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[Haika]

~~~

They called us mad. For we loved our Animals so. Lions, Bears, Giant Rats, Majestic Moose, Dangerous Cave Crocodiles. We loved them all. We are Tobul Ishium, The Canyon of Nuts. Named so by our peers as they sent us away from the mountainhomes.

My name is Cookie, the appointed broker and leader for the time being. Six other souls came with me, each with their own animal loving ways:
Miner/Mason/Stonecrafter - Khenal, Likes Peacocks
Woodcutter/Carpenter
Appraiser/Judge of Intent/Cook - 'Cookie'(Haika)
Brewer/Grower - 'Shade, Of The Night'(Shadenight123)
Animal Caretaker/Animal Trainer - Unrealjake, likes Bears
Butcher/Tanner
Leatherworker/Bonecrafter

We embark for a scorching volcano, "The Foolish Furnaces" in the northernmost reaches of our known lands. There we shall build a new empire. One of compassion and partnership. There we will found Feregen, 'Beastgift'.

~~~
Heya all.

I was thinking of starting up a succession game. I don't usually do them, but I've always loved the idea of having a fortress focused on animals. With the Lazy Newb pack's exotic animal toggle letting you choose many exotics from embark, and a boosted embark point amount(max amount of 10k) to buy them, I created us a world.


2x2 block, smallish to deal with the fps that will become a struggle eventually. The volcano is on a very small 4z level mountain hill covered in bubblegrass from the mirthful zone. Basically we got a hilly zone, with a level pool of lava nestled into the side of a hill.

Dfma map


The Full unit listing on embark:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Them's a bunch o animals dere Urist.

The way I see this working is typical succession style. We each do a year, and then pass it on. Normal rules apply, no flooding, no totally ruining the game for the next person. With a SPECIAL RULE: No killing off a species of animal if you can help it. Always keep at least a breeding pair alive. Role Play is optional, screenshots encouraged, and some sort of update in this thread required as you play.

The goal for the fort is to focus on the animals, and write from your dwarf's perspective. Everyone who plays is welcome to choose a dwarf, and I would also suggest choosing a favorite animal species(or hated if you like.) Crafts should be bone and leathercrafts. Rooms should be built around paddocks for the animals. Extreme care should be placed on obtaining and managing grass and moss areas for grazers, and every animal the elves bring should be bought to expand the species count. I fully expect us having to play with cavern water and muddied ground to create our own moss grazing areas in cut stone chambers.

The larger animals this first year are going to be the biggest problem. I'll do my best, but I'm not even sure if Moose and Giraffe will survive in all this dry grass landscape. Not even sure a Giraffe can keep itself fed at all with the pasture code.

Player List:
*Appraiser/Judge of Intent/Cook - 'Cookie'(Haika)
*Animal Caretaker/Animal Trainer - UnrealJake, likes Bears
*Brewer/Grower - 'Shade, Of The Night'(Shadenight123)
*Great Beekeeper/Competent Mechanic -Peregarrett <-CURRENT
-*Haika #2
-*Jake #2(maybe)
-*Shade #2

[Khenal]

Looks like a fun twist.  I'd like to claim the Miner as Khenal, and I like me some peacocks for their feathers.

Don't put me on the list for playing though.  I'd like some rp and to not destroy a fort

[UnrealJake]

Dibs on the Animal Caretaker, and the bears >=D

Dear god, I can already see ways to set the military up...

[Haika]

Ok, updated the first post, and will begin to run my turn today. Hopefully more people will show up as we go on.

[Khenal]

Journal of Khenal, Stonedwarf

Cookie says we should keep journals, says they'll be of great importance to later generations of blah blah blah.  Might as well do it, if only to not get bothered about it.  Ya, Stonedwarf is my profession, what of it?  Never heard of it?  Course not, I invented it!  What would you call a dwarf who does just about everything with stone that can be done with stone.  I mine, I make furniture and even crafts from the stuff, so I'm a stone dwarf.  Lots easier than saying "Oh, hey.  I'm a miner/mason/stonecrafter."  Ya, rolls right off the tongue it does.

Anyhow, the founding.  Cookie got this idea to take a bunch of animals along with us.  Not too odd, until you realize he brought mating pairs of just about everything known to dwarfkind!  Still, it's not bad.  He brought along a peacock and a peahen, so he can't be all loony.  Not to mention the more traditional dogs/cats/etc.  Even a few bears and somebody who knows how to train animals.


*Day 1*

Cookie says we've reached the place, and it looks pretty good.  You know, apart from the heat.  I swear it's cooler around the magma pool than anywhere else on the surface here.  Oh, and the vegetation is pretty sparse.  I expect Cookie'll have me digging for caverns sooner rather than later so the big grazers don't starve.  Better wrap this up, looks like he has the initial digging planned.  Time to work.

[Haika]

Ok then, and away we go.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1st of Granite, Spring 1001.

By Armok's beard, it's hot. We've arrived on the volcano edge, and my first job is sorting out where each animal should be placed. At least for the grazers. The animals outnumber us dwarves nearly 10 to 1. We can wait a bit until they get situated. The last thing we need is them turning on each other because of space limitations.

I told the Woodcutter to start chopping down the few trees we have around here, to make more space for grass, as I began the laborous process of plotting out all of these pastures.


The first pasture I set up is for the Giraffe. Along with the water buffalo, these long necked creatures will probably be the hardest to keep fed. I'm trying a new pasture technque that uses a checkerboard type pattern to try and save the grass. We will see how it goes.


Next up comes the water buffalo themselves. We have three bulls and only one cow. Not how I would have chosen it, but the ones we used to pull the wagon will be pretty ragged. I'm going to have the Butcher set up a shop outside for now, and take down a couple of these extra bulls for food, hides, and bones.

.
.
.

Seems like I've been at this forever, But every grazing animal we have, now should have a pasture set up in the dry grasses.  I now need to turn my eyes to getting the other animals unto enough space underground. with that I've asked that everyone take up mining, and I'm going to use some of our copper to make a forge on the volcano to make more picks for everyone.

Khenal is the only one with skills to mine currently, so he will take the first pick and begin the excavation.

~~


12th of Granite
It seems I may need to think up some sort of wall plan. The gazelle are already harassing the animals in their pastures. One of them kicked the male Cavy hard. He seems ok, but I'd rather not have wild animals attacking the pasture animals. And who knows, there may be other more dangerous visitors beyond Gazelles.

~~
9th of Slate
The Gazelles continue to run amok, you could even say they are running armok...  Ok yeah maybe not.

I put a refuse stockpile, and the butcher/tanner workshops on top of the smaller hill behind us.


After Khenal and a couple of the others managed to dig out a level right underneath that, we started planting plump helmets, and sorting food inside.  One of the wild gazelles came in to take a look, hopefully the farmers will chase it out before too long.

South of the food stockpiles will be the bird pens for now, but UnrealJake has been busy trying to keep the grazers all in the proper pastures to move the egg layers just yet. I'm looking forward to some Giant Cave Swallow Omlette.

In the hill proper we have started another digging project. Once we have some stone, I plan to take Khenal off mining for a bit, and have her get started on building some sort of exterior wall around us, even if we lose some pasture space. After that I intend to try and sink a shaft someplace to find water and the caverns below us.

~~
20th of Slate

I was helping dig out some stone when I heard Jake bust out into laughing above me. wondering what was going on, I wandered over(no one rushes in this heat), and asked what was going on. Jake said that one of the rabbits had ducked under a Gazelle kick and caught the goat-deer thing by the back leg, and took off on a ride by the mouth.



~~
11th of Felsite
The Gazelles have finally left us, to be replaced by a herd of Yaks! And boy oh boy, they were pissed at being covered in hair in this sort of climate. I'm still not sure how it happened, but our female goat was launched into the volcano with a sickening bleet and smell of burning fur.



I've given the order for the woodcutter to take up her axe and attack the yaks. Hopefully she will do better than the poor goat did.

20th of Felsite
I've tried desperately to make a shield and breastplate out of copper for the woodcutter to use as defense, but apparently the Yaks don't care. Our male pig was the next target, there is blood everywhere, and at least one pig foot sitting out in the pig's pasture. I fear it won't last much longer.


~~
27th of Felsite
The boar seems very pale, and his leg looks horrible, but he's still alive a week later. The woodcutter is fully armed in the best I can make out of copper, shield, breastplate, and battle axe. She's started her attack and is currently running around yelling at the hairy creatures.

Meanwhile, I've given Khenal the go ahead to start building a wall around us. As much as we love animals, these attacks are taking their toll.


~~

So we've lasted one spring here. Walls are going up to try and stop these random animal attacks. I'm a little worried about our food stockpiles. Hopefully next season we can get some work done on getting a dining hall up and running, and have Khenal do some stonework on pots for drinks and food.

And that's the first spring. I'm done for tonight. I have mixed feelings about that pasture method. I'm getting tons and tons of 'pasture/pen large animal' jobs being done. Also thinking about scrapping the wall idea, and going with a channel around the area instead. We can keep that closer to the edge of the map, and we don't use tons of valueable stone.

[Khenal]

*Journal Entry 2*

That was odd.  Why does Cookie think I'm a he?  I know Khenal is normally a boy name, my parents were expecting a boy!  Eh, whatever.  The heat and animals must be getting to him.

Everyone pitched in on the initial digging, which was kinda weird.  Understandable, though.  We all want out of the Armok forsaken heat as soon as possible, it's only natural everyone strike the earth to get the basics ready before the summer hits.  I tried to show everyone the basic techniques, so as to leave workable boulders.  Hopefully they were able to catch on.

*Journal Entry 3*

Got a farm dug out, Armok it's hot.  Cookie is giggling about the wild gazelle "running Armok" and stomping on the smaller critters.  Asked me to build a wall to try to protect our herd.  I'd rather find the nice cool caverns to let them graze, but they tend to have their own dangers.  Wall it is, then.  Working beats doing nothing, even in this heat.  Hopefully I'll get to make some nest boxes soon, at least a pair for the peacock/hen.  They look positively wilted out there...

*Journal Entry 4*

Seems I'm not the only one who had my gender confused.  I could have sworn the trainer was a guy, but she's a she also.  Everyone's starting to adjust to this heat, and realizing the confused funk we must have been in.  Magma under the smelter now, as the saying goes.  I was gonna complain loudly about not having any chairs to sit on to eat, then realized I'm the only mason around here.  That's fort founding for you: missing out of the amenities while something resembling civilization gets carved into a mountain.  Hopefully things will settle down soon and we can get more comfortable.  Need to find a way to secure the critters, though.  Cookie is thinking a moat instead of a wall now.  Suits me fine, trenches bring in more stone.  More stone means more things, like chairs!



(Is my dorf a she?  You seem to have bounced around on the pronouns, so I'm unsure.  Hopefully I'm a guy.  If not, I have a plan *maniacal laughter*  Plan abandoned, rolling with being a lady.  Speaking of maniacal, I've heard bad things about being outside in scorching biomes.  They mostly involve everyone's fat melting off and then bleeding to death.  Hopefully just rumors, or old versions.  Good luck with summer, off to an interesting start so far )

[Haika]

yep, a she. You, Jake, and the Woodcutter, are all females. Tried to keep it all the right way in the write up, but might have missed something somewhere.

Also scrapped the wall idea, going for a moat type thing, easier and quicker.

[Khenal]

Heh, that's hilarious   I'll just roll with being a lady then.  Gotta edit my earlier post.

[Haika]

I particularly like how she 'loves creatures of shadow for their macabre ways'.

Goth Chick ftw.

[UnrealJake]

Goth Chick ftw.

I didn't think you liked girls like that!

*Journal entry one*

Animals, we're going to have lots of Animals Cookie says. I like animals, I like animals alot. We're going to have a lot of animals, she's out there buying them now. The others say we're freaks but they're wrong. They're all wrong, they don't have any animals, how should they know? I'm going to make a bear army. It's going to be full of bears. Army bears. Army animals. Animals.

*Journal entry two*

The animals are attacking animals. It's sad. So many animals... Cookie is worried about feeding them all. Those gazelle are annoying, but they're not our animals. I wishthey were our animals. I want more animals. Can you get war gazzele? I think we should ride the war gazzele to the mountain home. Silly mountain home has no animals.  War rabbits. War rabbits good. War rabbits proper war animals, they bite gazzele. Make me laugh. I love animals.

*Journal entry three*

Animals animal animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals animals.

[shadenight123]

Hya.
dorf me in and add me to the list of players.

i'm not a complete useless coming to DF, but still might be better that someone before me pumps up the military...so everything won't end at a siege in my turn XD
i'd like to be dorfed in as Shade, with the surname "of the night".
i'll rp too...>.> if you manage, search for a dwarf who loves being alone and is not the social type.

[Haika]

This is our Brewer, I think that fits the bill on being not the social type. At least from the dwarf page there. Maybe he's a moonshine dwarf, who only likes to brew for himself far away from everyone else, and just got drafted to keep us in drink.

[shadenight123]

wait a minute. i love giant toads...but hate toads...
marvelously hypocrite! i take him! XD

Journal entry Number one

We arrived. this "cookie" guy made me start brewing. he has guts. Outside here is scorching heat. All i need is to take a step outside and bum! comes the sweat. luckily we have two giant toads. those are strong beast. worthy opponent. Not like there smaller counterparts, filthy pests, worthy only of being eaten. or destroyed in magma. Oh yes, we have magma. We have a friggin volcanoe near! i just can't fathom how many "incidents" might happen. But i'll hop on one of those giant toads and disappear, if needed. yes. i just hope we will have cheese soon enough...how i love cheese.

But still...first the dwarfs, then the animal. I'm mighty fine with keeping animals alive, but, what about US? the dwarfs? he should have started building a friggin fortress, not leaving ME... us, in the dirt. I mean it. i'll make sure his drinks gets a bit more of a...taste. He might even thank me for giving him Long drinks...eheh.

Journal entry Number 2

Cave-ins seem a thing of the past...but i'm not buying it. We need more supports. Not right now, but soon. and i still need to make more drinks. too hot around here...we also lost a goat to the lava. Told you so, didn't i? We must keep clear of the lava. Bad things happen next to lava. Why am i writing like this? because this heat is getting to my nerves. no chairs, only dirt. I want a friggin bedroom. and a still to work at. Yak's are our enemies here. We try to make a heaven for animals...and animals bring hell. time to change things.

Journal entry number 3

Remember: steer clean from making our adorable woodcutter angry.
She's decked in armour and armed. While some might love womens with hairy chests and all...i'd like not to end up chopped for ever "offending" her...
and where's the water around here?! need water! need something to cool the heat...at least a roof made of solid stone for Asiz! and ustuth, if needed.

[Haika]

Summertime!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As summer starts, I take a look at the animals lined up around the food stockpiles. They should make a good rudementary defense.

Meanwhile, I've told Khenal to work on some nest boxes for all the egg layers, and some thrones and tables for dining hall.

~~
7th Hematite
I noticed that Jake had a crossbow, quiver and some steel bolts. So I sent her off to try and get rid of the yaks with the woodcutter. Let's hope she has a decent aim.

~~
23rd Hematite
The Yaks have finally left us, to be replaced by a single Hoary Marmot. Let's hope this one won't be throwing goats into the volcano as sacrifices. I need to remember to ask for a new female goat when the caravan arrives.

In other news, I set up a small dining area in the stone that we have mined out. It's not really great, but it should do for now. And the obsidian is comforting.

~~
4th Malachite
Migrants! Let's hope they are as friendly towards animals as we are.

*Great Beekeeper/Competent Mechanic - This guy should be good to get some traps started. Also a novice in some basic combat skills.
*Talented Butcher/Proficient Bone Carver - This guy should fit in here fine once we get some decent crafting up and going.
*High Master Clothier/Talented Miller/Novice Hammerdwarf and Novice Marskdwarf - This guy seems really skilled for our little fort. He's probably going to end up as a military type postition. Maybe we can sheer some of the Llamas and Sheep for yarn and wool cloth for him to make bags out of when the time comes.
*Stray Kitten, Since this one is a female, and I don't want to worry about cats taking over, I sent the older female to the butcher shop instead. Before they start claiming dwarves and becomming pets.
*Talented Miller/Competent Metalsmith/Novice Wood Burner - Not sure what to do with this guy. Maybe set him up as a farmer to focus on the plump helmets.
*Professional Macedwarf/High Master Fish Cleaner - This gal is a hardened military dwarf. Professional use of armor, shields, maces, fighting and dodging. She's perfect for the military. That and with very little water, we don't really have much fish cleaning needed.
*Novice Presser/Novice Wound Dresser - This gal seems basically useless, however she is our first dwarf with any sort of medical skills.
*Adequate Gem Cutter/Novice Fighter - Random gem guy here. We do have some gemstones, but not much use for them just yet.
*Novice Engraver - Not much use for this guy as yet, but having some smoothed floors and walls around the beds and dining area will be a boon.

Not the most useful bunch, but there are some nice skills around. A shame there wasn't more pets or animals other than the kitten. I've relieved a few of the original seven from digging duty, and given picks to the new dwarves. We need to get this moat thing dug before the next yak herd attacks. Or something worse shows up.

~~
10th Malachite
I was cooking up some of the new eggs we have gathered from the nest boxes when I heard a sickening crunch. Apparently our Hoary Marmot friend wanted to come check out the food stockpiles. A cave Crocodile at the entrance thought differently.


Looks like I will have Marmot meat to cook with.

At the same time, now that we have more hands on deck. I've set up some stone, furniture, and general stockpiles inside the hill we have carved out. Eventually stuff should be moved underground into a proper fortress area, but this will work for now.

With the death of the marmot, comes a lone mountain goat, who took a swipe at one of the camels. Lets hope this one has the sense to stay away from the more dangerous animals.

~~
22nd Malachite
Apparently the goat didn't hear what happened to the marmot. And has now suffered the same fate. There's mountain goat blood all over my Giant Cave Swallow Roast now... Still tasty though. . .

~~
4th Galena
I've had it. The herd of cavys that showed up after the mountain goat has been interrupting the continuing effort to get that moat going. I've ordered the military to take them out, and the macedwarf has already killed a couple with an axe.


The rest of the miliary is not to be out done, even if we are short on weapons. They are tackling another cavy with their bare hands. Oooh, that eye gouge had to hurt...

A nearby dog got in on the fight as well, biting one of the cavys in the leg, and shaking it about.

~~
22nd Galena
Oi, the Yak are back. I sent the military after them. Let's hope things go well.

~~
Autumn has arrived, along with our first birth of a cow calf. The good news is that the calf is female. We may be having more cheese soon!


Stocks are looking better. We have Shade making booze and keeping that done. Though I am still worried about the channel moat getting done before my shift as leader is finished. We've barely gotten a fourth of that finished.


At least we have some beds inside now. However next season should bring us a caravan. If nothing else, I should be able to trade some of the meals I've been cooking for some more supplies.