A thief found its way inside the complex somehow, I'm not sure if he took a wrong turn or what, but he was found as rum was taking a bit of trash out to the refuse pile. He had war dogs in front of him, and no place to go behind him. Amazingly there was only one chunk ripped out before it died. Perhaps it was just too small to chew.
*
The elves brought giant jaguar matching ours! We now have a breeding pair! Along with a groundhog, deer, elk, and grizzly bear. Brewed sunshine(with barrel), some ropes, drinks, berries, and thread.
This spring we did a massive animal stock. We moved the two new Jaguars into pens just south of the raccoons, and then I ordered all the extra dogs, and the one or two adult raccoons and donkeys that were 2nd generation to be slaughtered.
I've also ordered Eli to make a few totems and bone items, so we don't overfill our stockpile.
The humans arrive, with a goblin ambush! And a fatal flaw in my outer wall, letting the goblins sit atop one of the hills and rain arrows down into the social shack. I've ordered all dwarves inside, but one war dog refuses to move and got shot by goblin bows. Checking the lists, I find it was Datan Sazirkab, the war dog chosen to escort Hexed, perhaps it gave it's life to save her, we will never know. For now, I hope the goblins run afoul of the traps we have set up for them.
~
Let's try that again... everyone rushed out to refill traps, and got slaughtered, so savescum time.
~
*Back to early spring
Testing our defenses I've made a couple adjustments while the elves arrive, one being a channel above our tunnel to designate an 'outdoor' wall. This way, I can give one clear order to all the dwarves not to go outside, and they will stay behind that line.
I'm also planning to extend the height of our outdoor wall, but work will begin on that after the elves are finished.
Seems like I already traded with the elves once, but we brought the roasts up again, and this time came away with a male wolf to match with our female, a pair of matched cougars, and a fox. They also had some brewed sunshine with them, but very little other drinks. Traded for some wood weapons to populate future weapon traps, and some berries and thread, and got rid of these excessive seed roasts with low value. Need to use them up and not buy anymore seeds I think. they keep getting stuck in my teeth.
As summer arrives, we found a camel in one of our stone traps. apparently it and a few other camels decided to run down the tunnel and try to steal food? Not sure why else a camel would want to come in here. But None the less, we will butcher it and any others who get caught.
The humans brought a whole slew of wood, metal, and charcoal. Not as much meat this time around, but seeing as how we have plenty at this point, I'm not too worried. They brought two caged horses, I'm hoping one of them is a mare. Along with some mog juice and assorted drinks and iron weapons we bought quite a bit. I even gave them a couple roasts to take to their leader.
It seems we are in luck with the horses, a breeding pair. The animal pens are filling up nicely I think. Maybe not as exotic as I may have liked, but it's interesting at least, and will keep us in meat if we have to leave the floodgate shut for an extended siege.
I told Rogon to bring us charcoal and weapons next summer. Stonefall traps are nice and all, but I'd feel better with the tunnel lined with assorted weaponry. It's more impressive as well, at least I think.
The hill north of us was supposed to contain an underground river. Without a way to tap into that resource, or at least find it, underground tower-cap farms will be impossible.
I gave the other to construct a tunnel across the chasm just north of the stone works after the goods from the human caravan had been stockpiled. And once that was finished we started exploratory digging north where the river was supposed to be sourced.
However, with all the aquifer in the mountain, it became exceedingly difficult to tunnel to, we even broke the water table at least once and had to wall off the area to stop flooding. I've consulted with Rogon before he left about what the best plan of action is. He said that humans would tunnel sink holes down from above, and hope no one falls in when the river is discovered.
I thought this was a good idea, so sent Dantan out to start digging.
Before we could even get started, I was told that Rum had dug herself up from where we had accidentally broken the aquifer, so I told her to keep digging, find the river, then dig herself out. And it wasn't long before we found it!
Luckily Rum made it back inside, as shortly after our Cat decided since the floodgates were up it could run outside and kill vermin in the open. This was bad for the cat, but good for us, as they found a goblin ambush party just outside the tunnel. I ordered the dwarves to stay inside, hopefully the traps will take care of them.
While we waited anxiously to see if our trap defenses would work, Hexed gave a cry, and the halls were filled with the sound of a newborn dwarf's cry. A girl! We may yet be able to survive the destruction of the species. Hexed named her Arcayna.
With this birth, the first official family has been declared here in Subetnasod. Hexed and Larn will lead the Azure clan. An old name of dwarves, supposedly in relation to the color of the god metal. Hopefully we will see many more babies, and the hope is that we will survive long enough to see them grow into a thriving community.
Aha! The bridge trap works wonders, almost too well. The goblins were destroyed completely, their screams as the giant stone mechanism went into effect echoed out over the desert. I'd like to think it would stop any more goblins, but I know better. However, I have decided to try and use the bridges only as a last resort.
As we were putting up the new defenses, Rum ran into a Master Goblin thief, trying to steal Arcayna. Annoying as this may seem, Rum would have none of it, and a few well placed pick swings ended that goblins run on this fortress.
This also gives Rum as being the first dwarf here to kill anything other than animals.
Winter blasted by peacefully now that the goblins were out of the way.
--
And now time for some stonesense images:
Another angle on the social shack. Gives an outdoor view of the chasm tunnel, and the extended wall for that north section.
The new defenses, even if uncomplete. The wall section is there to block arrows from goblins being attracted by the chained dogs, traps will be all around there, and the three wide tunnel to the north(down in the picture) for human wagons. You can also see a good amount of the animal processing area.
This is the river we found, I actually used stonesense to tell me where it is. But that's not exact so hence the crazy digging around the aquifer and flooding below and multiple tunnels of uselessness. Tower cap farm will be created soon though! Maybe some water features using the chasm and aquifer. Put that annoying thing to good use.
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Topic: Of Azure and Steel, A legend of dwarven rebirth! (Read 6676 times)