Gateheaven, Year 155
Hematite 155Population: 136
Invaders: 162
Finally, we remember where the lever for the front drawbridge is located. Thirty military dwarves surge into action, and a seige of goblins is slaughtered. Many useless bards lose their lives chasing around after war dogs. The Gloved Communion is almost decimated, but they will rebuild.
"Lanix7" Roderalath makes a lovely artifact bronze throne amongst the carnage. Sadly due to their possesion, he does not become a legendary metalcrafter. Unionmesses the Dipped Distrust. It is decorated with tiger leather, chalcedonies and the bones of camels and dogs.
So many poets arrive. Whats with that?
Population: 113
Invaders: 0
Malachite 155The cleanup operation begins in earnest. Hundreds of pathetic wooden items and frilly socks of the tree-huggers are sent to the atomsmasher. A great melting of goblinite is begun. "ScaryWizard" Nokorfikod gives birth to a baby boy, "Kesperan" Emeraldstaff, the reincarnation of the poor soul who crushed himself with a boulder last year. His father is "Mangointango" Beriseth, the militia captain. I see great things in his future.
Population: 114
Galena 155The ghost of "Unlucky" Vostdolil, a ghostly human bard has risen and is haunting the fortress. How apt. The stonemasons begin crafting a slab. Meanwhile, a few of the military dwarves begin feeling depressed, weary at the constant slaughter. "Unlucky" begins haunting our resident miserable vampire, "Unnameable."
Population: 114
Limestone 155Food and drink stocks remain steady. Baby "Kesperan" is babbling as his mother spars with the soldiers of The Gloved Communions. The ghostly human bard "Unlucky" is put to rest.
Scores of puppies from the last human invasion have grown to become dogs, as they swim in the river at the edge of the map.
And just on queue, a vile force of darkness arrives. A small collection of goblins and elves arrives from the east, including a human snatcher. They are quickly put down. Yet more dogs appear on the edges of the map.
The caravan arrives. Hopefully we can trade a lot of elven junk to them. Some migrants arrive, despite the danger. "Starpike220" Nimarurdim is possessed and claims a forge. He cannot find bones to finish his masterpiece. Bones! In this place?
We quickly attempt to butcher a goose before he goes insane. Finally, "Starpike220" gathers the goose bone, some magnetite and a single bar of platinum.
Rager the broker does some good dealing, trading wooden arrows and flimsy elven clothing for cloth and leather. Sadly, the caravan brings no animals of any kind, let alone elephants. The caravan does seem a little... meager. Can wagons access our Depot?
"Starpike220" crafts
Nalutal, a platinum bed! Again, sadly, he does not become a legendary blacksmith. "Rager" decides, as Mayor and Broker, that he will have the bed installed in his mayoral quarters.
Population: 121
Sandstone 155Despite his wonderful artefact bed, "Rager" has slipped into depression. So many of the dwarves here are unhappy due to the constant attacks by elves, humans and goblins. It's hard to be happy when you are surrounded by corpses. Some bards are brawling with a diagnostician. This could get ugly.
Population: 121
Timber 155The feral dogs continually roam the outskirts of the fort, fighting with camels. A few more bards join the ranks. Hope they like hauling.
Population: 124
Moonstone 155The elves are at the gates! The sneaky knife-ears ambush us in early winter.
"Otto_K" decides to take them all on himself, his pick and feet mashing elven heads with reckless abandon, before his backup arrives. More and more elves pour in through the front gate. Many hordes, war leopards and even elephants join them! This is not looking good.
Several bards are killed in the melee, as trumpeting elephants and war leopards leap upon them. "Starpike220", crafter of
Nalutal is slain, as is "Furrnok" Basnededuk, another bard. Otto, slayer of many elves, is nowhere to be seen, though we did not see him fall. The remaining elephants run terrified into the dunes as the siege is broken.
The cleanup begins again. The cycle continues. Our entranceway is choked with corpses and soaked in the blood of scores of elves. The dwarves are miserable, but any who die are immediately replaced by throngs of bards. "Riloki" Ducimbuzat the diagnostician is tantrumming constantly, causing fistfights in the tavern.
The simmering resentment spills over into bloodshed. A massive brawl breaks out in the temple. Many poets, bards and even a few dwarves are slain. The militia commander "Bruenor" is responsible for restoring order, by slaughtering the tantrummers.
The hospital is full to brimming. And just then there is a terrible roar from the deep - as if to throw salt in our wounds a great poisonous lizard is roaming the caverns.
Population: 111
Opal 155For now, the slaughter seems to have abated. Blood, vomit and guts are cleaned from the temple and the tavern, and the atom smasher is put to good use. The quiet gurgling screams of plump helmet men and cave ogres being murdered by the beast Zestto are the only distractions.
Baby "Kesperan" stumbles around naked and thirsty, his mother slain. He is indignant after being forced to endure the decay of his mother. More than a third of the fortress are miserable or depressed. What a godforsaken place this is.
"Riloki" threw another tantrum and destroyed the trade depot. A few more bards are slain in a fight. There are plenty tombs, but the corpses are left to rot in the corridors.
Population: 112
Obsidian 155It all seems eerily quiet here, though the mood is not improving. Most of those injured in the tavern brawl have now left the hospital. New coffins have been laid down. The corpse pits are full once more.
A tanner withdraws from society and creates a sleek jaguar leather glove, and is now a legendary tanner. I notice we appear to have no soap and few splints. Many of the wounded have infections. We have rounded up a few wild camels to turn into soap.
Population: 111
Granite 156Spring has arrived. The mood in the fort is sadly much the same. No new brawls though. A thief is spotted trying to steal an artifact llama wool item and is put down.
Soon after, a great horde of over 150 goblins and humans of The Union of Frenzy arrive with their war dogs. They seek Mososrit, a chalk toy boat. We tell them to go stuff themselves and raise the gate. One human bard is mauled to death by war dogs before we can seal the fortress. Perhaps now the invaders will try Salmeuk's patented defence system? The dogs and humans enter into the farms and slaughter a few more bards. No beards were lost that day, but what of the future?
It is so very hard to thrive here - so few dwarves and so many attacks. Every time we clean up the mess and lay our dead to rest, another siege arrives.
I will hand the overseership over to someone hopefully more capable than I...
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