Okay, one quick and dirty half-year, coming up.
Journal of Tulon "Snugglebear" Arbanlimul, 1st Galena
How a chicken like that got a hard nickname like "Necro," I'll never guess.
So, a little about myself. I'm a woodcutter. I cut wood. That doesn't mean I don't like the finer things in life - I'm a big fan of diamonds - but that's what I do. The way I see it, we're getting two sorts of prisoners, here: the ones that haven't found an outlet for their talents, and the saps that no sane overseer would want in a fortress.
Lucky us.
Dresdor says we're gonna cure 'em with hard labor. I like hard labor; you think cutting trees is easy? Hell no. Not cutting trees is easy. Ask the elves. Bunch of nature-loving, cloth-weaving sissies, them AND their pets. So when Necro says to me "Hey, Snuggle," which they call me on account of my friendly disposition, "You gotta be in charge," I says "Sure."
Then I put 'em to work smoothing out my quarters and sent Necro and Dresdor to start on an ornamental fishpond. Something soothing and tranquil-like to calm the inmates' nerves.
17th Galena:
So we got a small problem: When I said these guys were frustrated craftsmen, I was wrong. They're mostly just pansies. Except this one guy what got nabbed for arson. Him I put to work making charcoal. Don't take no genius to see that liking fire is an asset in that job. As for the pansies, I got a plan: When the traders show up I'm getting some more picks. A little hard digging will do 'em some good.
16 Limestone:
Traders got here and, hey, I got them picks. Solid. Got some nice trap bits, too. Puttin' them in the entrance hall, along with some cages. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out, I figure. The "Soaper" they put in the guard - I don't get these guys, who don't like a little mud covering? - flipped his wig; he grabbed a turtle shell and is sitting in a workshop, hollerin' about he needs metal bars. Probably withdrawl or something.
One of these mooks used to be a furnace operator. I told him to fix up an operation outside, by the arsonist guy, and smelt some iron. Maybe that'll shut this guy's yap before he loses it and kills again. Dude gives me the willies. That butcher who flippd out while Necro was in charge died of thirst in that tower we was building. I ain't gonna bother finishing that.
2 Timber:
I'll be! He actually made hisself an artifact. It's a turtle shell ring named Bibanled. For those of you what knows the language good, that means, uh... Ballrack?! You gotta be kidding me. Some guys'll do anything for a fix. I picked the thing up with some tongs and put it down in a stockpile someplace. Heck of a thing to have for an artifact.
13 Moonstone:
So yeah, we killed some kobolds an' some goblins an' some monkeys, and now there's a cougar chasin' around. The guy I told he was the new sausage vendor and set to tanning hides is all licking his chops and slavering, but I told him he ain't getting none even if we kill it. Sent the cheesehead to run it off.
Some folks is angry I put all the animals in a cage out by the depot. I figure they ain't gonna breed outta control that way. Let that be someone else's problem.
So my pond is done. The fish like it, I like it on account of it looks like an axe head, and maybe we'll get us some salmon outta the deal:
I figure that's reason to throw a party.
So I done that.
3 Opal:
Geez. We got 5 more inmates showing up for some reason, and one of 'em says he's a weaver. I'm makin' him wear a big green E and stay away from the wood stockpile. Can't trust nobody who works in cloth these days. The others is mostly fisherfolk types, so they get to work down by the pond.
28 Obsidian:
Finally got the wet cells done. Take a look:
See, what you got here is your measured flow-type plumbing job; dumps a bunch of water into that there pit with the gratings over it. Down in the pit we got chains for the fortress guard (Necro's still sherrif; I ain't gonna mess with anyone crazy enough to commit crimes in prison) to use. Now, on account of we ain't executing nobody, the water'll only go up to around their waists if you use the levers right. First you pull that one on the right, let out the stored water. Then pull that again, put down the grates and floodgates so's no fish get in. Then you pull the one on the left, let the water into the reservoir, and pull it again to close it.
It lets in from my fishpond, so's my project is functional-like. Maybe you end up with a grudge against someone, you put his bed down there, put a hatch on the ramp, lock the hatch, and let in the water. Swimmin' is healthful-like for body and mind, I says. I ain't gonna fool with that, though.
Have a go, Snoopicus. http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=158