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[Imp]

17th of Moonstone (early winter)

The berserk one found his way back into the cavern, getting past the traps somehow.  He killed another dog and made his way to the meeting area, where we worked together to kill him.  I've found myself throwing tantrums again almost daily.  I've lost the journal sometimes for days at a time.  I'm not sure if I will survive to see spring.  I'm terribly tired, but it takes me so long to fall asleep and when I wake, I am still terribly tired.

We've placed the incredible armorstand near the statue where we gather, and it is a small comfort to admire it.  And somehow, a baby was born into the madness here.  The baby and its mother both live, at least for now.

18th of Moonstone

In between the madness, the mess, the miasma, there are a few of grunts who seem to think life is going to go on.  One of them got an election going, and my lover, the fishery worker Minkot Tunonam was elected mayor.  He came out of a tantrum when he heard that, his beard puffing out and his eyes sharp again.  I feel a little happier seeing him happy, but not much.

27th of Moonstone

So many of the wounded are dying from thirst.  We all know it's going to happen, but it's still a terrible shock when each actually dies.  Even my love cannot control his anger and misery all the time.  In his rage he has called for maces to be made, shouting for a pair so he could lay about with one in each hand together.

Thieves keep trying to break in, but they encounter one of our roaming beasts and flee, I think before they are able to steal anything.

14th of Opal (mid winter)

Most of the insane ones have died, but another poor sod has started to babble.  Fights are common between us and there is no order or direction anymore, not from anyone, me or my Mayor or anyone.  There is nothing to write about but horror and hate.  39 of us remain alive.  Lucied Fikodzursul, our clerk, tells me that 31 of us seem alright, and that our community may survive this.

My lover lost a fight he started.  He broke his hand, and the sod that fought him off broke his back.  I think he has a few weeks of life left, perhaps.  There is no love for him in the cavern though.  I hear constant cursing that he is not well enough to be yelled at now.

[Imp]

1st of Obsidian (late winter)

I cannot accept that my lover will die.  I will -not- allow this, I vow before Lilar that I will save him.  We have been unable to organize enough to drag the wounded to the barrels to drink, so I have ordered every bed taken down.  We will all sleep on the floor, so that discomfort will drive our wounded who can make themselves walk to drink and eat as they must.

Some will still die.  The insane and those who cannot even drag themselves.  And we will all suffer more.  But there are at least five who are not to crippled to live, if they are forced to try.  Five, and my lover is one of them.  I embrace the hate of my fellows, for hate is the taste of life to me now.  And no one here, not even Solon Kamudo while she still lived, feels greater hate for me than I do for myself now.

2nd of Obsidian

They are forcing my love to sit in the dining hall, even as he has an office, even though he is hungry and thirsty, tired and in pain, and be yelled at.  Those selfish, despicable, filthy louts.  Hate me, not him.  Hurt me, not him.  I scream this at them, but they ignore me.  Was he elected so I would have to watch them do this to him?

Even as he screams in a tantrum, they scream back at him.  Do they truly desire to drive him insane?  I could kill every one of them, every one, myself!

[Imp]

3rd of Obsidian

I cannot stop them, and I cannot persuade him to tend to himself.  So I will no longer try.  I have demanded that our meeting area be moved to him.  Even as he is cursed, he will be able to hear the happier sounds of others who are content.  Even the first few words of Momuz Ustuthrerras, who today is old enough to walk and speak for himself.

15th of Obsidian

They still tie up his time and will not let him tend to his needs.  His skin is stretched and sallow, and I fear he could die from thirst at any moment.  The vile Vabok Uristmeng, a dyer who appears perfectly happy to me, who even laughs between his words, is still shouting curses at my love, and complaining of how bad everything is and was.  But he is not, cannot be upset still.  He is enjoying torturing my love!  Even unto death.  I swear before Lilar, if my love dies, I will avenge him.  I will drive Vabok insane, somehow.  I will do this before I die myself.

16th of Obsidian

Two more, insane or deeply crippled, have died from thirst.  I know because I can hear people around me talking about it.  No one seems to upset.  There are perhaps two, perhaps three, more who will die because they cannot be helped, and cannot help themself.  I dread with every breath that my love will be one of them.  I cannot stand the pain of seeing him how he is, and I will carry the rasping croak of his ravaged voice still trying to console his tormentor with me for as long as I shall live, even if my love does survive this horror.

Since I cannot bring myself to gaze upon my love, I stare ceaselessly at Vabok Uristmeng.  Even as my hands write these words, I do not, will not, blink or waver.  I hiss between their words that his life is tied to my love's, and his death will be as sure as my love's, if my love does die.  But the voices around me are loud, loud enough I am not sure anyone, even myself, can hear what I say.

[Imp]

27 Obsidian

I must accept that my love is insane.

This is not any insanity I have known before.  He does not babble, not as others babble when they have gone mad.  He is not withdrawn, though he seems not to hear any word I say.  And he is not violent, though he throws tantrums every couple of days.

But he will not stop acting as a comforter, a consoler.  I was shattered yesterday when Vabok Uristmeng rose and turned from my love.  He smiled fully into my eyes, he reached out and dared to pat my shoulder.  He went and ate, then planted some seeds in one of our farms.  But my love would not stop speaking, as if Vabok still stood before him, shouting and demanding apologies.  He would not tend to his hunger or thirst.  He would not sleep.  I ordered beds placed again, many of them.  He would not turn to them.  Nor would any take him there.  I tried to drag him from his seat, but even as weakened as he is, even with all my strength, I could not make him move and feared I would harm him further if I continued to try.

Vabok returned today.  He dared to greet me, to smile at me again, before turning to shout again at my love, as if he had never stopped.  I saw his eyes.  He is calm.  He is as ecstatic as any sod I have ever locked eyes with.  And he will not leave my love be.

Two dwarves married while he shouted.  A cry rose up from below, that another of the lost had finally died, and still Vabok shouted, as my love tried, so hoarsely, to apologize again.

And Vabok Likotgidthur turned, leaving the room.  I know that walk.  He is not insane, that is not melancholy.  He is spirit moved, and goes to make a great creation.  We should be watching.  We should be encouraging, standing back but exulting, reveling, in the incredible gifts that are ours.  Is this the price of my vows?  Was I disloyal in some way, do I bear curse from Lilar, that I shall suffer, and suffer, and watch others die that I must suffer more?

Or is the curse on this journal?  Did the vile, evil, terrible Solon Kamudo somehow imbue this book with far more than the right to lead our community for a year?  Does it bear a curse, a terrible, twisted curse of her hate, was it a weapon shaped to strike and tear at me and all I love for a slow year even though she could not harm me so as herself?  Did she die to complete this evil, to seal some horrid deal that I might bleed inside however long I live?

I am done.  I drop this book now, and I care not if anyone picks it up again.  Spring is almost here, I can smell it on the air.  I can hear shouts about strawberry seeds and planting time.  If anyone does pick up this book and continue with the Journal of leadership, that is your choice.  I pray only that the evil we have suffered and hate I feel for myself is because we have been trapped and tricked by the witch Solon, and not because I.  Because I.  I am done.  Burn this book or use it.  I am done.



*Though not written in the journal, the book hits the floor as Minkot Tunonam, mayor no longer, slumps in death, the same moment in which, below, Vabok Likotgidthur claims a craftsdwarf's workshop.*

[Imp]

Alright, year's done at last.  Feels like it took me a year, too ;p

I have no idea if we wish to continue this.

If we do, I think we definitely, possibly easily can.  The tantrum spiral is over.  There is one unsave-able dwarf soon to die, insane but not finished starving yet, however the mood of the 33 dwarves that are not doomed is stable and the fort is playable, if quite a mess.  It's not on the edge of a tantrum either, though I do recommend checking moods after any deaths and letting survivors have some time off if they are getting upset.  Wish I'd done that sooner.  It's really effective, but I hadn't known yet.

We have six legendary dwarves alive, two miners, an engraver, a mason, a clothier, and a record keeper.  We are about to get a seventh, whatever profession this mood gives, he was still collecting materials when my turn ended.

Most of the survivors have great stats.  Most are all friends.  A military or a dedicated and effective non-military system for defense is maybe wise to set up early in this next year. ;p

There is plenty of food and drink.  Quite possibly 'too much', depending on your playstyle.  There is a pretty decent quantity of trade goods ready for caravans, though not as much as would have been if the last quarter of my year went more as I'd planned.  All that giant cave spider silk for instance hasn't been touched yet.



Downsides, the fort's a mess, bad to really bad depending on your playstyle and tolerances.  Corpses, clothing, stuff everywhere.  Cats are still under control, but with cats that can change fast.  The one noble doesn't have any rooms currently.  There's no elected leader yet.  And if not handled, there's a host of upcoming problems that could easily kill the fort - course, that's a plus too

entrance level

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

one z-level up

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The end year stats

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Saved game is here

http://dffd.wimbli.com/download.php?id=1943&f=Lokumidek.rar

edit: Screenshot switched to imageshack, hope it opens for the people who couldn't see it before.

[darkrider2]

Oh.... armok help me.

Ok I'll try to continue the fort. I'll get started on my turn later today.

[Kamudo]

Nice way to end it. >.>; Kinda felt bad though, nice job with the story telling. That's my favorite part of succession games.

If the fort does die, It's up to all of you whether we reclaim it or not. In it's state now, we can try to keep it going. If Darkrider fails, he can always reclaim, and continue.

Or we can pick a different site, that isn't a billion degrees.

There is still an underground river, somewhere. No idea where though. =/

[Imp]

I admit I made no effort to find that river either, other than the genuine valueable gem- and stone- seeking exploratory mining I did.  I tried to only make orders that I thought my narrator would have.  Thanks for enjoying the story, I love them too, and am eager to read how this progresses.  If I do get another turn (I'd like one someday, but understand if my style's to rough to follow so better not ;p) I don't even care if it's the same dwarf again - I can pick a different dwarf with different priorities and attitudes and make less perilious choices!

[Kamudo]

I see.

Of course you can have another turn. >.> I don't see anything wrong with it.

Though, perhaps we should select a smaller map next time. For those who have a slower computer. My computer keeps DF at a steady 100 for larger maps. >.>; 100 is too fast though, so I lowered it to 75.

For now, let's just let Darkrider2 continue with the fort.

[Lucied]

I'll be straight up and honest.  Being the sensitive lout that I am.  I almost teared up reading the ending. D: It's so sad that her/your lover ended up dying and being harassed as he did D:<

Concerning if the fortress fails. I wouldn't mind doing a new fort, since this current one is so inhospitable and so so cruel!

[Imp]

I think that harrassment was a bug.  He was stuck 'Conducting meeting' even when no dwarf in the fort had 'attending meeting'.  Oddly, though right after he got out of bed several different dwarves attended meetings with him, one in particular kept going back and continuing to attend a meeting with him, even though that dwarf was already ecstatic.  Bugs cannot defeat a strong storyline!  They will be subsumed and included!  I was wondering what the heck I was going to do if my narrator died though.  It was very likely, for a time over 80% of the dwarves were very unhappy or miserable and I watched my narrator throw at least 30 tantrums.  For a bit 1-3 dwarves were going insane or being killed from a tantrum-thrown fight every minute and I was thinking, wow, how do I end this?  What have I done?  And what do I do if my voice dies or gets so injured she can nolonger write?  Kamudo, I wish like mad I'd managed to save your narrator.  I should have stopped everything the moment that second set of dwarves died in ambush and just let everyone comfort each other.  That would have made all the differance I think.

[Kamudo]

It's alright. ^^;

I think it's for the best that Solon Kamudo died anyways. I really didn't feel like playing a pompous Mayor or some such. Thanks for trying though. Perhaps next, I'll play as.. No idea yet.

[Imp]

I really didn't feel like playing a pompous Mayor or some such. Thanks for trying though. Perhaps next, I'll play as.. No idea yet.

The only reason I felt comfortable describing your character's actions was because my Tun Imp was... well.  Clearly biased.  Darkly and strongly against Solon.  And could well have been 'interpreting' what Solon actually said and did in the record she wrote of the history of events.  Like when the short lived mayor Minkot, even while he was in the middle of a tantrum, made a mandate for two maces.  Kk, clearly he's shouting about wanting to beat people with them.

If Tun had liked Solon, I assure you your character's mandate for electrum items would have been explained as a very sensible thing to do.  As is, such things can be taken with a grain of salt as having been describle through the blinders of hate.  And anything that didn't match your portrayal of your own character can be colored as my narrator's bias and malingering.

[Kamudo]

Well, it makes sense.

Two sides of a coin. If I had been playing Solon, I'm sure she would've been saying bad things about Tun, while providing a justifiable cause for her actions.

I think it was well written, none the less. ^^

[Grimlocke]

Yelp, this sure turned into a mess while I wasnt looking. Too bad none of the screenshots work.

Still the storytelling was pretty good. Hate, murder and madness allways do make better stories, heheh.

Im kinda curious to see how darkrider is going to rebuild this thing, assuming it doesnt turn into an even bigger mess. Well if it does it just means I get to build cool catacombs. Fun either way.

Would still appreciate some working screenies, I recommand imageshack for uploading if that other side keeps refusing to work. (it redirects me to the main site each time)