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[filiusenox]

Nice story.

[SalmonGod]

Thanks guys.  Good to know someone is enjoying this.  I've been thinking about posting some Stonesense screenshots, but haven't wanted to bother with pulling the memory file out of dfhack and whatever else you need to do to get it working currently.  At least not until I get started on something that might actually look impressive.

So for now, here's the state of things.  I've noted the z-level in the bottom-right corner of each image.

The Surface

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This is the majority of the surface map.  It's quite flat.  As you can see, the last battle managed to somehow produce a fire.  I turned the fire stuff off on obsidian dwarves, and along come snakemen who go ahead and spit fire anyway.  So the lawn is being reduced to ashes again for like the 7th or 8th time so far.  Also, the brook is frozen with ice that is immune to fire.  This year the entire brook froze, and a full month or so earlier than usual.  In previous years, only the middle part has frozen (biome boundaries, I assume).

I've marked my first finished archer tower.  It only required two more bricks layed before that last battle, and probably would have prevented several casualties.  Sigh.  You can see where I've begun two more, and will finally place one in the northwest corner as well.  Then, I will build walls between them and have an outdoor courtyard with a large above-ground farm, moat, and better control over the movement of invaders.  After this, I want to build an arena 2-4 z-levels off the ground.  When sieges come, I will close off all entrances but those to the arena, and gather soldiers of my choosing there.  Civilians can file in to seating beside the arena which is accessible only from below-ground and watch through safe glass walls.

That pathetic little square of wall in the middle and little drawbridge gate were my first defenses, built in year 127.  Within those are the only entrance to the underground, and a small farm plot that was essential to the founding days.

Farms

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

These are the farms, and towards the bottom is the floodgate that will one day fill my well.  The farms are only accessible from below.  It was nice not to have to clear stone from this area to make it farmable after excavation.

The most noteworthy feature here is the fortress main entrance.  This is only one z-level below the surface.  I've surrounded the entrance here with a graveyard, so friend and foe alike can ponder the nature of Baldedgilds before setting foot in it.  All are constantly reminded that this place is built on sacrifice (in other words WORK HARDER).  I've begun thinking about plans for tombs for more important dwarves.  I want to make a founder's memorial, and something nice for Fleshring.

Barracks

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This is where soldiers live and train while on duty.  Fleshring's room is on the southern end, and should probably be expanded soon.  It's kind of small compared to other important people's.  I just built a kennel up by the main entrance, and will begin organizing taming and training soon.  On the middle-left is the training room/armory, complete with obstacle course, dummies, and weight-lifting.  I don't bother with danger rooms.  Personally, I find them silly.

Anybody entering the fortress goes first through the graveyard, and then through the barracks.  Only a couple enemies have ever seen this place, and none have lived to tell of it.  One illithid thief skeleton still lays there in the hallway by the main ramp.  Why hasn't anyone moved that yet?  Lazy bastards.

Trade / Kitchen

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This is the first civilian level (farms don't count, since you have to reach this level to access them).  There are two stills on the left and two kitchens on the right.  Between them is cooking/brewing ingredients.  Above them is the butchery/fishery/tannery/refuse stockpiles.  All that miasma is conveniently contained in those little rooms.  There's also minor access ramps to the farms above and prepared meals/drinks stockpile below.

The main ramp doesn't go straight down through here.  You have to walk the L-Shaped hallway to go further down, though most of the slackbeards use the route through the food stockpiles.  I did this because enemies should never make it this far.  Eventually, I will prepare ballistas in that bottom right corner for any that do.  Nothing hostile has ever made it past this point yet, except Craftpuzzling 

Workshops

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Just below the trading area are the workshops, so that goods don't have to travel far.  I organize my workshop layout by material, with a central stockpile surrounded by all workshops related to it.  At the bottom is the stockpile for non-trade goods.  I think I need to do some micro-managing here.  There's also the food/drink stockpile, which sits directly on top of the dining hall and has a small ramp in the middle of it which goes up to the kitchen & farms and down to the dining hall.

Of special note:  I marked the workshop where Craftpuzzling wasted away in violent madness.  I need to find a way to memorialize this room.

First Living Floor

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here are the majority of living quarters, hospital, and dining hall.  Note the baron's tomb.  Craftpuzzling is not there.  She went mad just after the coffin was placed there, and I decided to save it for someone who actually serves as baron for a while without destroying themselves. 

I also marked the hospital room where Shieldtrailed, one of the Holy Steels, has resided for a pretty long time now.  Every inch of every limb was shattered in that battle, and being the first to grab an adamantine breastplate and helm is the only thing that saved her.  She has two pages of bonesetting on record, and is only about 1/3 finished.  One day she'll serve again, and hopefully have learned from her mistakes.  Lashnation still rests a couple rooms away from her also, but I think he should be up and about soon.  This is assuming they don't die of thirst.

Second Living Floor

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Too many dwarves are sleeping in the hospital or bitching about how uncomfortable cavern floors are, so I'm going to build about 100 more bedrooms down here.  It might take a while.  I'm so busy churning out splints, it's hard to keep up with demand for beds.  The population exploded while equipment, exploration, and infrastructure were still the main focus, so living space is only now getting proper attention.

Sewer

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The unfinished sewer.  This is where well-water will be collected.  It's designed to encompass the entire fortress layout, so that a well can be made anywhere later on with minimal hassle.  The only problem is how long it's taking for the area to be cleared of stone.  I don't want inaccessible clutter later on if I want to destroy it for FPS purposes or anything else that may come up. 

Immediately below this is the first cavern layer.  I was quite surprised to encounter it so early.  Usually it's a couple dozen layers deeper down.  Even more surprising was the magma sea less than 30 z-levels below this.  I've had to dig down 160 z-levels before to find it.

Industry!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Finally, we have the metalworks.  This sits right on top of the highest point of the magma sea, which I have almost completely mapped out.  A few more levels beneath this is nothing but semi-molten rock -- the bottom of the world.

The adamantine processing area sits right above the first spire that was discovered.  There's a little ramp to access the spire a short way up the hall.  I also marked the tunnel to the second spire, which produced a large amount of raw adamantine that hasn't yet been fully harvested.

And that's the look of things right now, along some history and future plans.

[SalmonGod]

10th Moonstone, 129

Three rookie miners dig out the tunnel to the underground lake that will sustain the injured through the winter. 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

All looks clear at first when the wall is breached.  In a couple minutes, though, a mad barking and flapping noise emerges from the depths of the cavern, closing in quickly.  Craftsriddles, Sternlance, and Singlecrypt sprint up the main ramp yelling "Zax!!  Zax is coming!!"  They run right past Threehalls, who was hauling some ore down to the smelters.

"Aw shit..."  He runs upstairs after the three panicked miners.  "CALL THE HOLY STEELS!  FLESHRING COME DEAL WITH THIS ABOMINATION NOW!!!"

The Holy Steels were up in the barracks training, however, and are slow to respond.  Zax charges into the main ramp and selects Pillarmarket as its first target.  "WHY THE HOLY SHIT!"  Pillarmarket takes off running, but doesn't get far before she's forced to stop and focus on avoiding blows.  A heroic mastiff leaps into the battle as soon as it begins, and latches onto the mutant flying harrier's legs.  Pillarmarket takes advantage of this distraction, and strikes deep into its squirming flesh several times.  Ringdented's pet cave tortoise is also nearby, and tries its hardest to help out, though it's too slow to be of any use. 

Pillarmarket rips Zax's stomach open with one especially well placed strike, yet somehow it's more enraged by the harmless turtle.  It knocks the poor reptile over on its back and moves in for the kill.  At that moment, Copperfliers pops up from the level below and nails Zax in the head with a siltstone bolt, tearing a spinal tendon.  Zax still isn't dissuaded from tearing open the tortoise's skull, spillings its contents all over the floor.

Zax then flies up the ramp, attempting to escape the mastiff that's been leaping up and tearing apart its legs.  What Zax does not expect is to run into one incredibly mean rooster!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The forgotten beast is caught completely off-guard, and pauses long enough for the mastiff to catch up.  Ectotrades, an untrained military reserve, also shows up and starts beating on the creature unarmed.  It's quickly brought to the ground, and has no time to fight back as it flails and rolls to avoid being ripped apart by multiple clenching jaws.  After taking a considerable beating in this manner, it rolls off the ledge overhanging the ramp and howls as it falls.  It hits floor below with a terrible crunch, and lays whimpering for a few seconds while the mastiff and rooster round the ramp to continue their assault.  They leap upon the beast and begin tearing at it again.

In desperation, its defensive flails grow more dangerous.  One lucky swipe spills the mastiff's guts all over the floor.  Staffrun then appears and shows up the eldritch creature by leaping from the next floor up and cleaving it in half with one swing.

And then the race for water begins.

---

Threehalls seeks out Fleshring to ask about the fight with Zax  "Where were you?  Things could have gone much worse.  You should have been there."

Fleshring blushes strangely.  "Aww I'm sorry Threehalls.  Me next baby daughter was born durin' that fight.  Just couldn' make it."

"Oh... well congratulations.  No harm done I suppose.  All we lost was a couple pets."

"Good ta hear!  Finally a military operation with no bumblin'"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As they're about to get back to their separate jobs, a very proud rooster struts by.... the two dwarves stare at it a moment, wondering what it's so obviously pleased about.

[SalmonGod]

14th Moonstone, 129

So dwarves begin grabbing buckets and heading down to the cavern lake, which appears to be safe now.  There are a couple more horrid beasts known to be lurking the caverns, but they haven't been seen anywhere nearby.

Doorwades and Honorlance, two newcomers to Baldedguilds, are first to get there along with the new beastmaster, Apeclasped.  They don't even get to the shore before noticing a great shape moving through the water.

"Umm... Wades... what is that..."

"I don't..."

Two large antennea emerge from the water for a brief moment, before the rest of the beast flops up on the shore with a dramatic splash.  Apeclasped gazes in awe for a brief moment before the battle is upon him.  "I know this one... it's Kuxo!!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It lunges at him with a giant claw, capable of snapping off a limb with ease.  He hops backwards out of reach.  The three of them kick and punch at it briefly as its massive, squirming frame re-balances itself, before a bulldog leaps in and starts harrassing it.  They take this opportunity to escape and fetch help.  The dog puts up a valiant effort, keeping the beast occupied long enough for Copperfliers to pelt it with several siltstone bolts. 

It breaks free and attempts to charge up the ramp, looking for weaker victims.  Instead, it encounters some of Baldedgild's finest soldiers.  Tradetongues and Glazedluster of the Holy Steels intercept, along with Channelfrill and a war dog.  The fight is quite one-sided from this point on.  Glazedluster removes several of its feet with his adamantine short sword.  The bulldog loses a leg and bleeds out just before Tradetongues lodges his shield in Kuxo's brain.  The tenacious beast continues fighting a short while longer, even with a huge tear in its brain, managing to disembowel and slay the other dog before massive neural damage sends it into deadly seizures.

Finally the lake is safely accessible, and patients begin receiving water.  Within a month, all but 5 patients have been released after successful treatment.  Shieldtrailed and Lashnation shall remain for some time yet to come.  So far the hospital has not failed to care for a single dwarf.  Many miracle recoveries are attributed to the liberal application of adamantine sutures.   

[SalmonGod]

26th Opal, 129

Merchantseized kicks Seizewhips aside just as he's considering his latest work... "Another masterpiece... hey wha?!"

"Sorry!  Need this!"

"But there's three other forges right here!"

"NO you don't understand!  I need THIS one!"  Merchantseized then runs off before Seizewhips can respond, who gives up and decides to just go drink away the annoyance.

---

Killer Pete studies Shieldtrailed's wounds tenderly.  "You're healing nicely.  You steel dwarves are made of wonderful stuff.  Next we're going to HEY!"

Merchantseized bursts in and graps the cotton cloth dressing right out of Killer Pete's hands.  "Sorry!  Need this!"  He then runs away before the doctor can respond.

---

Merchantseized knocks over a couple chairs, sprinting through the dining hall, pissing off more dwarves.  "White chalcedony! White chalcedony!  White chalcedony!"

---

Merchantseized bursts into Shieldtrailed's hospital room again.  Killer Pete hands over the cave spider silk cloth "Does it have to be this one?  We have plenty of the... nevermind... Be right back, Shield... again..."

---

Soon Merchantseized has gathered all his materials and sets to work.  He doesn't stop to eat, drink, sleep, or anything for the next week.  Life goes on normally for everyone around him.

---

"YES!!!  It's done!  It's perfect!  Seizewhips Seizewhips!!  This is what an artifact looks like.  I call it Goalmurder."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Seizewhips leaves his forge to visit Merchantseized just a few steps away.  He nudges up his glasses and studies the item with a critical eye.

"Yes.  The highest craftsdwarfship.  Congratulations Merchantseized.  I must say, though.  You're lucky you had adamantine available.  I worked with the best of what we had at the time."

"You still could have made something better than a shoe..."

"But the quality of the craft is the same.  I call it even."

"Ya?  Well we'll see how many brains are kicked in versus picked in."  Merchantseized marches off to show the item around, radiating smug satisfaction.  Seizewhips watches him go, eyebrow twitching ever so slightly.  After a moment, he returns to work.  The red steel he forges feels his frustration for days to come.

[SalmonGod]

3rd Granite, 130

Gearedtrusted wipes the sweat from her brow as the heat from magma beneath her feet does its work on the hematite ore.  She daydreams idly as she turns the hunk of rock, melted iron dripping from the rock. 

Until a sharp chill runs up her spine, as if someone dropped ice down her back.  Her first thought is water falling from a cave-in and she dives to the side.  Everyone else in the forgery gives her a strange look... She smiles embarrassedly and returns quietly to her smelting.

Once again, the chill, followed by a shivering dread and all of the hair rising on her neck and arms.  She slowly turns, knowing something is standing just behind her... and there it is.

A barely visible, translucent and pale image of a dwarf stands behind her, a look of despair in its eyes.  A whisper rushes through her ears, as if a strong breeze carries it from a great distance away -- "Bronzeroar..."  The image distorts in the most horrid fashion, flickers, and vanishes.

Gearedtrusted stands frozen for nearly a minute before Giltanvil notices.  "Gearedtrusted?  You alright?"

"Did... did you see that?  Please tell me you saw that."

"Saw what?"

"I... uh... I'm going for a drink."

Gearedtrusted blankly drops her tools and walks away.  The other smelters around her merely shrug and continue working.

---

Threehall's administrative work is interrupted by a weak, slow knocking at his office door.  "Come in."

"Threehall, I think... I think..."  Gearedtrusted takes a deep breath, knowing she's about to sound crazy.  "I think this place is haunted.  I saw a ghostly image of a dwarf.  I think it tried to tell me its name.  Bronzeroar."

"Oh yes.  Bronzeroar.  He was never properly buried.  Your claims about the ghost are ridiculous, of course, but you've reminded me to take care of this.  Poor guy's bones are probably buried in the snow outside right now.  I'll order some coffins immediately.  Thank you.  Back to work."

"But... But... What if it comes back?"

"You still alive?"

"Yes..."

"Good!  Clearly nothing to worry about then!"

"But!  You don't know what it was like!"

"THEN GO GET DRUNK AND GET BACK TO WORK"

"Alright.  That works for me."  Gearedtrusted promptly goes and gets herself some alcohol.

[SalmonGod]

2nd Slate, 130

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Garlicbeard sounds the alarm and runs down into the barracks where Fleshring is waiting.  "It's a cyclops!"

"Practice for The Holy Steels!  Assembly at the Southwest tower, men!  Mortification of Rags, support from the tower!"

---

Paddlescaly is first to arrive equipped outside, but gets distracted by a turkey that looks at her funny.  She goes and rips the turkey apart, while the cyclops beats up a mastiff.  They finish with their warm up fights at about the same time, spot each other, and the true fight begins.

The cyclops charges Paddlescaly can't brace against his massive weight.  He knocks her effortlessly off her feet.  He tries to stomp her while she's on the ground, but she rolls away and gets back up again.  He knocks her down again.  She blocks his blow and gets back up again.  This repeats several times.

Glazedluster stands a short distance away.  Paddlescaly cries for help, and he only stares blankly in response.  (OOC:  He's standing nearby with the label "cannot follow order")

She gives up on any thoughts of help as another foot comes down to crush her skull.  She lashes out with her adamantine spear as she rolls to the side and slices the cyclop's heel.  He crashes to the ground, and the tides are quickly turned.  Standing over him, she begins stabbing him deep in the legs, preventing him from recovering his stance.

Soon Tradetongues brings another adamantine spear to the fight, and the two of them stab freely at the cyclops as his only available defense is to ball up, allowing his arms and legs to absorb all the damage.  Paddlescaly jumps to the side and stabs him in the spine, paralyzing his lower body.  As his legs drop limp, Tradetongues tears open his stomach.  The cyclops lurches forward, grabbing at his gut and grunting.  As he does so, Paddlescaly's spear is embedded deep in his eye.  The cyclops flails and howls in blindness and agony.  Paddlescaly twists the spear in his eye sadistically before leaning into it suddenly with her full weight, pinning him back against the ground and driving it all the way through his brain.

She yanks the spear free with no small effort.  They both go to the brook to wash off their weapons.  Glazedluster comes closer "Hey.  Why no help.  If I hadn't been a bad-ass, it would have been your ass."

"He killed my dog."

"... And you didn't want revenge?  What kind of dwarf are you?  A steel dwarf, even!  Of the proudest military unit of all the dwarven race!  What's bloody wrong with you!"

"I... don't know.  I saw my dog dead on the ground and just... blanked out.  I'm... going to go run some drills now..."  Glazedluster walks away, looking quite defeated.  Paddlescaly merely shakes her head after him.

[SalmonGod]

21 Felsite, 130

"Umm... shit.  Hey!  Anyone out there!  I kinda trapped myself in here!"  Bridgesoars shouts over the walls of the fortifications she just completed.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Fleshring stops cutting trees nearby to check it out.  "Hey!  Find yourself standin on the wrong side, did ya?  I'll get some help, don't worry."  He turns to go looking for a miner, and notices a strange white puff to the southeast.  He watches intently for a moment, and catches a glimpse of glistening tentacles.  "Illithid!  Everyone inside!  We're under attack!"

Above-ground workers begin swarming towards the ramp, as two squads of illithid break cover and begin the assault. 

"Hey!  You trapped in there!  I'll still get the miners to dig you out!"

Bridgesoars resigns herself to quietly watching the battle unfold through the arrow slits.  Another illithid squad leaps out from hiding to surround Dunescloistered, who is torn apart in seconds.  Everyone else makes it safely inside, and the gate is raised to allow the military some time to respond.

The crossbow squads take up positions at their fortifications for the first time in a major battle.  In the midst of the commotion, a snatcher is found sneaking in the barracks, right in the midst of all those soldiers.  Staffrun chases it into a corner and dismembers it as the rest of the militia continues preparations.  Soon, they begin gathering on the surface.

---

Meanwhile, illithid swarm past the Southwest archery box.  Threehalls begins firing off bolts, causing minor injuries to the passing abominations.  Something dawns on him after a few seconds.  "What... did none of you grab any bolts on your way here?!"

Gorgeworker scratches his nose... "No sir..."

"Gorge!  Duck!"  Rockbears charges, wielding his crossbow as a club, as a shadow envelopes Gorgeworker.  He's tackled to the ground by an illithid that had levitated over the wall.  It holds Gorgeworker down and lashes at him with its tentacles.  He swings his crossbow frantically in front of his face and fends them off.  The other arches start clubbing the illithid with their crossbows, and it stands up and throws Gorgeworker against the opposite wall.  Before he can recover, or the others can catch up, it leaps on him again and digs its tentacles into the small of his back.  They wrap around his spine and tear out a vertebrae, paralyzing his lower body.  Threehalls pelts the thing with a couple arrows and the others beat on it with their crossbows.  It throws them all back with an invisible force, buying itself enough time to fly away again.

Threehalls continues firing bolts at passing invaders, crippling one.  Rockbears kneels beside Gorgeworker  "Hey... you ok?"

Gorge grunts and props himself up slightly with his arms.  "Umm... I don't know... it doesn't hurt.... I can't move my legs... oh god... it doesn't hurt... I can't move my legs!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

---

The illithid reach the gate and begin pounding on it with their fists and gibbering in an incomprehensible, eldritch tongue.  Fleshring calls down the ramp  "Lower the gate!"  The illithid seem to understand, as they back away from the gate just before it comes crashing down.

The battle begins.  Fleshring stands back for the time being, to give his troops a chance to practice and prove themselves.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Showeredgate is the first dwarf injured, an illithid grabbing his leg with its hands, wrapping its tentacles around his ankle, and nearly tearing his foot off.  The dwarf is grounded, but still fighting.  He makes a deep gash in the illithid's leg.  It makes several more grabs at him, batted away with his shield, before succeeding in grabbing a hold.  His arms are held down as its tentacles probe his armor for weakness.  The snake beneath his armpit and stab between his ribs, writhing around and squeezing his lungs.  He cries out in pain, breaks his sword arm free, and stabs it in the back, tearing apart its lung.  It jerks back, releasing him of its tentacles.  He doesn't hesitate to lunge forward and cut off its head with a powerful sweeping motion of his red steel short sword, earning his first kill

Atticbeaches, Staffrun, Tradetongues, and Wheelsblocked have a much easier time, storming through the enemy hacking, stabbing, kicking, and punching with playful ease.  Staffrun claims the second kill of the battle (the first going to Threehalls), splitting a skull in half with his =adamantine battle axe=. 

One illithid is knocked unconscious, and several dwarves descend on it, attempting to finish it off with their formidable red steel and adamantine weapons.  They strike at its head again and again, and every time a different image of a weapon erupts forth from its forehead and shatters as it blocks the strike.  (OOC:  I've seriously never seen this kind of thing before.)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Soon this distracted group is surrounded and set upon by the other invaders.  Fleshring orders them "Ignore it!  Defend yourselves, dumbasses!"  He charges into the battle, deciding the odds have turned against them and it's time to knock them back to their favor.  The illithid are quickly scattered, and only two escape in the following chase.  Baldedgilds suffers two major wounds, including a paralyzed soldier, but no casualties.

[Scaraban]

would love a gloomer named Scaraban train him up to be a badass speardorf before getting him killed please

[SalmonGod]

(Got M&B: Warband for Christmas, and Magicka has thoroughly enchanted me.  Thus, the long silence.  Going to try and get back into updating this now.)

16th Hematite, 130

Pillarmarket strikes a menacing pose (effortlessly) before the 7 other miners of Baldedgilds.  "It's a great day for us diggers!  Years ago now, we hollowed out what was to one day be the sewers of Baldedgilds.  We worked out asses off and got the job done.  Now that everyone has FINALLY done their part, we get to finish the job!  We've been ordered to dug the shaft connecting the stream to the sewer.  Meet there at dawn tomorrow.  I'm off to go get drunk and beat up my husband.  The rest of you feel free to celebrate in less hardcore fashions until then!"

Pillarmarket strikes another menacing pose and trudges off.  Everyone else meanders to the dining hall for lack of anything better to do.

---

Craftsriddles pulls up a seat next to Painthealed as she nurses a large +siltstone mug+ of stumble grog.  "Hey.  You're a new migrant, right?  How's it feel to get drafted straight into the most elite military squad AND handed a pick on your first day?"

Painthealed shrugs "Not a big deal for a steel dwarf.  It's not like I get tired or hurt or anything.  That stuff's for squishier types like you."

Craftsriddles drinks away the urge to glare for a while before speaking again,  "Hey speaking of which, isn't it kind of demeaning for one of your stature to get bossed around by the likes of Pillarmarket?  I mean, you're a steel dwarf and you put your life on the line for this place!  All she does is pick at rock, and you do that too!  And have you heard the rumors about what she did?..."

Painthealed stops drinking briefly and sniffs pointedly... "Yeah... it kinda sucks... don't feel right.  I should only be taking crap from Fleshring or an elected official."

Craftsriddles scoots a bit closer... "Feel like doing something about it?..."

---

Pillarmarket knocks on the recently installed gabbro floodgate.  "The water will come through here.  We're to dig a 6 square urist straight shaft to the sewer level directly in front of this.  Afterwards, it will be grated over.  As soon as the last of the rock is cleared, we'll strike behind the floodgate and the water will flow.  Everyone understand?"

The other 7 miners nod in unison.

"Let's get to work, then."  Pillarmarket begins digging and the others join in.

...

"Shit there's not enough room for all of us to do this.  Craftsriddles and Sternlance, you're out."

Craftsriddles steals a meaningful glance at Painthealed before disappearing around the corner on her way out.

Pillarmarket digs furiously and begins turning red when she bothers to look up.  "Singlecrypt!  Don't dig under Trademortal's feet for fuck's sake!  You know that leads to disaster!  Whipsea!  Quit showing off!  Keep pace with the rest of us!  Dig any deeper before we're caught up, and I'll kick your ass!  Laboraged, why are you going on break already IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMN MINING OPERATION... You know what just forget it.  I'll do this myself, and make sure it's done right!  All of you get out of here!"

Pillarmarket makes some threatening motions at the other miners, and they clamber out of the hole and scatter off down the hall.  Pillarmarket grumbles to herself as she continues the work alone.  Digging.  Digging.  Deeper.  Deeper.  She grumbles only mildly.  Digging puts her at peace, especially alone.  No one to poke at her temper.  No one to worry about but herself...

A few hours later, the ground suddenly crumbles into a large opening beneath Pillarmarket's feet as she strikes at it.  She strikes at the wall, and manages to catch herself and hang feebly for a few seconds, before the pick slips from its hold and the plummeting begins.  Two stories Pillarmarket falls and...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

She lands on the sewer level floor with a sickening, squishy crunch.  Blood splashes the walls as bones jut out from her legs and right shoulder.  A few minutes later, she regains consciousness in a still-spreading pool of her own blood.  Other dwarves walk past going on about their business, clearing rocks away or bringing fresh equipment up from the forges.  The broken, bleeding dwarf dragging herself along with one arm barely seems to warrant their notice.

She mutters to herself as she goes "Of course... of course... *gggrrrruh*.... no one cares... *huuurgg*... to them I'm just... *aaarrrrgh*... a murderer... *hhhmmmmmmpppph*..."

"No, Pillarmarket.  You're much more than that."  Threehalls stands over her, concern etched deeply into her face.  She scoops her arms beneath Pillarmarket's knees and shoulder blades, and with no small effort lifts her up.  "You built this place."  He begins carrying her up the ramps.  "None of this would be here without you.  Our best soldiers wouldn't be wearing adamantine.  We'd have no rooms to sleep in.  We'd have no magma for our industry.  We'd have nothing.  I don't care what you did.  Your work built this place, not your mistakes."

Pillarmarket's expression softens, and she resigns herself to being carried.  She's never been supported by anyone before.  Never depended on anything but her own strength.  If not horribly injured, her pride would be bursting with rebellion.

"And you have a lot of work left to do..."

---

Killer Pete knocks twice before letting himself into the hospital room where Royalsabres tends to the last of Honoredwhip's fractures.  "You'll want to see this.  It's Pillarmarket"

"What...?   What happened to her?!"

"Blood.  Bones protruding at unnatural angles."

Royalsabre drops what he's doing without another word and runs out into the hospital lobby.  Threehalls is making his way careful down the first wing of the hospital.  "Put her in here!  We need water, splints, and sutures now!"

Threehalls lays Pillarmarket down on the hospital bed.  She's unconscious and very pale.  "Sabre.  I know you'll do your best."  He bows out of the room and to leave him to his work.

Royalsabre cleans her wounds, then begins popping bones back into place.  "Sweet blue metals... what happened to you..."  Once internal parts are back under the skin where they should be, he begins properly setting and immobilizing her right upper arm.

She begins to stir occassionally... barely conscious mutterings... head rolling back and forth... "Work to do... work to do... all alone... just keep working..."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

After three days of intense treatment, she bolts upright suddenly in bed.  Color has returned to her face, along with her former spirit.  "What... what am I doing in here?  There's work to do!"  She hops out of bed, wincing only mildly as she can't avoid putting weight on still smashed bones.

"Wait!  You're not done!"

She turns to glare at intimidatingly at her husband.  "I'll get back to my work, you get back to yours!  You got me up and running.  Good job.  Now it's done!"

He slouches defeatedly... "But... your knee and shoulder are still smashed to bits... how are you even walking?"

"Pfah!  All I need is a drink."  Pillarmarket limps away determinedly after that.  Not another word is said.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Scaraban]

!!IT'S ALIVE!!

[SalmonGod]

!!IT'S ALIVE!!

Yes!  I have returned.  And you will have your dwarf, as soon as I find one suitable.

[SalmonGod]

16 Galena, 130

Royalsabre sits on the edge of the hospital bed, slouching heavily, weary from work and emotional stress. "So Threehalls... I called you here because I'm worried about Pillarmarket.  She refused more than half the treatment she needed.  She's been... distant... since then... but in the times I've managed to get close to her, I've become fairly certain that her wounds are getting infected."

Threehalls sits more composed next to him, shaking his head.  "She's the grittiest woman I've ever met, and it will be the death of her..."

Someone calls from down the hall  _{"Hey mayor!  Ezrakim caravan on the horizon!"}

Threehalls calls back "Goods to depot!  Summon Seizewhips!  You know the drill!... So anyway.  I'm really sorry to hear about this, Sabre..."

"Umm... aren't you forgetting something?"

"... Whatever it is, it can wait."


18th Galena, 130

Fleshring sings merry songs of battle to himself as he chops down trees effortlessly with his wooden training axe.  Whimbanner gathers plants nearby, and stops to study something curiously...

"Hey Fleshring.  You ever seen anything like this?"

"Like what?"

"This insect.  Curious.  Yellow and black.  Buzzes.  It's going around from flower to flower."

"Who cares?  If it ain't giant or poisonous, I got nothin' to do with it!"

"Actually I think I might have read..."

"See there's the problem with you jade dwarves.  Always readin' books!  DO SOMETHIN'!  One o' these day's you'll have your nose jammed in some words, and somethin's gonna sneak up on yeah!  Us Special Dike should ALWAYS be ready fer battle!"

Suddenly an insane babbling fills the air.  It's all too familiar to Fleshring.  Sure enough, illithid have almost surrounded Whimbanners, and are closing in for the kill.

"DON'T LOOK BEHIND YA BOY!  JUST RUN!!!"  He dashes forward alone to save the helpless civilian, himself wearing civilian clothes and wielding a wooden training axe.

Whimbanners doesn't even bother to look.  He runs for the ramp to the underground.

"SOUND THE ALARM AS YOU GO!  EVERYONE INSIDE!  FOR GLOORRRRYYYY!!.... Oomph!"  Fleshring charges the first illithid he encounters, and is promptly knocked back on his ass.  The shock from losing a test of strength leaves him quite vulnerable.  Six illithid lash at him with their tentacles, covering him in deep bruises.  A seventh continues to chase Whimbanner, who keeps a good lead.  One latches onto Fleshring's right foot and rips it open with one solid shake.

He regains his wits quickly, though, and breaks free.  He rolls and scrambles out of several attacks before finding an opening.  This first attempt at retaliation is wildly successful, smashing in the skull of one illithid with a single, clean strike.

A battle worthy of many engravings follows.  It's quite an even match.  Fleshring finds his first strike was lucky, as he's only able to land minor blows from there.  Despite outnumbering him five times, the illithid aren't able to do any better.  Minutes pass as the warrior proves himself as wily and resilient as any dwarf of legend.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A battle of such odds can only go on for so long, though, and finally the illithid manage to coordinate a clever series of attacks.  Fleshring finds himself held in several places at once, with one shattering his left upper leg.  It gives him no pause, as he surges with strength and bursts free of every hold at once.  Reinforcements are near.  He only needs to survive another minute.

Unable to stand, he rolls frantically from side to side, and swings his axe in deterrance when he can't move fast enough.  They continue to bruise and grab, but he breaks free of every hold.  He also nearly chops an illithid's foot off with his blunt wooden axe.  The hive minded enemy responds by kicking in his nose and shattering his lower spine.

They're finally forced to split up, though, as reinforcements arrive for Fleshring.  "We're here!  Hang in there!"  Glazedluster calls out encouragingly to his commander, with Tinwashes, Princepaged, and Seizuregilt a few paces behind him. 

Fleshring manages to stand up despite his injuries and put some distance between himself and the enemy to regain his composure.  "Whew!  You... *pant*... you got here just in time!  I was *gulp* just 'bout to finish 'em off m'self!"

Glazedluster says nothing, respecting the impressive achievement of his superior, and sets to work on the nearest illithid.  He makes quick work of it with his adamantine short sword, and a vicious combo of pommel strikes and slashes, ending with a slash through the brain.  Not a split second later, his sword is embedded in the leg of the next illithid.  He forces it to the ground with his sword in the wound, takes a bite of the other leg, and rips out a large chunk of flesh with his teeth.  Before spitting it out, he severs an arm and spills its foul guts onto the ground.

At this point, the other three catch up, and short work is made of the enemy ambush.  Fleshring leaves them to it, and limps towards the hospital.  The final illithid tries to run, but Glazedluster catches up to it, digs his fingers into its skull like a bowling ball, and rips the back of its skull out.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Then...

Whimbanner never makes it back to the entrance.  Refusing to lead his pursuer underground, he leads it in a circle around the outer wall into another ambush.  Meanwhile two thieves are caught and killed next to the entrance by more military dwarves running out to join the fight.  Fleshring catches one of them, and casually beats it to death with the pommel of his training axe on his way back inside.

Meanwhile, Whimbanner manages to continue running on his chosen path straight through the crowd of illithid unharmed.  Giving up quickly on catching him, they turn on the advancing dwarven military.  One especially large and evil looking illithid begins to speak in a deep, distorted voice which echos through the minds of all those nearby, "Foolish, weak-minded, insignificant creatures!  I've broken the minds of hundreds greater than AAAAGAGGHAGHH!!!"  The archmaster illithid crumples to the ground, next to his severed arm.

Staffrun flicks the dying abomination's blood from his shiny blue battle axe.  "Shut up and fight!"

The remaining illithid grasp at their heads and cry out horribly, as if the loss of their leader was physically painful somehow, before turning their attention to the team of Staffrun and Glazedluster, both reknowned veterans of The Holy Steels.  It's as if they walk into a bearded blender.  Two break free of the fight early and escape.  All others are dismembered and eviscerated.  Afterwards, the two nod approvingly to each other, congratulation the rookie Wheelsblocked on his first kill, and head home.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[SalmonGod]

(uh oh!)

5th Limestone, 130

Cloutwheel, captain of The Crystalline Portals, tends to the subterranean farms of Baldedgilds while muttering to himself...

"I can't believe them... the nerve... I'm a captain... a captain!... they act so high and mighty... they weren't all there!... I never asked for this anyway... what right have they?..."

He increases his working pace, clearly frustrated.  His glare at the mud before him grows more and more intense.  Until he niks himself in the foot with one careless swing of his hoe.  He stops to watch the blood gather within and slowly seep from his boot...

"That's it... I'll show them... I'll show them!"

Cloutweel erupts with a roaring laughter, full but mirthless, expressing nothing but darkest thoughts.  He strides away from the farms with clear purpose.  Surrounding dwarves pause only briefly to watch him go, then shrug and return to their work.  He goes to the butchery and locks the doors, so he may prepare for his dark deeds undisturbed.


6th Limestone, 130

Killer Pete carries some cloth, gypsum powder, and a bucket up to the river, venting some frustrations to himself as he goes.

"I came here to make art!  Yes, I have medical training... for my art!  If I'd known it would be like this... I shouldn't have come here... I'll never touch bone, but for mending... it taunts me... such materials literally within my grasp,  but their most noble purpose forbidden to me!  Ack!  The irony!"

A shadow looms behind Killer Pete, who is too lost in thought to notice.  His dwelling on irony end in his ironic unmaking.  A precise strike from a farming implement severs his brain stem, killing instantly.  Cloutwheel scurries back into the butchery with the corpse and locks the doors once again.  No one seems to notice.

10th Limestone, 130

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

An argument erupts before the butchery.  A crowd gathers to watch. 

Staffrun yells at Cloutwheel from one side of a dwarf bone table.  "You coward!  This proves nothing!  You're still just a rookie!  In fact, you're worse!  You're supposed to protect the citizens of Baldedgilds, and you just did the OPPOSITE!"

Cloutwheel still stands proudly on the other side of his table to defend his actions.  "You called me out for not having any kills!  Well, now I have one!  And I MADE something from it too!  Have you made anything from any of your kills?  NO!  There's no industry in your violence!  I hesitate to even call you a real dwarf!"

"Industry?!  You want to see some crafts, look at the genius you just ended!"  Staffrun pulls down his pants.  "See this engraving in my skin on my upper right leg of Killer Pete surrounded by bones?  It's a masterwork, isn't it?!  The value of my leg rose by a power of 10 thanks to that dwarf who is now a table!  He's the only dwarf to ever turn a wound into value!"

Princepaged speaks out from the crowd.  "Hey I've got one too!  It's Killer Pete raising a bone on my left upper arm!"  The crowd admires the work.

Boatcobras offers another one.  "Hey me too!  It's Killer Pete admiring a mangled Pillarmarket!"  The crowd takes turns admiring this one, too.

Staffrun nods at each of them.  "See?!  You've just robbed Baldedgilds of a genius!"

Cloutwheel just smiles and leans on his table.  "Whatever!  I'll be taking this to my room, and you all can get brainwashed by illithids for all I care!  This is all the genius I'll ever need."

Threehalls steps forth from the crowd.  "No.  This table will go in the hospital, where everyone can admire it and remember Killer Pete's valuable services.  Everyone back to work!... Except you, Cloutwheel.  Come to my office."

---

Cloutwheels sets apprehensively into Threehall's office.  "Close the door."  Cloutwheels closes the door...

"Your violent action has me thinking... this place has a history of murder.  The very earth of this place is infused with something... or perhaps the illithids have made influences... something here fills dwarven minds with violent urges.  The only solution is some good ol' fashioned dwarven law & order.  This place has been lawless for too long, leaving each of us alone to fight our inner battles against the darkness.  We each deserve a hammer to join us in that struggle."

Cloutwheel shuffles nervously... "Have I... been called here for a hammering?"

"No Cloutwheel.  You've been called here to be our hammerer."

"What?!  What did I do to deserve that?..."

"You've proven your willingness to harm other dwarves -- the first prerequisite for the job.  You've displayed that willingness to the entire colony, and your work will be forever on display to make sure no one ever forgets.  You've become an icon of fear among these people.  There's no better dwarf for the position.  Besides, this is punishment enough.  Good luck keeping any friends as hammerer...  Dismissed.  Go collect your hammer."  Threehalls returns to his paperwork.

Cloutwheel stands speechless for a few seconds, before shuffling out of the room...

"Oh!  Cloutwheel!"

"Yes sir?"

"The table... what did you name it?"

"The Sickness of Squanderies"

"Hah... how fitting..."

(*SalmonGod admires a finely crafted dwarf bone table*  Alas!  Poor Killer Pete.  Yet this game could not have provided a more fitting end.  Such irony!)

[SalmonGod]

18th Obsidian, 130

Boltsects, captain of The Gilded Portents, squirms pathetically on the surface of the frozen murky pool.  She claws hopelessly at the bloodied ash and snow while squinting against the bitter winter winds.  "Help!... I... I can't get up!  Don't just leave me here!"  She calls out to her fellow soldiers, who file past grumbling at the length of the previous battle.

One dwarf stops a short distance away and studies her curiously.  He latches his black bronze crossbow to his belt, pulls out a pipe, and sets about lighting up a smoke.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Boltsects glares...  "A little help?..."

"Oh?... Oh sorry I'm on break.  Got to steady me nerves.  Pretty intense job, marksdwarfin'.  Did you see that thief get his head lopped off?  Twenty paces from me!  What if he was swingin' his weapon when he died?  Coulda poked me eye out!  The recklessness o' these soldiers, I tell ya!"

Boltsects doesn't have the strength to glare any harder.  She drops her head to the frozen ground and closes her eyes...   "I can't move my leg.  I feel weak.  I think I might bleed out here... can your smoke not wait?... Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Oh, I'm Manorspins.  Nice to meet ya.  I'll get 'round to pickin' you up soon, don't worry.  And hey!  They got that well workin' at the hospital, finally!  So when ya get there, they'll get you fixin' up real quick!"

"Fine.  Can you at least tell me how things went?  I've been stuck here for a while.  What happened to the Gith that did this to me?  What else happened?"

Manorspins blows a couple smoke rings, taking his time putting together an answer.  "That Gith got away, I'm afraid.  Saw you smash one o' his hands, and someone else cut off his claw and another hand.  He ran.  Looked like he was losin' lots o' blood.  Bet he won't get too far before the blood loss gets 'im.  Let's see... then there were two more ambushed.  Ringdented ran into them.  Both o' them.  At the same time.  Faced 'em both alone for a while, 'til help arrived. 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Real tough soldier, that one.  Not a scratch on 'im in the end!  Too bad that Firetorch guy wasn't such a badass."

Boltsects rolls to her back and shakes her head... "Yeah... those gith are cruel killers."

Manorspins dumps his ashes nonchalantly.  "Sure are.  Anyway, you take care.  That smoke made me thirsty."

"Wait!  WAIT!  Bastard...."  Boltsects gives up and passes out in the snow.  She miraculously survives the blood loss, only to face a week of surviving on snow and nearby bits of flesh scattered about from the recent battle.  Finally, Distantlancers stumbles across the forgotten military captain while out for a stroll and takes her back for treatment.