I'm here. This save seems much better, runs very smooth. I'm going to give it a try and pray to Armok the fort survives the year.
I'll be Discopony Ilidmebzuth, Cheese Maker.
PrefaceI'm writing this as I make the trek to Famthutagak. Every fort needs a cheesemaker, I always say. All dwarves should have cheese with every meal, it's good for the body and - more importantly - it's good for the soul. When I was told that six of the original seven in the expedition had died, I asked "Did they have a cheesemaker?" I got some strange looks, and was told "No, what elf-loving fool would bring a cheesemaker on an expedition?" I shook my head in disgust. It's obvious what happened now. Those poor fools tried to settle in a strange land without cheese, and lost their lives for it. When will they learn?
How long have I been here now, weeks? Months? Hard to say, the days have blurred together. I should have kept up with my writing, but between those undead abominations and the grueling work hours, who has the time? You can hear them, too. Stomping around on the snow above us. ALWAYS STOMPING. I can't even sleep at night, haven't slept at all for... I'm not even sure. They know. They know when I'm trying to sleep. They're toying with me.
Kizbold ordered me to sleep. That fool thinks he knows everything, BUT HE SAYS WE DON'T NEED CHEESE. I've tried to get him to understand, but he never listens to me.
Screw him. I'm going to make cheese tonight when he's asle We don't have milk. We've never had milk. I know this, I've checked every barrel a dozen times... One more time couldn't hurt.
Wow. Those last two entries were a little... off. Well, now that I've had a good night's rest, I'm thinking clearly again. Strange, though. Now that I think about it, Kizbold seems a bit off. Has he always been like this? Is this a side effect of a cheese deficient diet?
I'm not sure if this is a hallucination from lack of cheese, but Kizbold just made me leader of the fort. He pulled me aside as I was planting some plump helmet and told me that I was now in charge. I laughed, what a joke. I'm no leader, just a simple cheesemaker. But he was very adamant that I was the only one who could "take the responsibility," though at first it sounded like he said "take the blame." He was also muttering to himself while we were talking. I couldn't really tell what he was saying, but I did distinctly hear the word "sucker" a couple times. I'll have to keep an eye on him.
4 GraniteI decided to take a look outside. We need to keep a watch on those undead beasts. What I saw was awful. Our horse was being chased down by a couple of them. Oh that poor animal. I couldn't watch anymore, hopefully its death will be quick and painless.
I asked Kizbold for an update on our provisions. This is not good. Plenty of booze for now, but it looks like we'll have to live on plump helmets for a while.
18 GraniteI don't believe this. Is this further derangement brought on by lack of cheese, or is what I'm seeing real? It must be real, because who would want to imagine this? Immigrants have found their way to our lovely dwelling. Twenty-three of them. We're on the verge of starvation, and in waltz nearly two dozen more mouths to feed. I should have kept them locked out, but I couldn't let them face death at the hooves of those walking corpses outside.
THEY BROUGHT ANIMALS! At first I thought they were alone. We've had the doors shut tight to keep our animals in and the beasts out, but then one of the immigrant children was asking if we were going to let the "horsies and cows" freeze outside. I peeked out and, sure enough, nearly a dozen animals were milling around the entrance, trying to get inside. We now have breeding pairs of cows and horses, as well as a couple of donkeys we can butcher if things get desperate. Maybe we won't starve after all.
14 SlateI just noticed that the dwarven liaison is still here. He's been following around Kizbold for weeks. I'm not sure if Kizbold even noticed. I made them sit down and hammer out a trade deal. I wasn't really sure what to request, so I just asked for wood. Should I have asked for more? If only I had some cheese, maybe I could think straight. Certainly one of these cows can produce milk...
6 FelsiteI've had the donkeys butchered. We're nearly out of food, even plump helmets, and we're running low on booze. I've set a few more dwarves to farming. I'm not sure if it will be enough. Sometimes I lie awake at night and imagine them butchering me for doing such a terrible job.
14 FelsiteOur new metalcrafter went berserk! Lack of cheese must have finally gotten to her and she snapped. She terrorized the halls and killed another immigrant and a dog before finally dying herself. I'm not entirely sure how she died, nobody will tell me. This incident just proves how dangerous it is for any dwarf to go without cheese for extended periods. I'm calling it "Cheese Deficiency Syndrome." Symptoms include insomnia, depression, forgetfulness, mental instability, and in the later stages uncontrollable rage. We may only have weeks until the entire population is raving mad and homicidal. I weep for the children.
23 FelsiteUstuth Subetosian, a Gem Setter, has been taken by a fey mood. Further proof of Cheese Deficiency Syndrome? Perhaps it is the cause of all such moods to which we dwarves succumb. I've ordered a jewelers workshop to be built in hopes that he can begin work. It is well documented what happens when such moods are not allowed to run their course.
4 HematiteUstuth finished his magnum opus. Maybe I should have let him go insane.
1 MalachiteAnother wave of migrants. It has become increasingly hard for me to care about the fate of anybody stupid enough to come here. I've unlocked the doors, but at the first hint of trouble they are being shut and barred. If they can survive the muskox, perhaps I'll let them in.
5 MalachiteIt took a few days, but they all managed to make it inside. Even the pack animals, which is good because our meat stocks are low. Six more mouths to feed brings our population up to 35. I'm not even sure what to do with all of these people. I already have more working the farms than necessary. Perhaps it's time to expand. If we could just get some fuel...
25 MalachiteI'm surprised to say this, but our situation is getting better. The farms are operating in full swing, booze production has picked up, and starvation is no longer mere days away. Tensions have eased, and there have even been a few parties. For the first time in as long as I can remember, most people seem happy. We're not out of the magma yet, though. We still have no way to produce cheese, and this might just prove our undoing.
20 LimestoneA few immigrants found their way to our location. I'm considering drafting them into the militia and sending them in the direction of the muskox.
8 SandstoneWell, that was a terrible plan. The muskox made short work of the three dwarves who crossed their path. Deep down, I suppose I knew it was going to happen. I sent them off to their deaths when they came here looking for a new beginning, and I didn't care. Is this what madness is? Is this what happened to Kizbold?
17 TimberIt's been a long, long wait, but the caravan has finally arrived! I was starting to think they would never return. Strange, though. The muskox seem to be gone, but a pack of wolves have taken their place. One of the merchant guards chased them down and bashed each of their heads in. It was an uplifting sight.
1 MoonstoneWinter is upon us. The merchants brought us quite a bit of wood, though not nearly enough for the purposes of forging and shaping metal. More importantly, however, they brought cheese. It has been far too long since I have indulged in the rich flavor and smooth texture of this all-too-important food. It isn't much, but with the buckets we have also acquired it will not be long before every dwarf in this fort can have cheese with every meal. As soon as I find somebody suitable for the task of milking, cheese production will be in full swing. It turns out, though, that we had a bucket all along. It was sitting in a pile of junk that had been marked by my predecessor as forbidden. We could have been making cheese all this time. Nobody can find out about this, or they'll think I'm an idiot.
22 MoonstoneThe merchants left yesterday, and today the undead muskox have returned. If this doesn't prove that they are intelligent and actively plotting against us, I don't know what will.
7 OpalHeard howling tonight. I was sure they were all dead, but I look out and there are wolves everywhere! More than before, and they keep circling the entrance to the fort. Are these beasts capable of understanding that this is our only exit? Not even the muskox seemed to care, though they may be playing dumb to give us a false sense of security. Plans within plans, but I'm on to them and their little game.
24 OpalOne of the immigrants I sent to die a few months ago is back. Does she know I drafted her into the militia fully intent to see her dead? She must, why else would she be back? This isn't good. People will start asking questions, why is their beloved leader being haunted? Somebody told me if we give her a proper burial she'll leave us alone. This would easily be done, but her body is outside and those
wretched mongrels outside keep circling the stairway.
7 ObsidianOdd, the wolves are gone again. I may have overestimated their intelligence. I sent out some people to bring in body of the dwarf who's been haunting me so that she could be buried, and amazingly her spirit was put to rest. I figured while they were out there, they might as well also bring in the bodies of the other dwarves I sent off to die. I'd not like a repeat of this incident.
Strangely enough, the muskox were off minding their own business on the other side of the fields.
Or is that what they want me to believe?
22 ObsidianThey know. I can hear the whispers. They know what I've done, they can see the blood on my hands. They're plotting,
planning. A coup? AGAINST ME? I'm the only reason any of them has
survived this long. They'd all be dead by now without my guidance, or raving lunatics from the effects of Cheese Deficiency. Those filthy ungrateful
pigs. I never should have let any of them in. Better they had starved or been mauled by undead creatures than to see my fortress devolve into backstabbing and rioting.
29 ObsidianThey'll not have my neck. I'm far too smart to see that happen. Kizbold was a genuis all along - pass the blame and laugh while some other fool gets hung. It's brilliant.
I'll try to finish up tonight and have the rest of the year posted sometime tonight or tomorrow. Let me know if this is way too long-winded or too cheesy. 
Also, how do you get the detailed battle reports?Fort is now at 44 dwarves with immigrants and births. Food and booze production are enough to keep up with demand, and we have CHEESE production too!
I made a little room below the farms to keep animals caged, though afterward I realized it would probably be better to keep it next to the food production area. I also started making some down stairs from the soil level into the aquifer before I remembered that the aquifer was there, sorry. No adverse effects but it's just weird have stairs leading nowhere from the main floor.
I decided to carve out an indoor refuse pile, a dining room, more coffin space, and an area for more workshops. Since we have a legendary Gem Setter and a pretty decent Gem Cutter, we can cut all these gems and decorate the crafts with them. I've already cut all the gems we've mined out. I also figured the dining room would be better in the stone level so we can smooth/engrave it for happy thoughts. I've already moved some of the tables and chairs and some food down there, but the rest of the table and chairs need to be moved.
We also have 20 leftover logs from the caravan. Hope that will be enough to tide you over until the next caravan arrives in fall.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BYJE7HULThat's it for me. Here's the save. Have fun, vidyabro!
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Topic: /v/ next attempt! (Read 11232 times)