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[ricemastah]

Rice's Journal

It's hard to believe it has been a year. It would be a great time to celebrate and I don't even like most people here. But then I found out we don't have booze. I'll let that sink in for a little. Just think about it, no wait don't, it will DESTROY YOUR MIND!!!

[penguinofhonor]

Diary of Paul:
I heard that we're going to enter the cave, from below. Bad idea, in my opinion, although I heard that in some caves you can see the ore in the walls and floors, begging to be dug out.

I've never really liked mining so much, but that doesn't really seem like a reason to risk our soldiers.

Although they have been given leather armor, made by someone completely unexperienced at leatherworking, when I could make superior bone armor. I shall complain about that. I am skilled at bone carving and I will not have my skills wasted!

In other news, my kitten is doing well. Systar is angry at me for "stealing" it, but she just knows that it likes me better.

Also: rock crystal! Crystal glass is amazing stuff.

[Dame de la Licorne]

5th Granite, 1052
Durien's log
The soldiers have returned, battered, bloody and exhausted.  Bappsie gave me the report as the other three were nearly dead on their feet and I have sent them to rest.  Apparently they were able to clear out the first three levels of the cave, but there are several more to go.  Nosey seems a very bloodthirsty dwarf, and from what she says I imagine he would still be down there had he had the strength to resist his fellow soldiers when they decided to return.  
It seems Imp's analysis was partially wrong.  She had indicated the place was inhabited by naked mole dogs and ratmen.  While true, our brave warriors have also found giant rats and troglodytes.  The troglodytes in particular appear to be very dangerous, particularly as the dwarves found them only in groups.  I believe I will delay completion of the operation until they are equipped with better armor, iron at the least, and meanwhile seal the cave again.
Paul is upset that the armor is made of leather, but even he cannot make body armor out of bone, although he has done a very good job with the helms and other extra pieces.
On another note, my investigations into the lack of brewing has borne fruit.  Systar has said that she cannot brew without barrels.  Apparently I have been deficient in my duties as the fort's carpenter and have neglected to make enough barrels.  I will remedy this as soon as I have cut some more wood.  The lack of food is more disturbing, and I fear that regardless of the danger some poor dwarf will be required to go out and forage.  I will ask Systar to join T'Malia in the fields, though that may be a case of too little, too late.  But I must now put down my pen and pick up my axe, for there is work to do.

[Toaster]

Systar's Log

1st Granite, 1052

Happy new year, or some such nonsense?  It does not bode well to start out the new year with no alcohol.  This place is bad enough after a stiff drink!   I have no idea where all the barrels have gone, since the food reserves are pretty empty as well.  Durien is in a huff wanting to know where the booze is, but I wouldn't know how to work wood any more than I could build a wall out of water.

5th Granite

The soldiers have returned, weary but intact.  Apparantly there are troglodytes in the lower level.  All I can say is I hope they locked the door behind them, or better yet, bricked off the tunnel.

I'm also back on field duty.  Joy.

[Dame de la Licorne]

12th Granite, 1052
Durien's log
I was down in the accessway supervising the sealing of the cave, when I caught sight of Akroma coming out of the cave.  He claimed he had gone to get some refuse to toss on the garbage pile, but since I issued a blanket order that the cave was off-limits until further notice, I find that somewhat hard to believe.  I managed to catch a glimpse of what he was carrying and it rather resembled bones.  Perhaps it is possible that he wished to gift them to Paul, but something about Akroma's behavior during the whole encounter strikes me as strange, almost...furtive.  I believe I will keep an eye on the dwarf, make sure he isn't up anything that will harm this fort.  After all, there has to be a reason why his beard was cut short.

[ February 28, 2008: Message edited by: Dame de la Licorne ]

[Dame de la Licorne]

17th Granite, 1052
Durien's log
I was out chopping down some more trees today, when I heard the bray of a donkey.  Since the only donkey we have was back at the fort with his master, I looked around to find the source.  Imagine, if you will, my disgust at what I found.  Elves have arrived.  Not just any elves, but a caravan.  They looked upon me and recoiled, for I was carrying one of the chopped logs at the time, but I will not pander to their sensibilities.  I am a dwarf, and proud of it!   I asked them what business brought them here, and they answered that they had come to trade.  Trade!  But I caught sight of some of what their pack animals carried, and one was piled high with food.  Granted, it was all plants, not a single scrap of meat, but the food will mean no one must forage.  For the sake of the fort, I will broker the most advantageous deal I can with these traders.

[Akroma]

Akroma's log 12th granite 1052

My attempts to make use of the slaughter in the cave failed. Nosey's bloodthirst was immense, and the few body parts that were left unharmed are totaly uselss, except maybe to feed them to the dogs. No sign of the hydra, which is both positive and negative.
I was spotted leaving the cave, which resulted in the leader sealing it off for now. Not that it matters anyhow. Without any rooms for me to do my work in, I will be left cutting jewels anyway. This is a problem I will see to. Maybe I should burrow a pick.

[Imeka]

May I request a dwarf of the next wave of immigrants? Any female, non-married dwarf will do, peasant preferred.

Backgroundstory:
Groaning Imeka awoke, not knowing why she felt that bad, surely she hadn't drunk more than usual at last nights party? Then she remembered about having an argument with the barons son, which surprisingly ended with the closing of a bet. A bet that she, daughter of nobility herself, would live as a peasant for one year, but not in the mountain homes but in some remote outpost that only the barons son had heard about before. Remembering that he had said something about some others leaving to journey to that outpost this very morning, she quickly gathered some stuff she thought an ordinary peasant would take and then rushed towards the gate to follow the other immigrants, since not leaving with them would mean losing the bet...

[Dame de la Licorne]

@Imeka: Added to the list.

28th Granite, 1051
Durien's log
The elves proved to be stubborn traders, taking only our rock goods and nothing else.  But I expected this, since they are well-known for hating any death other than the "natural" kind and despising the "defilement" of the dead, whatever that means.  I have managed to buy all of the food they brought, which should last us through the summer, baring any unexpected occurrences.  Their second mule was loaded down with rope reed cloth, so I got some of that as well to make some temporary chains.  The war dogs will serve a better purpose defending the entrance of our fort than running around the way they do now.

[nahkh]

Alas, it appears my request for a dwarf has gone unheard (or maybe no suitable dwarves have appeared?). Here's a revised request:

Dogar, male,
armorsmith. (preferably of a grumpy persuasion, but that's a small matter)

Backstory, as spoken by Tammut Beardchiseled, forgemaster, in 1052.

"Oh, Dogar? Yeah I remember him. Unfortunately. Now don't get me wrong, he was a pretty good worker, never got any complaints about the quality of any piece of his, always top notch. He'd have gone far, if not for... other factors.
For starters, his co-workers often complained to me about that damned brackish human tobacco he always smokes. Gods know where he gets it, but I don't think I've never seen him without one. That devilish smoke hits you like a ton o' bricks when he walks in the room.
Now that in itself isn't really a big problem, what with the forges being mostly full of smoke anyway, I though his lack of organization was a more serious problem. He always hated paperwork. I don't think he signed off a single workorder during his time here. Some of his mates covered for him o' course, but it didn't always work. He lost the paperwork more than once. Now that did not go down well with the customers. Particularly so with the Baron. Oh boy.
The Baron had placed an order for an ornamental suit of steel armor. Everyone knew he'd never wear it. I think that's what ticked Dogar off. He takes pride in his work, and hates to see crafstdwarfship go to waste. I'm pretty sure he _intentionally_ lost the paperwork, not once but twice! The Baron was seriously pissed off, and that's the truth. He'd wanted to put it out on display for a party he had with his cronies, but Dogar's procrastinating made that impossible. He sent me a ranter stern note, which I gave to Dogar. Dogar looked at it, smiled, and started working furiously. I knew that should have been a bad sign. That's the third thing about him, see. He has a wicked sense of humor.
He sent the armor to it's new owner a week later. I curse myself for not inspecting the work beforehand, I can only say that I was swamped with work of my own. I never actually saw the armor, but from what I've been told it had some rather interesting engravings on it. I'm told he captured a very good likeness of the Baron, even down to that annoying smile he so likes to use.
Unfortunately, he'd put in on the codpiece.
And the image of a goblin striking down a dwarf on the backplace did NOT go down any better. Might've as well painted a bulls-eye on the helmet.
Fortunately his mates warned him before the guards came for him. If he ever comes back I hear he has ten hammerstrikes waiting for him.
If you find him, buy him a drink. Or better yet, bring him some tobacco."

[ February 29, 2008: Message edited by: nahkh ]

[AlmostEverywhere]

Here's a backstory for Bappsie:

Bappsie always liked pretty, shiny things.  This turned out to bit a bit of a problem, as while she was growing up, other people's jewelry had a habit of disappearing and somehow showing up in her bedroom.  When she came of age, her father managed to work some connections in the Mountainhome and landed her a job as an appretice to the jeweler of the Baron himself.  Her father figured she'd have so much time to work with all the jewelry at her job, she wouldn't need to steal any more.

Unfortunately, shortly into her apprenticeship, the prize sapphire of the Baron's collection disappeared.  Bappsie was seen lurking around the shop late the night before, and she was arrested.  Searching her home and work area didn't turn up any trace of the gem, and when asked where it was, she merely smiled and kept her mouth shut.  The furious Baron was about to send her to a prison cell when an advisor whispered something in his ear.  With an evil grin, the Baron nodded, and proclaimed:

"You'll be in the next emigration to Nokzamoslan."

Bappsie always dreams of one day returning, and retrieving the prize sapphire from the secret place where she hid it.

Also, a couple of questions:  First, is Bappsie using a weapon or is she bapping things with her shield?  Second, are there any pretty ores or gems in the cave?  Thanks.

[Dame de la Licorne]

@nakh: You were the first on the waitlist, but the only stonecrafter in the first wave was female and there weren't any metalsmiths of any sort.
@AlmostEverywhere: Currently Bappsie is unarmed and wielding a shield.  Shiny stuff in the cave includes: red flash opal and claro opal clusters, and more hematite, as well as some native copper.

[Dame de la Licorne]

7th Slate, 1052
Durien's log
Although we have no anvil and so cannot build a forge, I have asked Rice to build us a wood furnace and a smelter, so that we may begin processing the raw hematite Imp keeps mining into usable iron bars.  This way when the dwarven traders bring an anvil upon their return this fall, all will be in readiness for Grekk to begin forging some weapons for our soldiers.  I believe I will also ask her to practice making armor, even though she has no training in it, for metal is far superior to even the highest grade bone.  And, of course, it is most undwarvenly to fight in anything other than the highest grade possible metal armor.

[ March 01, 2008: Message edited by: Dame de la Licorne ]

[Dame de la Licorne]

17th Slate, 1052
Durien's log
The elves left today, at long last.  Any trading was completed weeks ago, so why they remained so long is beyond me.  They spent the entire time looking down their uppity noses at us, with exaggerated winces and sighs whenever one of us walked by carrying a wooden, bone, or other animal or plant-based item.  Several times I nearly told them, "We're dwarves!  What d'you expect!"  But I managed to control myself, and breathed a long sigh of relief as I watched them go from the top of our ramparts.  I hope they will not bother us again.

[Dame de la Licorne]

22nd Slate, 1052
Durien's log
Ever since I ordered the construction of the wood furnace, Paul has been nagging me for a glassworks, claiming that if there is wood enough to fuel the smelter, there is wood enough for glass.  It is true that with all the sand around, glass would be easy to make, but the iron is more important to my mind.  Nevertheless, I have ordered the glassworks built, I am sure that eventually it will get used.
Also, while digging out some semi-precious gems, Imp has accidentally opened a breach in our walls.  As soon as he heard of it, Leo, grumbling and complaining as usual, grabbed some andesite rocks and headed in that direction, I assume he's going to fill up the gap.  He really seems paranoid about going outside, not that I blame him, considering the neighbors and the lack of success our military had in clearing out the cave.  At least his war dog seems to give him a small degree of comfort.