Excerpts from the Journal of Irony II Fikodavuz
Deathgate, Last Stronghold of the Basement of Murders
Year 779
[Part 0: Epidemic]Part 1: BeginningsPart 2: Dwarves of DeathgateNCommander's account of the connections between Upper and Lower Deathgate (Before my turn, several walls have since been removed.)
Part 3: The Widening GyrePart 4: The Blood-dimmed Tide is Loosed24 LimestoneHe's finally done it. Not content with merely wounding dwarves, our tormentor has outright killed someone. Ripped off his head, right there in the wood furnace where he was working. No one will go near the place now.
The worst thing is, when I saw what had happened, I... I don't know what came over me.
I laughed. I
laughed at the mangled corpse lying before me, and the terrible shadow that had done it. And couldn't stop laughing. Kosoth, NCommander, and NRDL had to carry me back to my quarters because I was paralyzed with that insane laughter. Once they had left me there I kept on until I was hoarse. Only when she came did I return to myself. Only then did the full reality of what I had seen set in.
This madness has to end before he kills us all.
10 SandstoneToday I observed as the first stage of the aqueduct was filled with water. Now what remains is to hook the floodgates up to a lever, channel out the last few connections down below, and release
the riverthe aquifer.
There is much left to do before year's end. I hope I can find time to keep record of it all in here.
16 TimberAmidst the continued toppling of beds and coffins by our ghostly ancestors, news reached us that a caravan from the outer lands had actually arrived !
And of course, so did a goblin ambush. Three of the caravan guards were killed in the ensuing battle, but most of the goblins were defeated either by the remaining guards or by our bridge.
[OCC: This bridge once again saved the fortress. I didn't even notice the goblins had made it that far, since I was too busy watching caravan guards get slaughtered. Apparently spiked silver balls are somewhat effective.]
27 TimberSince our last trader died at the beginning of the year, the nearest dwarf to the trade depot took it upon himself to conduct negotiations. For his initiative and successful negotiation, "renegadelobster" has now been appointed official broker.
Since my last entry, we obtained several bags of gypsum plaster, as well as sand, food, and booze from the dwarven caravan, in exchange for bins of old clothing that will no doubt seem like treasures to the wandering dwarf clans. Another child was stricken by the demon plague, and joins Doren in the hospital.
Speaking of Doren, I haven't heard how his surgery went. I've been so busy, and still am... I'd better get down there as soon as I can.
WINTER 779 And everywhere, the ceremony of innocence is drowned...3 Moonstone[The ink is blotted and smeared, the writing sloppy and difficult to read even without the puddles of ink.][Doren] ... [d]octor? Where was [his] assistant? Why ... happen? He survived the [illegible] of
demons, but not [the] [la]ziness of his fellows, nor the jealous [dead.(?)]
All for nought. All for nought.
[illegible] [M]other [illegible] I will see him [illegible]
9 MoonstoneDegel Monangzon has entered adulthood. I set her to work immediately on the aqueduct. It must be finished at all costs before year's end.
11 MoonstoneMet with mother again today. I think I almost heard something.
14 MoonstoneThe merchants have departed. Now that we have what we needed, I've ordered the gate sealed.
1 OpalOnce more he strikes, the enemy of our lives. This time the object of his envy was Kol Kalantulon, recently elevated Head Mechanic, and keystone of our future plans. She lost her right hand, but escaped with her life.
16 OpalReports of loud noises in the Areltulon, which I have now personally verified, suggest that the Forgotten Beast we had seen earlier in the upper lake has descended through the aqueduct and now waits just beyond the bridge at its lower end. It might be possible, with careful planning, to flush him into hell.
But I cannot deal with that now. The aqueduct nears completion.
18 OpalSodel Febmidor, a year old child, practically an infant, has been taken by a mood.
She claimed a mason's workshop this morning. Hopefully she can find what she needs. I do not look forward to Scaliper's face if she does not.
20 OpalShe has begun construction on a mysterious object!
25 OpalSodel completed her work. Barely a year old and she crafted an adamatine cabinet, and no ordinary adamantine cabinet either.
29 OpalThe aqueduct is almost finished. All that remains is to connect the floodgates to a lever, set up the last few walls and floodgates, and it will be ready for operation.
7 ObsidianThe lever has been pulled! But... the water is not flowing. I don't understand.
The best lack all conviction,...8 ObsidianI still don't see why it didn't work, but I may have a solution. Now if only the miners can reach it safely.
11 ObsidianWell... the water is finally flowing. But apparently someone cracked the base of the stairway on that level, and the very hallway on which we placed the control lever flooded. Not too deeply, and the lever was pulled once more, but still. That was close. The entire fortress could have been drowned.
14 ObsidianIn my haste to finish this project, I fear I have made a serious error. I connected Deathgate's existing water supply to the dry wells under the hospital, thinking that with these connected, the water from the third aqueduct could keep both at an even, drinkable level. However, since the aqueduct is currently
not flowing, water levels throughout Lower Deathgate have dropped dangerously low, and there is significant risk of foliage clogging the works, just as it already has the original aqueducts.
We desperately need to get this flowing.
...while the worst are full of passionate intensity.21 ObsidianThe floors have been reinforced, and the aqueduct is flowing once more. However, it is flowing much slower than expected. We shouldn't have any overgrowth problems in the main channel, but if it can't refill the old channels in Deathgate soon, we will have to send woodcutters down into the pipes.
And all that will likely be someone else's responsibility, as Mayor Rigothvir has said she has something else for me to do come Spring.
22 ObsidianYet another ghost has risen.
26 ObsidianYet more complications! A stoneshaper wandered into the draining well and was nearly swept down to his death. Somehow he managed to swim against the current and climb up the old stairway used to build the well, all the while with water pouring down around him, and escape.
I don't know what he was doing in there in the first place, but we clearly need to wall off or door off all access to that tunnel. Well, I say we. Whoever the mayor puts in charge after me.
27 ObsidianAgain! This time the head carpenter, Mitchewawa, tried to clean himself in the torrential downpour, lost his footing, and was severely injured.
The Mad Fool risked his own life to pull him from the churning waters, and carry him down to the hospital, but I don't know if he will make it.
Surely some revelation is at hand;28 ObsidianAnd so my year comes to an end. Kosoth has said she wants me working with her more closely this year, so she has given over command of the fort's daily operations to ThatAussieDwarf. I have no doubt that he can manage at least as well as I.
Our tormentor is still at large. I could find no way to end his reign of terror, though at last perhaps I have a clue. Today, after my meeting with the mayor, I saw my mother again. This time, this time when she tried to speak, I heard her voice.
It was nothing like the voice I remembered, but I knew it all the same.
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.She said, in a whisper that sounded like a thousand trumpets,
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Topic: Deathgate - And We Must Scream (Finished Succession Game) (Read 865677 times)