Prologue
Di regained consciousness. He was laying in what seemed to be a long stone tunnel littered with stone. How did he happen on the ground? The hallways of Ropegrip weren't clean, in fact sometimes you could step on someones severed arm or slip into someones blood pool, but Di always managed to stand on his
feet, he had very good kinesthetic sense after all.
"Ahem."Someone cleared throat near him. Di looked up and saw two dwarves standing before him. One was thickset even for a dwarf and had gray eyes literally radiating calmness and somewhat boredom, his gray beard and hair were unshorn and laid over his head and shoulders like snow caps on mountain peaks.
The other one was quite bulky, his hair were deep brown neatly cut and his beard was braided, his eyes we're emerald green, there was amicability in his gaze, he had discernible belly and wore golden ring on left ring finger.
"You may not bow but we'd appreciate if you stood in our presence."
These two looked familiar but Di couldn't remember their names or imagine these two walking among fortress denizens. There was something about them that made such picture surrealistic one. Was it peremptory tone or the eyes of someone who saw thousands of years and million of places Di couldn't figure. This wasn't his concern at the moment as well.
"Aright you two, I don't know who you are but if it were you who made me fall I'll.." He said getting onto his feet.
"It weren't we, it was me" interrupted him grey bearded dwarf "me and my friend mica" with a smile he barely waved his hand and nearby boulder rolled and gently touched Di's leg.
Di gasped "who are you, some traveling wizard?"
"Aim higter my young friend" advised second one with a laugher.
Di raised eyebrows "Deler?"
It was like mountain itself had sighted with disappointment. Grey dwarf turned to his partner "Why are we wasting time with this one?"
Di couldn't figure out what he said wrong but somehow he felt ashamed.
"You've hit the old wound" brown haired dwarf explained to Di and turned to his companion "Patience my friend maybe analytic ability isn't his strongest trait but he has strong sense of duty, so you can rely on him. Besides there isn't many dwarves who worship god of mountains without hailing goddess of minerals as well"
Insight shined in Di's head "lord Avuz!"
Brown haired dwarf smiled "Well, that's better"
Di looked at him struggling to believe. "And you?"
"Gods never appear to those who doesn't worship them"
"And lord Bol!" Di dropped onto his knees.
"Well then, stand up Di. We have a task for you." Bol said.
"My life at your disposal my lord!" exclaimed Di.
"You dwarves surprised us. We're quite amused by your idea of building fortress devoted to gods. Dwarven gods are watching this place closely and I must we find your current progress dissatisfying. While beginning was quite acceptable, your fortress started crumbling later and Nazom herself had to send her prophets Mrbobbyg and Dariush the third to save this place."
"Save? Prophets? I don't recall any. And I thought we're still deep in goblin shi~"
"You don't remember much from past year do you? That's Nazom's wish, being goddes of darkness she is quite secretive even though there isn't anything to be ashamed of" Di thought he saw Bol smiling at some old memories. "Anyway, Avuz will you?"
Avuz nodded and stepped forward.
"We entrust you with divine quest not to ruin this place. Soon you should be informed that this for year fortress is under your leadership. And as your deity I require you to turn the very mountain into monument devoted to me. Engrave it's every outside stone wall to strengthen faith in me. Should those two goblins with bows keep you from going outside you can always make use ancient lore of engraving through the wall I gave to your kind long time ago." Di noticed annoyance in god's voice at this point "Also you should keep log of your rule, and engrave every slab for every enemy of your cause that met his end here."
"But why would you need my records lord Avuz?"
It seemed like Avuz hesitated for a moment, then sighted "Because of you dwarves losing faith in me and turning to Deler I'm forced to search for additional positions, and it turns out that clerk patron is the only one unclaimed"
It became Bol's turn to speak "I'd like to add from myself, that I'm not pleased with my worshipers as well. Especially you. However I hope you'll find out by yourself what you should do. Now it's time for you to go, we'll be watching you."
Di regained consciousness. He was laying in what seemed to be a long stone tunnel littered with stone. Inguish Keskalnoram his colleague in fish dissection and now in hauling stood over him "Are you alright?"
Di looked around remembering his recent conversation. "I guess"
"Good I wouldn't like to carry you into hospital"
"Why is that?"
"First of all we don't have a hospital, then we don't have doctor"
"Hey. Didn't you mention that you've studied medicine a bit?"
"Well I did. But I've got thrown out of medical academy remember?"
"There isn't anyone better here. I guess you should take this position"
"But Di such decisions are made by leader of fortress. And you're just fish dissector, not a highest importance job!"
"Di!" Mafol Ezumdeg approached "do you remember names of guys that led us past year?"
"They're Mrbobbyg and Dariush"
"Ah yes. Well these guys announced that they put off leadership duties and declare you next ruler of Ropegrip."
"Thank you Mafol. See Inguish? You take this job. Now excuse me."
Then Di went off to survey fortress. "Not to destroy fortress, engrave whole mountain, do something for Bol" He kept muttering to himself.
Chronicle of Di's reign over glorious Ropegrip fortress
1st Granite
Fortress survey revealed that we have no centralized stockpiles, small cluttered spots are situated all around the mountain but even those house stone mainly. There's even one outside the walls! This can not be tolerated. However, first we need to take care of those green outside.
Appointed Inguish fish dissector to a chief medic, I know that sounds weird but we don't have much choice.
Found strange glass wall in tunnel, didn't see anything horrifying through it and we already have staircase connecting the other side with ours.
Our legendary and only engraver Fath Lokumreg has quite strange views on art.
I don't know if I can entrust her the holy quest of lord Avuz, especially taking into account that she's much more faithful in worshiping Deler. If a tiny image of that plagiary goddess shows up onto lord Avuz's holly monument, I'll throw it's author into volcano.
2nd Granite
It's another day already and I'm still not done with this journal. Hope the rest of the year won't be too eventful. Anyways, I've found someone whom I can trust in my mission, Dastot Dedukadas the weaver shares the same beliefs as I do, he may be not so skilled as Fath but he at least knows basics and, what's important, he has faith.
This place needs cleaning and that would require a lot of spare hands. I've drafted all but legendary masters into haulers army.
3rd Granite
Green problem was solved for the time being. Now we need to seize those iron breastplates as soon as possible. And to get that furniture inside.
10th Granite
I had to tear down farming reservoir to create a well. Sadly I haven't enough time to place any floodgates as our injured need water right now. I'll have to find underground source later to redeem this fault but for now this is only thing I can do.
11th Granite
Id Ilrommebuth gave birth to a girl today. The only thing darkening this event is that Id is one of our 6 warriors. For now there will be five of them. Bol would not approve exposing the child to a danger.
13th Granite
Lever was puled to fill magma reservoir under the pool and stop heating the water.
14th Granite
Infused blacksmith still hasn't started his work. He yells for ingredients which are now available though still outside the fortress. Maybe he's too afraid to come out to get them?
23rd Granite
Avuz be praised we won't get mad dwarf. The problem was that I missed his demand for stone blocks since I believed he was already satisfied with metal he got. But that's now solved.
Water reservoir dried out.
Also we heard giant cave spider down there, maybe we'll attempt to make use of it later.
27th Granite
Blacksmith created bronze crutch, what a waste. We dwarves don't need crutches, if someone loses leg he will hop around using another, and he will kick with it if forced. That maybe weird but that's one of our traditions which make humans admire and gobbos fear us. And I really admire tradition.
Back on the blacksmith case, we now have a legendary master blacksmith. Now he makes some splints which aren't forbidden by our tradition.
Interlude.
It was the beginning of Slate. Di stood in the meeting hall before crowd of chattering dwarfs
"Alright guys we need to get all that furniture in!"
"But we don't have enough stockpiles" Someone replied.
Di was confused a bit "Um... let's slump everything in one place, it's doesn't matter we just need that stuff inside!"
"Hey we treat garbage like this!" Some smary-pants exclaimed, and then upon finishing his logical chain, he continued "Yewww! We don't want haul garbage from outside into our precious home!"
"Come on folks! Look how dirty is our front entrance, it's cleaning time. You don't want traders with foreign booze consider us slobby barbarians with nothing to trade for, do you"
"Booze?!" repeated dozen voices.
-"Yes, yes. I'll buy a barrel of sunshine for those who carry the most of that stuff inside"
In a mere moments Di became the only one in hall, anxious voices sounding upwards. Di looked around and nodded to himself
"Nicely done, hope tree lovers will justify their existence or I'll become the most unpopular ruler"
15th Slate
Some migrants have arrived, now we can find replacement for Id the axedwarf. We also got accomplished armorer and my sister in faith talented engraver, Avuz's demand will be fulfilled.
I've also created amazon squad, for now they train at the same barracks with gilded families but we'll probably have to move them out of danger room at some point.
17th Slate
We're somewhat low on booze. Made food stockpile reorganization in order to have spare barrels for brewer. And ordered said spare barrels to be forged.
19th Slate
Booze is great motivator, they've brought all furniture and trade depot inside except artifact mechanism which they refused to believe to be refuse. Idiots.
The original entrance was sealed with fortification.
Whoever applied that training method was really genius, we have three legendary champions by now.
25th Slate
We have way too many cats, I sense catastrophic consequences in the near future. I've decided to take measures until it's too late. I've selected seven (another dwarven tradition) dwarves with relatively much free-time. These brave dwarves will be called the Cat Inspection Agency, their main goal being finding and isolating these dangerous beasts. Other dwarves are highly unrecommended to confront this threat.
26th Slate
There was an mishap during CIA forming one of the agents turned out to sympathize cats, so he had to be replased with unskiled but otherwise reliable woodburner.
3rd Felsite
We've finally sealed ourselves again some cats were locked outside but never mind CIA couldn't handle those.
Now we can begin operation 'Mountain' without danger of our engravers leaving safety. Fath Lokumreg is allowed to participate in initial phase.
12th Felsite
Elves arrived. "Where have you been lazy bastards!"
13th Felsite
Our booze supplies are critically low, hopefully elves will be of some use here.
I've received a complaint from our legendary planter that dwarves trample his farm, I've done quick inspection and it turned out that fields are placed on the only way to booze stockpile, I don't feel like digging out another stockpiles, but we must divert traffic from farm.
17th Felsite
Alright elves are in it's time to retract bridge. Wait a minute, retract? I guess we should place doors on our side at least.
18th Felsite
An ambush! Curse them!
An ambush! Curse them!
An ambush! Curse them!
Hey! but I've lured all engravers inside before closing fortress, there isn't any dwarf or even animal (thanks to the doors) outside. Whom are they attaking?
What's going on?
later that day
An ambush! Curse them!
An ambush! Curse them!
They're still fighting each other, I'm confused.
Moreover elves well known for their hatred to woodcutting have brought us half a hundred of wood logs. Along with wood we've also bought grizzly and black bears and cougar and huge amount of buckets and booze in exchange for a huge pile of bone figurines we've found in abandoned workshop one floor below. Elves have gladly accepted those. Love for nature can take strange forms indeed.
They haven't brought any sunshine, but given the current situation folks were happy with any booze at all.
19th Felsite
Looks like goblins have settled down their conflict. My guess is, someone of them decided that he would be better leader. They've killed two of their own that's for sure.
1st Hematite
Summer has come. Elves are still at depot, well I don't mind, hospitality is yet another dwarven tradition.
Goblins are still outside, I don't mind either. Even if elves decide to leave first, gobbos won't be able to catch up with them from their current positions.
5th Hematite
Today danger room has claimed it's first life.
Those annoying cats have somehow got through five closed doors. Kitten died swiftly, but the older cat only got all his legs broken. I've decided to halt spears for some time. Curiosity killed the cat they say.
For now all cats have a unique opportunity to see why the should not go there.
13th Hematite
We have been rejecting our responsibilities to our dead for too long. I've begun reorganization of cemetery, all corpses lying at the top will be interred, and furthermore I'm creating two memorial valleys there. First one is the Valley of Tragically Lost Friends, where we shall memorialize dwarves who had shared home with us once and humans who gave their lives while fighting along with us.
The second one will be Valley of Accursed Filth, there we'll put names of goblins and kobolds from which the world was relieved here. I'm considering putting refuse stockpile there. And what about the elves, I believe it's up to a those who will be in power by then to decide whether we were bereft or relieved of them.
22nd Hematite
We've used halt in the work of danger room to engrave it so our champions had some portion of beauty in that stone box. They spend years there after all.
24th Hematite
Elves departed today, well I believe they've packed up a week ago but I was too busy to let them out. Just as I foresaw they managed to leave without goblins
even noticing, what goblins noticed however is that we have opened entrance. Right now they're waiting around it.
"Such impudence will not be tolerated, release the militia!"
27th Hematite
Sixteen trained dwarfs made short work of four goblins. But what's interesting after attack sounded I saw our mayor charging at the goblins. I mean I didn't know we had one. Hmm... that means we're considered a village now. Now I need to find office, quarters and so on for her, guess I saw free office with glass furniture at the upper levels.
28th Hematite
Metalcrafter went secretive.
Some migrants arrived, great that means bigger army.
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Topic: The Gods Must Be Crazy!!! [Sussession RPG fortress] - Year 6 (Read 22496 times)