Smithbridges, year 187 - Part III:
Problems Piling Up
Outside the infirmary, Tulon, the mayor, was found dead. Even the nobles were not safe from the chaos that had Smithbridges in its grasp.
Amidst the mayhem the fighting dwarves chose Imush Furnaceash to be the new mayor. With how things were progressing, his reign was likely to be a very short one.
It was precisely outside the infirmary where the worst of the infighting was happening. Blood, teeth, vomit and injured -- or dead -- dwarves littered the halls.
Fortunately the craziness lasted only for a few days before things cooled down.
Tension was high and an uneasy expectance was in the air. Was it over? Would the fighting continue? Who is to blame for this? Urist?
There were dead. Around ten or so lost their lives.
Naughty Urist who had started everything was sentenced to a beating.
The problems of Smithbridges didn't end when winter arrived: once again the twisted hordes of the necromancers' minions arrived to lay siege on the fortress.
Alarms were sounded and dwarves rushed to safety.
Fortunately this time the surface was mostly cleared and no dwarves were too far from the entry...
...Except for 'Bombyx Mori' who was dragging a caged wild horse to the animal trainer's area.
Luckily, he was far enough that the enemies didn't spot him. And with the speed he was moving, it was likely that the military had enough time to deal with the invaders before he reached the danger zone.
It appeared to be a far smaller siege than the one Smithbridges faced earlier this year.
It was as if the gods were against us.
As the military was heading to the surface to take care of the Hands of Imush, unexpectedly a weretapir arrived on the scene, rushing at the dwarves in a berserk rage.
However, it was no match for the military who hacked it into pieces. They didn't suffer even a scratch.
The invaders, too, were easily dealt with. There were only a handful of them. Yet Rigòth Lashpicks, a wrestler, was foolish and charged the enemy before the others had regrouped, leading him to suffer injuries that left him unable to stand. If the others would've arrived at the scene but a moment later, Rigòth surely would be dead now. She may count herself lucky.
It was the 15th of Moonstone when a strange force took control over me. It guided me down the stairs and towards the looms. There it drove me to claim the new craftsdwarf's workshop we had built there and I knew I needed bones, stone, leather, metal and cloth for some mysterious purpose.
I headed out to collect them.
While I was gathering materials, I was completely oblivious to the fact that Ïteb, our militia commander, was throwing a tantrum. He had done so after the catastrophic fighting between ourselves and had been sentenced for it. But it had been of no use.
What made this dangerous was that Ïteb was a mighty warrior and could easily maim and cripple with his bare fists.
His first victim, Edu, a human maceman, lay already dead in the halls of the living area.
Rinmolrërith Osresh Addor, “Marshchaos the Mortification of Drowning”, a shale scepter was the culmination of my life.
It was encrusted with round shale cabochons, decorated with cave spider silk and wild boar bone, with bands of naked mole dog bone and leather encircling it. Hanging rings of cave spider silk and menacing sppikes of hare leather and iron adorned it.
I had carved an image of the Zolak Sunkcruel and the human Zolak Dentfell the Prime Rose of Thieves on the shale. On the image the human was striking down the elf -- relating to a story I had heard about Spuskök, “the Disemboweled Assault”. Dramatic stuff worth of songs and poems.
This would look nice in my new quarters beneath the library on a pedestal.
Yes. I have new quarters. Now don't judge me. It is only right that the current overseer has proper quarters -- it is a stressful job, after all, and must warrant some kind of reward!
Besides, I was planning to become a scholar and had set up a workshop to make quires and scrolls in my quarters, so it wasn't only meant for me. Everyone could have their share of the marvelous texts yet to be written in Smithbridges!
The military returned to their regular training schedule. Except for Ïteb, who was all the time causing problems and had been sentenced to over a hundred days in prison.
The ghost of Edëm Trumpetrhymed was said to join the sparring of the Armored Floors.
At around the same time our new ballista defenses were completed: a battery of six ballistae ready to fire upon hordes braving our tunnels.
The year began to near its end. Despite all the problems we'd face, we had fared quite well and things seemed quite calm now. Except for Ïteb's occasional tantrum, that is.
One of our main projects this year was to replace the dirt walls and floors of the wagon entry with proper stone. We built a structure above it with places for archers to fire upon approaching enemies. The structure could be only accessed from underground. The passage leading there began next to the archery range.
I, myself, took some time off and headed to pray to Vesh for the souls of the fallen.
Of course a new problem would arise just when spring was around the corner.
There had been nothing suspicious happening so far. At least, none that I knew of.
...except that one goblin “monster slayer” had left the fort grounds slightly before the disappearrance of the artifact mule bone short sword was noticed.
And indeed!
The goblin named Ashthal could be seen in the distance hastily making his way into the wilds with Babinaknûn in his hand!
=====
So, that's my turn then.
The loyalty cascade went surprisingly smoothly and we lost maybe something around 10-15 citizens, I think? After losing so many and with no migrant waves showing up, I let quite a few bards and such stay and entertain. Several who had stayed for a couple years petitioned for citizenship, which I accepted, so we're about at the same numbers as when I started my turn.
I've got my own suspicions on who stole the artifact and passed it to the goblin, but didn't have time for any interrogations to confirm it. Let's just say there was no other people at the temple of Vesh when one certain dwarf went there to "pray" not so long before the theft...
Author
Topic: Smithbridges riverside succession fortress - Overseers needed! (Read 15081 times)