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[Boksi]

Okay, so I decided to join a short while ago. Then I decided to imitate Nist Akath, and make a story out of my game, except I'm a newbie so I choose a very easy spot instead of a near-impossible one. There aren't any screenshots, but I made it through a whole year nevertheless. I might add some drawings, but not screenshots. Read on if you want:

---Diary of Astesh Morulmegid
--20th Obsidian, 1051
-Seems boss has pissed someone off. Someone high up, and pissed him/her mightily off too, because otherwise he would still be nondrowned. Anyway, his death has caused the dissolution of the small business, and I currently don't have a job here. And from the preliminary investigating I did, it's obvious this high-up's vendetta extends to me as well, which isn't too surprising considering my status boss's secretary.

--22th Obsidian, 1051
-I really seem to be in trouble. All I've been offered are hauling jobs. HAULING. JOBS. I've already done my fair share of hauling thankyouverymuch. No, I've got to do something, but what? Perhaps if I sleep on it, I'll figure it out...

--23rd Obsidian, 1051
-Nothing came to me while sleeping, sadly. Fortunately though, something, or rather someone, came to me while I was awake. I'll be brief so as not to waste paper. Apparently, some other highup noble didn't like the way I and Boss got treated, and is trying to rectify it. Fat load of good it'll do Boss, what with him being drowned and all, but I've got a job offer now. Basically, I'm wanted for my management skills to organize and lead a small expedition into the nearby mountains. From what I've been told, it's got obsidian, so from what I know it should have magma. Which means I'd probably burn us all up. There's one major cinch though.

The place's name. Swordgrave. Kind of a bad omen, dontcherknow?

OOC: It's randomly generated.

--24th Obsidian, 1051
-Alright, despite the name, I'll accept. I'll just plan ahead for defenses. Maybe a moat or something. The place'll have cliffs, too, I'm sure of it, so that'll work in our favour. Well, I've got to organize everything. Stocks and such. I'm authorized hire a six-pack of dwarves and spend the excess monies on supplies. No time to write, time to get to work.

--25th Obsidian, 1051
-So, we've got everything set up, and have just left. I am writing this while our wagon is still travelling along a paved road, but according to estimates we should arrive on the first of Granite, right at the beginning of 1052.

With me are travelling:
Lorbam Legononul, Miner/Mason.
Alath Delerkadol, Engraver/Mechanic.
Bim Beravuz, Miner/Architect.
Ducim Rithnitig, Grower/Thresher.
Stodir Numdastot, Carpenter/Bowyer.
Domas Uveldodok, Brewer/Cook.

I myself will mostly be managing the outpost, as well as putting my admittedly rusty skills at stonecrafting to use sometimes. Boss liked me for a reason, that being my skill. Now, the wagon is about to stray from the comfortable, non-bumpy paved road we've been using, so that concludes this entry.

--1st Granite, 1052
-Alright, let's see... We're currently located on the edge of a cliff. There's no real water source other than ponds, so no moat for us unless we find magma. On the plus side, we've got a sheer cliff face and lots of pretty pretty obsidian...

OOC: I love obsidian, for some reason.

Anyway, I've ordered the construction of a passageway into the cliff. The entrance will be next to the precipice, and will be designed with defence in mind. After that comes the actual outpost.

--2nd Granite, 1052
-I've finalized my initial plans, which now include carving a wagon-accessible ramp into the sheer cliff face. It will, of course, have some defences made as well. My strategy is to build fortifications for crossbowdwarves to fire through beside and above the corridor. I have no idea whether this is a good idea or not, but I'm going to do it nevertheless...

OOC: Later on I decided to scrap that idea in favour of a moat.

--8th Granite, 1052
-We've constructed some makeshift workshops, one for me and one for Stodir the Carpenter. Soon we shall have beds to sleep in, even before we have any room to put these beds in! I will also begin to refresh myself on the techniques I learned on stonecrafting by making small trinkets, which we will probably be able to trade with the caravan that should arrive in autumn.

--11th Granite, 1052
-I felt I should mention that we've spotted several promising veins and clusters of various minerals and gems, as well as less-promising huge amounts of annoying microcline and cobaltite. If there is magma here, we might well develop far beyond a mere outpost.

--23rd Granite, 1052
-No important happenings have happened. We've finished the approach to the outpost and are starting on hollowing the outpost itself out now. We've also almost finished the ramp itself, and are beginning to work on it's fortifications.

I take back what I said about nothing happening! Native aluminum! We haven't actually mined it yet, but I will command it once our miners have finished hollowing out the living and workshop areas.

--26th Granite, 1052
-We'll have to use farming plots outside. There's too little water to irrigate, and any soil is too far from the intended outpost location to be effective.

Also, there are Rhesii Macaque around here, apparently.

OOC: That's me being stupid, y'know.

--1st Slate, 1052
-Am I dumb, dumber or just a plain Morion? There is a brook here. Admittedly, it's at ground level while Swordgrave is rather far above that, but it's there. I just hadn't noticed it. Also, happy new month. Not that anyone celebrates new months, that'd be kind of stupid... Which explains why the students were always throwing those "Fresh Slate" parties. Because they're stupid and a lame pun. Also, I located some limestone. I really should be observing the whole map to see about all the natural resources available.

--2nd Slate, 1052
-Further investigation has revealed the following:
Galena.
Hornblende.
More Magnetite.
Onyx Opal.
Native Copper.
Gypsum.
Huge amounts of Bauxite, hopefully there's also lava.
Kaolinite.
Tetrahedrite.
And lots and lots of annoying Alunite and Microcline, plus of course soil and obsidian.
I feel like a huge Morion.

--25th Slate, 1052
-I aten't dead! I's just boooooorrrrreeeeddd...

But seriously, nothing truly interesting has happened. Except that we've completed digging out the barracks, which will be our sleeping are until we build individual bedrooms. We've also excavated the dining room area and will soon build the indoors workshops. Which is actually rather eventful. Oh well.

--28th Slate, 1052
-You know what? I'm starting to doubt my ability to lead this expedition. I've got plenty of soil to plant subterranean crops on, I just never noticed it...

Well, I've ordered a small room to be dug out in the soil. We'll see whether that won't be enough.

--10th Felsite, 1052
-We've dug out the area where we'll farm underground. Now we can get back to moving the workshops underground.

--18th Felsite, 1052
-The subterranean farm is up, and we've moved the mason's and carpenter's workshops underground. Soon we'll move the craftdwarf's and mechanic's too.

I'm beginning to feel a little more optimistic about this.

--21st Felsite, 1052
-First crops of plump helmets have been planted, and we're moving the craftdwarf's workshop underground.

--1st Hematite, 1052
-Summer has come. We've completed most essential furnishings now, and will soon move on to the merely important ones.

--5th Hematite, 1052
-I created an idol just a short while ago. I would've written about this sooner, but I just had to admire it. It's a masterpiece.

OOC: Yeah, she created a masterpiece idol. She's made two of them, actually.

--17 Hematite, 1052
-I had this odd dream last night while I was sleeping. I can't quite put my finger on what it was about though... I think it had something to do with swords though. Probably related to the name. Swordgrave isn't the most attractive name, I suppose.

OOC: Just a little idea I had. I'll reveal it if my fortress prospers. If. I will also do so if I lose instead.

--1st Malachite, 1052
-Not much has happened except that I've designed our future living area. It simply won't do to have to sleep in a barracks.

--11th Malachite, 1052
-GOLD!

While digging out what would eventually become our underground water cistern, our miner struck gold!

Gold gold gold! Lovely lovely gold!

--13th Malachite, 1052
-I decided on a different housing plan instead. It allows for twice as big rooms, and although it's not as modular as the original layout, we probably won't need any more than the ones in the design. We'll have room for 128 dwarves once it's completed; 256 if we make it on both sides of the hallway. It's not my own design, I'm basing it off a design I read about once. It's amazingly efficient, too.

OOC: It's efficient and not efficient; it's the mandelbrot tree in the wiki.

--2nd Galena, 1052
-Things have been quiet around here. I've probably made over a hundred miscellaneous items. It's rather relaxing, really, plus I'm sure we won't have problems with needing something to trade once the caravan arrives.

Our main problem is a lack of miners, in fact. We can't dig fast enough.

--15th Galena, 1052
-I think we should think about building a trade depot sometime soon. The caravan won't come just yet, but still, it will come.

I've ordered it's construction to begin. Bim should begin soon, I hope.

--21st Galena, 1052
-Not just gold, but aluminum too! The are we're digging out will probably have to be walled off so it won't ruin our cistern plans.

--1st Limestone, 1052
-It is autumn. I must order the construction of my office for book keeping sometime. I think we have about 42700¤ worth of created wealth in this outpost, but I cannot be precise. Although I enjoy stonecrafting, it is rather annoying not to have precise information...

--7th Limesonte, 1052
-We've built a kitchen and a still, as well as mining out some Galene and Aluminium, and finishing mining the gold seam we discovered.

--13th Limestone, 1052
-The caravan has arrived! My months of toil will surely be enough to purchase something of worth from them, if they have anything worthwhile at all.

--21st Limestone, 1052
-We bought some things, but none really useful. A steel crossbow and some armor, as well as a cage. We obviously won't have to worry about having too little to offer, though.

--1st Sandstone, 1052
-It is CREEPY TO THE MAX to have that liaison looming over you while you sleep.

Also, I had this weird dream again. I'm sure it involved a sword now. Well, I don't intend to make this place's ominous name affect me!

Really, I'm not.

Really.

I'm not.

I mean, just because I have no experience and have made a huge amount of oversights and such, it doesn't mean WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

--7th Sandstone, 1052
-We've begun building a wall and a moat. The moat won't be filled with water for a while.

--20th Sandstone, 1052
-The merchants have left, along with that creepy creepy creepy liaison...

--10th Timber, 1052
-Nothing whatsoever has been happening. Until now, of course. My office has been dug out and is only waiting for the furnishings to be delivered to it. Soon I will be able to take stock of HOW MANY BARRELS OF BOOZE WE HAVE! I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH BOOZE WE HAVE LEFT! PANIC!

--13th Timber, 1052
-My office's essential furniture(an obsidian throne) has arrived. Joy!

--15th Timber, 1052
-We've got 180-ish units of various kinds of booze. It won't run dry for a while, but I still fear, if only because this place is called Swordgrave.

--1st Moonstone, 1052
-Winter is upon us. The coldest season of the year. Not that it matters, though. I've got a ballistae emplacement planned, and the moat is fully dug. Some bridges left build, though.

OOC: Not that I'll have ballistae for a while, but still, use your head and plan a head.

I now know we have exactly 175 units of booze in the outpost. Our total Created Wealth is 49232¤, and this is accurate to the last digit so far.

--6th Moonstone, 1052
-I'M MAKING A NOTE HERE:
HUGE SUCCESS.

No, not really. I do need to note down though, that the lever in the far right corner will raise or lower the floodgate to the cistern we're building.

--21st Moonstone, 1052
-Got one level of the cistern all dug out. Our miners did a little work on the lower level too, which is where we'll ultimately house everyone.

--1st Opal, 1052
-Mid-winter, and nothing is happening. Noooothing. At all. Except that we're expanding our dining area and the barracks.

--6th Opal, 1052
-Bim seems to dig faster than she can walk. That's some skill.

OOC: But she still doesn't always mine out the areas I need dug out the most.

--11th Opal, 1052
-I haven't been doing any stonecrafting recently. Mostly I've been updating the stockpile records, and I've already devised a quite effective system to do so.

BY ARMOK'S BEARD, I'VE BECOME A CLERK!

--3rd Obsidian, 1052
-It's late winter and nothing is happening. We still have plenty of drink and everything, but it's just that nothing is happening.

--1st Granite, 1053
-Whoah. New year.

We're still seven dwarves trying to eke out a living just like last year, except this year we're not really eking but rather making, because eke has this connotation of inferior construction.

OOC: And no new immigrants yet.

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So. I want all the advice you can give me, if possible. I'm still new at this.

[ January 27, 2008: Message edited by: Boksi ]

[Gislamo]

I like it!

It's funny to read about your errors.

Makes me feel better about mine, heh.

[Xotes]

You'll need someone else for constructive criticism, because I suck at it.

BY ARMOK'S BEARD, I'VE BECOME A CLERK!

Also, do ya mind if I steal that for my sig?

[Captain Mayday]

Just so you know, about the pictures thing, I find the following works well:
Windowed mode at 800x400 using the full size graphics.
The free program 'Pixia' - Apart from being free, it also allows you to 'open from clipboard' and save to png. www.tinypic.com

[Boksi]

It's not that I don't know how to take screenshots, I'm attentive enough to know that already. It's that I decided not to use any screenshots.

Also, I've already got two great programs that can do what Pixia can do, as well as having Photoshop.

A few additions:

---Diary of Astesh Morulmegid
--6th Granite, 1053
-I find it hard to remember to write 3 instead of 2. Of course, I found it hard to write 2 instead of 1, and before that it was 1 instead of 0.

Our ballistae emplacement will soon be ready. Then we will only have to wait for the ballistae themselves. WHICH WILL ONLY TAKE YEARS. But plan ahead while you've still got a head and you continue being ahead with a head, that's what my mother used to say. She really enjoyed bad puns like that. I suppose being imp-aled by a fire imp after she had consumed copious amounts of ale counts as a happy death in her case. But there's no time for regrets I suppose.

OOC: Fun fact: five out of seven dwarves are female. Just another weird coincidence, just like the name of Swordgrave.

--20th Granite, 1053
-I had this weird dream yet again. It had a sword in it. A steel sword, too, with an obsidian hilt. Probably a big one too. And... blood? I think there was blood? Makes sense, swords are used for stabbing and slashing, and that tends to cause bleeding, and creatures tend to bleed, y'know, blood.

In other new, elves have arrived. Crazy tree-hugging, weed-smoking, flower-weaving, meadow-prancing, good-for-nothing elves. I wouldn't be surprised if they really LOVED their animals, y'know. Yuck.

OOC: Unfortunately, Astesh is On Break.

--1st Slate, 1053
-The elves are still here. I haven't even bothered to discuss trading with them yet. Although they might have some useful trinkets, now that I think of it. Not that we have much use for that. The resource we lack mainly is manpower.

OOC: She's still On Break, and there are still exactly seven dwarves in the outpost.

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I still request advice if you can give any.

[Armok]

This forum has so many wonderful writers and so many wonderful stories!

[Boksi]

---Diary of Astesh Morulmegid
--7th Slate, 1053
-Alright, let's see what those dang hippies want...

--8th Slate, 1053
-Went decently enough. We got some seeds, which we can grow to make booze, and of course we got some plain old booze.

Sunshine,
in my belly,
makes me happy...

--12th Slate, 1053
-Perhaps I should mention that our engraver, Alath Delerkadol, has been smoothing out the rock of the fortress recently. It does make it look nicer, and it's more comfortable too. We've got a smooth rock path towards our drawbridge, and my office is very well smoothed.

--14th Slate, 1053
-On a random impulse, I decided to give the elves some of the worst quality goods. Dunno why, maybe I thought they'd go away sooner.

Also, note to self: far left lever controls drawbridge, far right lever controls floodgate.

OOC: Of course, I ordered the far right lever pulled when I wanted to raise the drawbridge

--20th Slate, 1053
-Oh, come on! Why are you so afraid of the Rhesus Macaque? Are you afraid they'll steal the stone you're carrying?

Also, the elves have left. I personally hope Armok sets those obnoxious haircuts of theirs on fire.

--28th Slate, 1053
-Some migrants have arrived we can always use some spare hands, although some are more useful than others. We have:

8 Peasants
1 Gem Setter
1 Woodworker(Novice Carpenter/Cutter/Bowyer)
1 Bowyer
1 Miner
1 Stoneworker(Novice Mason/Engraver)
1 Engraver
2 Metalsmiths(Novice Metalsmith or Armorsmith/Metal Crafter/Furnace Operator)
2 Herbalists
2 Metalcrafter
1 Cheese Maker
1 Miller
1 Woodcrafter

That's a total of 23 dwarves, meaning we are now 30 dwarves and are by law allowed to have a Sheriff. However, this position will be vacant for a short while. Nobody has any relevant skills, but I intend to employ someone as Sheriff eventually. I also intend to have a few guards.

Also 2 puppies, 1 donkey and 1 kitten.

They all travelled along the same path, so they turned the grassy ground into white sand.

Oh when the dwarves,
oh when the dwarves,
oh when the dwarves come marching in...

OOC: Well, finally.

--7th Felsite
-Thanks to the immigrants, things seem to have sped up quite a bit. My main concern is that we might not be growing enough to sustain everybody. That was quickly dismissed. Then I thought that we might run out of booze. I ordered some drinks brewed immediately.

--15th Felsite
-One of the immigrants, a metalsmith named Reg Bermistem, has been acting strangely lately. He refuses to even talk by now, as if he were afraid to reveal something...

This might become a problem.

OOC: Jay, my first mood, and it'll probably end in disaster unless I can build a forge, which I can't until I have an anvil, and I don't know where the humans will spawn so I can't be sure where to build the road, and the dwarven caravan won't come until autumn. Of course, I can hope it's something else, but it's not a Craftdwarf's workshop he wants, so...

D:

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As always I appreciate any advice you can give me. Not that you have given any, but still, I will appreciate if you do.

EDIT: Also, I want to tell people that, seeing as people seem to enjoy doing so, I've decided you can request a personal dwarf, whether from the original group or the immigrant wave.

[ January 29, 2008: Message edited by: Boksi ]

[OoiTY]

I learned by accident that if you build your depot close to a brook, the human wagons will use it as a road, saves you the trouble of building in that direction. Also, you don't really need to build roads if you cleared out most of the trees to your depot. Pressing shift+D will show you if your depot is accessible or not.

An important thing to remember about that however is to never confuse rivers with brooks. However, if you do, it'll be hilarious. Hilarious the same way dwarf-slaughter is hilarious.

[Boksi]

I know about the brook stuff and I also know that there aren't any trees on the way, only obsidian. And I know enough about the interface to know the Shift+D accessibility feature, it is written on the menu after all.

---Diary of Astesh Morulmegid
--1st Hematite, 1053
-It's summer. Things have progressed somewhat. We still(hehe) have 150+ units of booze, and slightly more than 100 units of food. I've ordered a small burial area dug out. Hopefully it'll be duge out before 1055. Furthermore, our defences progress, and I've ordered another craftdwarf's workshop to be dug out.

--7th Hematite, 1053
-Fly little Alunite, fly! You're free! You're free! You're DUMPED! HA HA!

OOC: Stone management with personality :3
Although Astesh has all hauling labours turned off.

--11th Hematite, 1053
-Isn't it amazing how strong one can become simply from pushing paper? That stuff is HEAVY.

OOC: Astesh is currently Mighty, Very Agile and Very Tough, I think.

--16th Hematite, 1053
-For some reason, everything EXCEPT the excavation of private bedrooms is a paramount importance to my miners... There aren't enough beds in the barracks, there's only 16. That's barely half the population.

Also, the human caravan arrived, but couldn't get to us. I hadn't commissioned a road because I didn't know where they would come, but now I will certainly build one. All we have to do is smoothe the obsidian that's already there; we won't need paved roads, fortunately.

Furthermore, Reg still refuses to speak a word. I am somewhat worried about him.

--19th Hematite, 1053
-Happy days and jubilations! Although their wagons couldn't get to us, the humans still had some beasts of burden, and could get at least some goods to us to trade. How very fortunate, indeed!

Finally, I should mention we are officially a hamlet. Which makes me wonder whether these humans have any of that excellent ham I once tasted.

--24th Hematite, 1053
-No ham, but plenty of other foodstuffs. Meat, and some seeds. We've got huge amounts of various trade ju- er, items.

--26th Hematite, 1053
-Crikey!
More migrants!

We've got:

4 Peasants
1 Dyer
1 Stoneworker(Novice Mason/Engraver)
1 Potash Maker
1 Trapper
1 Lye Maker
1 Gem Cutter
1 Child

And 2 foals.
This means we're up to 41 dwarf. Fortunately, our miners have finally exhausted most other possible tasks, so they've started digging out the bedrooms.

OOC: Another wave in the same year? Woah.

--1st Malachite, 1053
-What a great start of the day. Reg Earthenportal, the secretive metalsmith, has been stricken down by melancholy. While it could be worse, I still am saddened that it should happen.

--11th Malachite, 1053
-Things have been progressing, including in the case of Reg Earthenportal. I his case, however, the progress has been to a miserable wreck.

--17th Malachite, 1053
-We're about ready to let water into the cistern. We still need to get out some of that precious gold, and install the second floodgate, but that's all.

--1st Galena, 1053
-What a great way to start another month.

We struck microcline. Other than making funny-coloured items that clash with our stylish obsidian designs, it's absolutely useless. We'll have to replace the walls with obsidian block ones.

OOC: Seriously, even two mason's workshops set to repeat making rock blocks can't keep up with the sheer demand for obsidian blocks.

--2nd Galena, 1053
-I am constantly wondering about that dream. Swords, yes, blood probably. And it's a big sword, it seems. It's made of steel with an obsidian hilt... Gah, I don't understand!

OOC: I'm actually just not telling you my idea for a crazy engineering idea.

In more understandable new, we're expecting another supply caravan this autumn. We might finally be able to start some metalsmithing now!

--7th Galena, 1053
-The first bedrooms have been dug out. Now we just need to furnish them.

--15th Galena, 1053
-We have our first bedrooms now. Hopefully everybody will be able to sleep in real beds soon.

In worse new, Reg is even more of a miserable wreck. It's amazing he's still alive, really.

--18th Galena, 1053
-Reg Bermistem, Metalsmith has died from thirst.

He will be buried in a worthy tomb carved into solid rock like all dwarves should.

This marks the first death of Swordgrave. At least it was from semi-natural causes and not a sword, but still... It's a death.

--28th Galena, 1053
-We've been doing pretty well, all in all. A sheriff, some actual bedrooms, a budding military, a nearly complete water cistern, large amounts of gold, aluminum and galena and lots of obsidian. Plus gems, of course. All in all, we've been doing pretty well. Yes. Indeed.

Quite.

And I'm still confused about that damn dream! By Armok's beard, it has to be single most frustrating thing in this place!

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You can claim a dwarf if you want, as long as it isn't previously claimed. Astesh is mine.
The current list of dwarves is this:
Original 7:
Astesh Morulmegid
Lorbam Legononul, Miner/Mason.
Alath Delerkadol, Engraver/Mechanic.
Bim Beravuz, Miner/Architect.
Ducim Rithnitig, Grower/Thresher/Herbalist.
Stodir Numdastot, Carpenter/Bowyer.
Domas Uveldodok, Brewer/Cook.
Others:
Oddom Onulsibrek, Miner.
Vabok Rigothotung, Miner.
Zasit Anedurvad, Carpenter/Woodcutter/Bowyer.
Mafol Rithodok, Bowyer.
Zasit Dorenvukcas, Mason/Engraver.
Tirist Asteshdomas, Engraver/Novice Mason.
Mistem Anamber, Engraver.
Ducim Nitemalath, Trapper.
Datan Oslanniles, Metalsmith/Metalcrafter/Furnace Operator.
Asen Rakustlular, Metalcrafter.
Litast Idenathel, Metalcrafter.
Sakzul Avuzducim, Gem Cutter.
Inod Ekurtosid, Gem Setter.
Erith Soshtekkud, Woodcrafter.
Iden Domasikud, Cheese Maker.
Etur Nishodad, Miller.
Kogan Athelzoz, Dyer.
Avuz Udkol, Herbalist.
Zon Momusning, Herbalist.
Rigoth Zasuz, Potash Maker.
Olin Okoltekkud, Lye Maker.
Dumed Akrulmomuz, Wrestler.
Momus Adillotol, Wrestler.
Zas Bungkekmosus, Recruit.
Kogan Kilrudasol, Dabbling Bone Carver.
Rith Kerligzefon, Sheriff.
Mosus Inodmamgoz, Peasant.
Nish Sibrekbidok, Peasant.
Tirist Libashatast, Dabbling Mason.
Mosus Etarthob, Dabbling Mason.
Rigoth Adilokir, Peasant.
Moldath Rakustkovest, Peasant.

[Vugor]

Ill take Lorbam Legononul,   name him Vugor, i guess

[Sandono]

I'll take Zas the recruit.

Call him Sandono.

Thanks.

[Boksi]

--1st Limestone, 1053
-Because of the recent death of Reg, I've done some personality profiling of our current residents. Here are the two first ones:
 Clicky!  
 Clicky!  

OOC: Yes, I play in a big window. Deal with it.

This includes their personality profile, recent thoughts about the outpost's status, and nickname. Who'd have though those were so common?

--4th Limestone, 1053
-Besides the enormous progress on the bedrooms, we have completed preparations for the cistern, and I have pulled the lever that controls the floodgates. We're as ready as can ever be.

--15th Limestone, 1053
-The supply caravan has arrived! They don't seem to be bringing much, but the items they are bringing are heavy after all.

--17th Limestone, 1053
-Goblins! Or rather, a goblin. A few people around were immediately told to charge the coward, who was quickly torn asunder, but this is nevertheless dire news. I will have traps set up immediately.

OOC: I knew I was forgetting something...

--21st Limestone, 1053
-I have successfully negotiated with the merchants for many useful items, including an anvil. Wee, metal! Metal metal metal!

I'll see to it that some actual metal is dug out immediately! Well, not immediately. Hopefully before 1055, though.

--1st Sandstone
-Some jails have been dug out and furnished. We have some actual bedrooms now, and are proceeding to put actual furniture in them. We're also in the process of making everything match our style: obsidian, of course. It's stylish and valuable.

OOC: Yes, I forgot about justice too. Not that I've been having problems with tantruming dwarves or anything, but still.

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That's all folks. I'm not letting this thread die, if only because I'm being stubborn!

[ February 03, 2008: Message edited by: Boksi ]

[ February 03, 2008: Message edited by: Boksi ]

[Kaelem Gaen]

Hey, I'll claim Domas Uveldodok, Brewer/Cook name 'em Kael unless it is female then name them Kaela.

[Boksi]

--2nd Sandstone, 1053
-I have finalized our agreement with the liaison. Hopefully he'll stop following me around now.

--14th Sandsonte, 1053
-I have ordered the removing of the microcline walls of some of the soon-to-be bedrooms and ordered our masons to put some rough obsidian walls there instead. These bedrooms don't need to be too fancy, but I WILL have them obsidian.

--21st Sandstone, 1053
-Our total created walth has exceeded 100000 monies! This means I am no longer just a bookkeeper, but rather, a treasurer! Which is nothing but a fancy title, but still, it's a treasurer, by Armok's left pinky! A treasurer! Treasure!

--28th Sandstone, 1053
-Today is the last day of Sandstone. Soon, after only a month, winter shall be here. Our walls are solid, if small, and we have completed most of the road that the humans will be able to use to bring their enormous wagons of goods to trade. Our population is a near 40. My biggest concern is that we only have 65 plants left to eat, and no meat nor fish. If only we could grow it faster or something... I have sent out our herbalists to gather plants, but they will only be a supplement. Strangely enough, our current farming doesn't seem to be enough... I'll have another one dug out, dedicated solely to plump helmets. While bland, they grow quickly and should feed us for an indefinite amount of time...

In other news, I've finished another personality profile.
Clicky!

OOC: This picture was actually taken far later...
But hey, it's one of the males! It seems that this fortress has more females than males in it...

--11th Timber, 1053
-This dream... This Armok-cursed dream... It's driving me ABSOLUTELY EFFING CRAZY! TOTALLY BANANAS! HIGHLY INCONTROVERTIBLY NUTS!

--22nd Timber, 1053
-Our defences are rather lackluster, it seems. We were raided by Rhesus Macaques today. I think we need more precise drawbridge controls, for one thing. And perhaps more traps, too.

I personally had to throw one into the moat and kill it.

OOC: Actually, she was interrupted and tried to run away before I drafted her.

--1st Moonstone, 1053
-Winter us upon us all. Not that it really matters, does it?

--4th Moonstone, 1053
-It seems we have the beginnings of a zoo and a kennel... Ducim Nitemalath, a trapper that migrated here this year, has been assigned to train and take care of our animals.

Also, I have some engravings on my front office wall now. It really adds to the quality of my office.

--15th Moonstone, 1053
-We spotted a Kobold thief skulking about. It isn't even close to any of our entrances, so we have plenty of time to subdue him.

--16th Moonstone, 1053
-Apparently, the thief just left without even trying to steal anything.

However, we saw two other thieves! Bim Beravuz, our miner, chased them down and killed them.

--19th Moonstone, 1053
-One of our herbalists, Zon Momuzning, has withdrawn from society... Just like Reg Earthenportal did... I hope Zon fares better than the late Reg, but at least I have some tombs dug out now...

--20th Moonstone, 1053
-Well, he's stolen my Craftdwarf's workshop! Fortunately, we have two. Strangely enough, he's been sketching something... A forest, and a quarry. Well, maybe he wants wood and rocks? Well, we have limestone and obsidian... Maybe he wants microcline or alunite? I'll have some mined out and some wood cut. Hopefully that'll get him out of his secretive mood...

--28th Moonstone, 1053
-Our engraver, Alath Delekador, is definitely the stuff of legend. Why, in the same day, he has engraved no less than 5 masterpieces!

Some of them, however, are rather morbid. I suspect they relate to the death of Reg Bermisten, considering they are of a dwarf in a fetal position, a dwarf withering away, a dead dwarf and finally of two coffins. There are some more cheerful ones too, though.

Furthermore, this is the last day of Moonstone. Soon, we shall be slaving through Opal, and then Obsidian, and then we shall be in the year 1054!

OOC:I was engraving the jail, in case you were wondering.

--1st Opal, 1053
-A somewhat good start to the month, compared to deaths or striking microcline. Zon Cryptburn has started to build something from obsidian and oak. He won't say what it is; in fact, he won't say anything at all. If he'd be any more antisocial, he'd be hissing at dwarves...

Furthermore, Alath Steelhatchet made a very nice image of a goblin and a dwarf. For obvious reasons, the goblin is cowering from the dwarf.

OOC: Actually, all of those goblin and dwarf images relate to the same event, when a goblin master thief was killed.

--3rd Opal, 1053
-I've almost lost track of all of Alath's masterpieces. If it weren't for the fact they're engravings and thusly can't be moved, I would have. And by Armok's leftover meat patties, the only description of my tomb by now is "Mausoleum"!

Meanwhile, Zon continues his mysterious construction...

--5th Opal, 1053
-Did I say Mausoleum? Scratch that. It's GRAND MAUSOLEUM. Grand! BY ARMOK'S BEARD, THAT DWARF MUST BE POSSESSED BY THE COLLECTIVE SPIRIT OF EVERY GREAT DWARVEN ENGRAVER OF ALL OF HISTORY AND BEFORE THAT TOO!!!

OOC: Seriously, it's only a 3x3 room with a coffin and a statue!

--6th Opal, 1053
-Zon Cryptburn has finished it's construction...

It's Thestarfubeg, or Crimsonstutters. It's an Oaken idol, encircled with additional bands of oak. There's also an image of a goblin and a dwarf, in obsidian. The goblin is making a plaintive gesture while the dwarf is striking a menacing pose. While it's pretty, and worth 6000¤, I doubt we'll be able to trade it. Unless Zon suddenly dropped dead. He's also suddenly become an amazing woodcrafter, which is understandable since you'd probably gain a lot of experience from doing something like this.

Overall, it's a lot more satisfactory an ending than Reg Earthenportal's...

--9th Opal, 1053
-Alright, notedown time!
Top left lever controls inner drawbridge.
Top middle lever controls outer drawbridge.
Top right lever controls cistern floodgates.
Bottom left lever controls secondary drawbridge.
Bottom middle lever does nothing at all.
Bottom right lever does nothing at all.

On a more personal note, I was making an obsidian crown when I remembered my first day working for Boss. I made a rock crown back then, and it was amazingly good considering my inexperience. I realized I had made an exact replica of it, and that made me think. It's been less than two years, yet I've almost forgotten it already? I suppose Boss wouldn't mind that. He'd probably just be annoyed with me if I was still regretting. Heh. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I took the rest of the day off to just think. Think about the past, the present and the future. Think about glory. And of course, think about THAT ARMOK-CURSED DREAM! WHAT IS IT WITH THAT DREAM?! ARRRGGGHH!!!

But today, I feel I will be able to understand it better. It's more than just a vague feeling; it's a certainty.

Later: Yes. I think I understand it a bit more now. It's a sword, and it stabbed the rock. The rock is... bleeding?

OOC: I've already fully formed the idea, but I don't have the capability just yet.

--28th Opal, 1053
-Amazing. Only Obsidian is left. Then it's 1054. Then 1055. Then 1056. And so on. In only two years, we've become an amazing place, not just an average hamlet.

--5th Obsidian, 1053
-Our jail's pig tail ropes are being replaced with electrum chains as I write this.

In other news, I just realized something I found extremely symbolic. On one side of my tomb there is an engraving of a blazing sun. On the opposite side, there is an engraving of a half moon.

I'm not sure what it is symbolic FOR, but by Armok's toes, it is symbolic!

--14th Obsidian, 1053
-Obsidian is halfway past already. Suddenly, I have nothing to write about except that it seems certain people(read: everybody except me) have been slacking in their duties.

OOC: This is, of course, a biased report :3

--20th Obsidian, 1053
-I've just realized how huge our little hamlet's residential complex really is, and I've got my head around the fact that we're forty dwarves.

--1st Granite, 1054
-Woah. 1054. Has it really been two years? It's felt like ages, and yet, it's shot past like a human with it's pants on fire. We're a hamlet now, with about 190000¤ total created wealth. I can't be bothered to consult the records for an exact number, but it means soon I'll be a Grand Treasurer. Much of this can probably be attributed to myself whittling away the hours creating little stone crafts and such.

Anyway, happy new year Swordgrave! Here's to hoping for another year without sword-related deaths!

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So, another year comes to pass. This is the most successful fortress I've done yet. After all, it's the first one to actually last two years X3

I'm open to any kind of comments, questions and advice!

[ February 03, 2008: Message edited by: Boksi ]

[Boksi]

Er, hello? Anyone?

---Diary of Astesh Morulmegid
--6th Granite, 1054
-Stodir Numdastot just made a masterpiece...

...barrel.

--8th, 1054
-Apparently, some idiot closed the floodgates to the cistern for some reason...

OOC: Actually, it's my own faulty design. The water cistern is useless.

--14th Granite, 1054
-Some elves have arrived again. Say what you want, they make good on their threats of returning. But at least we'll have some additional food, and maybe more booze too. Or at least booze ingredients.

In nicer news, I am now a GRAND TREASURER.

--17th Granite, 1054
-The elves have unpacked their goods at the depot. They obviously didn't like the wooden bins we store our crafts in. Not that I care much. Maybe I'll get them to buy everything except the bins. That way we wouldn't need to cut down as many trees, which would satisfy both parties... Yes, I like that... But first, I need some sleep...

--19th Granite, 1054
-More kobold thieves! Fortunately, our defences have been upgraded a bit...

Also, ironically enough with the elves here, Moldath Rakustkovest has become a Wood Burner.

--24th Granite, 1054
-Alright, I traded some stone goods for a lot of berries and other plants. They get junk, we get food and rid of them. Seems like a good deal to me.

Later: Fascinating! Eith Sandalpick was taken by some sort of strange mood shortly after I finalized our deal with the Elves! I wonder what he's going to try and do?

--25th Granite, 1054
-He's claimed a Craftdwarf's Workshop, which isn't surprising considering his profession... I wonder whether we'll end up with another amazing wood crafter? Because it wouldn't be that useful. He's currently hauling a log to his workshop, oh wait, he's done that. Now he's screaming for more of them. I suppose I'll have some cut down. The elves won't see it, because we'll use the secondary entrance. He also wants some rough gems and plant fiber cloth... The cloth we can get from the elves, and I know of an un-dug out cluster of picture jasper... And in getting to it, we'll pass close by to a vein of magnetite, which I think we should also dig out...

--28th Granite, 1054
-Bim is heading out to find the gems. I wouldn't trust anybody else to.

--3rd Slate, 1054
-Bim dug straight into a huge amount of magnetite! If it weren't for fuel, we'd be churning out steel soon!

--12th Slate, 1054
-It seems he wants some different kinds of cloth and rough gems... Rith, our Sheriff, has volunteered to build and operate a loom to keep him from going crazy. Understandable, since if he gets those items he desires, he'll simply do what he wants with them, instead of going crazy. One life saved.

--13th Slate, 1054
-The Elves are away. I, personally, am only grateful for the plants they brought.

--14th Slate, 1054
-Apparently, he was only waiting for a rough gem to be brought inside. He's taken a rough picture jasper. I don't know why he wants a rough one instead of a cut one, but after trying to reason with Zon I've realized how strange they are when it comes to these artifacts...

Later: We've also got some cloth in our stockpile, and he's claimed that too, and oh, he's started building whatever he's building! I'm glad for that, and excited to see what he's going to make. Whatever it is, it'll use:

1x Feather tree log
1x Ash log
1x Birch log
1x Rough picture jasper
1x Pig tail cloth

Mysterious, innit?

--17th Slate, 1054
-Erith Soshtekkud. Erith Sandalpick. I wonder what you've been doing? You've been working nonstop for days...

I've also been wondering about that dream again. It's been getting more frequent, so I've stopped bothering to write it down whenever I have it.

--18th Slate, 1054
-Erith Sandalpick has created Recusatot Saramibrukodur, Thirstchop the Great Ashen Root. It's a 10800¤ worth Feather tree cup decorated with Ash and encircled with bands of Picture jasper and Pig Tail. It also has spikes of Feather tree and Birch on it. One must therefore be very cautious when drinking from it. I do not know why he named it like that, but it seems... Symbolic. Yes, it's very symbolic, although I'm not sure of what.

Also, Erith's skill now rivals Zon's, but that isn't very useful at all to us.

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Commentz plz :<