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[martinuzz]

Aqizzar, welcome back.
Eat a dwarf corpse? Now I really want to experiment.
Never seen that. As far as I know corpses have to be butchered into meat first, before they can be eaten. Exception for live caged vermin. Hehe. I could use DC to set a dwarf to be butcherable, though, but if you say 'starve 'm and they'll eat their best friends', I'm curious. Hehehe.
Updates will come tomorrow, since I'm now writing a small welcoming story for the new forum... 'The  Great Move'.  I've already got some profiles for the new immigrant wave that has arrived though ( ), for your information:

[Dwarfaholic]

Well, they will eat their pets, if I remember correctly (aka they probably won't).

Anyways, diary time!

"Chronicles of Billy

'Arrival in Hell'

This place is awesome! I got to met a whole lot of nice people on the way, and I'm pretty sure the guards will be nice, too. Although they didn't really speak to us, I'm sure they have some interesting things to tell. I wonder what the food will be like.

PS: There's some funny-colored dirt near the trade depot. It's kinda red, like blood.
I wonder how they got that effect."

[Flar Moonchill]

“Journal of Newt Zealmanor.

So... We’ve finally arrived.
Although these weeks and months being forced onwards under the threat of the lash I would have given almost anything to be able to stop and rest my weary bones, the site of this...compound on the horizon does nothing to boost my spirits.
 The psychotic little gobbo-lover of a guard, Spazz, seems to think we'll never leave, though I’ve been bouncing in and out of the clink for years. As we near the yard I can see a river running though the area…maybe…maybe it’ll be worth slipping over the walls one night and letting the currents take me down and away…too soon now though, much too soon, the guards will be watching.

Closer and the open yard seems covered in red grass, with red misshapen rocks? And tree stumps? Lying around at odd angles covering the ground.
Closer still, By Tholest! Limbs, blood and offal coat the ground, everywhere important looking dwarves scuttle around stepping over the mess...
  That moron Billy seems to thing it’s some kind of decoration put on for our benefit… she’s over there grinning about it like some kind of simpleton…

We’ve been forced under ground, given a cuff round the head, herded into squalid cells and separated from each other along in the dark. Not that I mind the dark, reminds me of home but still…

They haven’t fed us yet, we’ve been been hours and weren’t for the last day on the march. I so damn hungry.

 I can just make out Billy in the cell across from me…staring into space and smiling to herself like theres something funny about this. Fool properly dosen’t realise how deep we’re in. This place is like no-other I’ve been to and stinks of death.

Closing my eyes I lie back on the cold stone flooring, I can make out a strange noise floating on the night air. Glancing up I can see its Billy, whistling to herself….

I’m really starting to hate that chump.”




OOH: Hey Martinuzz any chance of some feedback re length/whether above was ok? First time I've chipped in on a community fort and just wanna make sure its ok.

PS Sorry for picking on Billy Dwarfaholic just your description of Billy made me think of Twoflower from the Discworld novels and made me laugh! 

[martinuzz]

Nothing wrong with your contribution! Keep it up!
Sorry for no more updates today... The short story to celebrate the new forum is taking a bit longer then expected.
Sure to finish it tomorrow. Then I'll go back fulltime to this one, but I had this idea during the forum move I just have to work out.
Expect 'The Great Move' soon..

[dresdor]

Dresdor tried to wipe the sweat that was dripping into his eyes with the tattered remains of his shirt, but only smeared dirt and blood across his face.  He had been working for months it seemed like, hauling the large rocks to his work table, and chiseling them into pleasing shapes.  It was hard work, but not nearly as hard for him as it was for Petyr.  Dresdor stole a glance over to the other workshop, where the female dwarf worked through her punishment, smoothing rocks into blocks, mere feet away from the remains of her husband.  Dresdor's stomach churned at the great injustices that were already evident in this place.  He himself was not involved in the Rebellion.  One of his co-workers had reported him to the authorities for the 100 gold coin reward the King had offered for any information on the Rebels.  And the fact the authorities didn't bother checking facts before arresting him and his whole family paled in comparison to his wife's brutal murder soon after their arrival.

Dresdor pounded out his fury into the stone.  Soon, he would get his vengeace.  How, he wasn't quite sure of yet, but it had to happen soon.  He felt his strength wane more every day, and he knew that when he was too weak to craft his marvelous statues, he would be sent to the "bath house" and never seen again.  Escape was the only chance of survival in this hellhole.

[Dwarfaholic]

Flar: It's okay. I designed him to be hated.

"Chronicles of Billy

'Settling in'

It's dark and damp in my cell. Must be the guards forgot to clean it since the last prisoners left. I'm sure we'll be getting a torch and apologies for the unpleasantry any minute!

Still, I thought now would be a good time to tell a little about this place.
As I've said before, it seems the guards seem to like shocking the prisoners, since there's all those fake bodyparts and blood in the courtyard.

Also, the guards clearly don't count on us trying to escape, seeing as the door is a 1037 StirnStop, easily openable by a chain of specific melodies accompanied by careful tapping of the hinges. I won't tell the others this because, even though they seem awfully nice, they might get some wrong ideas about things like "escape".


Now about the people.

I haven't had time to get used to many people, but one person does stand out: Newt, my new best friend! He tries to play grumpy, but I know deep in his heart he enjoys the company of others and is candid and sincere in dealing s with others. I think I'm going to like it here.

PS: I forgot to tell, the Trade Depot here is ultra-cool!"

[Yami]

Success!

Yami stood back and looked at his work with a fierce dwarven pride.  Truely this pair would be a joy to work with.  A dwarf could never truely feel alive without the heat of a smelter or the warm basking glow of the forge fires.

Alive...

Bah!  His good mood soured, Yami thought about stoking up the smelter and letting his troubles melt away like so many impurities, until his thoughts were once again as calm and serene as a pool of molten silver.  But they only had so much fuel to go around, and it would be improper to use it for his own edification, horrendous dwarven 'justice' or no.

Walking away from the new workshops, his workshops, a brief smile crossed Yami's face, despite all that's happened.  His workshops.  It was a gratifying thought, enough to let him trudge through the current moral dilemma he faced.

He just had to do something for the prisoners.

Even if he could not save them, not that he'd given up yet, but even if he couldn't, he should atleast find a way of convincing the judge to let them die honorably.  These bridge slayings were just too much, too... impersonal.  Not only did they refuse the prisoners an honorable death, they just herded them all together to die in ignominious batches.  Like pigs, or goblins.

Yami sat down at the crafting station, carving away at a fresh turtle shell idol while he mused over the problem.  His hands and his mind wandering two vastly different paths.  And like all of his wanderings, he ended up in completely different places than he'd started out for.

For one thing, his tentative idol was now little better than bands to encircle some mug or scepter.  And for another, he might have just found a way to save some of the prisoners.

Even the Judge would have a hard time justifying punishing the children for their parents 'crimes'.  And if he could just convince the stubborn dwarf that they could be put to use for menial labour, mayhaps to haul supplies for his forges...  If they got the supplies for steel in the next caravan their would be plenty of hauling to be done.  Besides, he wanted the Judge armoured up just in case there was trouble.  The fact that it might help his plea was a mere side benefit.  The dwarf might be a mass murderer and not a little insane, but he was Yami's link to success, and therefore Yami wanted to make sure he stayed in good health.

Once again in good spirits the armourer left the workshop in search of his mad patron; that he might convince him to let the steelbender protect his crazy old self.

[martinuzz]

'Judge!'
Yami came trodding up the stairs, sweating heavily.
'I see you have been busy.' Orblock said.
'Nothing like the good ol' forge to get you a-sweating! Could you spare me a minute, Judge?'
Yami was being overly friendly, Orblock thought. Normally this would have made him very careful.
But today, he was tired. He had been busy all day cleaning the drawbridge that was used to crush twelve of the convicts.

It was said to be a very clean method, but still, he had been scrubbing for hours.
Doing that helped him not to think. At this moment, Orblock did not want to think.
If he did think, he could only see more dwarves, more dwarves to be slaugthered. More dwarves that would befoul his base with blood and bodyparts.

He had felt bad, as he ordered Aqizzar to pull the lever. 'It should be Elves', he thought.
What had made him feel worse was, as the bridge was raised, four children had crawled out  from underneath.
'Aqizzar!' He shouted.
'Wha.. By my mothers beard!? Did we just try to kill children? And they live?'
'Yes. They live.' Orblock said mockingly. 'And you just assured me that nothing would be left after the crushing.'
'I... They.. They must have crawled under the mechanism somehow. You didn't tell me there would be children.'
'What do you think? They don't breed in the Northern Outposts?'
'Well, yes.. But?'
'Take them to their cells, now! And leave me alone.'
Aqizzar hurriedly left, herding the terrified children back to the camp. It was no use trying to calm the Judge now. She felt he was having great difficulty with something, but wasn't going to share.

The rest of the day she had avoided him, seeing him work furiously, cleaning the gore from underneath the bridge. She knew it was better if she left him alone.
At dinner, Orblock had joined the other dwarves at the table.

'Felloh dwaafs!' He was obviously drunk, for a dwarf.
'As youwall nooo.. We have all been working very hard. Very hard. Yes.'
The dwarves looked at their leader, confused. They had never seen him drunk.
'You all make the friggin King pleased as a small child younno.'
'But today.. Hic.. ' The dwarves all jumped in their chairs as the Judge brought down his fist on the table.'
'TODAY YOU HAVE FAILED!'
'Orblock, please, you're drunk.', Aqizzar whispered at him.
'YESSIR I AM DRUNK! I AM DRUNK FOR YOUR FAILURE!
'We are here to ..hic.. make suew that none of theez impure rats leave here alive! But what happened today? WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?' Clearly the Judge was losing it.
'You mean the children, sir?' Frodo asked quietly.
'YES! WHAT FRIGGIN HAPPENED IS THAT FOUR OF THEM SURVIVED!'
'I WANTED TO KILL THEM WITH THE REST! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CLEAN! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO NOW, EH?'
'Please, Judge, calm down a bit', Aqizzar tried.
'I AM CALM!' Orblock screamed.
'I AM CALM I AM CALM I am... I can.. I..' Orblock seemed to shrink.
'I cannot do this! I simply cannot.' Orblock fell back in his chair and gazed into the emptiness.
Some time passed without anyone saying anything.
Then, Orblock stood up and went to find his room.


'Yes, Yami. Be quick at it. I am tired.'
'The children, Judge.. We could use their labour, you know..'
'Labour? They are young and weak. What could they possibly do here?'
'As you might have noticed, the base is becoming cluttered with goods and clothing taken from the prisoners.. They could haul those. And help with farming, you know.'
'Then it be so.' Orblock turned and went back into his room, leaving Yami astonished.

[Sheb]

So, trying to look up my first post?

[martinuzz]

Ahh. Alors bonne chance avec votre exam!
Vous êtes trés bienvenue á descender ma géhenne.

[Eita]

Anyway to be a guard still? An update on what's going on would be nice too. Only read the first few pages.

Name: Khazud
Profession: Mining, masonry, stoneworking, blacksmithing. Anything in that general vein that you need help in. Swordsdwarvemanship is my preferred fighting style for him.

[martinuzz]

Orblock hadn't shown himself for a few days. Then, the dwarven caravan had come. Afer had  ordered Minkot to haul all the mugs he had made to the bins that were waiting at the square of welcoming. From there, they were taken to the trade depot by the guards. The craftsdwarf had been working furiously, and had crafted many masterpieces.

'Who is going to trade?' Arkaim asked Aqizzar.
'I am here.' Orblock had come up the stairs and was making his way to the depot.
'Good to see you, Judge.'
Orblock grumbled something incomprehensible and proceeded to the depot.
With the mugs, he was able to make a good deal with the merchants, and all guards were soon busy hauling all the meat and booze they could carry.

'Good day, sir Judge. I am Ingish Urdimkerlîg, Hamlet Liaison.'
'The King sent you to check on my expedition, I'm sure.'
'Yes he did. Now let me see the accomodations. I am to make sure his Majesty's Orders are carried out properly. He sends you his regards.'
'This way, please.' Orblock was furious, but didn't show it. How dare the King question his competence, or his loyalty.
'How many are cleansed already?' The Liaison inquired on the way.
'Does it matter?' Orblock said. 'They will all die anyway.'
'I'm just curious. Death has always had my interest. Besides that, I need to know how many clothing I should expect to take back to the mountainhomes.'
'We've had 17 executions. Now be quiet. We left the prisoners ignorant of their fate. We wouldn't want them to hear us discussing their deaths now, do we?'
'Hehe. That is very cruel. Leaving them to live in hope, not letting them embrace the chilly love of despair.'
Orblock decided that this Liaison was insane.

'What is that?' The Hamlet Liaison had stopped, and was pointing at the crusher drawbridge.
'That? That is Armok's Bath. It is a very effective method of execution. We used it to crush the latest 12 convicts.'
'Bah. I can see it will do the job. But will they suffer enough?'
'The King has ordered me to kill, not to torture.'
'But surely the King would want those responsible for the murder of so many nobles to suffer'
'You are a sadist. I uphold Law. The King has sent you to check on this operation, not to express your personal feelings.'

The Liaison went silent. Indeed, the King had not said anything about the means of death, and Orblock had sensed it. He followed Orblock into the camp, but stopped at the workshop where Minkot had been making crafts.
'They.. You.. They work? You must have a highly skilled animal trainer to teach them that.' The Liaison laughed loudly. 'Very well. It seems everything is in order here.'
The two left the camp again. They then proceeded to Orblock's office to discuss next year's supplies.

As the caravan was packing up, the Liaison went to see Orblock again.
'As we leave, I will send a message to my cousin, who is waiting a few hours travel from here. He will bring you the next convoi of prisoners, as soon as he get's my message.
Expect 8 prisoners. I had to make sure, ofcourse, that accomodations were in order first.
He has volunteered for the job, and the King has granted his request to join your prison guard.
I'd better not hear any complaints from him. He is my favourite nephew.. Hehe.. I hope you will get along fine. Good day now, and I will return!'

@Eita: next guard will be yours.

[Eita]

Sweet. What do you need extra dwarves in though?

[martinuzz]

ATM, What I need most, is for dwarves to HAUL.
Only 8 dwarves, okay, 9 there are now with the addition of Spazz, are too few to get all hauling done. I had to disable all except food hauling to prevent the meat from rotting in the depot.

If the next wave brings a mason, I'll give you that. There will be plenty to build.

@Sheb: your dorf is a clothier, FYI.

[Flar Moonchill]

@Sheb: your dorf is a clothier, FYI.

Hey Mart, What did Newt end up as?