The Journal of Don, Mechanic
1st of Granite- I have been informed that it is my year to take control of our great fortress. As of now, I don’t have any wondrous plans, save to get this dam working properly. I suppose I’ll just do whatever comes best to mind.
5th of Granite- The bridges have finally been connected to their respective levers, and the current dam is in the process of being removed. Everyone’s got quite a bit on their respective plates, so it’s taking longer than I would like. Eventually, someone will get around to removing the rest of the wall. I’ve ordered the pumps to be turned on so as to prevent the demolitionists from drowning. Perhaps in the future, we will deconstruct the pumps and their housing, but for now they will stand. The moat is filling awfully slowly, so it will probably be a season or two before it is entirely full.
10th of Granite- The elves have been spotted, wanting to trade. We’ll let them in, on the hope that they have “ethically cut” wood we could use. If there is every to be a metalsmithing industry in Deephearth, we will need lots of it. Currently, we’re down to a meager two logs, so I hope the elves can bolster our supply.
12th of Granite- Things did not go well today. We were attacked by a goblin ambush. Well, it would be more appropriate to say the elves were attacked by the goblins. Apparently our northern bridge was left down, so the elves thought to go into our main fortress, rather than to the fortified trading depots. This was actually very helpful, as the elves’ shouts of panic alerted us to raise the drawbridge before the goblins could get in. Still, this does not bode well for us, with goblins attacking so early in the year.
20th of Granite- The goblins have finally departed. A group of skeletal elk attacked the raiding party, and I believe their leader was killed. The rest fled afterwards. This is good news; skeletal elk are so much better than goblins. At least the drawbridge is up.
It is at this point in time that I have started one of what I hope to be several major projects. Our current dining room accommodates three tables and an equal number of chairs, one of which serves as my office. I’ve therefore designated a new dining room deeper underground. It shall, when completed, hold twelve separate tables and double that amount of chairs, with artwork and statuary to boot. Eventually, I’d like to see a waterfall flowing through it, but that seems a little ambitious for the moment. For now, a large room with columns and good company seems sufficient.
5th of Slate- Some migrants have arrived, despite the clear and obvious danger to their lives. I don’t want to send them to the drowning chamber at this time, as our moat is still filling. The drawbridges are still raised, so they haven’t been able to get in to our fortress. I’ve ordered the twenty odd of them into a militia. The new recruits will go after the band of skeletal elk wandering around outside. I’ve told them that if they can defeat the elk, they shall be given the privilege of joining our great society. In reality, they shall be given the privilege of dying as true dwarfs in battle. Personally, I think I would prefer that to starving to death in a slow-filling drowning chamber.
12th of Slate- The migrants have succeeded in defeating the first group of elk, the ones that killed off the goblins. They’re now concentrating their efforts on a few skeletal mountain goats. I think the problem was that the migrants all attacked at once. I’ve sought to rectify this by dividing them into several groups, and telling each group to patrol an area. With luck, the will be outnumbered by elk in each encounter after this.
I realize now that there are two children, brothers, in this group of migrants. This weighs heavy on my heart. I remember Cog, the other child of migrants who came here. Although he was only a passing acquaintance, it was still hard for me to do nothing as he was locked in and left to die of thirst. Children aren’t meant to be killed like that. I curse the parents who would bring a child to this deathtrap. Still, we agreed that no migrants would be allowed, and must be killed as soon as possible. Perhaps there is another way…
22nd of Slate- The last of the adult migrants were killed today. A group of four skeletal elk was all that was needed. The migrants seemed terrified after being on military duty for almost a month. Often during the battle they would run away as their friends were slaughtered, only to turn back because of the hunger in their stomachs. The promise of getting into our fort seemed enough motivation for them to through their lives away. In any case, each group was wiped out, one by one.
The two brothers are saddened by their parent’s death, but such is to be expected. I’m almost finished with my plan to save their lives. I suggested that we dig a new bedroom to trap them in, as the old one is rather fancy for a death chamber. This new one consists of a narrow hallway leading to what’s basically a closet with a bed. There are two doors: one at each end of the hallway. Unbeknownst to the rest of my companions, I have trapped the hallway with cages which fall from the ceiling. I will tell them of their bedroom, and when they are in the hallway, lock the door. The moment the brothers lay down to rest, a cage will capture them.
I can then keep them safe in the new office I ordered built next to my quarters. I would have to keep them in a cage to make sure they wouldn’t escape, but at least they would be alive. I could feed them water and some scraps of food, stuff that no-one would miss. After all, there are some advantages to being a bookkeeper. Perhaps someday, when they’re grown, I could send them off through the wilderness; but for now, I just hope to keep them safe from my comrades.
1st of Hematite- A new season brings with it new promises. The dining room is completely dug out, and Magua is in the process of smoothing the walls and floors. Now there are several more projects at hand. First is the ability to remove the grates (via a lever, of course) which separate our lobby from our living area. Should invaders breach the moat, it would provide a vital defense against them. In keeping with this, I’ve also designated a new central staircase to be built nearer to the kitchens and bedrooms, in case the grates ever need to be raised.
I’ve also now ordered some better bedrooms and offices to be built deep underground. These will be quite large; an improvement over our current quarters. Mining them out will also provide us with the stone necessary to furnish them. Keyan will become our full-time mason. He already has a temporary workshop in the dining room, and is producing chairs and tables of good quality. I’ll have him build another temporary workshop when the bedrooms are all dug out. We will need plenty of doors, cabinets, and coffers, not to mention tables and chairs for the individual offices.
On a more personal note, the brothers have been successfully sealed in the trapped hallway. It is only a matter of time now before they fall asleep, and trigger the traps. I only hope the others don’t catch me carrying the cages back to my room.
8th of Hematite: We’ve struck Galena today. Alas, we have no magma to work it, and no wood to speak of either. Still, I’ve noted its location, and we will be able to mine it out later when time, energy, and fuel permits. I’m looking forward to that day, when we can finally have lead barrels to put our drinks in.
This reminds me of another point. Our drink stockpile is running dangerously low. Currently, we only have a mere ten servings of wine left. Gord says we have plenty of plants, but need more barrels in order to brew. I’ve therefore delegated that the plant stockpile shall only have five barrels in it, so we can use the rest to get some alcohol. To empty the other barrels, I’ve also asked Gord to begin cooking plump helmets. This is a temporary measure only, as we lose the seeds in the process. Still, we can’t get the seeds if we can’t brew, and we can’t brew unless we have barrels, and we can’t have empty barrels unless we find something to do with those plump helmets. We’re also in need of a quern or millstone to help with our cave wheat and sweet pod stockpiles. Not to mention Gord needs a farmer’s workshop to thresh quarry bush leaves come fall. All of this will have to wait, however; we’re very busy with the new bedrooms.
The brothers still haven’t fallen asleep, which is worrying to me, as they were supposed to be tired to begin with. Still, they drank a small amount of our booze before going in, so they should be alright. I only hope they haven’t discovered the traps.
10th of Hematite: We had a small mining accident today, which could have been much worse. Apple was working on widening our moat, as I had asked, and a section of the brook collapsed. Apparently the rocks below could not hold up the stepping stones without support from the surrounding stones. A huge plume of dust that arose, but Apple was able to escape in time. He was lucky; I’ve heard tales of miners that were pulled into cave-ins by the force of the air rushing downwards. That would have been very bad in our situation, as only water lies below.
Therefore, I’ve suspended our widening efforts, and instead have decided to make a reservoir near the drowning chamber pump. This will allow for the drowning chamber to fill much more quickly, and the reservoir can fill slowly afterwards. We will be digging it dry, and then channeling out the wall which separates it from the channel leading to the pump. It will hopefully have plenty of time to fill before more migrants arrive.
23rd of Hematite- We’ve been having problems recently with the skeletal horses which roam outside our moat. Though they can’t get in, their presence is eerie. Every time we try to haul used clothing down to the finished goods stockpile near the trading depots (I’ve removed the northern one), they just sit there and watch us with their empty sockets. Everyone, myself included, has been disturbed by them, and many, again myself included, have fled from the sight of their ghostly gaze. It’s unnerving to haul around the clothes of the dead while the dead watch and wait. I don’t feel safe sleeping at night. As if this area was not haunted enough, I feel like the drowning chamber holds the vengeful spirits of all the migrants to travel here. Sometimes, I worry for my sanity.
I know for certain now that the brothers have found the traps. They refuse to fall asleep, yelling through the door that they would rather die of thirst than be caught in a trap. I’ve tried to assure them in secret but still they refuse. The others have been congratulating me on an excellent method of execution for the devil-children. Their approval fills me with shame. I curse myself and the day I ever envisioned saving the children in such a manner. I can only imagine how the brothers are faring; thirsty, hungry, and thanks to me, tired beyond reason. Yet they fight on; I admire their courage, even if it will lead to their deaths. Even with the rotting of their parents’ bodies, they are still happy because they have each other to talk to. If only my brother and I could have been so close…
*Tears stain the page at this point*
12th of Malachite- We’ve now officially received no migrants or traders this season. It is good news, for I grow weary of this senseless killing. Yet I fear the others; they would never listen to my words, and may very well kill me for them. If I released the children, there’s no telling what the other founders might do. Likely as not, the brothers would be tortured again in the same way as now, probably with myself along with them. This is the only thing which holds me back from freeing them from their prison. I’m such a coward.
Since it is almost certain that they will die because of me, the least I can do is ensure that they are given a proper tomb. I’ve ordered our central staircase extended as deep as is possible. From there, we shall have a hallway extending to the main tombs. The Brothers will occupy two coffins in niches on either side of the hallway. There shall be several such niches, most of which will be filled with statues later.
The main hallway will branch into seven sections, each of which will contain a family mausoleum. There will be a small entryway, in which will be contained several statues along with the choice symbols of the founder (mine will be mechanisms, columns, and perhaps some catapult parts). Farther in will be the main tomb, which will house the coffin (or hopefully sarcophagi) of the founder. It will also contain statues and such. These main rooms will lead to the tombs of the founders’ descendents. Sons shall be buried with their fathers, and daughters with their mothers. The second generation will proceed in a like manner, ad infinitum. I only worry that I have not given us enough space for our final resting places.
On a brighter note, the bedrooms have now been completely mined out. Apple has become a legendary miner, I can already think of the tales that will be told of him. Magua has finished smoothing the dining room, but I don’t want him to begin engraving it yet until he has more experience with working stone. I’ll have him smooth out the bedrooms next; with any luck, he’ll be finished before winter.
25th of Malachite- The brothers finally died today, of thirst, no less. Still, they seemed, if not happy, at least contented in their final days. I personally don’t know how they endured so long without food, water, or rest. I can only blame myself, and I asked forgiveness of their spirits as I carried their small bodies to the graves. I felt nothing but cold.
6th of Galena- Goblin ambush was spotted outside the moat. Drawbridges remain raised.
10th of Limestone- Dwarven merchants have arrived. They’ve brought about five wagon’s worth of goods. They had difficulty because evidently, the depot which was open to them wasn’t the one they had traded in before, or other such nonsense. I opened the eastern one and they seemed to think it sufficient, so they are moving their goods in as I write. I’ve ordered the other depots deconstructed to prevent further confusion.
17th of Limestone- The guards were attacked by the residing goblins. The goblins were defeated without incident.
20th of Limestone – Today was a frightening day for me. I was out in the open field where the migrants from earlier this year had died. I’m still not sure why I went there. Perhaps it was my conscience again; perhaps I wanted to see where the parents of those boys lay. Perhaps I wanted to gain some insight as to why they had come here. Perhaps I continue to seek forgiveness. Aye, that’s it, though I don’t think there can be any consolation for a monster like me. I am the one who took away any sort of comfort from those children. I was the one who forced them to stand, night after night, while I slept comfortably in my bed. I am the one who came up with this foolish idea. It would have been more merciful to crush them beneath a drawbridge than the death I gave them.
I walked along the field with an eerie quiet surrounding everything. The elk had been long since defeated by the goblin ambush, but the sense of tension of battle seemed fresh. I could see the rotten clothes lying in the ground; forbidden when their owners fell, due to the danger of being outside. The bones still remained as well, though the maggots had eaten away any semblance of flesh.
As I stood, my eyes filling with tears, I heard a sound behind me. I turned to see a goblin bowman, not two feet away, about to bring his bow crashing down on me. I tried to dodge, but only managed to lessen the damage to my neck. I’m lucky to have had warning; it would have been a fatal blow otherwise. I moved around and delivered a punch to the goblin’s torso. He was stunned, the wind knocked out of him. Behind him, however, I saw three goblin wrestlers and two with wicked-looking axes. I turned to run, but the bow delivered yet another blow to my right arm afore I was out of the goblin’s reach. In great pain, I managed to get away. I was far faster than the goblins, and continued running as quickly as possible. With each step, I expected an arrow to come piercing into my side, but it appears the iron bow was too warped to fire.
When I finally looked back, all I could see were the goblin wrestlers. The pain in my arm had died off somewhat, and I was confident that I could take the two of them on. I was saved the trouble by Apple, who came in a blaze of fury, swinging his pick into the goblins as if through rock. I’m fairly certain he saved my life that day. We both retreated to the trade depot, where the guards assured us they could handle anything the goblins threw at them.
23rd of Limestone- The bridges were finally sealed today. Almost all of the giant cave spider fabric we obtained from the migrants is in the trading depot. Now, the only problem is to convince Talakin to go and trade.
24th of Limestone- Trading has been completed. We turned down a barrel masterfully decorated with platinum, but picked up plenty of other barrels which contained cooking ingredients, but more importantly, lots of booze. We also acquired a few bits of chain armor, some steel trap components, a good assortment of metal bars, and some meats for cooking. All of it was paid for by the clothes of the dead. I felt somewhat sick at that, but offered up my first masterwork mechanism as a gift for the king; to show that we do produce something of worth here besides dead bodies. The merchants thanked us.
25th of Limestone- Another goblin ambush was spotted outside the moat today, this one led by an Elf, of all beings. I’m personally somewhat surprised that the two are in league, as the goblins are well known for demolishing entire forests. Still, they pose no threat, and hopefully will just go away within a month or two. Perhaps we could just let the caravan guards take care of them…
On another note, we’ve completed the negotiations for prices next year. We ordered cheap leather for the bins they come in and pig tail cloth for the same reason. We can just trade for the full bins, and sell the cloth and leather back to them for other goods. We also ordered some steel bars for future metalsmithing, and tower-cap logs for charcoal when we need it. Continuing on the list of our needs were plate mail and other armor, animals for meat, meat itself, drinks, cheeses, cooking ingredients (mostly for the barrels they come in), barrels themselves, pearlash, potash, and lye for more barrels, and charcoal for any future metalsmithing.
Another important item of note is that apparently there is a shortage of prepared food at home. The merchants will be willing to pay almost double next year for any meals we can put together. Gord might want to look into that. All in all, I consider it to be a successful negotiation.
9th of Sandstone- The merchants have finally packed up and left. The goblins attempted an attack on the caravan as it left the depot, but were put down by the guards. The elf, however, escaped. I suppose that extra speed that comes from long legs is good for something.
12th of Sandstone- More migrants have arrived. Thankfully, they brought no children. The drowning chamber is ready, and the others have made the preparations necessary for the slaughter of our fellow dwarves. I pled ill, and remained in my room.
19th of Sandstone- It took the others quite a while to convince all of the migrants to be in the same room at the same time, but they managed to convince the poor fools with something about mandatory sparring practice in the barracks. The doors are now sealed, and the pump will begin its deadly work.
21st of Sandstone- it appears the improvements I have made were sufficient. The room is already full and those inside are drowning. I pity them, but at least they do not have to wait a month before finally succumbing to starvation. I still am privately against it, and will pray for their souls. Alas, I remain too much the coward to stand up to the others. I shall keep this secret to my dying days.
10th of Timber- The first party has been organized in the meeting hall (that legendary dining room) by Navi to celebrate Magua’s ascension to the ranks of legendary engravers. To demonstrate, he carved out numerous exceptional scenes upon the walls, including four masterworks. Many of the scenes are of the founding of this fortress, along with our group’s symbol, the Hydra. At the head of the hall, there is a scene of the skeletal elk striking down one of the migrants. I’m not quite sure I agree with his tastes. I think I will confine myself to the corner where there is a masterful carving of gloves.
18th of Moonstone- Two ambushes have been spotted today, within minutes of each other. One of them was led by the same elf as before. I think the goblins are beginning to become more concerned about wiping us out. Still, with the drawbridges raised, they pose no threat.
21st Moonstone- Another group of goblins is at our gates. I don’t know what they plan to accomplish, save stopping the elves from trading with us… Perhaps that’s their plan. The goblins intend to kill off all the elves that come here to trade, so that the elves will declare war on us. Then we shall have both elves and goblins to worry about, not to mention the local wildlife. Eventually, we’re going to need a wall to protect ourselves, and the new tombs will certainly be able to provide the stone.
5th of Opal- Yet another ambush. Again, they simply sit across the moat, and perhaps fend off an attack by skeletal muskoxen or whatever happens to be around at the time. I don’t know what these goblins are planning. Worst case, we raise the grates and they will be unable to get at us.
2nd of Obsidian- Navi has organized another party, to celebrate the year’s end and the opening of our new bedrooms. They’re all very fine quarters, but Talakin and Gord have been assigned to the two great bedrooms, each with three of Magua’s masterpieces. I received a room with one masterful engraving, and am very thankful for it. It depicts Talakin’s ascension to leadership among the seven of us. Others, however, I am more skeptical about. There all exceptional works of art, but their subjects could be a bit more…tactful. There is one of a migrant drowning in our chamber, and another of Magua engraving (I personally think it’s quite vain of him), and yet another of Talakin embracing a donkey. The last one lies directly over my bed, and Magua calls it “The Ignition of Perplexing.” I am quite perplexed by it to say the least.
On another note, the recent parties have given us plenty of time to socialize, and it seems that love is in the air for Keyan and Telakin. That leaves Gord as the only eligible wife around. I wonder if it shall be I or Apple who courts her first. Neither of us seem to have the time, and Gord seems to have little interest. Oh well, all in good time. With any luck, this party shall last the rest of the year.
Naturally:
The Save!
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Topic: The Founders. [Succession & Community] (Read 12789 times)