237
You come to a skidding stop just outside of the cavern outpost, already yelling for the retreat. The sound of dwarven panic drowns out the jabberer's broken cawing, but nothing can drown out the stench of troll. Dwarves shove past you as they flee upstairs. You try not to think of the cook. With those gnarled hands around their throat, they're already dead.
A guttural roar shakes the caverns as the forgotten beast emerges. You're already dashing back upstairs with the last few miners, but you catch a brief glimpse of it before setting foot on the stairs: it comes in the form of an enormous feathered rove beetle, with wings and toxic fumes surrounding it. Strange, that's not how you remember ... oh.
You come to a panting stop at the top of the stairwell. An entrance to the bedrooms is only steps away: there is no space for traps or defences when the beast comes. Instead, two masons are desperately blocking off the tunnel with thick stone walls. Fourguts tiredly staggers through the last opening. The cook's final wretched scream follows him.
"That's everyone, the caverns are clear," Fourguts declares hurriedly. "Seal it and you'd better hope to whatever God you pray to that it holds."
You grab the last slab of stone and prepare to slide it into place. A cat leaps through the opening just at the last second, then stalks away after some vermin. Deep below you hear the crashing of your outpost being torn to pieces.
"Tell my military to start practising with real weapons," Fourguts orders. You quickly nod in agreement. "I don't know what you've dug up this time, but you'd better help fix it from day one or I swear I will throw you out for the goblins, do you understand?" You nod a little slower, your eyes a little less eager. "Good. Now get those smelters back on. We need that charcoal and whatever iron ore we have left for armour. And get somebody to pick through the mess around the traps, there might be a few pieces we can scavenge from there."
By the end of the day armour production has begun. By the end of the week you can finally sleep without nightmares of the forgotten beast bursting into your room - nobody has heard it stir since caverns were sealed. By the end of the month you
think the military have started training with their iron weapons, but you wouldn't put money on it.
While the military undergo improvements you make sure to keep the civilian dwarves busy as well. Not just to keep their minds away from what lurks in the caverns; if there are any dwarves being used as you were, you want to catch them in the act. Fortunately nothing untoward occurs. More fresh clothing is produced. More workshops are constructed to finish cutting rough gems. The fortress is decorated from an increasingly bloated refuse stockpile.
"We're surrounded by the bones of our greatest foes lain to waste before us: fucking fish," Monom comments on several occasions.
You also take the time to reorganise several stockpiles, which involves a good deal of grunt hauling work. Further days are spent in technical discussion with Fourguts to reduce job cancellations and other management issues. An expensive artifact amulet is crafted Twenty spare copper breastplates are produced when a smith gets carried away. But by the time the next merchants arrive your fortress is running much more smoothly and hopefully soon, much more deadly.
You and a few other dwarves gather around the trade depot to listen to the almost inevitable screams. At first roughly two thirds of them are dwarven, but a few minutes later you can make out a rickety crossbow firing and several goblin cries in quick succession. A merchant loudly rages as the voices and clashing weapons dwindle. A melancholic sobbing seeps over the dirt. A horse starts rolling around and neighing crazily. Then berzerk braying and a lonely stampede.
You ... don't think you're going to be donating those gems this year.
"If they're mad, their shit's free right?" Monom asks. "Icalldibsontheirtoyhammers!"
"Forbidden," Fourguts snaps, whipping out his stocks record.
The Dwarf King's liaison makes it unharmed to your fortress a few days later. He doesn't say much about the attack, and when prompted quickly changes the topic.
"Did you know that our service now allows you to order specific body parts such as the eyes of draltha?" the liaison mechanically offers.
"Oh good. Finally, I can complete my love potion," Fourguts replies sarcastically. The liaison doesn't even blink.
While Fourguts is busy working out trade agreements, you gather a large group of idle dwarves. With a quick hand gesture you direct them to rush outside all at once - there's no sense in letting the dead merchants' valuable armour and wood go to waste. Moments later the berzerk donkey charges downhill towards the haulers. You hastily pull them back inside. The donkey considers your group huddled behind the traps, then turns around and goes running hungrily after its former owner. As soon as the area is clear you dash back out again and bring the few chosen supplies inside without further event.
Three months have passed since the fateful day in the caverns. The underground has been deceptively quiet since. Neither have any goblins - or elves - reached your fortress. But with every day that passes in idyllic peace you are all the more sure that others, too, are gathering their forces. Someday soon there will be a battle. And this time, you will win. For everyone's sake.
"Oh for fuck's ... Mummy, put your training axe away. You already have a big girl's axe and a shield in your other hand, just swap one over
please. Shit, this is so embarrassing," Monom moans, covering her eyes.
"Mrrrrm mrrph mrrrMRmphrrrr!" Vabok objects. She pauses for a second, frowns, then pulls off her leather helm. And her iron cap. And her leather cap. Then trips over her mismatched high and low leather boots. "I'm okay!"
If you allow the military's training to continue, turn to page 238.
If you set free the caged goblins for the military to kill, turn to page 152.
If you press Fourguts to attack the forgotten beast, turn to page 299.
If you recruit a second squad under your direct command, turn to page 57.
If you dig a second and heavily trapped tunnel back down to the caverns, turn to page 198.