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[Parzival1]

Year 5
Parzival's diary – property of Parzival
1st Granite, Early Spring, year 212

It's early spring and I finally decided to take a break from signing and notarising endless work orders. The last few months have been somewhat of a blur given all the paperwork, and I was somewhat aware of shouting and commotion in the fort, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw when I left for a stroll around the fort.

Body parts, tattered clothes, and blood and bile and strewn everywhere outside.



There's stockpiles full of dwarven bones, and lower down what I at first thought was a warehouse but on closer inspection is actually a tomb.
Graves packed in next to each other, with some bones resting in piles on the floor where I assume coffins were meant to be placed.  It's no surprise we have ghosts wandering the halls.





I bumped into Noagga (Nil Acepulleys) on the way out, who explains about a vicious werewolf attack, and how resources had to be diverted to a secret project of great importance to the mountain home. He looks shifty as he explains this last part, and dashes off into an incredibly opulent room which I don't remember being there before...



On the plus side, after a quick trip to the 'The Angry Eel' I see we're doing well on food and drink stocks, no shortages like this time last year. I also noticed we have very interesting clientele. There's a large number of elves and goblins, and even a bizarre looking cavefishman. He says his name is Teling Untowardfroths and claims to be a Maceman, but how he fights while blind is beyond me.



I've started drawing up priorities for what needs doing. In no real order:

• Sort out burial places for all our dwarves, the ghosts are starting to spook the cats
• Fix the farms. Our field is currently set to fallow for all seasons and seeds are stored all the way down in the kitchens.
• While I'm at it set up a clothing industry with some pigtail fields.
• Set up some work orders. Just so that we have a constant stock of food, drink and clothes.
• Decorate the fort. We have a bunch of blank square temples, one of them even has a bed instead of an altar.
• Construct a grand library. The current one is a little damp and muddy, although I do like the steel walls.
• Dig through to a cavern.

[Parzival1]

Year 5
Parzival's diary – property of Parzival
1st Hematite, Early Summer, year 212


Something stared to rot in the body stockpile, clearly there was more there than just bones. I've gotten rid of the body pile for now, setting one up outside instead.



When the miasma cleared we came across the body of a cyclops Icica Quithefecaci Civiraayara, decomposing in our refuse pile! I don't remember getting a report about this from any of the previous overseers so how it arrived here remains a mystery.

Carved out a whole bunch more tombs for dwarves, and started engraving slabs for them as well. Ghost officially busted.



We had an elven caravan stop by and we traded a handful of stone junk that our craftsdwarves had been making for some nuts and berry's. I don't have a taste for elf food myself, but it'll do in a pinch.

In mid-spring the leader of our military claimed a clothier's shop and started demanding cloth, rough gems and leather. He was being very cryptic about the cloth he wanted, so we ended up having to make some each of plant based, silk and some wool.
In the end he crafted a bulky cloak, Tishisamud.

Some migrants arrived despite the danger bringing our total fortress residents up to 88.

I've also made sure our stone cutters are hard at work cutting stone blocks, for too long we've been walking on bare stone. We're going to pave as much of the fortress as possible this year.
Finally, I've kicked our lazy forge dwarves into work again. We had tons of metal ores (including gold nuggets) just lying around not being used.

That gold has been put to good use in a redesign of the tavern:

[Parzival1]

Year 5
Parzival's diary – property of Parzival
18th Malachite, Mid Summer, year 212

In early summer we had a goblin thief try and sneak into the fortress, which our military promptly dismembered. As a precaution however we're training up a few dogs to chain up to spot future intruders/slow down rampaging monsters.

Rith Paperdearth was elected Mayor of our fortress, and the power has already gone to her head as she demanded we make quivers.
The clothes industry was definitely needed. It's all set up with work orders to keep the stockpile full but whenever we spin out a new piece is made it's immediately claimed by a dwarf.

There was a bizarre encounter when some human traders left where one of them was attacked by an invisible werepanther. Blood was splattering everywhere and the human was clearly fighting, but none of us could spot the actual werepanther.



Worryingly the werepanther seems to have won. Hopefully the humans won't hold the death of one of their traders against us, but the bigger worry is that there is a seemingly invisible werebeast on the prowl somewhere to the south of our fortress...

20th Malachite, Mid Summer, year 212
Nevermind! Training those war dogs was a massive success, one of them spotted the beast prowling towards our fortress.



While our military grabbed their equipment and headed out to meet the creature, the werepanther charged straight at our poor wardog.
The best we can say was that it was over quickly, with the were panther repeatedly kicking and biting the poor dog's limbs off before throwing it into the river. I'd always assumed that all cat's hate getting wet, but the werepanther dived in after the dog, clearly so enraged with bloodlust that she'd risk the river.
A terrible mistake it seems, as at that moment she transformed back into her human form and immediately started to drown.



She managed to drag herself out of the river onto the bank, only to be met by our assembled steel clad military. Ustuth Laboredbands bravely hacked the naked, half-drowned woman to bits.
Thankfully we've managed to escape this werebeast encounter without any bites, all thanks to our noble unnamed warhound. There shall be a statue in your honour!

[Parzival1]

Year 5
Parzival's diary – property of Parzival
4th Timber, Late Autumn, year 212

Early autumn Zuglar erithistam made an artifact bed, claimed for herself.

The trade caravan from the mountain home came with an offer of officially recognising our fortress.


Of course, I nominated myself for the position of baroness. We've started work on carving out some proper rooms fitting nobility, as well as some tombs.

While we were at it I put in an order for some engraved memorials and statues of those of our original dwarves who perished.

LeftHandOfGod (Kogan)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Salmeuk (Mafol)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We had to dig through two aquafers, but our miners have finally struck the caverns!



For the moment access is via a corridor which we're lining with some serrated disk traps. Got to be careful of anything coming up. From what we can see it's studded with jewels and metals, to the point where fuel to smelt it is the real issue now. We've begun a serious deforestation and charcoal-ing campaign now, elves be damned.


19th Moonstone, Early Winter, year 212


"Battlestations everyone! This is what we've been training for!"

Except, the vile force of darkness turned out to be a couple of goblins. Frankly the fight was over so quickly it's not worth describing here.

Most of my plans for the year have been finished, I'm currently putting the finishing touches on our re-vamped temple district. More statues!



29th Obsidian, Late Winter, year 212

And with that my year draws to a close. I think it's time I started enjoying my life as a Baroness. I 'requisitioned' some artifacts for my royal suite, set up a grand tomb downstairs. The basics of the fort are set up enough with work orders that we shouldn't run out of food or drink again.

I did take some time to set up a small meadery outside, perhaps that's how I'll spend my time, tending to the bees.


The file for the start of year 5: https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=16410

[Baprr]

All caught up, save works, will start writing soon. Well, soonish.

[Parzival1]

Excellent, looking forward to it. Feel free to post any questions here as well.

I also had a play around with Armok vision, some screenshots below of the fort:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The fortress entrance from above


The cistern from above


Inside the tavern, "The Angry Eel"


View down the two story corridor towards the bedrooms

[Baprr]

By the way, if a guild requests a guildhall it must be worth 2000 dbucks - that's why they weren't satisfied. So you should've probably added some statues etc.

[Baprr]

1 Granite, 213
This morning I received long awaited news - it is my turn to lead The Dabbling Hopes! The last couple years were a bit rough - werebeast attacks took the very lives of our brethren, while unimaginable hardships no doubt shortened ours. To think - we've run out of booze at least three times! I want my fellow dwarves to believe that I won't put my own gain above their well-being. And so, to distinguish myself from my previous life I took on a nonsensical moniker - I am not Datan Urdimlar, at least not right now.



I, Baprr, have begun my shift of overseership.


I began by surveying the most basic needs. We have plenty of yaks, but they are underutilized. We need their wool and milk.



I waded through a horde of kittens and puppies on my way through kitchens. Just how many cats do we have? Perhaps they too can benefit us.



We can't really farm aboveground plants. How do they even grow with the sun burning their skin? It's best to use them for cooking.



However, I do not intend to only tend to the kitchens during my year. We have relied on aboveground trees for smelting for far too long. Every time we leave the safety of our home we risk meeting creatures of the night and goblins. We need safety, we need to grow, and so by Ber's jewels, we need to find magma. And for that, we must dig deeper (not too deep of course). So I ordered a few more picks made and drafted a some more miners.



Speaking of digging deeper. We've stopped exploring once we hit the caves, I think it would be oh shit, the caves are just open, they're just open, there's not even a door, who the hell was responsible for this?



I will make sure we brick up the entrance to the caves. I didn't think it would be left just open. Oh well. At least we made it in time, I guess.

Speaking of entrances, we need to get ready to meet actual hordes of goblins. We easily beat our first "siege" but it was almost certainly just a scouting party. We will need some traps.



There is a suspicious person among us.




Why do we have a baroness consort from another civilization living in our fortress? Nobody seems to know. Maybe I should spend less time digging, and more time socializing? HA! Just kidding, back to the mines, I feel like we're a whisker away from sweet sweet magma!

Phew. That was a lot of work. I was running around for what feels like a month. What day is it?

Oh crap. A year of this?

[Baprr]

4 Granite, 213
An elven diplomat came by to speak to our baroness while I was digging. That's a first. I guess they live close enough to try and establish some sort of relationship with us? I was about to join their conversation, but the elf already stormed out looking around in disgust. It seems we've offended them by chopping trees? Okay. We will soon have magma anyway.



12th Granite, 213
An elven caravan! That's better news than an elven ponce. I wonder l, what kinds of exotic animals did they bring us this time?



23rd Granite, 213
Oh. All they brought were some seeds and leaves. I gave them a very decent bargain - a golden instrument and some old clothing. I hope elves will bring something better next time.



It seems our butchers are faster than our haulers. I think I need to slow down for now - no need to waste good cat. Moving the abattoir also seems like a good idea.


(I've already removed the butcher's workshop and placed a stockpile to save some of the food).

And by the way, the caves are finally safely closed. Maybe I was worrying over nothing? Safety first anyway.



1st Slate, 213
We've descended fifty levels already. I expected to find another cavern by now. Time for some prospecting.




3rd Slate, 213
A soapmaker suddenly went crazy-eyed and run for a mason's workshop. He then threw the previous worker out and started muttering under his breath. I hope he's going to be allright.



10th Slate, 213

Yes, he's found everything he needed. It's not the most productive kind of madness, Kadol will remain a soapmaker, but at least we will get an artefact out of it.



11th Slate, 213
I actually started a project a month ago. I didn't know if it would work, but I Noagga stepped up and took it upon himself to make it work. I've started a smithing school.



Noagga is giving a lecture on Weaponsmithing right now, and doing a good job! He has only two students though, I think I should persuade everyone not on essential jobs to join.

16th Slate, 213
It seems Noagga has retired from lecturing for a while - one of his apprentices is leading the demonstrations now. I guess it is a lot of work. Still, a lot of people are going there just to drink and chat.




Well, time to go back to digging for a while, we've lost enough ti
A TERRIBLE SCREAM




THAT'S WHY YOU CLOSE THE BER-DAMN TUNNEL!

19th Slate, 213
Finally, the artefact is done! I've put it into the vault and locked the doors.

[Salmeuk]

Kadol's golden toy boat? I cannot help but imagine the disappointment of the first child who tries to make it float.

the nobles sure are outta whack in the new version - barons. barons everywhere.

[LeftHandofGod]

Wohoo! Another worshipper of Ber! Also, dorf me in as another dwarf, preferably one that worships Ber, if you please.

[Baprr]

@Salmeuk, sure is expensive though.

@LeftHadofGod, you got it.

[Noagga76]

I bumped into Noagga (Nil Acepulleys) on the way out, who explains about a vicious werewolf attack, and how resources had to be diverted to a secret project of great importance to the mountain home. He looks shifty as he explains this last part, and dashes off into an incredibly opulent room which I don't remember being there before...

This is exactly my IC thought process making this room, yes.


I PROMISE I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN OR GIVEN UP ON WRITING MY TURN. It's just that ADHD make commit thing hard.

[Baprr]

21st Slate, 213
I noticed that we had an extra pick in our stocks, and decided to draft another miner. I picked a fellow worshipper of Ber Beretur because the task at hand - finding magma - was proving to be much harder than I initially hoped. We need a hand of god in this. LeftHandofGod if you will.


4th Felsite, 213
Prospecting is still ongoing, we don't know yet how long we have left, but at least we encounter plenty of gems and minerals. Once we build the smelters we will have plenty to feed them. Meanwhile on the surface some migrants decided to brave the goblins and come live in Streambelch. Seventeen of them - mostly farmers and peasants, one weaponsmith, a jeweller, a trader. I put them to work and ordered more beds.


11th Felsite, 213
I worry about the livestock - their pasture was supposed to be a temporary one, yet here they are, more than five years under the sun, and with goblins taking note of our city. I personally carved some clay out and ordered them brought inside. Also we didn't have any nests for the birds, so I arranged those as well.


While I was busy with the animals, a dance troupe asked to stay here. There sure are a lot of them, but at least they don't need any clothes. Anyway, I don't see why not.


14th Felsite, 213
Another pack of nudists? We do have room yet...


While elves and goblins dance naked in the Angry Eel, The Rough Mansion invites all kinds of learned dwarves and men from around the world. We need to preserve and build on our knowledge, especially of mechanisms - I have a project in mind for when we finally reach the magma, and I plan to read up on minecarts and pumps.


19th Felsite, 213
I was sorting out the chickens, I finally heard the good news - we've found the deep cavers.


And even more importantly - the magma! Very appropriate that a fellow Berite would find it. Erush Kûbuktan was the lucky miner, and I plan to reward her. Maybe a statue in her bedroom? We will see.



26th Felsite, 213
After surveying the magma pool, I found some some giant cave spider webs, a couple of weird sealed chambers, but nothing really dangerous. Cavern dwellers might still lurk, but I'm not planning to open up the caves yet.


1st Hematite, 213
Another dance troupe. Is there a commune nearby? I hope we can find them some pants. This is the last one I can accept, but we will soon need more hands for the smelters and we have plenty of food and drink.


4th Hematite, 213
Goblin archers! They arrived along with two snatchers, so they're probably aiming at our children. None of the *children* are out, but there are a few citizens fishing and hauling wood, and two dogs chained at the entrance. I order everyone inside.


And nobody listens. A fisherdwarf second closest to the goblins calmly finishes fishing and goes inside with his catch.


The closest is shot and killed almost immediately.


Snatchers break away from the main party and try to sneak in, except I ordered The Hairs of Armor to prepare for a fight, and they meet at the second bridge. It goes as expected.


The archers stopped to shoot at a guard dog, but their cruelty only slowed them down, allowing our military to catch up to and kill a running thief.


The final battle is anticlimactic. Goblins miss almost every shot they take, while Hairs miss none, and soon the so-called siege is over. We've lost two dogs and a dwarf, killed eight goblins. One of the Hairs is wounded, but she's stable.


Some people are banging on the raised bridge. I didn't intend to lock them out, but the only lever I could safely link up at the time was also linked to this one. I didn't matter in the end. I will have to deconstruct it I think.


And before I could do that, we get news that the human caravan arrived. Seems their wagons saw the raised bridges and thought we were still under siege. Fools! They don't deserve our crafts, I will sell them second hand goblin equipment.


writing is shaky, the pages are stained with blood
25th Hematite, 213
We were down in the mines, a vein of tetrahedrite led outside into the caves. We forgot about Iral Usu. The beast rushed inside.


I hit it with my pick. I hit it good. It's stunned just down the stairs. I need a moment to breathe too. I lost my pick.


Me and my buddy Såkzul are in ambush. We will rush it and wrestle and kill it.


I hear LeftHandofGod and the rest still digging a few levels away. They will notice soon.


That's why you close


the Ber-damn

[LeftHandofGod]

Dammmm. That's rough. Get dorfed, then get slaughtered. Ouch. Also, WHY DID YOU ALLOW THE ENTERTAINERS IN???

Honestly, they're a plague. I went and complained to my mom, and she started singing the "Brave Sir Robin" song, lmao.