1st Granite, 2002
Deon,
My year is done. You are in charge now, thank the gods. I know you have been busy, first gathering plants, then getting farms set up and brewing, so you may not know the details of what has gone on this past year. I would like to put aside the enmity between us for a short while as I update you on these events.
As you know, we arrived one year ago, sent by Queen Ducim Ralbidok of The Dreamy City as part of Operation Codename: DIE ELVES DIE (Dwarves In Exile Enacting Lies and Violence to Establish a Sadistic Dwarvish Immortal Empire). Our mission had three main goals. First the investigation as to why our ancestral mountainhome, Adilzeg was originally destroyed. Secondly the establishment of a new mountainhome in the ruins of the old. And finally after our new home is thriving, in order to glorify Nethgon Necrotombs, the goddess of blight and head diety of our civilization, we are to become as a blight upon the land, causing death and destruction among those responsible for the downfall of our ancestors, and in my opinion among all those exhibiting anti-dwarven behavior.
General Unib Ingishonol had discovered an ancient map during a raid on a goblin stronghold.
Recognizing the symbol of our ancient nation, he compared this map to present day information, and discovered where our ancestors once lived.
When we arrived, we found a big hole in the ground. That is all that remained of our former glory. Almost 2000 years of abandonment take their toll on even dwarven perfection.
However, Destat McDwarf assured me that great wealth was still underground. So much wealth in fact, that once word of a new settlement reaches outside ears, we will have problems. Unless adequate defenses are constructed.
I know little of such matters. What I do know is that without production capabilities, even a well fortified fortress will die. So I ordered Arni and Niel to dig. Dig for our lives. They got quite a bit done in a year, enough that I would consider them both to be legendary miners. They quickly discovered coal and bauxite, then iron ore, then garnierite, galena, gems, sphalerite, and tetrahedrite. As they dug deeper, kimberlite, native gold, and even marble were discovered.
As there is no reliable source of water at the surface, I first had them dig down, trying to discover some underground water. In the meantime, we set up camp in the big hole while you and Spartan 117 went out to gather plants and chop trees.
Eventually we also got an area walled in on the surface for some fishing, surface farming, etc. There is a temporary trade depot on the other side of the dry moat.
Arni and Niel discovered an underground chamber, but had bad news. It was already occupied.
An amphibian man civilization. And Arni assured us that there was an olm man tribe as well, though we have not ever seen them.
Downward exploration halted for a time, as our miners insisted that they needed basic accomodations.
While this was happening, our first group of reenforcements arrived. Mostly useless drivel, suitable for nothing but hauling, but one, a Jade dwarf showed promise as a stonecrafter, so I set him to work.
I realized that we needed seperate rooms, or as we got more and more dwarves, I wouldn't be able to keep my possessions safe from their roving hands. As this years leader, I of course got a full suite of rooms, including a basic tomb. Those dwarves in administrative positions got small offices near the central ramps. We might move the rooms of our starting group and other worthy dwarves down into the levels of marble at some point, but these will suit for now.
During the summer a group of Ezrakim elves came to trade. We gave them some cheap trinkets for some food. It was at this time that I ordered a dry moat be dug around the main fort. There is a retractable bridge across it, but it is not yet linked to a lever.
Shortly after the elves left, our dwarven caravan came, with more reenforcements close behind. This time thieves came as well. A goblin, two kobolds, and a serpentfolk tried to rob us. A kobold was killed by a caravan guard, the rest ran off. As for the new dwarves, a few merit note: a planter to help Deon, a leatherworker, and a legendary mason. I set the mason to work constructing furniture for my rooms immediately. We bought a lot of cloth from the dwarves and requested steel bars, some additional plant seeds, and a few helpful things.
I am a smith. I care for little else, so with the moat done and year running out, I ordered our miners to find the magma sea. They found it 45 levels down. I had them excavate a smithing area, and started the stone being dumped out of the magma tunnels. While this was going on, Arni and Niel started work on an underground trade depot facility.
Then it came. On the same level as the exposed magma.
The forging area still needs to be finished. But Ugsnor is our there, so breaching the wall, channeling, and resealing the wall will have to be done quickly.
But he is now your problem. If one of our legendary miners or indeed the entire fortress perishes at Ugsnor's pincers, you will be blamed.
Nethgon's blessings upon you.
Zifnab
Author
Topic: Echocity (Succession/Genesis 1.8) (Read 6362 times)