine could be destroyed and the resulting hole used by enemies or undead to access the colony.

The Milling Room needed a redesign.  Maybe a dwarf powered pump could be used to power it?

Then, around the 11th of Opal, a Goblin Poet came to visit the colony.  Somebody named Osnun Amxuat.  Poor female.

Then a Goblib Mercenary, named Kas Umcoshistek, also came to visit.  Evidence would later show he was unarmed.  Maybe he had come looking for a job?

There was some debate about the noises heard from the surface.  It seemed like some of the undead were, sometimes, hitting each other.  Accidents maybe?

So when late winter came  a few goblins had died but the dwarfs were okay. 

[King Zultan]

As long as the dwarves are okay that's all that matters.

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 13

The Leader held up a drawing to the Miners.  “Let us start digging out this tunnel.”

The plan was to make two levels of stone traps and doors.  With access to the surface - once it was finished of course.  It would be useful against all enemies.  Living or dead.

And on the surface it looked like the Freelancing Goblin finally ran into the undead.  And died.

Why would Freelancing soldiers go around unarmed?

And there was evidence that one of the Stalkers had powers of throwing or grabbing.  A undead with the 'Force' as some of the dwarfs whispered while working on the maze.

Early Spring came.  The dwarfs were still working on the Maze of Death.  And wondered when the undead would leave.  What happened if more migrants showed up before the maze was finished?

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 14

The Maze of Death were mostly dug out.  Now only the traps, and some doors, had to be installed.

From the noise above it was clear the undead were fighting animals and even a Bard showed up.  All of them prayed for whoever it was as they kept working, mining, and building.  After all they were safe.  The undead seemed too busy killing things and not smart enough to dig down.

They also put up a memorial to Osnun Amxuat.  One of the visitors who was murdered by the undead.

As early Spring turned into mid Spring three visitors showed up on the surface.

The dwarfs wondered what would happen to them.  Would they kill some of the undead?  Did they even HAVE weapons?

-------------------------------

OOC NOTE : I never realized just how boring a undead siege is.

[King Zultan]

From the sound of it letting the undead in is the only way to make them interesting but it doesn't seem like the fort is ready to try that.

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 15

The three warriors didn’t last long.  Only two were armed and the one armed with a copper crossbow went down first.  The other two were killed quickly.  Few were a match for the Stalker and the numbers of the dead who ran about the surface.

There was also some evidence that the undead were falling into, and becoming trapped, in the stream.

By the 25th of Slate the Death Maze was almost finished.  Would it work?  And could the Leader keep the dwarfs from rushing out once they dug out a entry to the surface for the Maze?

As late Spring came, and the last traps were set up, the Leader prepared to give the order to make a ramp to allow the undead into the Maze.

And, of course, to make sure none of the dwarfs tried to enter the Maze.  A barrow would like keep them from running up to the surface to collect all the corpses and items.

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 16

The Maze of Death was almost finished.  Soon the Leader would have to order the Ramp to the surface dug out.

Of course, once open, the citizens would be ordered to a barrow to keep them from running outside to collect items from the dead.  And the Squad prepared.

The visitors, who had been trapped underground would likely rush out.  Likely to die but they might slow the dead down and allow the citizens to reach safety before the undead got into the Maze.

Summer came and the last of the traps were finally finished.

Above on the surface the undead went after the last of the warriors.  They also killed a family of wild Ostrich and a family of Kangaroo.  Normally very dangerous animals but against the dead…not so much.

The Leader ordered the ramp to be made.  And she waited.

The ramp was made.  The barrow was activated.  And the visitors made a run for the surface. 

As the undead ran towards the ramp.

The first dodged the first stone trap it triggered but, for some reason, retreated.

But the second undead who entered the Maze didn’t dodge fast enough and also retreated.

The two undead went back to the surface and the barrow was turned off.  But only when the entry to the Maze was locked from the inside. 

No dwarfs, unless the Leader wished it, would be entering the Maze at this point.

But it seemed stone traps could hurt the undead.  Or make them run away.

And two Miners were added to the squad.

The outer door was unlocked and one of the other doors within the Maze was locked.   To allow the dwarfs to build more traps in part of the Maze.

And a visiting dwarf, from the outside, entered the Maze.  A living Hammerdwarf named Ducim Rakustedtul.

Then one brave dwarf was sent out to build a door on the upper level to block much of the Maze.  So others could reclaim the doors and reload the traps.

There was also evidence that one of the undead got all the way to the lower level of the Maze but was damaged by the traps and fled.  As those traps had to be reloaded and a undead was seen fleeing the approaching dwarfs.

So at least three undead had fled and two were injured.

Mid summer had come.  And the Maze looked like it could work.

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 17

The early days of mid summer found the dwarfs reloading the traps.  The idea was that the doors would be open again, the undead would be allowed to come in so far, and then the inner doors shut.

The undead would return to the surface, many of them wounded.  Reload and repeat.

Sooner or latter the undead would be so badly off that they would be easy prey for the training soldiers.

On the 15th of Malachite noise above suggested another visitor.  Evidence would later support that the new comer was a Human Spearman.  At least this warrior had a spear, a shield, and a mail shirt with a iron helm.  He died also but maybe he put up a fight?

It was soon late summer and only one trap needed to be loaded.

The last trap was loaded and the outer door unlocked.  A visiting dwarf tried to leave while the undead tried to enter.  Things went badly for the visitor.

Sadly, one of the Wooddwarfs died trying to set up another door.  But at least some of the doors were reclaimed and could be closed.

On the other hand one of the undead was killed by a stone trap and at least two others were badly wounded.

Autumn came.  And the undead still wandered the surface.

The dwarfs worried what would happen if the traders or new migrants came?

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 18

As visitors were murdered above the settlement had, well, peace.  Outside of reloading the stone traps the farm plots were cared for, meals were cooked, drinks were brewed, and the soldiers trained.

It was also decided to make another Craftsdwarf’s Workshop.  More stone pots were needed to store food and booze.  Also it was decided to dump the corpses and refuse inside as the dwarfs no longer had access to the surface.

By mid autumn more of the undead were damaged.  But not dead.  Well, not totally dead.

How long would they siege the settlement until they decided to leave?

[King Zultan]

Seems like undead sieges don't ever go away.

[StrikaAmaru]

They should go away after a year; at least that was my experience.

If I may offer a recommendation about the forges? Go straight for the magma sea, and use lava-powered smithies and glass-making workshops. With how little wood there is on the map, this is really the only long-term solution.

And I'm including the caverns in the 'little wood' statement; even if they're nicely wooded, the regrowth rate is abysmal.

[callisto8413]

They should go away after a year; at least that was my experience.

If I may offer a recommendation about the forges? Go straight for the magma sea, and use lava-powered smithies and glass-making workshops. With how little wood there is on the map, this is really the only long-term solution.

And I'm including the caverns in the 'little wood' statement; even if they're nicely wooded, the regrowth rate is abysmal.

I was thinking about digging deep to find water and more wood.  Finding the magma sea might be a good idea.  I can make more iron mail shirts and maces.  As long as I don't run into anything too dangerous.

Seems like undead sieges don't ever go away.

Do'h!

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 19

The Leader decided to order the dwarfs to dig down, using a series of ramps and short tunnels to spiral downwards.

She hoped to find caves full of water and wood.  And maybe find magma. 

She also hoped to NOT find any forgotten beasts.

Then, on the 10th of Sandstone, the dwarfs heard a LOT of noise from the surface.  Either a bunch of people had shown up.  Or a very loud individual had shown up.

The Virginity of Panting, a performance troupe, had come.

Or one Goblin who said she was a Poet.

In fact a few Goblins would show up.   And they all died.  Being unarmed, and some of them naked, they had no way to fight off the undead.

While this was happening many of the Miners brushed their beards against the walls and floors.  Trying to find the empty spaces that only their sensitive beard hairs could detect.

Then they started to dig downwards faster.  For they had sensed a empty space.

Soon the Miners announced they had found a cavern. Full of giant mushrooms.   The Leader ordered a pair of doors be put up at once to try to keep creatures out.  Flying creatures anyway as the hole was a few floors above the floor of the cavern.  Ramps were ordered to be dug out to bring the dwarfs down to the floor.

And so by late autumn found the dwarfs having plenty of wood now available.  And while digging down they had found tons of iron ore.  LOTS of iron ore.

Iron weapons and armour would now be easy to produce.  Now if they could find some water?  Maybe even make weapon traps and iron cage traps for the Maze of Death?

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 20

The Leader, Expedition Leader Momuz, ordered more weapons and armour and shields made.

She also decided that being called the Expedition Leader was a tad silly.  The outpost was over a year old by now.  So she gave herself the title of Lord Mayor.

Nobody complained.  Or at least not aloud.

A Temple, for no one deity, was finally dug out and was ordered to be smooth.  A coffer, and maybe statues, would be added once the floor and walls had been engraved.

Early winter came and none of the weapons or metal work had been done.  The underground giant mushrooms had not even been cut down.  The populace had too many jobs and not enough time or dwarfs to carry out all the work

The Leader glared at the ceiling.  On the surface more visitors had been killed by the undead.  And no traders, or migrants, seemed to have arrived.  The settlers were on their own.  Nobody would come to join them.  Besides the idiot Poets and Bards who kept getting murdered by the undead. 

The Leader shrugged.  So be it!  The outpost would do what it could to survive on its own.

[callisto8413]

Dwarf Fortress - The World Of Bones - Chapter 21

Early winter of 1051 had come.  But there had been no migrants or traders that autumn.  It was clear - the Outpost of the Abbey of Blossoming would have to blossom on its own.

But then it was noticed.  All the undead but two had gone away.  Maybe the militia could be sent into the Maze to meet the undead after it was opened to the surface again?

Then it was noticed the undead were all gone.  The surface was available!

“Open the airlock!” shouted the Leader.  “And get to work on the Maze again!”

So the dwarfs went to the surface to collect all the items dropped by the dead while the visitors poured into the outpost.

One Goblin Poet asked to become a resident to entertain the populace and she was approved at once.  Other visitors visited the tavern.

As the dwarfs went fishing, started to collect the corpses and items, and butchered an animal, migrants finally started to arrive. 

Edem Oshurerith, a Ranger, was the first dwarf who appeared on the eastern horizon.  She was, of course, a competent Marksdwarf and dodger.

The next dwarf was a Peasant who happened to be married to Edem and was called Asmel Sensehames.  It was somewhat weird in that it knew how to swim among its other skills.  And seemed to have a fetish for lakes.  Which were few and far between in this world.

The next was a female child named Likot Freshworks who was also a swimmer and was the daughter of Edem and Asmel.   And she believed in the power of friendship.

The fourth dwarf was a male Peasant named Tulon Thikutudos who was a competent Marksdwarf and shield user.  He also was a good dodge and armour user.  He would make a fine addition to a brand new Squad.  And the Rough Clinches were born.  The Leader ordered more weapons and armour forged.

Then there was a female Siege Engineer named Lokum Likotdallith.  The Leader noticed among her many skills was wound dresser and surgeon.  They had found their new Chief Medival Dwarf.  It was time to make a hospital.

There were more but the Leader was too happy to have so many dwarfs with so many skills that she lost count.

In all the Outpost now had twenty-five citizens.  Including the new kids and the Goblin.

So mid Winter came and the outpost felt…alive again.

And the Lord Mayor was happy again.  Or maybe it was just the drinks!