Well... Relatively story posts. The Council's choices are summed up on the Chambers page, but the announcements will usually be here as well.
The first Council meeting was a momentous ocassion, indeed. Held within the palace chambers, many an idle dwarf stood by the closed glass portals. Even the protesting members of the Farmer's Alliance had stopped shouting their slogans for a time, to listen intently for any sounds to escape from within. After a time, the doors opened once again, and whispering began in ernest as the crowd parted to make way for the Councilors. Members of the various guilds fell in behind their Guildmasters, with ranking officers moving up alongside to converse with their leaders in hushed tones. The words passed proved both good and ill, but the working dwarf waited on one, Eshtin Tiristbomrek, Metropolitan Manager, negotiator, and Meditator of the Council. With the minutes firmly in hand, Eshtin stood at the head of the palace plaza, with the crowd moving a respectful distance away. He bore a striking resemblance to the engraving behind him, and indeed, the engraving was of himself, reading out the immigration papers as he had done several times before at this spot. What he would read now, though of a far different nature, held just as much signifigance to the assembled dwarves as the papers that had brought them to this place. Eshtin cleared his throat, raising a hand to the crowd, which quieted almost immediately, and began to read out loud the announcements of the day's meeting. "The first Council Meeting has concluded. The following are the decisions and conclusions the Council has reached..."
"The Mason's Guild has commissioned the expansion of the Wayside Post, for the greater gain of Crystalpages."
There was a great deal of applause and some scattered whoops from the crowd. A great deal of them were Masons themselves, and the easing of their financial woes was a welcome relief. And, of course, further expansion of the Mountainhome was a worthy goal to any dwarf. Eshtin waited for the noise to die down before continuing.
"Further, the Glassworkers of the Crafter's Guild will be commissioned to provide building materials for the expansion, and military forces have been assigned to protect the area during construction. After completion, a mining shaft will be excavated to search for further ores." A bit more applause came through. This project was shaping up to be a boon to every dwarf, it seemed. Eshtin continued the list.
"The Military has commissioned the creation of a monument to the dwarven warriors that have fallen in battle, to be planned and built as events allow."
There was some applause for this as well. Though it seemed a far-off plan, such a monument could bring little but glory.
"In conclusion, the Council recognises the Farmer's Alliance with an official Council seat, given to the appointed Master Farmer, Melbil Zimkelrigoth."
There was a mass of cheering from the gathered farmers, as well as some hearty applause from a great portion of the assembly. The Farmer's Alliance had gained a great deal of support among the populace, as the dwarves that supplied everyone with their daily meals and drinks.
Eshtin spoke once again. "So concluded the first Council Meeting." He said shortly, stepping aside and making his way back into the palace amid the cheers and conversation. The Farmer's Alliance made it's way cheerfully off to celebrate, while the Mason's Guild filtered out, stonecarvers hurrying to their stations while the more skilled masons began to discuss the expansion's architecture...
The sun shone bright, making the Brass Road shine underfoot as the Masons and haulers travelled back and forth across it, carrying stone blocks over to the work site. At the edge of the brook, a pair of architects were gathered around a half-constructed copper bridge, writing and examining to find how they would bring it from simply functional to truely impressive. It was all they could do at the moment, as the traffic was thick with haulers carrying precisely-cut Felsite blocks to the area on the other side, where experienced Masons plotted out the circumferance of the walls to be, going over structural issues as well as ordinances and regulations.
Dastot Logematir's Marksdwarf squad had been assigned to the rooftop of the Wayside Post. Walking through the single room below had been a slightly eerie experience. The floors of solid iron were dented and scratched from when the occasional battle would carry into the place long ago. The brass doors had long since been locked, however, and they'd stayed that way until today. It gave the whole place a strangely empty feeling. But still, on the rooftops, Dastot's squad was cheerful enough, seated on the stone roofing and passing idle gossip. The glassworkers, for instance, had built a second furnace to handle their new business, and their current magma system had been entirely used up. There was talk of digging out an expansion, but also worries that it would put the entire forge area out of comission while the new section filled. To the marksdwarves, it meant little. Their leather armor had served them well, masterworks of the legendary Zuglar Lenodvabok. Rumor had it, one said, that he had run the fortress clean out of leather, and was now looking to invest his vast wealth in an establishment of his own. He wouldn't be the first dwarf to try, but he'd be one of the first to succeed alone.
The dwarves passed around a skin of ale from the still. One of Zuglar's final works of the year, it was decorated with the new symbol of the official Farmer's Alliance... The ale was good, and the entire fortress fell into easy work. It was a calm and enjoyable day...
The news had spread quickly. In a matter of perhaps two days, the whole fort had learned that Mistem Momuztost, a skilled Planter and daughter of the Metalworker's Guildmaster, had been found dead in one of the prison blocks by a Royal Guard sent to check up on a prisoner. The body had been rendered almost unrecognisable, to the point where none even knew who had died until the Guildmaster's family reported her missing. The incident was kept private under order of the Duke, to avoid any unwarrented retaliations. Rumors flew. Some claimed that the animals the Dungeon Master was training had gotten out of hand and hidden there. Others said that the goblin prisoners housed nearby had escaped. A few claimed the entire reason it had been covered up was that it had been a ritual murder, a sacrifice offered to strange and dark gods.
The remains were quietly laid to rest in a somber ceremony, just a room away from where the dwarf had died. The public reamined fearful, wary that nothing had yet come to shed light on the incident. The Mayor declared that he would consult the Fortress Guard immediately, and the Duke likewise called on the Royal Guard, sending out recruitment papers to peasents to bolster the Guard's numbers.
It was a rare event. In all the fort's history, only a few dwarves had fallen outside the line of duty, and none before within the walls of the fortress itself. Blame was laid in any variety of things, from laxness of the guard to prison security to Lal's divine judgement. But questions laid heavily on the mind of the dwarves. The entire thing was a sort of mystery, and all that could yet be done was to hope that it would not happen again...
A rather short play period, but the recent events were too good to pass up...
Temporary Council is in session.It'll be running from the 27th to the 28th. Mostly while I get various things here patched up.
Author
Topic: Crystalpages, the Council Fort. Because community forts aren't confusing enough. (Read 3914 times)