1002U - SUMMER
"We need perimeter defence," EmperorJohn repeated. Doc Val, across the table from him, raised an eyebrow while supping some fresh dwarven wine. He and Powder Building Designer, whom the rest had taken to calling PBD out of simplicity, had made a veritable tablecloth out of their sketches for how to breach the aquifer.
"Really, now? We're seven-all living in a gnome hole with water in the basement, nobody knows we're even here except our respective guilds and you're planning fortress defence. Keeping out the plump helmet thieves?"
The doc slapped his hand down on the table directly under the mug of Stiric before he could place it on top of a sketch.
"Don't put that there, use a . . . coaster."
EmperorJon continued, "It may not seem important now, but it'll be when we start making a name for ourselves. Which I plan to. This place is going to be the most important mountainhome yet built. And I don't want to see it crumble."
The Doc sighed placing his hands a centimetre behind his head with fingers interlocked, "As long as you don't take the miners away from their digging duty."
EmperorJon's gaze lifted to the ceiling as he replied, "Kidding, doc? I'm going to build the damn thing myself if I have to."
"Stone should be our first priority," the Doc said, "We're not going to have much to show for the months we've spent here when the caravan shows up. And I simply refuse to sleep any longer than necessary in our dormitories."
"Filthy, filthy," he muttered to himself, picking a stray hair off of his sleeve. PBD stopped sketching for a moment when it drifted in the way of his pencil, stared at it, blew it off the table and said, "When did we get five tables?"
"Last night. That's why none of us got any sleep," Stiric said rubbing his left eye, "Crazyteddles was hauling them in."
At that moment Mipe entered looking even more muddy than usual complaining that the walls were bleeding water.
Everyone exchanged glances before turning to the doc, who wrinkled his nose at the news, "That's . . . unexpected. It must be a pond above ground."
"No pond," said Mipe, "none that I've seen anyway. It's just raw earth up above, and dry too. The stairs aren't wet, just that one corner. Looks like we decided to build our fort on a damned spring."
Valrandir pondered this before nearly leaping out of his chair at the sound an explosion. Steam poured out of the farming area as the lot of them ran down the hall to find Cap'n Blunderbooze coughing and waving his cap at the still, from which poured gouts of steam. "Nothing! Nothing! Back to work, everyone! Back to bloody work! Pay no mind! Nothing to see here!"
Mipe stayed to help him clean up the mess while Valrandir and PBD returned to the dining hall now empty. EmperorJon had stolen off to somewhere, presumably to work on the palisade. Glad to have the place to himself, Valrandir gave the tables a once-over with his eyes before resting to ponder the issue of reaching stone.
"Two layers of groundwater, plus the hillside isn't flat. We're going to have to change something in our plans. Perhaps pumps would do the trick? No, not enough mechanisms. Can't count on the caravan, can't rely on anyone here. Have to change something."
"The hillside," offered PBD without looking up.
"Eh?"
"Change the hillside."
EmperorJon and Mipe were tasked with flattening out the hill in order to make the doc's plans possible. CrazyTeddies continued to hack away at the forest starting with the hillside they were cleaving away.
"I'm not feeling secure out here without a wall," he said to Mipe as they laboured.
"Hey, look on the bright side. At least the weather's nice."
In the distance, pelted by the downpour, grey ominous shapes lumbered across the land. The dwarves did their best to avoid them, uneasy about their presence but uncertain as to
exactly why.
Cap'n Blunderbooze, after the accident, turned his attention towards processing the sweet pods into something slightly less explosive than rum.
With mid-summer came an end to the rains, and the approach of some very welcome faces: namely, unfamiliar ones.
They took up residence in the dining hall much to the initial annoyance of the doctor, who warmed to their presence when he saw that the majority of them were, in fact, female.
"Welcome to the Hill," Cap'n Blunderbooze smiled as they began setting their various things in the corner, "Have a bite of biscuit. A free mug o' wine for anyone who can guess what's in 'em!"
"Why are there yaks in the dining room?" puzzled an aspiring mechanic who had introduced herself as Greymist, "They . . . look a bit on the slim side."
"I, eh?" is all the response she received before they were hauled out onto the grasses.
The new immigrants were as follows:
All seven of them quickly went to task in assisting Crazyteddles with hauling lumber while EmperorJon oversaw the construction of the new, larger palisade. Lacking any personal chambers or workspaces, they set aside their specific goals as guild members to assist the efforts of the fort.
Johnny Digs, lacking a pick to mine with, went to investigate the possibilities of fishing the rivers. Food reserves being low as they were, nobody objected. He returned at the end of the day with a mad look in his eye, refusing to say anything about his day besides, "Lets try to get used to plump helmets and yak meat for now, eh?"
By the end of summer, the hillside had been smoothed down by a single dwarf-height, ready for the trenches to be dug for the cave-in.
Valrandir estimated the location where the breach would occur, off to the east side of the fort.
EmperorJon's palisade, with the aid of the extra seven pairs of dwarfy hands, was progressing rapidly. The northwest corner had been erected and the yaks grazed peacefully behind it. Only a few holes had to be plugged before the entire west side of the fort would be safe from invasions. Wood was in as ample supply as labour.
The upper hills would also be cordoned off with no room for any intruders to pass or fire down upon any hapless citizens.
The Trustworthy Guild had need additions, showing that their goal was far from fruitless. Already the various faces from the myriad old guilds were finding themselves at home. Hope was in the air at this new beginning: a chance to become something greater than the society that had spawned them.
STOCKS: 
THE FORT AS IT STANDS
We've got some basic workshops, lots of lumber and a plan. I had to rearrange Valrandir's cave-in plan a little because of bumpy terrain but it'll still be performed as per his instructions with the concentric collapse method. I don't know how I got damp stone on a hill. I guess this area is just that wet.
I need everyone who has a dorf to give me their Autumn orders. Include what you want your orders, and tell me if you can what labours you want activated on your dorf. Even if it's not important, it'll help me organize things. Tell me each time you give me orders what labours you'll have activated for the season, even if it's just "same as last season."
Mipe, JoshuaIX, and anyone else who hasn't given me orders within the past couple of days: let me know if you need more time to get yours ready.
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Topic: The Hill of Deceivers .25 - A Community Fort of Treachery and Treason (Read 77776 times)