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[Varnifane]

The f'elves just got here with there caravan. I hope they brought animals for trade, we need leather. How can you equip a military when you don't have backpacks or the leather for backpacks. I mustered the forces the other day for some exercises and every few minutes another of the soldiers would run off to get food or drink. I asked why they didn't carry supplies with them. They shrugged, looked down at their already ful hands and then turned their vacant expressions back on me.

Like I said, I hope the f'elves brought pre-processed leather.

This has been my first opportunity to offer an update as we have been spending weeks at a time in what has to be the bowels of the earth. While we know Armok's blood flows beneath our feet at all times, there are places in this world (like this one) where we must delve deep to tap into it.

From the first day, under Spizha's very capable leadership, our tunnelsmiths have been digging. First the dug down well past where they had before and found what I believe to be the deepest of the caverns. With the new cavern taken into consideration Spizha directed the tunnelsmiths to adjust their path and after three weeks of digging (at level 159) they struck something our picks wouldn't bite into. It wasn't rock and it wasn't magma. But knowing magma was near Spizha backed up five levels and started exploratory tunnels until she found warm stone...

"What?"

"They what?"

I will continue after this most recent crisis.

[Varnifane]

It only took Spizha's crew a few days to find find a safe way to tap into the magma sea.


What I hadn't expected was to find was not one, but two veins of blue metal.


I am certain you have heard stories about it, and once our tunnelsmiths are worthy to mine it, I will show you what we can do with it.

Once we had determined where we could tap into the magma I drew up some plans for a properly dwarven metalworks. The one we have been using is functional, but if we are to grow from outpost into a mountainhome we need to expand our capacity. And while I love little more than turning trees into charcoal, magma powered furnaces are the way to go. The area is all but completed and the forges and smelters are being built as I write this.


Channels underneath with carved fortifications to keep fire creatures out.


I am placing living quarters and a dining room down here since it is a 2 day trek from the main fort down here. Also the ore delivery chute is almost completed.

During this same time, at the top of the fort I have sealed a couple of holes in our defenses. The fishing shack had a stairwell up to the roof to allow the stink of fish to escape. Also the goblin execution tower was open to the air. Having heard stories of goblin forces riding giant bats I ordered the stairs replaced with a section of wall. Fisherdwarves chose their filthy existence for themselves so they can experience more of the stink the rest of us endure when they are around.

I also placed a drawbridge across the opening at the top of the execution tower and linked it to a lever to keep it closed except during gravity testing.

In addition to these minor endeavors I also walled off and covered a large portion of the river bank, for future power generation, and walled off and started to cover a large flat area for secure pastures and tree farming. I will include illustrations once they are complete.

Spring ends in just over a week and the next phase of my plans start.

Now to go up to the tower and see if the f'elves reveal any goblins that have been laying in wait...

[Varnifane]

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Egebrigoth,

I regret to inform you that your son (or daughter) was killed in an ambush a few months ago. I would have written to inform you sooner, but I only just now realizes he(or she) was missing.

You will be happy to know that the fortress has not suffered any negative effects from the passing of your only child. It seems it has been years since your son (or daughter) has had any jobs that were critical to  the survival of the fort. Also, it appears he (or she) had no friends; which has prevented any loss of work due to grieving.

You will also be happy to know that your son (or daughter) was the only dwarf that was lost in the ambush. It seems that he (or she) was the first dwarf they snuck up on and while the gang of goblins were removing his (or her) torso the important dwarves got away.

I am sorry for your loss.

The Overseer

[Varnifane]

Got a month or so to go. I'll give a proper update tomorrow sometime. But here's a snapshot:

• Just opened the "entrance of doom" and I just have to link up the floodgates so we can "Release the river!" (brook actually) in a way that could never, ever, flood the fort...
• Spizha's Dungeon has handled the trolls and non-thief goblins nicely.
• Finishing up 30 sets of steel armor (breastplate, greaves, helm, gauntlets and high boots)
• Dug out a huge area for underground tree harvesting (in a few years)
• I'm hoping to have a little Armokmas present ready for any future overseer that need MOAR POWER!!!!!!!! for their projects. But it'll be close...

[Varnifane]

A few weeks before the end of my year as overseer:
 

What I at first thought to be a cute little gobbo/troll siege


Turned out to be about three times the size. What better test for the new defenses


Here you can see one dwarf that wasnt deterred by the goblin hordes. Ho moved into that position and shot the goblins as they climbed over the bodies of their kin. Occasionally one would dive over the edge to avoid his arrows or the traps. Well, more than occasionally.


I know that if I had dug it deeper then the mass of goblins and trolls would not have survived.
 

But as it is they aren't long for this world. Please note that the water is currently flowing. Remember to stop the water flow before you do much more. And drain the area once the gobs and trolls drown. I will give an illustration of where the flood and drain levers are in a separate letter.

Some specs on the entrance:

• 44 weapon traps with three blunt weapons apiece to minimize dismembering (hauling) The weapons are silver war hammers (made by us) with a handful of goblinite mauls, scourges and whips.
• There is a 5 z level drop for those that dodge the traps
• Lever 1 starts (and stops) the flooding (see below)
• Lever 2 opens the drain (see below)
• Should drain off of the map

After dealing with a siege of more than 50 goblins and trolls I declare this entrance a success. We'll see what happens when we get masses of fliers.

Thankfully I finished my present to the future overseers before the siege
 


By my calculations the total output power that 76 waterwheels at 90 power each = 6840 power. Assuming the magma is 160 z levels below the surface it will only take 1600 power worth of screw pumps to git er done. Which leaves 5240 power for linkage and the odd millstone.

[Varnifane]

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Egebrigoth,

In response to your erm...response to my initial letter I have done an investigation into the passing of your son/daughter and this is what I have been able to piece together.

Your son/daughter and another dwarf were returning from a secluded area of the fortress that dwarves do not frequent. The only explanation I was given was that they were "searching for socks". Whatever that means.

When they were returning they were surprised by goblins


There were dwarves up the hill that saw the whole thing and wrote up what they saw






As you can see from this account, your son/daughter's passing was neither quick nor painless.

I hope this helps you achieve closure in this manner.

The Overseer

[Varnifane]

Main Fortress



I enclosed and covered a medium sized area outside for food and tree farming. I also moved the miasma generating refuse and corpse stockpiles out here. The only was into either of these areas are from below.



This level has a hollowed out area for underground tree and food farms also there are five new levers on this level

Lever 1 Floods the entrance pit
Lever 2 Drains the entry pit off screen
Levers 3 and 4 operate the retracting bridges in Spizha's Dungeon (see below)
Lever 5 operates the ridge covering the goblin diving area in the tower.



This level has a second underground tree farming area and the stairs that go up to the outside areas.



I created two furniture storage levels 1/5 of the way down to the forges and have designated goold nuggets as available for building, crafts and masonry.



Here is our fully operating forgeworks. All of the smelters are dwarfed and cranking out metal bars. Also I have queued up 10 full sets of steel armor. There is an un-etched area of stonework available for expanding the housing area in case you want to start up a glass works. For...say...160 magma safe pumps. There are three magma chutes under the floor that are ready to be tapped for magma glass furnaces, kilns, etc.

I forgot what this lever does. Actually I remember, but I'm not telling.


Spizha's Dungeon



I combined all of the animal stockpiles here. From these pits it is a 3 z level drop into the training chamber slowing the creature down.



These are the training chambers (3 z levels below). You can station a squad in the training chambers to deliver the beat downs. The exit from the training chambers is a hatches (to be locked before dropping).



One level up are two armories that can house training squads
The exit stairs on this level are also covered by hatches to be locked if things get out of hand



The next level up has a tortuous path with two retracting bridges. In the middle is an archer stationing area behind fortifications and the exit from this level goes directly into main stairwell.

[Varnifane]

Snapshot



Save

http://www.4shared.com/file/4SS-HFRS/Ceilingchew-12.html

[Yoink]

Nice! Okay, I'll download in a bit and get started.

[Yoink]

Roight, well just bumping this to say that I've downloaded the save, and I'll start soon. Just gotta work out heads or tails of the place, first. There are a whole bunch of drowning goblins causing mass job cancellations.

[Varnifane]

Make sure you read my updates. Otherwise you won't know how to stop the water flow. The drownings will stop on their own...

[drakon136]

Yoink, you gonna start soon? It's already been 3 days.

[Yoink]

From the Journal of Yagor Cogudos, Warrior-Mayoress of Ceilingchew, 14th of Slate in the Year 12

So, the general populace, in their wisdom, has once again turned to me to lead them.
I am not sure why... I hardly leave the barracks these days, preferring the endless, purifying exertion of sparring to wandering the fort's confusing labyrinths, filled with dead-ends, corners and dormant workshops.
But, never-the-less, I shall attempt to make the fortress more ordered, not to mention battle-ready, for the future.

For starters, naturally, I ordered that nothing crafted from trifle pewter shall leave these walls in trade. I do not remember the last time I have seen anything made from trifle pewter, but I am ever wary for a sight of such a wondrous substance, knowing that my un-trustworthy fellows would gladly steal it away from me...

Then, it was on to less important things, like ordering the creatures pastured, trained and sheared, getting the workshops back in action, and having someone pull the lever to drain the ingenious trap made by my predecessor.
It feels strange to have such responsibilities again... All things considered, I would really rather train all day, every day. But I suppose it's a good thing to be out and about in the fort more often again, since that fool 'C' got himself killed before even giving me a single child.
I suppose a fort-ful of armed, loyal dwarves would be just as good as a brood of warrior-children, after all...

Spoiler: Notes (click to show/hide)

 I started a couple of days ago, sorry for not posting sooner. I've had a few crashes cost me progress, and the fort itself is just. So. Confusing. But I'm getting the hang of it now!

[drakon136]

Yoink, you've got two days to finish. You gonna post again?

[Yoink]

From the Journal of Yagor Cogudos, Warrior-Mayoress of Ceilingchew, 6th of Malachite in the Year 12

Not much has happened. I grow bored. A couple of fools were kicked to death by a rogue yak bull before we could kill it.
I had onul Ozsitlitast shoot one of the elven traders for entertainment, but that is like stepping on ants, not a true battle.
...Perhaps I shall build an arena? A great monument to dwarven strength, and within its hallowed walls I can slaughter captive goblins in their droves! Yes, this idea appeals to me... It shall be done.

Spoiler: Note (click to show/hide)

 More updaets comin'! D: It's just there's nothing much to write about...