Fireheart's Journal 10th Malachite
Vabok, one of our immigrant planters was ambushed by a squad of Goblins while collecting some freshcut wood. He kept his wits about him, knocking a Swordgob into a nearby pond where the foul creature was pulled under by its heavy iron armor. Vabok then fled back into the fortress while the remaining Goblins chased a stray cat.
13th Malachite
Wok and Sir Nil returned from their patrol today to report that the Goblins seem to have left the area. They will most certainly return soon and we'll be ready.
15th Malachite
Korgan completed his plans for the Magma Pipeworks today. As soon as Kornash and myself had looked over it we began digging. The first part was just lenghtening the hallway on the workshop level to make room for the magma shops.
17th Malachite
Started the second part of Korgan's plan today. It involved digging a one dwarf wide tunnel from a point underneath the future workshop to the edge of the pipe.
17th Malachite: Later
Kornash brought a small problem with the pipeline to my attention. Apparently we struck both native silver and kunzite along the tunnel. Kornash's complaint was that if we continue as planned we'll lose access to the ore and gems.
21st Malachite
I decided to suspend the pipeline for a few days to mine out the silver and kunzite veins. Kornash has reported that they are rather large veins but with 2 of us mining and everyone else hauling the material upstairs it should be done in no time.
2nd Limestone
We emptied the ore and gem tunnels of workers and left Korgan and Akhier to wall them off. After a brief meal in the Dining Hall we resumed the digging of the pipeworks.
We also dug a channel inside the workshop. Korgan's plan is that the magma will flow into the channel and power the forges from below.
12th Limestone
The time has come. We sit with only a tiny bit of rock between us and the firey magma. After ordering Korgan, Akhier and everyone else back to the access tunnel. Konash and I set to the careful work of breaching the pipe without being melted in the ensuing flow. As soon as the magma began dripping through the rock we turned and fled a safe distance down the tunnel. There Kornash activated a mechanism that Akhier had set up for him. It worked simply, just causing a hammer to hit the thinning rock enough to breach the pipe fully. As the molten rock oozed down the tunnel we headed into the acces tunnel and sealed the door, putting several iron bars over it so no Dwarf would accidently open it.
Now we wait.
13th Limestone
The merchants arrived from the Mountainhomes today. We took bins full of Newb's mugs and some of the Goblin junk out to the Depot. Being Dwarves they made excellent time down the mountain. Rakust greeted us warmly and I sent him to wait in my office while I took care of the trading.
I never would have thought useless Goblin junk could bring such good fortune. We managed to trade 3 bins of mugs and 2 of narrow clothes for EVERYTHING they had. A ton of various metal bars, some gems, cages, barrels and meat. I even gave them an extra bin of mugs to increase their profits.
The conversation with Rakust went much the same as last year. I requested more metal, booze and food and he gave me a list of things the Nobles would like to buy from us. Then he left, wishing us luck for the next year. The way he said it makes me think he knows something we don't. I made a note to have a work with Wok and Sir Nil about taking on Apprentices of their own.
20th Limestone
A few Goblins tried to ambush the Depot today. The caravan guards had full bolt quivers though and the Goblins were torn apart. Rakust, our Gemworker narrowly survived the flurry of bolts while running inside.
22nd Limestone
The Guards filled another Ambush full of bolts today.
27th Limestone
We build the forge today in preparation for the magma. Hopefully it won't take much longer to flow into the channel.
Posted on the door of the Dining Hall
Could whoever left their pants in here please collect them from the stockpile. They may come in handy.-------------------------------------------
Legolord, I don't even want to know why your dwarf is running around the fortress without pants.