I had struck the earth, as the dwarves are oft to say, on a map that had steep hills, 50 tiles in diameter at its base, going up 10 or 11 z-levels. It was my mission to build up, so I did. After a year of digging towards the volcano, requiring a 90 degree angle, for my forging area in the basement of the Southern Tower, I lost a less useful dwarf. He was the sacrificial victim to get the magma flowing. His pet cat still brought to the security wall a dead lizard for his master, and continued to do so for years on end. I had put him in a cage, and I hope to set this cage next to his burial plot when the Eastern Tower's catacombs are complete.
I realized, as it was flowing, I needed a larger reservoir. I easily carved one out, but I had no time to take out any of the retaining walls save one. Five years passed, and less than half the reservoir has magma. I deconstructed the security wall and unlocked the diorite door blocking the site, and began to quickly remove the fortifications and walls. When the retaining wall was breached, a bit of magma touched the clothing of the brave deconstruction dwarf. He ran out and immediately sought shelter in his wounds. A carpenter walked by. He caught on fire too. Luckily, I only lost those two.
I immediately locked the door and rebuilt a new security wall. The magma reservoir is still taking too long to fill. I'm beginning to suspect I should be pumping this stuff in rather than relying on the flow of magma.
The human caravans have stopped. Instead, they had sent me the surprise of a siege attempt. I had already lost my champion wrestlers to goblin crossbowmen. Two green marksdwarves and an axedwarf (the sworddwarf is still recovering from a broken arm that has taken over a year to heal) took to their posts and approached the campfire. Within 10 tiles, the humans responded. The axedwarf has eight kills, while both marksdwarve share a paltry four kills each. I hope for an emissary soon.
Kobolds are getting more restless. They see the gold in the hills. They see the gems. They see the piles of artifacts the small clutch of dwarves have carved. At no time had I any sense to build complicated weapon traps or mazes that offer my fortress for three easy payments of 29.99 each, but only accept blood and pain as payment. I'm suspecting they might try another ambush soon, but they've never stolen an item from me before. Three winters ago, the dwarves threw a party. In this party, they got to the topic of the caveswallowmen. All the caveswallowmen now have names. They seem to leave the dwarves alone, even when we're up in the chasm snagging cave spider webs.
I'm awaiting a replenishing stock of dwarves. My population has dropped from its height of 34 to 28. The dwarves are getting restless, and while booze and food is plenty, the stocks aren't. They haven't thrown a party in quite some time. Our wealth amasses, but their happy thoughts are dwindling.
I'm not sure I have many years left, before something stronger eyes my fort and I'm ill prepared for it, or the dwarves themselves go crazy in these hills and try for each others' throats. Either way, this WILL be fun.
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Topic: Recent events thread (Read 5374 times)