So, here I am, to begin work on the gods' will. The oracle assured me he would show up, personally, to oversee my edifice and give me the proper plans. I'm grateful, but I can't help but feel a bit belittled. Well, he's the gods' voice. I hear, and obey.
Year 1
Spring The place is a little strangely constructed. The workshops are all in one big chamber, the hallways are tiny, and the ledger says that the building materials of most of the workshops is to be placed in the garbage pile. ...interesting. Well, I decided to fix those mistakes up. Can't do much about the layout of the place for now without rebuilding, but maybe I can do something about all those stockpiles...
Elves have shown up. They brought cloth and berries. Pfah. We grabbed a case and some berries in exchange for some obsidian doodads, and off they went.
Just noticed half the population was partying in that tiny little dining area around the well, instead of working. Until further notice, parties are forbidden. I went ahead and looked at the job list on the ledger, and boy was it a mess. Everyone was doing their own thing instead of doing things for the betterment of the fortress. I went ahead and told what job people were supposed to do. Efficiency rose up pretty fast, lemme tell ya!
When I walked in and noticed there were no seats for my biscuit, I went ahead and had the dining chamber extended into a proper size. Plenty of tables, plenty of seating. Should last the two years at least!
Migrants, and with them, the Oracle. Thank the gods, I was worried he wasn't gonna show. Was getting nervous. We had a meeting, and he showed me a plan. It wasn't an edifice to the gods themselves, but to their loyal servant, the Oracle himself! A bit unorthodox, but I hear and obey. Essentially, we'd make him a living area right to the top with a glass dome for a ceiling so that he might look upon the heavens and pray for messages.
Noticed how long it took to bring stuff to the trading depot. I went ahead and had the pile of goods placed underneath the trading depot.
One of the hauler went totally apecrazy and tried to murder someone, something about not having silk! Hetros, my predecessor, killed him. A wardog passing by helped out. Maybe Hetros has a place yet... maybe. The oracle isn't pleased with his progress.
Gah, constructing those roads is taking away all of my competent architects' work! Thankfully, they're almost done, so maybe some productivity can happen around here.
Bumped into too many other dwarves trying to get through the dining area and stockpiles. I went ahead and had some doorsways opened, some widened, and some walls brought down to allow for a bit of traffic.
I'll need a lot of sand and a whole lot of glass, so I got those two started.
Summer Given we have a couple artifacts already, I had a vault dug in and widened under the fort. Not all that secure, but that can be fixed up later by someone else. At least they're not in plain sight.
Human traders. They have a whole slew of goods! Booze, food, materials, dogs... my gods. Hetros really put the requests in. Glad it worked out.
Autumn Construction of the tower continues as planned. Stairs reach high up and some flooring has started.
Dwarven traders come. Just like with the humans, they brought a whole lot of stuff. Thankfully, we have a master crafter who can keep up with the value and let us buy all this delicious junk. It's taking up a lot of space... should get more containers going, and extend the stockpiles.
Fey mood. Once the dwarf came out of the workshop, he was covered in sawdust and had this great Wooden scepter.
Migrants. Plenty of loyal workers for the ongoing construction. Good stuff, too! I gave them their job, from the lowly hauler to the builders.
Winter Hetros withrew into a workshop for a while. Wouldn't come out, until he came out with this great obsidian cabinet. A last hoorah to try and calm the Oracle? While the latter was pleased, he didn't seem all that impressed. I sympathize with Hetros... his neck is on the line.
The Disciples have been arranged. They are 10 dwarves who will, one day, be the temple guardians. Two of them will guard the Oracle, the other 8 can be placed in the various temples as desired or needed later. Went ahead and gave them some equipment, and they started training with the empty pumps.
Year 2
Spring Elven traders again. Again, rope reed. Useless. We get a case of the stuff and booted them out the door. We've enough cloth.
Tower's going well. Nearing completion of the top chambers. Then we'll need to make the glass dome. Glass maker's making plenty of blocks, so it's not a problem.
Migrants, only they brought the dungeon master with them. He said he wanted an office, some good quarters and a burial chamber. Ugh, nobles. I indulged. He sneered at it, but said it was fair enough until something better could be arranged.
Someone was possessed by the fey. They came out with a rope made out of pig tail and iron. The oracle seemed interested, especially when we mentioned we had wardogs.
Summer Human traders. Plenty of goods, we welcome them. Just like last season. Rock baubles for their stuff.
Migrants, only a few. Still, extra labor is extra labor.
Disciples are tough enough, so we started them on a battle regime with one another in the barracks in front of the fortress. If anything steps in, they'll be in clear sight of our warriors to be taken down.
Oracle's tower is nearing completion. We are putting the last steps of the domed ceiling.
Autumn The oracle gave the Ex temple builder, Hetros, a chance to redeem his poor effort. He was sent to hunt thieving beasts at the pit, likely in league with the underworld. The workers tell me they could see the entire thing as they worked on the top of the tower.
A batman pounced him as he got there, and something seemed to take Hetros over. He drove his pick into him, then tripped to the second level. Two more batmen fell upon him, but he sent one down to the great beyond.
Another, however, got him from behind and he fell several levels onto a small ledge, barely managing to crawl back aboard.
Dwarven traders were not told of what happened to Hetros and we silently traded. The oracle's word is absolute, after all. We sympathized, but this is the will of the gods.
Goblins! Only one group of them, and they hung around the edge of our vision, not really moving. Maybe they were wondering about the great tower of the oracle.
An over-exerted batman fell ontop of Hetros, unconscious as well. Some sort of grappling armlock for survival. The oracle isn't pleased with the performance. He is contemplating ending it.
The tower ceiling was finally completed and we started moving the Oracle into it as he asked. A bed, some of the artifacts... he looked pleased with the quality. I may be spared after all.
The Goblins seemed fidgety and unsure. They haven't moved yet. I don't like it, they could be planning something.
Hetros and the Batman still hanging from the ledge. If he does not wake up and kill him, the Oracle said, then the greatest burial of all may be the pit, for Hetros. I guess it's fair enough... he did good work getting the fort on his feet, but the shrine isn't all that great. A few clouds, some montains... maybe if he'd use a better artist. Ours is currently making historical monuments on the walls and floors.
First work accident as we were putting away the scaffolding.
Two haulers who were working up there fell straight to the bottom and, well, exploded. The oracle said to put them in glass coffins to make an example: Do not work slowly, or you will be smote into pieces. We had to put them in the casket in pieces. Many pieces.
Goblins still fidgeting. It's not so bad for now, even if it makes us nervous. Gives time for our disciples to train. Speaking of, I moved them up to warhammers now that they are good at dodging and weaving.
Someone hid up in a workshop. They came out with a great woden drum. I had it placed in the vault.
Well, my work here is done. One season still to spare, too. Maybe if I manage the fortress well until my replacement shows up, I will be spared... Ah, Just told the goblins finally attacked. They were quickly felled by our disciples and the small hallway of traps Hetros had arranged. The survivors simply flee.
Winter The gods are displeased with Hetros' performance, the Oracle said. A chamber overlooking the trading post. It's a clever idea, really, but it could have been so much more, so much more... The oracle ordered us to do a tunnel to Hetros and cut away the stone keeping him hanging there. The miner who dealt the 'killing' blow told me Hetros woke up just in time to look up at him with a quiet, content look before the stone fell away.
The deed was done. He fell, and dissapeared into the blackness below. Even if empty, I had one of the glass coffins engraved in his name.
Goblin ambush at the gates! To arms!
Thankfully, they were quickly felled, again by the traps and disciples. The two survivors fled.
First Champion emerges from this melee. Cheers!
More migrants. Brings us to 99 loyal souls, both old and young. Would have been 100, without Hetros' death. Should I feel guilty? Oh well... I hear, and obey, the word of the Gods.
I felt, once the disciples were to be stationed, that we would be defenseless. I had the more permanent Fortress guard established and started training them.
The captain of the guard mentioned that crimes would have to be punished. If we do not have a prison, than criminals may be unjustly punished by beating or, should he emerge from the mountainhome, hammering. I agreed and had a prison built.
One of the hauler hid in the clothier's shop. He came out with quite the awesome silk bag.
This is my month as temple builder here, so I will place my thoughts and recommendations. There is very little left to do besides follow your whim. Perhaps a grander guardianship, or more disciples. Otherwise, simply build in the name of the gods as you are dictated. The fort itself, however, is very well on its way to be fed, boozed, constructed and defended. Besides one Guard with broken hand, the rest of the guards and disciples are getting along well in their training. One of the batmen was, for some reason, nicknamed.
Year 3Spring I have done all I could with what I had and elevated the god's servant to the top of the world and housed him and fed him and guarded him. I await my fate, knowing that the gods will give me a proper treatment, live or die. I leave this journal to the next builder. Good luck, and may the Gods smile upon my and your creation.
Final stats
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MAP with PoI's *
SAVE FILE Cheers and good luck to the next step-in, which is sava2004.