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[LeftHandofGod]

Here we go. Midweek post. Not done with my turn yet, but it's been interesting enough I figured I'd make a post and see what you think.

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The year turns, and command of the fort falls back to me. A quick tour of the fort establishes the basics of what I appear to be dealing with, and I begin work on laying out the basis of our magma industry, before designating vast areas to be carved out in the levels above for storage of ore and bars. The histories tell us that it is dangerous to delve too greedily in the depths of the magma sea, who knows what horrors we might unleash? Far better to make the citizens use the staircase if needed.

Initial orders seen to, I also order the remnants of the older metals industry taken apart for use lower down. While I'm in the area, I tell the crafters on the former main crafthall level to stop making blocks. Armok's balls, we've got enough blocks to fill in the Underworld! The forges complete, I look into our military, and notice that nobody is wearing any steel armor! No wonder we're losing so many dwarfs every time we engage! Designations are laid out and soon enough the two squads are at full strength and fully clad in dwarven plate (The dwarven members, at any rate.)

And just in time too, for:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A giantess! Kill it! KILL IT NOW! KILL IT DEAD! MAKE IT DEADER!

Thankfully, the spear squad puts in the work and brings the giantess to it's ugly knees, before tearing its hideously oversized skull open and making soup of its brains. No losses. The new year comes swiftly, and the liaison from the Mountainhomes arrives, and brings with them a writ of barony! Our chief medical dwarf is duly selected and raised to this new high office. Long may he serve the noble cause of Treedoom!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

What's this? Another fiend from the depths? Curse it! Thankfully, it remains confined to the cavern seas, but the news is still troubling. Then, catastrophe! My predecessor failed to heed my warning of the dangers of the unsecured well, and one of the other forgotten beasts surged up from the sea and into the halls! Thankfully, the only death in this initial attack was a stoneworker. The abomination enters a dining hall and is sealed there while the military is summoned. Once ready, they surge forth to battle and butcher the foul thing, with only minor damage done to an elven poet's spine. (Elves can regrow their spines, right? I mean, the smelly bastards are immortal, so stands to reason.)

Panicked, I order a drawbridge built in the well hall, visions of cave-dweller invasions from the well dancing through my mind amidst gales of blood and screams. Unfortunately, the danger came not from the well, but from below. Some unknown menace tears apart doors and topples our magma forges in the days leading up to the assault, before the cave dwellers pour out of the depths, screaming and howling for dwarven blood.

IF IT'S A FIGHT THEY WANT, BY THE BONES OF MY ANCESTORS, A FIGHT THEY'LL HAVE! The civilians are pulled back, and the military is mustered. As the squads gather, two lone soldiers engage the foes upon the black roads, and wreak bloody slaughter upon them. The assault might have ended there, but for one dwarf falling swiftly, and the other axedwarf sallying out of the gates to soak his axe in swallow-man blood, but dying in an endless hail of fungiwood darts. His loss is avenged though, as the rest of the military arrives moments later and drives the invaders back in a hellacious tide of gore, before methodically hunting down every last survivor.

BLOOD! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS! SKULLS FOR HIS SKULL THRONE! ARMOK'S WILL BE DONE THIS DAY!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

----------------------
So....the steel armor. On the one hand, fantastic protection. That one dwarf that sallied out alone forced the cave-dwellers to use basically all their ammunition to bring him down, and even then it was probably close. On the other hand, they're slow as fuck, so I can sort of understand why they weren't kitted out earlier. That said, if we're going to eventually be able to take the fight to the elves, we need to remember that it's not at all uncommon for forest retreats to have populations in the thousands. So the trade-off might be worth it.

[Splint]

As a delegate of a far-flung place known as Icebulwark, a land that has long made war upon the elves in retribution for centuries of unprovoked aggression, I would like to put forth the following suggestion regarding the armor of our war dwarves.

I would presume that they are equipped fully in solid plate with, perhaps, a mail shirt beneath. For the less physically-robust war dwarves, this may prove too encumbering to allow for adequate response times to invaders and may tire them quickly. I would like to suggest a change to what some may view as humbler options - mail leggings and leather armor worn over the mail shirt. Fashioned from any metal, it proves adequate against most animal attacks wooden weapons and munitions. From steel, it will be more than adequate and somewhat less encumbering (or at least cheaper, in the case of the leggings.) A change of chest armor retains an extra layer of defense while reducing the overall encumbrance by 15 daggers of weight. Another 9 or so could be saved by a switch to wooden shields if those are not in service, though I'm aware that such are easily broken in combat. That said, Icebulwark's war dwarves have long used this arrangement to blood-soaked effect against hundreds of elves and war beasts - so many in fact that the elves seem to have run out of their animal associates to hurl against its silver gate.

I would also suggest Rovod be placed in the militia and made to train as an unarmed brawler in penitence, assuming they haven't been executed or exiled yet. They'll earn little glory directly (since even a wooden helmet can make beating someone to death barehanded difficult,) but a highly skilled wrestler can be a hell of a support fighter to armed war dwarves.


Right, so I did load up the arena to look. I know for a fact leggings are a cheaper options and could have sworn they were light, but this isn't the case. Still, if we want or need to stretch our metal supplies, they cost one bar less to make than greaves do. Dropping breastplates in favor of leather armor however will shave off a fair chunk of weight, as would swapping steel shields for wooden ones.

This should make a big difference for the weaker troops who just don't have the strength or aptitude to lug that shit around yet while still being plenty effective against the spears and swords the elves use and able to stop things like werebeast bites. Hell, the fort I referenced doesn't even use full armor due to initially to supply scarcities and copper helmets and mail shirts with a metal shield or buckler (to prevent easy breakages) have proven more than adequate. So good drill and solid weapons can more than make up for reduced overall protection against most threats.

[LeftHandofGod]

So metals aren't actually an issue. We've got 140 odd pig iron bars and we're more than able to source more. I did some wiki digging, and it looks like extended training does increase speed with armor on. And with goblins at our doors and them being notorious for using things like whips and such, I mislike the idea of giving up rigid armor pieces. It might very well be better to simply equip another squad with full plate and spend another two or three years in training before we take the fight to the tree-shaggers.

[Salmeuk]

oh god the cave swallow peoples finally brought their full army
I think the olm people's siege camp was preventing any swallows from attacking on my turn. So after the beast killed all the olms, it provided invader slots for swallows to gear up and attack you. RIP

those cavern fights are so deadly, the small creatures are fast af and sometimes have steel.

and notice that nobody is wearing any steel armor! No wonder we're losing so many dwarfs every time we engage! Designations are laid out and soon enough the two squads are at full strength and fully clad in dwarven plate

thanks. tbh I was being lazy.

as long as your dwarves are highly skilled, it should be a wash for most fights. the armor is for after the martial trance, when they become too tired and start missing dodges - it provides a certain additional number of hits before RNG lands a solid one and their frail mortal bodies and emotions take over. in my experience at least, im not really a minimaxer here

I agree with splint - it can be good to have a 'heavy guard' with full plate, training 24/7 and slowly gaining armor user (this can take a while), and having a separate light scout team of weapon + shield + mail / helm, just to pad the rng a little. Ive never used leather armor really but I might have to give that a try.
 The scouts should be used for ambushes, while the heavy guard can take on sieges, and depending on the situation either could be useful for forgotten beasts.

[Splint]

Main idea would just be trimming down on the weight, particularly for the guys with lower strength. Can always upgrade their armor later on. Though for the legs since they weigh the same, can just go with greaves since conserving materials isn't an issue. I only got into that habit because of multiple extremely metal-poor embarks in v47 forcing me to be conservative with my resources.

As a note about both leather armor and wooden shields, non-artifact ones can get busted apart rather quickly - the former against edged attacks (so bites, scratches and most metal hand weapons,) but holds up decently enough against wooden weaponry such as what the elves use and the cavern tribes' ammo. Opting for wooden shields is super cheap and the shields will be super light (improving the mobility of less skilled/strong soldiers,) buuuuuut soldiers really like bashing with high-quality ones if their weapons are of lower quality, so they'll break them apart on the enemy's faces very frequently. On the upside, the losses of both does give the carpenters and leatherworkers something to do besides making bins and shoes all the time.


The arrangement I propose.

- The Heavy Infantry in full steel plate. These dwarves are basically the walls the enemy will get broken on and consist of our best and stronkest beards.
- The Light Infantry, swapping their breastplates and shields for lighter material alternatives. These guys should make up the bulk of the forces we have, both for offensive actions and as a faster response to emergencies. The reduced armor is partially a cost-mitigation measure for the teams sent to cause trouble for larger sites, since they will inevitably suffer at least some casualties and their gear will be lost with them in the field. The less precious dwarven steel lost the better.
- The Budget Offensive Infantry: Same as the light infantry, but with iron armor instead of steel for teams intended to mainly spend their time away from the fortress killing elves and breaking things. Quicker to make and if its lost, it's no big deal since everyone and their cousin has access to iron. Could likely use it for the marksdwarves too, since if they end up in a position where iron isn't sufficient, something has gone horribly wrong.
- The Reserves, using leather armor, wood shields and only a mail shirt and helm with a hand weapon. These Reserves would consist of those who are of an unsuitable disposition to be fighting dwarves and thus only given minimal equipment and training to allow them to defend themselves and the fortress in an emergency and assuage their martial training needs.

[LeftHandofGod]

Sounds nifty! That said, might leave the other squad setup for Salmeuk after I finish. Also, I promise I haven't forgotten my turn, just been getting my butt kicked by life. I'll probably be done around late Saturday, early Sunday.

[LeftHandofGod]

Hoooo Boy! This is gonna be a bit of a long one, with plenty of disasters and mishaps on my part, sadly.

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Early Summer, 259

Some months have passed since my last entry here, and work continues apace on clearing the caverns and establishing defensive measures. It seems a bone carver has made a new construction, though!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

How nice of him! Yet, as the summer wears on, it quickly becomes apparent that the caverns are NOT safe. More invaders flood in, a seething tide of flesh and dwarf-hating bone. Thankfully, the military beats them off with one one civilian casualty.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Left with little other option due to the invaders' continued use of ravenous cave crawlers, I've order four great bridges to be constructed that we might have ready defenses and not be overrun by rabble from below. Meanwhile, I've also turned the old forge spaces into a massive stone stockpile, and carved larger spaces for our finished goods.
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Late Summer, 259

Calamity! My fears of yesteryear have come true! A horror from the deeps has slithered up through the well and assailed us! The beast was slain, but not without cost.

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Vulnerable as the well might be, a better option eludes me due to the lack of a larger reservoir and the freezing of the river in the winter. The season turns, and those blasted cavern dwellers return! Once more they are driven back in a blizzard of blood and screams, but the problem persists. The bridges and levers are finished, so I've ordered the bridges to be raised and raised I shall leave them. No more shall we be troubled by savages in the deep.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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Mid Winter, 259

The magma forges are almost finished being rebuilt, and a runner informs me that a great beast (Yet another one) was sighted in the second cavern layer. I wish the abomination the best of luck in wandering the underground sea.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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Late Winter, 259

MORE FUCKING WEREGIRAFFES. Didn't we do this already?

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The accursed thing is slain with only the loss of a poet, but it bites several people, who are all fairly useless to the fort and thence expelled. In Mid-Summer of 260, however, one of them, a Fishery Worker, returns to wreak havoc, just as a caravan is leaving.

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Again, we triumph, but the merchants suffer several losses. Sometime later, an assistant brings me a jug of the first mead we have produced here in Treedoom! Not much later, the envoy from the Mountainhomes arrives and informs me that we've been made a duchy!

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What's this, a strange mood? Delightful, perhaps you'll make something...completely fucking useless.

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Seeing holes in the lawn leading down into the weregiraffe daycare give me the idea to attempt to flood said daycare, which I duly attempt. Said attempt...does not work out as well as might be hoped. One weregiraffe escapes right on the full moon and kills three civilians before being struck down. The other does not escape until later, when they are a more amiable dwarf. Thanks to a quick notification by a guard, I quickly order our erstwhile leader expelled.

Throughout this long summer, I've also overseen a mass slaughter of our overblown dog and cat population, and expansion of the food stores as appropriate. The outdoor food garden has also been appropriately revamped to account for those plants we DO have seeds for. In the old crafter's hall, I've restored our soapmaking industry, built two bowyers, and a siege workshop. As another gift to my successor, I have found the true wealth that will be the foundation of our war efforts here: Bone crafts! We have no shortage of bones and various bits from the unending stream of critters we've slain in the depths, or butchered from our own stocks. One particularly noteworthy bin that was sold for the entire contents of the last dwarven caravan (Plus or minus a few toys and splints and such) was 407 objects, with an estimated worth of well over $10,000! Talk about turning trash into treasure!
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Autumn, 260

The fortress appears to be doing very well, perhaps the best so far since the initial weregiraffe attacks of 253! With that in mind, I launch multiple assaults against the nearby goblin fortress, all meeting with great success, and returning with several beak dogs and other assorted goods. I've had a windmill built in the old garden, and attached several millstones to it to replace our old and laborious querns.
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Winter, 260
It appears the goblins do not wish to simply accept our raids laying down. They have come to parley, but rather than a delegation, they appear to be here in numbers enough to siege the gate for many months.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Undeterred, I order the military forward, and an all-out slaughter ensues. In the resulting carnage, the will of the enemy host is decisively broken and the survivors flee for their lives...but the cost to the fort is almost too great to bear. All but two of the axedwarves slain in the field, and only one surviving speardwarf. May Armok forgive my sins and may my successor guide us back to glory...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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Final notes and observations: So the caverns are a lost cause. Write them off, we can't afford to keep handling all the bullshit that keeps spewing out of them. Leave the bridges up, forget about them. There's a forgotten beast sealed in the entry hall of the first cavern, IT IS A WEB SPITTER. There are also some dwarves stuck in cages. They've all gone stark raving mad, don't let them out. Try and see about making us a functional aquifer? That well is giving me nightmares, but we gotta have it.

On the upside, with the military decimated, here's your chance to remake it as needed. Plus, we now have a boyer, so we can make crossbows and have ranged options. Good luck!

https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=17150

[Salmeuk]

There are also some dwarves stuck in cages. They've all gone stark raving mad, don't let them out.

MORE FUCKING WEREGIRAFFES. Didn't we do this already?

Seeing holes in the lawn leading down into the weregiraffe daycare give me the idea to attempt to flood said daycare, which I duly attempt. Said attempt...does not work out as well as might be hoped. One weregiraffe escapes right on the full moon and kills three civilians before being struck down. The other does not escape until later, when they are a more amiable dwarf. Thanks to a quick notification by a guard, I quickly order our erstwhile leader expelled.

oh man oh man what a turn ahaha . its like, is there anything BUT weregiraffes? did some monastery suffer a mass transformation?

quite a few goblins now huh? we may need to turn to traps and other such devices . until we kit out the military per our battle plans heh.

playing this today.

[Splint]

I question how this place still draws any migrants. Perhaps the desperate and clueless are all that the merchants point in our direction now, such is the death and misery to be found among the general populace and the war dwarves.

[LeftHandofGod]

I'm pretty sure that's a question we're ALL asking. But I figure that most of what the caravans report back to the Mountainhomes is the just the overwhelming and endless supply of wealth that flows out of Treedoom like water. If there is mention of danger, the merchants probably downplay it as nothing more hostile than the average fortress. Plus, also remember that the merchants don't go any deeper than the second level, so they and other visitors have never seen the true horrors plaguing us.

That said, we're having a devil of a time maintaining any kind of reasonable population. Maybe we should consider admitting every performer that asks and then immediately draft them into the military?PS: Have a short little omake:
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Mountainhomes of the Considerate Mirror - Winter, 260

"Aye, I tell you me lads, the craftdwarfship of the bone-carvers there is beyond anything I done ever seen! Their tavern is coated in gold and silver! Coated, I say!"

The drunken merchant telling stories in the main tavern of the great hall that the lesser races knew as the Mountainhome in this part of the world waved the golden goblet he'd been drinking from around wildly as he boasted of his journeys and the immense profits his caravan had made from their latest trek out to the new fortress. Youths and elders alike, beards all-a-bristle, were crowded around his table, rapt with attention. Arlack could practically see the dwarfbuck signs flashing in their eyes as they slavered at the thought of the wealth that they would be bestowed with if they dared to make the trip.

A mother standing nearby with her babe eyed the merchant dubiously. "And what of the usual dangers? I've heard things from my sister who went with a caravan five years ago. She said that the caverns beneath the fort were infested with beasts and animals, that dwarfs were dying faster than new ones arrived."

The merchant brushed her off with a negligent gesture of his goblet, ale slopping out over the jewel-studded rim. "Lies and tall tales! Why we were there two months, and we heard of all the great victories their soldiers had won! Cavern dwellers put to the sword, their bones turned to profit and the betterment of dwarfkind! If there were any monsters down there, they're surely butchered and made into jewelry like this by now!" He waved a rutherer bone scepter around, to the 'ooos' and 'ahhs' of his audience, then belched. "Why, their troops are even clad in steel! Full steel plate, I tell you! Gods shave my beard if I be lying!"

This prompted more impressed muttering. Surely nothing could stand against the brazen charge of a squad of dwarfs clad beard-to-boot in true dwarven steel! Imagine the blood! The glory! The screams of your foes and the snap of their bones underheel! Even the previously skeptical mother looked convinced by this point. Shaking his head, Arlack stood from his seat at a booth in the corner and cleared his throat. "Gentledwarfs and beings, he speaks the Blood God's own truth! I am empowered by our monarch to sign intrepid travelers up for a new migration to Treedoom, that all might know of their valor and skill! Who among you is strong enough to undertake this quest! Who shall take up the calling!"

Dwarves flooded over to his booth, clamoring to sign up, and Arlack gestured them on to his assistant, who pulled out a scroll and started noting down names and departure dates. Slipping away, he went over to the merchant and pressed a shipping claim tag into his hand. "For your service."

The merchant grinned, flush with drink. "Always a pleasure, sir!" he slurred, pocketing the tag and calling the barkeep for more ale. Grinning to himself, Arlack exited the tavern and nodded decisively as he watched passers-by on the street outside. The merchant would no doubt go to the warehouses later tonight, looking to pickup the bar of gold crate bars that the slip purported to be for. A shame then that two of Arlack's men would be waiting for him, but his heirs would be free to claim that crate and would also be heirs to the enormous windfall of that last trip.

The duke would be happy, at any rate. More migrants for the meat grinder, and nothing but good news spreading to the people on the outside. Taking a last look around, he turned on his heel and went back inside. A good night, all in all. A drink was in order, or maybe twelve...

[Splint]

The gears of war are turning. Actually... Are there any particularly interesting trees topside? A little snub before the real war begins popped into mind.

[LeftHandofGod]

The gears of war are turning. Actually... Are there any particularly interesting trees topside? A little snub before the real war begins popped into mind.

If you're wondering about possibly insulting the elves by trying to trade wood to them, don't worry about that. I already did that by accident. Tried to trade them a bin full of bone crafts, and the damn tree-humpers got pissy and refused to trade.

[Splint]

Oh no, I meant that if there was something like an unusually tal tree, or a featherwood, highwood, either of those, building something around it - trapping it as a show of dominance over nature.

[Salmeuk]

I played a bit: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2204852198
I lined the entrance hall with totem skulls and created a small malachite-paved barracks for the dwarfs



More to come today. It's kind of .. laggy?? The map is a bit larger than we need I think. I recommend 3x3 or smaller in the future.

SO MANY BONE CRAFTS ITS AWESOME i kinda want to make a gigantic vault of bone

oh and I started work on a ridiculous siege entrance / ballista gallery.

[Salmeuk]

All is well at Treedoom. Average day includes bear-combing, sheep-shearing, blackberry-wine-making, emerald-cloth-dying, steel-forging, and so on.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2207287518

Average fps is 20. I will say - if we cannot trigger any attacks - maybe a resettlement is called for. Or a final turn of war-waging.


save here: https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=17156

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The journal:

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 Treedoom - turn 3
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It is year 260, early Winter. I have inherited the role of overseer after a great battle between the dwarven soldiers of Treedoom and the invading goblins. Many have died, and the military lays in ruin, yet Treedoom is defended for now.

 Life must go on. New recruits must be trained. Equipment collected and refashioned, refit, reforged..

The former overseer fought many battles in the third cavern against the cave swallow peoples. For now, the dwarves hide behind raised bridges, and the skeletons lay untouched except for the occasional hungry mouse.

Zutthan died in the hospital for unknown reasons. Possibly due to a previous wound turned to infection.

A caged forgotten beast spews icy extract in the cavern layer animal stockpiles.

It was decided to trap 'Loz the Savage' once and for all.  Straws were drawn and the unlucky miner Sigun Tomemet was send to cut out the final stone wall, releasing 'Loz'.
 
Sigun was fast enough to slip back through the door, escaping the awful ceratopsid.

And with that one tile, the first cavern layer was opened up to the dwarves once more. The muddy floors remained fungus-less, and were covered in spiderwebs after years of inactivity.

The slow process of dying began in earnest. Uhm, dye-ing thread, that is, with dimple dye. We had 72 units stocked and felt that the dwarves could use some fresh threads.

Reoccuring clothing orders were created, as well, and the workflow was changed to favor the weaving of cloth. As Treedoom had over 1400 units stocked of various threads, yet only 200 cloth at this very moment, suggesting a production imbalance .

 Fighting was heard from the second caverns, where the olms lived.. attacked by some cavern beast no doubt.

The entrance was paved over with orthoclase and the hallway lined with pedestals and skull totems.

My predecessor's mistake arrived in the late Winter of 260 - the weregiraffe Ushat has returned after being expelled in the previous year! No doubt for revenge and violence, or whatever it is that motivates a weregiraffe!

Deduk and Ushat (a glassmaker) tried to run inside but the were was too quick.

The weregiraffe attacked the defending military with a forgotten beast bone earring, bashing stomach and skull alike.  The small bone piece acted like a hammer.

The dwarves brought steel axes, however, and soon it was over for Ushat the weregiraffe and ex-leader of Treedoom.

No bites were recorded, unless one of the dwarves was hiding their wounds.

We have so many voracious cave crawler teeth you might go swimming - they've all been collected in a great pile near the middle layers. Each crawler produces hundreds upon hundreds of small pointy tooths. Individually they are small, yet sharp, and collectively they are a nightmare.


Year 261 has arrived. Snow falls regularly despite Spring's arrival.

Durpal, the human dancer, died peacefully of old age at our doorstep.

The military dwarves were called off from training and asked to help with some hauling - quite the backlog had developed.

Rithod the Bard died in the hospital, for unknown reasons.

The fortress grew cabbages, parsnips, and blade weed. Dimple cups, pig tails, plump helmets, sweet pods, quarry bushes, and so on were also grown underground.

Aboveground, a small windmill powers a few millstones, which smash nuts into slurries and also produces powdered dyes.

The first batch of dyed clothing arrived - emerald green dresses and robes.

In mid-Spring, Vucar gave birth to Stukos Galefortresses - what a name! He was incredibly tough, even only a day old.

In late Spring, one of the frozen walls melted near the surface, revealing a tunnel full of water, that was connected to an even larger resevoir further to the south. By cleaning up the old were-giraffe holding pens we had inadvertently opened this tunnel.

Amost was killed in a fistfight with the militia commander, who was throwing a tantrum or otherwise in a foul mood.

The human traders brought nothing but caged bears.......

All were purchased, of course.

The giant sloth bear, giant white stork, and giant jumping spider hold a meeting in the corner of the tavern. Important Things are discussed.

The sounds of fighting are heard from behind the third cavern gates. A monster is attacking the swallow people.

Tame bears, black and brown, now guard the entrance. All the beak dogs were thrust into a cage near the staircases, and a lever attached, labeled 'RELEASE THE BEAK DOGS.'

The fighting continues in the third cavern. Whatever horrible beast that is down there, is very very effective at catching birds.

There is a surplus, a burden, of food and drink. A haze of miasma floats above the butcher's shop. More barrels or pots are needed, but the dwarves are busy training and organizing other goods.

'Relira', a caged forgotten beast, was placed in the tavern. Their constant blasting extract adds a certain aesthetic touch to the proceedings - just be careful not to get too close as the stuff is boiling !

Doren and Onget had a child, in late Summer, bringing a second son into their family.

In late Summer, 'Nomar' attacked the first cavern: a giant humanoid composed of flame. It could fly, and so it flew on into our staircases, where the Knives of Raking waited in ambush.

'Nomar' was a good shot and immediately struck the advancing dwarves with a fireball. Kivish Thornrough was set ablaze, while the others hesitated before the sudden inferno.

Kivish fought 'Nomar' alone, in the staircase, while set on fire. And so perished. The flames blocked the others into a side hallway adjunct to the main staircase, and the only other route was through a different trapped forgotten beast.

The world itself slowed down as 'Nomar' fought in the staircase, throwing fireballs straight upwards.
 Eventually, after a day of fighting, 'Nomar' was punched in the face by Sibrek Kindledwound and the threat defeated.

A wildfire, the remnants of 'Nomar's' burning footsteps, spreads throughout the first cavern layer.

Lorbam Drinkceilings has become terrible depressed. Instead of working, he has begun to 'socialize'  with the aformentioned trio of bear, stork, and spider.  They are joined by a well trained giant bat, who is regularly fed extremely well prepared meals, and is probably the fattest, happiest giant bat that has ever bat-ed.

Perhaps this is just what Lorbam needs to cure his depression.

A test shot of part of the ballista gallery proved successful - a dozen heavy arrows plunged into the far wall of the newly excavated siege entrance.

In mid-Autumn, an artifact pair of trousers was created. It depicts an elf being eaten by a giant alligator.

For most of Autumn, the dwarves were busy throwing wood into the newly built 'log chute' that led directly to the lower workshop levels. There, a new carpentry and charcolier would be established.

A small toad was spotted hopping amongst the wood logs.

The stream froze over and the flooding of the danger room was paused, at least until Springtime and the warming weather that followed.

The main crop of the fortress has become the hardy wild blackberry, which is grown in great quantities year-round.

In mid-Winter, the grizzlies gave birth to a total of five cubs.

The Knives of Raking were sent to raid the dark goblin pits of Trussfiends in Opal, mid-Winter.

They returned with some "treasure" - a leather cap, some pants, and a tin cage.

A two-stage drop chute was constructed. The process works as follows:

1. Cut plenty of wood and haul it to the first chute.
2. Throw it down the chute, turn into charcoal.
3. Throw that charcoal down the next chute, where it falls 100 z levels, to a hallway right next to the magma smelters

Easy enough. The time saved from hauling coal down the staircases should be immense.

The stray giant jumping spider died of old age this year. It is Spring of 262.

In early Spring, a successful military raid on the 1000 strong goblin forest retreat of Brandedbudded resulted in experience gain for The Knives of Raking. A second raid was planned immediately.

The siege pile, left over from the previous overseer, was looted for spare weapons.

Zas Bodicerags went moody in mid-Spring. Zas famously values nature, something she only realized after being caught in a snowstorm in 260.

The bears were named according to their personalities.

One of the children, Zasit,  has been punching the giant sloth bear in the face, scattering the bear's teeth across the dance floor. This is somewhat hazardous.

In early Summer of 262, a vile force of darkness arrived, only to leave immediately. They must have heard about the bears.