Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[KenboCalrissian]

< .......... 3.

eyes... hurt... post, drive it off the page.

[The Architect]

I posted that heart under a lot of indecision. If you ridicule it, you'll lose it.

[Quietust]

I think the tax collector will be next... we don't need an economy, we can do without.

Unless you've set ECONOMY:NO in init.txt, the economy is already active and can never be turned off. Besides, the economy is started by the baron, not the tax collector (though the tax collector seems to be the one who actually enforces it).

[KenboCalrissian]

D'oh... guess I'm stuck with it.  I'll just disable rent on all the rooms, never build shops or coins, and hopefully that will be enough.

I'm not sure what to do with the hammerer or tax collector, then.  It might be worth the challenge to keep the tax collector, unless he starts demanding coins.  The Hammerer definitely makes things more challenging, so he's probably staying.

[Quietust]

The tax collector doesn't demand coins - in old versions, the Broker would mandate the production of coins, but that doesn't happen anymore. All the tax collector does is evict dwarves that fail to pay their rent and repossess their items if they can't afford them.

[The Architect]

Put him in a pit, and make a story about torturing the malicious sadistic pet of the baron?

Questions: if you kill the hammerer, will a new count bring another? I assume they won't if the hammerer is still alive, but realistically speaking, if the hammer really does personally serve the count each one should bring a hammerer.

[darkflagrance]

Put him in a pit, and make a story about torturing the malicious sadistic pet of the baron?

Questions: if you kill the hammerer, will a new count bring another? I assume they won't if the hammerer is still alive, but realistically speaking, if the hammer really does personally serve the count each one should bring a hammerer.

The hammerer is not linked to the Count; he/she is independently appointed by the king.

[Quietust]

If you kill the Hammerer, another one will arrive later. The same goes for the Tax Collector, Philosopher, and Dungeon Master (and, obviously, the Baron/Count/Duke, but not the consort).

[KenboCalrissian]

16th Felsite, 206, Late Spring
-------------

"Well done, Zon," said Minkot Reliccounsel the King.  "Inod and the workers have no idea what happened to her husband.  Better yet, she is still quite content."

I nod silently, sipping my mug of dwarven wine.  He, with his +clear glass goblet+ of longland beer, stared intensely at me- oh, how clumsy, I forgot my formalities.  I turn the nod into a bow.  "Your grace, I am honored by your compliment."

"There will be more coming, and the same will need to be done with each.  This... doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it, your highness?  Twenty-two dwarves have given their lives for the well being of these lands.  Why shouldn't a few Counts?"

"Your ruthlessness is exceptional... precisely the kind of dwarf we need for the job!  And with Tholtig gone, my throne rests a little more securely.  We could use one such as yourself as a leader.  Why don't you take Tholtig's place as Countess of Severedcoils?"

I think long and hard, and choose my words carefully.  "I am honored to be considered for such a position, your majesty.  I welcome the responsibility over the surrounding County, but I must respectfully decline its title.  I am not interested in power.  I am quite content as City Manager and Hoardmaster of this fortress - I need nothing else."

The King laughed heartily.  "Good answer, good answer!  Had you accepted, I'd have made you pull the lever!  Now then... I'm going to go and refill that pond.  You set more varied tasks into motion to attract another Count.  And remember!  See to Lady Inod's demands."

"What of the tax collector?"

"Keep him around for a while.  If he starts asking for coins, then he can pull the lever.  The Hammerer stays, too.  Somebody needs to keep the workers in line, and with your sheriff laid up there's no one around to do it!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

True to his word (on rare occasion), Minkot himself is refilling the reservoir for the noble shower.  I guess he needs to be able to say he had a hand in the next one's demise.  Oh, well.  I set about some tasks, as ordered, and prepare a room for the next.

I also turn off the rent to each of the bedrooms.  It's not fair to the dwarves... they've been working out just fine without money.  They're clearly motivated enough, why do they need something superficial like money to convince them to work?

I start thinking about the future and realize that keeping Consorts happy is going to be a challenge that a mere statue garden can't solve on its own.  We're going to need a mist generator.  I set into motion plans to construct one near the main stairway, where everyone will pass it regularly.  Fifteen grates, a floodgate, some pumps, and other accessories will be required... and, hey, that fulfills part of the next Count's bait, so even better.

((Note: I set room rent to 0 with the .init.  Rent seems to me like an unnecessary distraction.  Since the challenge is to accumulate as many consorts as is feasible, I'm OK with things that present a challenge that could make it more difficult (i.e. the Hammerer) but not things that are just plain annoying.  If there are objections to this mod I'll turn it back on.))

[Quietust]

I'm pretty sure you only need to fulfill the Baron requirements once - once your fortress has become a Barony/County/Duchy, any replacements will come whether you do any of the required tasks or not. Do note, however, that it may take an entire year for the replacement to arrive (in Wasprag, I killed several Dukes, and their replacements always arrived in Spring about a year later).

[Grendus]

Rent sucks. I would build shops though, dwarves LOVE to buy random crap. Of course, they swipe it from you, but after all what's a few sets of clothing among friends. The only irritating part is if a legendary loves something expensive (like platinum goblets... god I hated that consort), but a varied economy reduces the damage they do substantially. And if an economy-immune dwarf gets too greedy, there's always the lever...

[Pandarsenic]

Oh lord, this is glorious. I just read the beginning of this and it is amazing. I'm making this post so I can find it in my recent posts / new replies section so I can read it later.

[KenboCalrissian]

5th Hematite, 206, Summer
-------------

Who do these people think they are?!  Summer rolls in, and we get two export bans... Sigund the Mayor says we can't export earrings - which is great, because that was the #1 most requested items from the humans this year, and they're right around the corner - and the Tax Collector follows suit by banning export of Trifle Pewter items.  Pff... honestly?  We don't even have Trifle Pewter items, nor would we be dumb enough to run an economy on it.  Seriously, I think he just had to say something because the Mayor was getting his say.

This is only the beginning, unfortunately... As more consorts take up residence, there will be more mandates, more demands, more complaining, more tantrums... I wonder how long the fort will last.  Inod still doesn't have her tomb up to specs yet, so I'm expecting some kind of demand from her shortly.

There are two main projects going on right now.  We extended the southern stairwell down a few floors, but we're also creating a multi-level fountain to go right next to the stairs.  Dangerous, I know, but the flow of water won't be continuous.  It will be floodgate-controlled via a lever and a pressure plate.

Second, we're adding a new floor to the defense tower just outside the gate.  This floor will be a roost for the giant eagles.  When invaders approach, we'll pull a lever to let them out and wreak havoc.  That'll teach those goblins!

Also, I decide to do something about some of the cryptic paths Asob carved in the lower levels.  Navigating those corridors is such a headache!  I think her intent was to minimize damage dealt by moody dwarves should one go insane... makes sense, actually.  If every stairway went straight up and down through the fortress, and somebody went nuts, they could get anywhere in a heartbeat, and that gives them opportunity to do massive damage.  I guess this also goes for whatever's lurking just behind the vein of adamantine... I'm pretty sure she intentionally lengthened some paths to give the guards time to reach an internal threat.  The one-tile corridors are clearly intended for traps, but I'll reiterate my feelings on weapon traps... but depending on what's behind those walls, I'm prepared to recant that view if needed.  I decide we have to have some quicker paths, but I'm not going to sacrifice the work she did for security either, and have the miners carve out some new stairways for the magma forges.

I suppose I'm not in a big hurry to look for that river.  We have a plentiful source of internal water with the brook-fed wells, though wood is getting a little scarce.  There are more pressing matters at hand, however, so locating the river falls by the wayside.

Asob came into the room bawling about something.  I thought we were over this awkward social phase for her?  No sooner than I write this down do I see her face and know it's something worse.

"Alright, alright... What's with the water works?"

"Don't say water!!  I want to make a mandate... ban all water from the fortress!  All of it!!  Drain it off somewhere!"

"Uhhh... why?"

"Because water is a vicious, baby-killing monster!!  Another baby drowned on my watch!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I recall, now, what Asob had written in my journal shortly after I succumbed to my injury.  Legon's two children, in crawling after their mother, accidentally found themselves in the pond after Asob unlocked the door to the pit they had fallen into.  This would be the third drowned baby on her watch... I can see why she's upset.

"We were mining out the obsidian... Reg Eralfath, the Miner, put her baby down for a second and she slipped into a channel that had filled up with water!  I was right there... I could have done something if I'd have noticed faster!"

"Now, now, don't beat yourself up... Who's the baby's father?"

"Reg Isanmörul, Cheesemaker.  And his older sister is the child Thob Kollolor."

"Wait, his mother and father are named Reg?"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I laugh at the coincidence.  Asob gives me a queer look...

"You're... laughing?  Zon, a baby drowned!  How can you laugh at that?!"

"Huh?  No, I'm not laughing at the baby drowning.  It's the parents' names!"

"How could you laugh at all?!"

"I--..." I stop.  There aren't words.  And yet, my mind races.  For the first time, I see in full view what this venture has truly done to me.  Have I really become so heartless?

"Will you stop writing for a second and take a look at yourself?? "

"I can't do that.  I need to chronicle everything that happens--"

"Why?  Were you ordered to?"

"...No, I just want to.  It will be important some day."

Asob slams my door against my wall loudly.  "Wake up, Zon!  There's more at stake here than this petty mission!"

"I wouldn't yell that where King Minkot can hear you..."

She stands in the doorway, fists clenched and quivering.  A shout comes from down the hall; the humans have arrived for trading.  She lingers a while longer.  I start to say "I'm sorry," but she leaves to meet the traders just as I begin to speak.

I spend a few hours flipping through the pages of my journal, noting the changes that have taken place in me over these past six years, and I start to wonder... was I ever really doing it because I was ordered?  Or is there something else that drives me?  Most importantly... is it consuming me?

Asob's right about one thing... I do write a lot once I get started.  I'll get the baby's green glass coffin in place, and then I need to do some silent reflection.  Assuming I'm not ambushed again like last time...

[KenboCalrissian]

23rd Hematite, 206, Early Summer
-------------

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Asob replaces Sigun as the new mayor of Severedcoils.  I'm happy for her, even if she's presently not speaking to me.  I think it's funny that someone who's deathly afraid of crowds actually managed to become so well liked by the people.  Plus, it means Sigun's annoying earring mandate is over!  Let's just hope this new power doesn't go to her head...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As much as I try, I can't truly leave my love of fishing.  There's something about these ponds that I really like... even though the only thing we ever catch here is turtle, and I know I could simply set a pond designation near the brook to catch some other varieties of fish, it's convenient.  Plus, I can see everything that enters and leaves the fort.

èrith Kadolbal, our legendary Gem Cutter is ambushed!  He does something either noble or stupid and runs far away from the entrance to the fortress, leading the ambushers away and giving us time to set up the militia.  I hate to lose a legendary Gem Cutter like this... I mean... poor èrith!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

èrith puts up a good fight and even manages to incapacitate two of the four goblins in the ambush, while the other two flee!  Sustaining injuries from a speargob, he flees the battle, leaving both with a mangled leg apiece as well as several other injuries, while suffering from a moderately damaged head, right upper arm, left hand, and stomache.  Smart move, leaving before you had anything broken!  The militia rushes out to finish off the crippled goblins.  Though he didn't kill either himself, èrith deserves special recognition for his efforts.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sigun, the former mayor, finishes simply the nicest looking low boot I've ever seen - and the most expensive artifact we have!  It comes to 135,600 dwarfbucks.  Now, if only he thought to make a pair of boots... best of all, we now have a legendary armorsmith!

The adamantine is looking even more tempting... We could craft masterwork adamantine armor... no!  Not yet... we need to test the birds, first.  No sense endangering the fortress when we may already have a working battle plan...

[Pandarsenic]

This story is awesome. I absolutely love that trap; if I had a chasm I would be making one now. So glorious.