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[Itnetlolor]

HUZZAH! More progress. Got my second update for the day, amazingly enough.

Here it is

Spoiler: Y7S2: Deconstructor Fleet (click to show/hide)

Well now, it seems we've been making much progress lately. The plans that have underwent to seal the cave (with a rather nasty surprise waiting for them if they dare exit it), as well as make safe passage for caravans with their wagons has come through rather nicely. We have yet to come across any problems. Speaking of which, I find it odd that the same beings that were in cahoots with the original wave that killed off "Cid", from the looks of their character, are providing overwatch. I remember sending a party after them, and they merely said "Hi.". Strange folk in these parts. I guess they realize what we have been doing this whole time, and no longer found us a threat.

Anyway, it's nearly halfway through the season, and I have gotten word that the next deck has been completed, and that developments on the airship's icon have commenced. If I have calculated from the illustration correctly, it requires roughly 53 light red colored tiles, and 43 dark red colored tiles. Quite a chore it'll be to gather that much stone. No worries however, we should have plenty in stock. If not, we have mountains around us after all. Why not?

More developments to minimize complaints have been in order, and I have yet to hear a peep. In short; business is good and well. Oh, and the weapons for the ship have finally been built. Seeing as we depleted Plantation B, while working on the back door to the place, I've allowed gathering of the vegetation outside the walls. Protection will be provided, of course.

-----------

Well, much time before the next post. I suppose this is closing time. To the point, The second deck has been completed, and seems sturdy enough to handle another set of decks above it. I noticed the boilers haven't had enough work applied to them. The pumps are being replaced as we speak. The almighty blood gauntlet is about halfway done, and we're developing quickly. Heck, at the rate we're collecting at outside, along with building of the ship, the plantations should be rapidly recovering once we are out of materials. Speaking of which, we're running low on the proper materials to finish the fist. I'm doing some geology work to find out where I can find more of the lighter color material, not much left of the dark to worry about.

Executive Meddling

--Leader/(Sky) Pirate, Zon "Balthier" Nazushdur

PS-Zuglar Atisgesis (StakeSinew), a fellow glassmaker has gone fey. I wonder what he was up to. He just seems to be staring into space. We made additional factories, so I'm curious why he's deaf to everyone telling him, or blind that there's a factory of every type.

[Itnetlolor]

Well, this calls for a real facepalm on my part. Read below, and you'll see what I mean. I should've done that remedy since the first signs of problems. It hung up my project for the season. At least I settled some issues, and got the engine block positions known. Next step, Building/placing.

Spoiler: Y7S3: League of Locusts (click to show/hide)

Unfortunately, we have enountered a crisis. We're out of stock on many goods; primarily in the food and drink department. If not for those wells and watering holes we installed, we could've been in greater trouble. I have issued all available dwarves to seek out any stray food and drink containers, even seeds are acceptable, strewn about the land, regardless the danger. We have much more pressing matters at hand.

Unfortunately, as the wagons have arrived, everyone was chasing them down due to desperation and starvation. Furthermore, befoer any negotiations could be made to remedy the issue, everyone has siezed the food before anything could be done to gain more than what was taken. You couldn't believe the amount of anger I have towards everyones' incompetence. Thanks to their wrecklessness, we may not survive the season. Our farmers are working til' no tomorrow to get as much planted as dwarvenly possible. The situation has garnered such desperation, I'm calling upon as many farmers as possible to completely stock the farmlands with seeds.

Working on the southern entryway, we have come across some light red material, but our miners are still not skilled enough to harvest properly; the food situation doesn't help our odds. Wood gathering is put on hold until the issue at hand is settled.

We got a small batch of migrants in lately. I guess that's supposed to be a sign that we're doing well enough to cure this land of it's curse. Considering the food issue, however, we're not out of the woods yet. It seems that most of the populous have lsot their tempers, and are acting out at everyone. They can wait just a moment longer for the plants to grow the rest of the way. We're so close.

Okay, things are starting to mellow out. Work has re-focused on the ship again. We should be able to commit to the project again next season. I do hope nobody gets sick of plump helmets; so far, those things are saving our necks. We'll refine our tastes again when we can afford the time to.

Ah, so this is the curse of the land. Everyone has lost their mind one way or another. The cause this time, Starvation. We're slowly losing members by starvation. We already lost our designated trader to it. I guess I'm back in the spot for trade then huh? Population is still slowly depleting, starvation and sanity wise, but slowly fortunately. Maybe next season will yield a better outcome.

Priority Override- Must Break Down for Consumnable Materials

--Leader/(Sky) Pirate, Zon "Balthier" Nazushdur

PS- I regret to say, Our ol' fey companion has decided we had not the facilities for him to apply his skills, so he offed himself. Poor fool. On the other hand, we just got a possession Dumat Lenodmelbil (SeedTome), has gotten rather possessed. I am curious as to which spirit has accosted him.

PPS- He made a rather fine millstone. Unfortunately, due priorities, I have no time to estimate it's value. But I doubt he gained any real skill from it, despite how nice it appears. I does speak of the beginning of the lands.

Ugh. At least we should still have momentum. Once things calm down, we should be able to continue at a decent pace.

[Itnetlolor]

Well then, another tantrum spiral took out another leader. He retired for his own sanity instead. Actually I wanted to abandon 1 day before the next year for 2 reasons: 1- minimize scatter for new year reclaim, and 2- I don't want to lose aentire year for logging which would further scatter things to the ass-end of the site. He might live, but I'll maybe install a quarantine zone for all the previous crew.

Here's "Balthier's" last entry.

Spoiler: Y7S4: Fit Shan (click to show/hide)

Just as I feared. There's far less patience than I expected. This may be a little troubling, but we will overcome this. I hope.

I, I've been taken by the same mood as the rest of the team. Armok, help us.

Before I issue command to abandon this site, at the end of the season, I'm going to make record of the site. I reject to die like the last ones. I only wanted to see this machine fly. Thank goodness I got the privileged to add to it, but we have made little progress. I request a new team take our place. We cannot return to this horrid site. The myths about it are true. This is a land of madness.

Even one of temperament like mine, has lost control of impulses. Our wagon is still intact, we can still gather our belongings, and return home. I'm retiring. However, unlike the rest of the team, I would very much appreciate to walk aboard the vessel whenever it finishes. At the rate of it's rise, I hopefully will have forgotten the horrors I have endured.

It appears my role has turned into "seasoned veteran that warns inside taverns" then. Oh well.

I Give Up

--Leader/(Sky) Pirate, Zon "Balthier" Nazushdur

PS- Actually, I have decided instead to call for reinforcements. May Armok help the next batch of fools. My men... are no more. We leave now with at most 1/10 what we began with. (Fort Abandoned)

Next up to bat is Mustadio. An engineer. Handy with a crossbow, and reviver of relics. He has a passion for unusual machines, such as this artifact airship, for example. Talk of being powered by stones concern him however.

We'll see how he handles it now.

[Jacob/Lee]

Make sure the space pirates goblins don't fuck the miners and builders

[Itnetlolor]

Well, this caught me by surprise. It turns out that abandoning by the end of Winter still makes it progress by a year.

Oh well, I made decent progress nonetheless. Re-training my miners so they can collect material, yay. I don't feel like training them, but I have no choice, I still need at least 20 more light red tiles.

Spoiler: Y9S1: Gouge the Flying Machine City (click to show/hide)

Apparently, the king has issued an order for me and my team of engineers (a couple months ago, what a trek) to head into the project site to check up on things. Something just doesn't add up about this. I am curious why so many people had to be hired to check up on the site. I hope it has nothing to do with that curse that's been rumored to exist. We have lost word for about a year. We were sent in to figure it out.

Like hell the cure would exist, unless I come across a survivor that has witnessed it in action, would I be convinced. If it does exist; would I brave the ordeal and get things done? We'll have to-- By the stones... what do we have here?

It's odd. Nobody's here, but there are notes scattered about, senseless babble written on the walls, and strangely enough, no creatures taking possession of the base. Heh, and here we have this army, and... there's nothing else to do but clean up this mess and move on. I have a feeling this isn't the first thing said the "previous" times. On that note, it is eerily empty around these parts. Mayhaps the curse exists. After all, there are corpses everyehere, and from the looks of things, there has not been a proper burial. Old notes speak of working on a shrine for the fallen. If I took a hint from this place, I will just forget about the dead, and commit myself to getting this bloody thing in the air. We'll worry about the shrine later when we don't have time to get ourselves killed.

Strange, patrolling the ruins, I heard a loud *snap* and lots of howling. It seems a brave cyroptoran decided to attempt an ambush on a patrol. Unfortunately for it, it got caught. So, it's these bastardly beasts that have been bothering the many past residents of this factory. Well, it looks like we have a sacrifice for the fallen. We'll melt one of these batmen in the fallen, and Armok's honor. When we have the time, I'll have a recorder on standby to make it in a way it can be illustrated as a form of sequential art.

Progress has been well in contruction of this masterpiece of legend. The backsides of the ship are coming to shape, it's looking rather sturdy enough to bear it's wings. How do I know of the design, well it's been chronicled in our libraries. I think anyone familiar in "The Oily Keys" knows of the legend of the 'Bloodfist' Project. We just pass off this curse as a myth.

Oh, silly me; it seems I forgot to order the ores we brought with us to be smelted. I heard of a copper shortage occurred with the project by a nicely garbed fellow, though he had one heck of an attitude about it when he mentioned it. Told us good luck, and beware the land. Be fruitful and prosper. He sounded defeated. I don't know if he was a survivor of the project, or an adventurer adbandoning quest to venture into the ruins upon seeing our army. He seemed to have a thing for the theatrics when he talks. Odd fellow.

Learning from past mistakes, I've sanctioned giant farm plots are made to replace the malnourishing plots that are currently in use, and will instead use them as farm-stocking food supply, as well as empty barrel storage. Seed storage will be next to the giant plots, and intermediary pathways will be used to shorten the path to the plots. It's a bit more of a trip to get it all done, but it should yield more satisfying crops in the future. Let's make use of our land. Speaking of which, I added another entry point in order to pipeline traffic if we have to resort to exterior harvesting of trees, which may be the case soon enough. We should be able to harvest from the eastern wilderness now.

Expletive Reigon

--Chief Engineer, Meng "Mustadio" Melbilmafol

PS- Taking note from the last guy, I'm keeping it short as well. Might as well look forward to progress; but at least there was something to note. It also seems a gatherer or hunter fell into the nearby chasm. Some of us didn't take it too well, but unlike anyone else who's be affected by a curse, we're holding strong. I feel the next season will mellow out.

I won't be able to double-update tomorrow, but still, I'm plowing through.

[Itnetlolor]

Much development still. Nice.

Spoiler: Y9S2: Monkey Business (click to show/hide)

The expanded farmlands along with the factory to make use of the excess cloth have been established. I can see what must've caused much of the issues from the last guys. Now I understand this drought that could've caused it to happen. Thank Armok we've developed those lands, and as we speak, are also organizing the setup to make restocking our food supplies a quick matter. It's a good thing I noticed this flaw within the fortress. The dining halls are too far away from the food sources.

Seeing as the dining hall is too elegant, I've decided instead to issue a simple dining zone within the nearby farms, minimize travel as food stocks increase. I also noticed the outdoor farms were way too small to satisfy our crew. That too is being worked on. As expected, progress in building the ship is going along beautifully, and just as nice, we're nearing completion of the southern gatehouse. The maze has been completed, and the bridges are linked up. Although a pack of Rhesus Macaques deceided to make a ruckus of our fort, I sent a few men to get us some fresh meat. They barely lasted. We salvaged some of the meat, but I do wish we managed to catch some in some traps. I'll try and relocate the old traps to the entry point in case any invaders succeed in passing the bridges. Speaking of which, it looks like one of those foolish creatures has fallen into one of our lakes. I might order some traps to be made and snag that critter, and hopefully a mate if it isn't female. We could use more monkey meat.

The side door is just about finished and has a series of floodgates installed, unfortunately, our resident mechanics were too helpful, and were busy hauling stuff instead of making hthe hauling jobs easier overall by finishing making the doorway functional. Yes, I'm happy the back door is finally finished, but we need those other doors to work soon. I'd like to make use of more of the wild trees. Speaking of which, it looks like those saplings are starting to look nice. We might have wood again in these farms, so we still have a source of income at a safe pace. Oh, we're going to need a trap set for our extra doorways.

Now that the back is almost finished, I'm going to request the front get worked on as the next priority. That's beginning to look rather vulnerable by comparison. I suppose the side door over the bottomless pit should be tinkered with as well. At least have that given an option to close and/or lock-down in case a siege comes along. At least a series of stone-fall traps be setup to make it a second-thought of access to our fort. Plus, it seems we already have a floodgate installed as a midway access. though, now that we have a wide enough access on the side, we might as well make it open to visitors from the east past the mountains.

Something I noticed, if we are going to install our mechanisms, we're going to need to think through how we're going to install them, since we're getting close to installing them. It seems we're going to need supports to mount the rotating axles for the propellers along the backside. It's going to make it look a bit awkward, unless there's a way I can make them sturdy enough to float, rather than fasten to some floorboards. I'll need to think this through.

It seems, fortunately, there aren't any other helpers assigned to follow us. With this drought, thank Armok. Since we're already nicely set in place, I've set committed goals to the necessary jobs. Despite the drought, we should make tons of progress, provided the rumored spiral doesn't come down upon us.

...Famous last words.

--Chief Engineer, Meng "Mustadio" Melbilmafol

Mulling over to myself, I might make a very minor modification to the engine setup, since I didn't foresee a couple other nagging issues with building the engine parts. Instead of constructing the engine parts towards the dining area of the ship, instead I'll build it in the other direction, mounted between them would also be an alternator mechanism in case a couple engines cut out.

Thanks to the mechanics of the game, I might be able to re-route the mechanical parts in a way that'll be more economic in construction. Overall, I think the setup would make more sense.

[Itnetlolor]

I'm not kidding, this has become a running gag now. What the hell? My average reclaim lifespan is roughly a year now (abandon before EVERYONE is lost). The cause? Those damn birds and starvation, and a bunch of impatient starving dwarves that can't take one moment to wait for a trade to happen so that tons of food can be gathered thanks to one hell of a sale of scrap armor and cloth from past reclaimers.

We're running out of space, and I'm running out of patience myself with each team bum rushing the wagons. Ugh.

Spoiler: Y9S3: Eating My Words (click to show/hide)

We have made quite some progress over time. We finally have some solid ground on Deck III of the Bloodfist, now we can relocate the wood stockpiles to an easier access point and get more work done, and to localize the workflow even more for both residents, future crews, and our construction crew, the dining room can be setup aboard the ship. We have already installed the still and kitchen in the appropriate areas according to blueprints. Everything's looking nice.

We have our issues still in regards to materials, but it seems our miners have been getting better at salvaging minerals. I've decided to let them mine out the veins. Our local geologist has already mapped out the predicted veins. One more vein has been discovered while our assault team was avenging some fallen members of our party due to a giant cave swallow. Those damn birds. The death of our comrades has set the entire fort into an uproar. With the food levels as they are, this isn't helping us at all.

NOW I understand what must've caused the downfall of our previous successors. What I have come to observe further regarding the food issue is the aggravating fate of the past wagons that visit here annually. They cackled at us as "The next fools to go down". These bastards decided that a few handfuls of food is all we deserve, considering half the population ignored the growth we've been developing. At the same time I was angry at those "merchants", I wanted to kill my fellow dwarves for their recklessness. Thanks to them, now they'll die.

I suppose before madness takes us all in, I'm going to return home and report while I, and as many don't fall to the curse, are still alive. But only under 2 (then again, maybe 1, depending how things go) conditions will I return with my head held high: Once we get the rest of Deck III finished, and at an early deadline, I want to be alive before the winter festivities. I have grown homesick.

Oh yeah, in order for our miners to further gain salvaging skill, they've decided to clear out new space and expand upon the dining hall, as well as find use for the lower caves. Let's at least excavate the last pieces of cinnabar and hematite while we're still sane. Let's leave the spiky ring to the remaining suckers that'll be assigned this suicidal task. At least I should pat myself on the back for finishing a deck, I guess. But according to design, the last decks should be a cakewalk. I should be proud of what I, and my team, have accomplished.

As far as I can consider though, that device, as well as the rest of the bridge, won't be able to be installed, however, there should be room. My advice to the next lemmings to visit this Armok-forsaken site. Bring food and seeds and if you're willing to take on the device, plenty of gems of all sorts. Remembering a tale from a traveler that went by the name Bob, there are rumors that this thing can float sans prop. As if the spirits that plague the land are keeping the project afloat by sheer willpower alone. I'll test this before I abandon project. I anything, it should keep anything from moving, like a vault. To test that out, I'll have as many haulers as possible bring all light items aboard to be safe. In the meantime, I'm getting teams to keep working on the machinery aboard the ship, and repair the land-bound docking bridge so we can lock it up before we leave.

Forgive the failure, but at least we're not leaving empty-handed, and without an overview of what to bring next time.

Again the requisites we advise for the next team is:
Food, food, food.
Seeds, seeds, seeds.
Gems of all sorts
Plenty of cattle or cats for meat sources.
Don't worry at all about weaponry, there should be plenty of scraps leftover, and your teams should have plenty on them to start anyway.
If possible, bring only what you need, not what you think you nede. Reconsider your shopping list. It's overstocked here.

Dare I say it. I'm eating my words on the whole "Famous last words..." there. I just had to say it. For our safety, by the end of mid-winter, I'm making the call to leave. The next team should be able to arive here in time to pick up where we leave off.

Because of That Damn Bird

--Chief Engineer, Meng "Mustadio" Melbilmafol

PS- I tried, I really tried, but those unforseen consequences that took the lives of many before us. I have theories on what may have done this. I think I might have an old friend that might be of great help on the project considering she's a total gearhead. With what we already have setup, this is right up her alley.

No, the project isn't cancelled. I'm just sick of the constant fate, and ending it before the year ends, hoping I can continue the year immediately after, not a year after.

[GrafZeppelin]

Let's hope the next one goes better. (Who are we kidding)

[Cheddarius]

How about bringing a party with only food, dumping it in a pit, abandoning, reclaiming, etc. a few times? Then you can get in with enough food for several years already in a pit, and then work on building farms to sustain your population.

[GrafZeppelin]

Problem: then he'll have "a few times" as many enemies from the pit.

This means "a few times" as many cave swallows.

[Itnetlolor]

Let us not forget, I'm getting close to the end point soon.

Food will be exclusive pretty much, but the project is still the main priority from now on. All the past expeditions were focused on the base, making it safe, easy wood collecting, learning from past mistakes, etc..

So yeah, by now, I should be able to bring mostly foodstuff with me the next reclaim, and not worry about being under-armed or uner-stocked with equipment. Enough crap from the last guys to last the remaining reclaims. Essentially, it has gotten much easier each reclaim, at the expense of hundreds of lives.

[Cheddarius]

at the expense of hundreds of lives.

BLOODFIST HUNGERS

[Itnetlolor]

Well, I should have more than enough red stone to finish the emblem, and the ship-side bridge got destroyed, so the work has been done for me to lock it out.

For additional security, the back door bridges have been closed to prevent them from being destroyed by any tantrums. It shouldn't take long to recover upon next reclaim.

Spoiler: Y9S4: Ruins of the Ruined (click to show/hide)

You know what? Scerw what I stated earlier. I'm just going to gather what remains of us, and just just trek out in the last remaining wagon.

The bridge couldn't be finished, and nothing can be done about the engines. Lucca I wish you luck, because I seriously no longer give a fuck.

I'll assess what we have remaining of us... Not as many as we came in with, and there's a tagalong group of migrants totally shocked at what was once a great establishment. Total causualties I tallied is somewhere within 48. Those of us who are still sane are few and far between. Some are so hopeless, they're left behind.

Anyway, I'm getting the last of the red stones mined while we're still here, that way, the next team won't have to worry about not having enough material. Although, it's a bit of a trek, and a bit dangerous to reach them, but I have issued a small shortcut between places cutting through the dining hall and down to the wells. All that's necessary to do to get there, and a shortcut to the brook is to mine a few blocks and it'll directly link into the silver mines, providing a safe passage. I just advise that once that's broken, you make a sort of gateway as a back door of sorts.

May Armok guide the rest into salvation, be it the fate of being one with the ship or not.

Easy Come, Painful Go

--Chief Engineer, Meng "Mustadio" Melbilmafol

*Whew*

After all that, I'm going to take a short break from working on the project all of tomorrow, and get to sleep at a decent hour tonight. I've been at this all week. So, I'm just going to take a bit of a breather.

I'm going to make my updates the day after however. Aiming for a double- or if possible, triple-update to make up for lost time.

[Cheddarius]

You have to ask yourselves why all these dwarves leap straight into their deaths again and again.

[GrafZeppelin]

May Armok guide the rest into salvation, be it the fate of being one with the ship or not.

D: