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[Thief^]

I like how Falk's profile says he's had two drinks lately and has still complained of thirst. "Occasionally overindulges" would seem to be an understatement!

[martinuzz]

I'm really enjoying this. The cat - hedgehog joke almost made me spit coffee. 

Small request:
Could you include the pictures in full size in the story posts?
It would make for easier reading, not having to click and load the images.
I don't know if that is possible in imageshack. I use www.photobucket.com.
I copypaste the IMG code to the thread. If it stretches out the text too much for your taste, you can put spoiler tags around it.

[KenboCalrissian]

Yes, it's possible.  I didn't want to put too much space between text, thought the big pictures would be annoying.  I'll use them from now on!

[The Architect]

Lego, you have been nominated as my hammerer. SMASH HIM! NO EXCUSES!

[KenboCalrissian]

15th Moonstone, 203, Early Winter
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Severedcoils has met a stroke of good fortune.  I've been leaving random cave traps around in areas where wild animals are often reported migrating to get a meat and leather market going.  Unlike our dog traps, these ones are unbaited and left in more or less random locations.  One of these traps was set in the path of some wild mountain goats early in the second year.  Well, guess what we caught in it?

A giant eagle.

This is an amazing capture!  If we can catch a second, we can defend our fortress with a swarm of flying, winged vessels of doom.  We probably won't even need a military by that point!  And the meat and leather off of those things is pretty good value...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Another benefactor in the form of local wildlife!  A kobold thief was caught and devoured by a ravenous pack of wolves.  I quickly forbid my citizens from looting its body in case the wolves turn on them.

Is this a sign, Kovest?  Is this a reward for making progress on the baron death trap?  Are you giving me a signal that this is a worthy quest?  It must be... and it dawns on me that this is not my fate, but rather my destiny, like it or not.  I wanted to have an impact on our nation, didn't I?  With all of the barons of the Swift Arches dead, the king will reign unopposed, his might unquestioned and infallible.  Is this what I really wanted?  I tremble at the thought...

I daydream of our guards patrolling the halls in €giant eagle leather armor€ as I continue to oversee the construction of the barracks and guard tower.  The floors are coming along nicely... I'll designate some Fortifications soon, but not until the workers have a little more room to work.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The wolves, again, aide us by sacrificing themselves to alert us of danger!  I gather my one cats and make sure they stay indoors with me.

Wait a second... One cats?  Didn't I have two??

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

What, what, what?!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Oh.  No.  You.  Didn't.  Now it's freaking personal!

((DFMA)) ((Movie)) To arms, dwarves!!

[LegoLord]

Legon, you fool!  How could you let yourself be hit by a bolt?  What else do you think those babies are for?!

[KenboCalrissian]

Meanwhile, I'm trying to picture how she was holding two babies, a shield, and a flail... maybe a baby in each hand, one baby holding the shield, the other holding the flail?

[Lord Dakoth]

No, no. The babies ride on their mother's back and hold the shield and flail. Like in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, except with beards.

[KenboCalrissian]

2nd Opal, 203, Mid-Winter
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Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It's been two weeks since the goblin attack.  My leg... I can't really feel it any more.  I wandered around for a little while... started to walk towards my cat, but I knew it was dead.  Could only see it better when I got closer.  Then I started to walk towards my bed... but then decided not to.  Don't know why.

I'm getting blood all over the page... whatever.  Maybe I was too quick to think Kovest wanted this of me.  This is why I've never been more than a dubious worshipper... I think I get a handle on things, and then as soon as I start to put faith in something it's taken away, leaving me with more doubt.

I stand here and watch the dwarves bustling in and out of our entrance... And I look at Legon, their sheriff, still clutching her two crying babes, unconscious.  She hasn't had a drink in a long time.  Neither have I, but I don't feel thirsty yet.  Just drowsy.

I stand and stare at my reflection in the pond.  I've spent my whole life near a body of water, always fishing, always pulling things out... and yet, no matter how many times I'd sink my line, I'd never pull up anything that really fulfilled me.

Wait, my leg, I can't stand... I'm delirious, aren't I... Yep, losing it here.

I want to sleep so very badly, but what if I never wake?  Would it make a difference to these dwarves?  Day in and day out, they continue to follow my old orders, or they insist on hunting, or fishing, or gathering things... even after I've forbidden them from retrieving items from the dead goblins, still they ignore me and Legon.  They don't care.  They don't care if we die.

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6th Opal
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Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They finally brought Legon to her bed, but left the babies.  Tried to crawl to her, but ended up in the bridge pit instead.  Thankfully, we left it at 1 z-level deep and left it dry.  The exit is forbidden, so they can't hurt themselves anymore.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I ask for the dwarves to bring me booze.  They don't understand or ignore me.  Fine.  I order them to save me by designating a drink pile all around me and ask that drinks be brought to it right away.  The dwarves immediately bring barrels of rum and ale to the pile, but they don't help me drink it.  The barrels are just out of reach.  Can't they see my leg?  Do they realize how they torture me now?  They won't help me unless I fall asleep, will they?  And yet I can't, for some reason.

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13th Opal
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The pond so inviting.   Still ignored.  Twelve dwarves idle right now, and they throw a party.  So very weak.  So very thirsty.  Booze all around me, but out of reach.  Isn't there a single dwarf in this wretched hole that cares that I'm very near death?

Feeling faint.  Okay, Kovest, I give up.  Your riddle eludes me.  Slipping away now.  I'll see you in person soon, then maybe you can explain the joke to me.

Goodbye, nobody.  Guess I'll just lay down and wait for death.  It's obvious no one is willing to tend to me.

Wait... somebody is carrying me... to my bed.  Maybe I was wrong...?  Could it be...?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Asob... thank you..." I mutter as I slip into unconsciousness.

[KenboCalrissian]

6th Obsidian, 203, Late Winter
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Hello, Zon.  This is Asob.  Your journal fell out of your pocket when you collapsed, and... well, it opened to a page where you had written my name, I got curious, and... If you're reading this, then consider this my admission that I've read your journal.  Well... that should be obvious, really, since I'm writing in your journal now! 

I'm not afraid to tell you that I now know what's really going on with the baron pit and your mission from the king, because I trust you won't kill me for learning your secret.  I support you all the way on this.  My mother was a weaponsmith and was unable to meet a demand of a greedy baronness who always demanding platinum items, but there was never any platinum.  She turned her hammerer on my mother even though she had no relevant skills, and the hammerer killed her... and then, my father turned melancholy and eventually rested himself at the bottom of a lake.  I know I told you I was separated from my parents at the New Granite's Day parade, but... to be honest, I didn't want you thinking my past would cause me to run off and do, well, what it is that you're doing. 

You don't have to worry about me, Zon.  We all need friends, especially when we have to go to dark places - we need someone to be there to pull us out.  I've never told anyone this, and I've been meaning to tell you but you were changing a lot over the past months and I got scared... oh, I'm rambling again.  Sorry, I ramble a lot... but you knew that.  I want you to know that you can trust me, so I'm going to keep your journal up to date while you're recovering.  I know how upset you'd be if you lost track of our progress!  And when you wake up, I promise you'll find that nobody else knows your secret.

Unfortunately, you weren't the only casualty of that fight, and you weren't the worst.  Legon was shot with a crossbow bolt, piercing her lower back and lower spine.  I'm afraid she won't be able to walk again...  But worse, I'm afraid, was the fate of the third baby she carried into battle. 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Speaking of babies, the two who fell into the pit are looking a little thirsty.  I opened the door so they could get out.  I hope they'll be OK!

I had the masons build fortifications on top of the training yard.  I think that's what you intended, right?  I know how you like everything to be practical, so I modified your original design a little bit.  I've spaced the fortifications out with walls between every other space.  I thought this would help to protect the marksdwarves a little better since the enemy will need to be a lot more precise in order to hit them.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

èrith started acting strangely and took over one of the shops.  How weird!  It isn't very often at all that jewelers take on strange moods.  I wonder what he'll create?

Meanwhile, the miners have finally found the magma pipe!  Isn't that great?  They haven't yet breached it, but the stone in the far south-western corner of our boundaries are pretty hot so we know it's there.  I'm working on getting the miners above it so we don't flood the place.  There's also a vein of gold near the magma!

Oh!  And Dôbar Ushulloddom killed a Sasquatch!  We have no idea where he found it... I don't think any of us had ever seen it before, until he carried its corpse inside.  How weird is that?

Hmmm... I feel like I'm forgetting something in the excitement.  What could it be?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

OHNO OHNO OHNO ZON PLEASE DON'T BE MAD I SWEAR I DIDN'T MEAN TO!!  I've never run a fortress before, please don't kill me!  Ohno ohno ohno ohno...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

ohno ohno... ohhey!  What a beautiful hatch!  Asën would certainly be proud of such craftdwarfship.  I know you already have three ordinary hatches lying around, and I think I know what you're planning with them... but this should definitely be the centerpiece.  I know you'd agree!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Aw, how cute!  Zon's cat dropped a dead cave spider at the foot of her bed.  Isn't that sweet? 

((Map)) And finally, Spring is here!

[Firnagzen]

Half delirious, dying of thirst and bloodloss and she writes it all down. I'm impressed with her fortitude.

Brilliant writing, though.

 

[KenboCalrissian]

Half delirious, dying of thirst and bloodloss and he writes it all down. I'm impressed with his fortitude.

Brilliant writing, though.

Not only that, but she spells every word correctly.  She's a legendary clerk, after all - she can't afford to make mistakes!

[martinuzz]

Whole lotta good updates mate.
Thanks for taking up my suggestion for the pictures!

[KenboCalrissian]

14th Granite, 204, Early Spring (by Asob Mommuzzokun)
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Poor Legon woke up and found out about her children... She's throwing a tantrum in her bed as we speak.  I wonder what we can do to cheer her up?

The elves came back.  As expected, they brought the good stuff.  Aside from three bins of Rope reed cloth, I also finagled lots of seeds, dye, some ropes, a pet cougar, and two wooden spears for sparring, all for a few pieces of re-worked goblin clothing.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Personally, I'm really proud of this!  It sold for almost 2,000 dwarf bucks.

Meanwhile, the elves tried to pawn this off on me...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ok, first of all elves... does my ass look big enough to fit inside a large thong?  How rude!  Second, I bet those hanging rings of masterfully worked Pine are good for a masterfully worked chafe.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The workers are starting to become suspicious of our intentions, Zon, but at least we have the upper part of the trap complete.  I must say, it looks quite dashing with Isakodom, 'Splatterbasin' the Rhodolite Floor Hatch as the centerpiece.  Next comes the hardest part: rigging up those hatches to the lever.

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5th Slate, 204, Mid-Spring
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Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Zon!"  A strange dwarf wearing only a cloak, mittens, a hood, and nothing else approached me.  "Kikrost Åblelthestar, Dungeon Master at your service!  I've heard rumors that you've caught a rare specimen here."  She rubbed her hands together gleefully.

"Actually, my name is Asob.  I'm the village broker.  Zon is resting an injury she obtained while defending the fortress.  I'm running Severedcoils in her place."

"Oh, that's too bad.  Well, anyway... about that specimen..."

"Yes, we have a giant eagle caged near the kennels.  It's been surprisingly calm, doesn't make a lot of noise, but--"

"A giant eagle!!"  Kikrost jumped, knocking her hood off.  "I don't need these kinds of thrills or risks in life!"

"But I thought your job was to tame exotic animals..."

"It is!  Gah!  This is too exciting!!  Stop it!"

I backed away and let Kikrost do her thing.  What an odd dwarf... I decide to do some mining.  You left orders to dig out long lines of rock for some exploratory mining, Zon.  We've already found the magma pipe, so I guess you want to find the underground river, too?  I pick away at the wall and find...

Oh...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD!!!!

[Thief^]

Oh dear.