Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jelle]

Well that didn't go as I expected...

I'm having a hard time believing this is a vanilla worldgen. I've never heard of dark stranglers before, but fair enough the surprise was pleasant. Now I discover another rather strange civ called Beak Wolf, who apparently also sieges fortresses with a rather low population and short lifespan.
Normally I'm used to seeing the goblins come in large force until later, so I know exactly when I need to be prepared but this....looks like I'd have to start churning out equipment right after securing a position given how sieges happen so quickly. Not difficult but you do need to know.
Suffice it to say my metal industry  that was being set up did little to prepare me against a siege of two dozen of these beak wolf creatures riding either a polar bear or an alligator, followed by another dozen of war cheetahs.

I did not expect this in a vanilla worldgen so I was ill prepared. I walled off and am taking the easy way out with traps. Would have been nice to know about these peculiar civs beforehand though. 

[Lord Urist]

This isn't quite vanilla - as said in the original post, there's a few of the weaker civs from the Fortress Defence mod added too. 

[mill1223]

I got this thing:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Lord Urist]

Hmm, call me crazy but I'm planning on pumping magma up from the magma sea (-112) to my forges (-6). A pump stack 106 z-levels tall... 

I might just try a magma piston.

[jellsprout]

Done with year three. I unfortunately lost my manager sometime during the summer due to all my barrels being used to store Strangler meat without me noticing. I put an end to that once I noticed all the blue arrows and I thought I started my booze production on time again, but unfortunately my manager decided he could do a few more days without a drink. Luckily he was the only victim.

I have finished my barracks, with a training area and a sleeping area. I have also finished the hospital, fully stocked and with room for 12 dwarves. And finally, I have finished furnishing the meeting hall and the sleeping hall.

Several sieges and ambushes by Stranglers, Beak Wolves, Goblins and Tigermen. Only one casualty, a commoner who thought it a good idea to attack a fleeing Goblin Snatcher. My Militia Commander also happened to be my Expedition Leader, so the Outpost Liason decided to follow him into a siege. Unfortunately the Liason did not survive.

I have gotten an almost-legendary weaponsmith, so I've been producing more steel equipment. First thing I'll be doing now is promote my five soldiers to Captains and train up new recruits. It is also time I start replacing the slabs with tombs. Overall my fortress is stable now.

[PotatoOverdose]

From the Hall of Records:

Spring 200

Arrived at the site of our future City. There are seven of us.
[My standard embark]
Four Marksdwarves (dodger 5/marksdwarf 2/archer 2/ambusher 1)
One Mechanic (mechanic 5/miner 5)
One Architect (Building Designer 5/miner 5)
And myself, expedition leader (Carpenter 5/Brewing 3/Appraiser 1/Judge of Intent 1)
Along with a pair of wardogs, a pair of cats, and some supplies and pack animals we must carve out a livelihood here in this snow covered wasteland.

So be it.

I instructed the Marksdwarves to kill all of the wildlife (A large number of reindeer along with a moose or two and a small amount of giant badgers) so that we may toil in peace.

The first order of toil is to dig a hole, tap the aquifer, construct a reactor/waterfall to keep the drones (the other dwarves) happy. In the mountain homes an old dwarf touched in the head with sun sickness claimed that if you construct a waterfall in the middle of the main meeting hall of a city, the people will be able to drink from the mists themselves and never complain of anything, even if you force them to sleep on a pile of manure.

Well anything that leaves more fine lager for yours truly is certainly worth a shot.

Midsummer 200

The suntouched one was right! We completed the reactor and waterfall before the start of the summer season. Since then the Drones have stopped asking for beds or booze. They just stand in the mists and inhale while grinning like a bunch of idiots, doing anything I command. ANYTHING.
By all the beards of Armok, I must make sure nothing, nobody takes this paradise away from me!

Winter 200
The defenses are, for the most part complete. A keep (with a stone roof to keep flying harpies, eagles, and their ilk out), an atom smasher, some cage traps, and a support that will cause one fine cave in on anything I deem fit. I will have the engraver engrave a schematic of the main floor of the keep and the main drone floor.

The Keep:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Drone floor with Reactor/Waterfall:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Late Winter 200

Well, looks like the defenses were completed just in time. Two sieges at once! A group of dark stranglers in the west.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

and Some beak wolf hunters with a war polar bear in the east!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I've seen beak dogs and war dogs before, but beak wolf hunters? and a WAR polar bear? Good thing the drones have been sniffing that mist.

The stranglers have at it first, half of them get caught in cage traps, about five died to the atom smasher, and I sent in the marksdrones to finish off the rest. Two make it out alive and escape.

The beakwolf hunters and war polar bear have at it next. I pull back the marksdwarves. What happens next is best engraved rather than written:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Of the sixteen beak wolf hunters and one war polar bear none survived. Even the drones will eat well tonight! It's been a good year.

[RenoFox]

My first year:

Because of sieges, embarked with a proficient mechanic, dogs and several dangerous-hooved animals. The name Hoofchambers was obviously suitable for this.

Before unpausing the game, the dogs started biting each other.

Started digging straight for magma, made a small square canal around entrance just in case, and made the dodging trainer the militia commander.



21. Granite, 200: Discovered magma sea, built bedrooms, mined hematite and built a dining room in its place.

24. Felsite, 200: Remembered that you dont need mud to farm on soil, and could have started farming right away instead of still waiting for the river to thaw.

Forgot anvil, built trade depot for trading one in as soon as possible.

11. Galena, 200: All 12 dwarves housed, half of them operating furnaces, quarter of them in the militia. Still no anvil though, so we're just making steel until we get it.

3rd Timber, 200: Some dwarves relocated due to an aquifier incident. The miners complain so much about digging under ponds that I didn't realize it was serious this time. Always keep a door and a hatch at hand just in case!



Dug a dirt area underground to feed animals during winter.

Traders brought anvil, smiths get busy.

10th Felsite, 201: Three squads training, first one armed and skilled enough for practice genocide with the badgermen.

First siege; 4 dead frogmen, 7 wounded and 2 dead dwarves.

My experimental pickfighter decided to die standing up in the hospital with no job.

15th Galena, 201: Second siege; 4 dead beak wolves, 4 wounded and 3 dead dwarves, including my militia commander responsible for teaching dodging.

Trained by killing giant badgers, second militia commander died.


Here's the main animal floor, two levels below surface so it is safe from channeling. Pasture is on the left, hospital on the right, cistern at south with the well itself above the river level. Depot at the center, with craftsdwarfs shop and crafts pile, and leatherworks right next to the depot because I trade for most of my materials.

[Sutremaine]

Giant badgers ripped apart a couple of soldiers while the caravan guards stood by and did nothing, and made everyone unhappy. So I attacked the caravan.

[Rushmik]

Posting to watch, and probably play once my current fort reaches its inevitable demise. 

[Duntada Man]

Does it count if I go in as an adventurer?

[Sutremaine]

The caravan was vanquished, and in the end only two dwarves remained. Now enemies of their mountainhome, they were briefly able to tend each other's wounds before suffering the attentions of the yak cow that had originally pulled their wagon. When the caravan had come, she was on the verge of being slaughtered. If only the giant badgers had waited a little longer. Now she stood guard as the turkey eggs below began to hatch, producing a small army of feathered beasts. Eventually they decided to take down the yak themselves, but victory came at a price. The former leader was wounded heavily, suffering a broken arm that rendered him deeply unconscious. The last dwarf standing was unhappy, and wanted a meeting to air his grievances. So he waited, out in the snow. The two of them grew thirsty. The other dwarf waited. The distant gobbling of the turkey poults unnerved him. He abandoned his vigil to silence them, but his hunger and thirst slowed his feet and he was unable to catch them as they fled before him like a swarm of disturbed flies. So he would wait at a distance until they returned to their mothers' nests, and then follow them in. Far to the south, the former leader began to starve.

Deep in winter the fortress was visited for the first time since the slaughter. The stranglers arrived from the west, passing by the former leader's immobile form and running for the makeshift wooden bridge. The swordsdwarf hung back in the trees and waited for them to finish his job. It was not long before one of the gobbling creatures caught his attention, and he chased after it as he had chased after so many these two months. More creatures, the stranglers, attracted his attention, and he chased them too, all the way to the southern border. He had something to eat and returned to his meeting. The former leader raved in his sleep, and the swordsdwarf waited patiently for him to finish. He fell still, and did not stir again.

The swordsdwarf plucked a few handfuls of rope reed from the snowy farm, and took off all his clothes and armour as he descended into the depth of the fortress. The buzzing of the flies helped to clear his mind, and he made his decision. He would leave.

[Jelle]

Anual report to the mauntainhome, Idrathfikod "TreasureGlazed:

Work on the industry section went well, and the stonehaulers are running out of work, they may haul ores of hematite to the smelters instead.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The mason complains the stone the miners dug out is worthless, granite is not a stone worthy of dwarven craftsmanship. The mason wants to use  the liquid stone surrounding us, but it needs to be cool to be shaped in fine dwarven furniture. Plans for an obsidian forge are made.
If the fortress had a bookkeeper he would be telling us we have run out of food and drinks. The amount of farms is doubled and another planter is assigned. The hungry angry dwarves grumble of throwing the lazy planter in the liquid stone. Everyone drinks water for the time being.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A group of 3 blind cave ogres found it's way to our fortress. The cavern life is everything but friendly as these 3 giant monsters come to show us. 20 dwarves are drafted along to fight next to the militia commander.
We are victorious, the ogres are defeated by what Urist likes to call a 'gangbang', the ogres could do little to defend themselves against a flurry of blows, even if the dwarves were unarmed.
One combatant took unarmed a little to literally and lost his left arm. Soon after he died in bed because of dehydration as the fortress does not have any buckets. Note to self: have buckets made.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Terrible news! A siege led by creatures called Beak Wolves, two dozen of them riding on war polar bears and war aligators, followed by a pack of war jaguars. Our trainee metalsmith has not had enough time to outfit more then a handful of dwarves.
The decision is made to seal off our entryway, blocking all acces to the fortress and the farms. The fortress stagnates as no more ore can be hauled. Many dwarves are idling and wondering what will happen next.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The ore stockpile runs dry.
The obsidian forge is postponed until the current situation is dealt with.
Just what we need, since so many dwarves are idling some have taken to using their brain, thinking up all sorts of crazy artifacts and irrational demands. Can't blame them being locked inside the fortress for so long.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Beak Wolves and their dangerous war polar bears seem to have left after slaughtering a tribe of swallow men instead of us. We keep the wall in place for the time being, just to be sure.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

One of the miners was not cautious enough in channeling out a section of the crafting hall, he fell into the magma sea, killing him in the blink of an eye. 't was a dwarfy death, may his body rest in the blood of armok.
One of the other miners, working more cautiously ofcourse, saw a magma crab swimming into the fortress at times. He wants the crab to be caught, but how this will benefit the fortress  is unknown.
Still, it could provide a much needed distraction from the sorry state the fortress is in with all these dwarves idling, so work has begun on making a number of cage traps.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Another year has passed, we will soon re open the entrance and gather more ore. The miners are tasked to carve out a barracks for the soon to be armed dwarves. When the Beak Wolves return we will be ready.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Jelle]

I love this fortress already.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A quick question, I've found some spider silk called great fiend spider silk, wich I assume comes from something called a great fiend spider. I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is this?

[Lectorog]

Taken from the Fortress Defense Two mod:
Race Four:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Great Fiend Spiders (size: 100,000)

What happens when you take the bane of the depths of the underground chasms - the Giant Cave Spider - and allow it to breed in such numbers that it spreads across the land? The answer is the eight-legged plague known as the Great Fiend Spider. Though its size is not especially intimidating, its ability to fire silk and its deadly paralytic venom can cripple your dwarves, preventing them from moving or fighting back as they are torn to shreds by the dribbling mandibles of the spiders. Of all the foes in this mod, I fear these the most.

If you found that silk in your caverns, I suggest you leave.

[Lord Urist]

Well, that didn't exactly work out. Thus follows the log of Nish the Expedition Leader in the second year of Treasureglazed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 201
1st Granite
Oh... oh my. I am lost for words, speechless. Just as soon as I close the logbook for the first year, and prepare to start writing the second, I hear this from the miners:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Truly we have been blessed.

3rd Granite
Perhaps I spoke too soon... Armok preserve our souls.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This isn't good... we have a population of 16 and a military of 4, only two of which know which end of a spear goes in the enemy! The miners have been

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The miners have been ordered to seal up the shaft, but...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Just as we were toasting the success of the first year - the second immediatly comes to get revenge. Our prospects of survival do not look good.

7th Granite
We... we survived. The shaft was sealed up, and the Demons seem to remain unaware of our presence. Let us hope it remains that way.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Author's note: Where the heck is the magma sea? o.O

10th Granite
We struck the magma sea. Truly this is an amazing start to the year. It remains to be seen if it is a blessing or a curse.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We also struck 2 more adamantine veins.

21st Granite
Migrants!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Our population, previously at 16, has more than doubled to 35. I'm not sure we can accomodate this many more people! At least we have more recruits for the military, by the looks of things.
In other news, that guinea pig that got stuck in the caverns has bled to death.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1st Slate
Kubuk, one of our... quite frankly useless clothiers (why do we have so many??) has withdrawn from society:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Let's see what happens.

12th Slate
Kogan, our woodcutter - who took over after poor Alath died last year at the hands of the badgers - has been attacked by a giant badger. Fortunately, he made it out of there in only two pieces - his right hand, and the rest of him. It's more than could have been said for Asath.
Amazingly, he's still walking around, and doesn't require a doctor. Just as well, as we don't have one.

14th Felsite
We are under attack!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Only stranglers though, let's see how this goes.
Already we have lost two:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Although we don't really care about the piglet. Or the clothier for that matter. (Author Note: That was the one who became moody!)
And the bridge is raised. We are safe - for now.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

24th Hematite
We have chosen to remain hidden behind our walls and raised drawbridge, at least until we can give our fledgling military some weapons... or armour for that matter. As the Elven caravan that arrived became subsequently trapped behind the drawbridge, they have been desperately searching for a way out. One of the miners reported this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

3rd Malachite
We have decided we must break this siege - our military stands ready to fight. The drawbridge has been lowered, and they are going to go out and face the stranglers.
Battle is joined, and almost immediately one our recruits, Kib, goes down.

5th Malachite
Hurrah! The siege is broken! Kib was the only casualty, but several of the others have sustained injuries. This is a bad time to realise we have no doctor.

10th Malachite
We are currently making a pump stack to take the magma from deep underground, and get it to nearer our industrial area. However, to do this we have to go through several caves. A giant mole snuck in through one of the entrances and badly mauled a miner before it died. Let us hope the miner survives.

20th Malachite
Oh noes!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Thankfully, the cavern section in which he has appeared has recently been sealed off. We should be safe. Unless he can fly over our walls.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Dammit, he can probably fly.

22nd Malachite
Well he didn't appear to notice us - we finished walling off that cavern completely, so we should be safe.

24th Limestone
*More* migrants. Otherwise known as more people to haul stuff.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

4th Sandstone
Well as part of making the magma pump stack, a stupid child got trapped on the wrong side. And the miners don't want to rescue him. If it wasn't for that fact that his father is the militia commander I'd leave the stupid to die.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

20th Sandstone
Well, this is not Nish writing now - it is Logem, the bookkeeper. Nish has been taking by a fey mood, and is currently running around grabbing pieces of wood. I fear for his sanity.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He just woke up in the middle of the night, declared that he had to make something - I know not what - and ran off!

26th Sandstone
I have done it! I have completed my life's work... Godeninstol, a highwood cabinet. It menaces with spikes of highwood. I hope this is something I shall be remembered by.
(Author's note: This was crafted from a single highwood log, and is worth a total of 2400 dorfbucks. It's sole addition is some spikes. Not very impressive!)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

28th Sandstone
...oops. We should really have learnt our lesson with Alath. Slabs being made now!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

7th Timber
We've got another uninvited guest.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

9th Timber
Kib has been put to rest.
In other news, we have built a small bridge across the gorge so that our woodcutters may chop down the wood there. Nasty elf-stuff.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

16th Timber
Oh... oh no. This might be the worst disaster we've had yet. We attempted to do some quick work in the caverns, to help improve the drawbridge defences (Author's note: I realised I had forgotten about diagonal movement when building the moat for a drawbridge.) but alas, one of the Forgotten Beasts - Litheme, a giant beetle - made its way in during those few brief moments. The miners, woodcutters and what passes for our military have all be drafted to fight it. We do not hold out much hope.

1st Moonstone
We are down to 26 dwarves. Litheme is missing, assumed dead, having fled into the caverns with just about all of it broken in some way. In doing so we paid a heavy price - its deadly dust killed the entire military, miners and woodcutters - those who were initially conscripted to fight the beast. After that everyone charged it. I am not sure we can go on - we have no axes or picks. To this end, we have chosen to abandon the fort for now. With luck, we may be able to reclaim the site next year, with a fresh expedition. But for now this is to be my last entry in this journal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I check Legends mode and that nasty beast did die. Who killed it? Logem the bookkeeper, who  shortly thereafter suffocated. Although Litheme had only 5 kills to its name, it in fact killed many more, Logem amongst them, from its 'deadly dust'. So it actually killed about 20 altold.