Sphala's Journal: End of Year entry
Wow, hard to believe a year's gone by already. It's been a real ride. Getting that food shipment out really made everything worth it. There will be no more starving dwarves thanks to what we've done here.
I don't know if they'll need us to keep supplying them with food, but the farm complex and food storerooms are finlly finished.
I would have like to make them bigger, but there just wasn't time.
Oh, and the residential wing is also finally finished! Every adult dwarf has a room there now. Of course, we're going to have to expand it soon with all the children that are around here now. My kids alone are going to need their own circle of rooms.
We're turning the old living area into tombs. I hope we'll never need them, we still have plenty of room in the old tombs, but it's always good to have beforehand just in case. Besides, after the haunting, that hallway's been all creepy.
I wish Arzun could be happier about all this. He's been so grumpy lately. Last time I spoke to him, he told me to tell the metalsmith to make a tin throne, for his tomb! He's got a perfectly good throne as it is, and what good is a throne in your tomb anyway?
Besides, we haven't a single bar of tin in the entire fortress.
Well, I just got some news that should cheer him up. I'm saving it for the big announcement tonight.
It is the end of the year. A holiday has been declared, in celebration of the fortress's founding. Fine food - the best of what Icemachine's cooks can make, set aside and not exported - is being eaten, and booze flows freely from golden barrels.
In the cramped yet elegant dining room, the lady mason known as 'Sphala' stands and addresses the crowd."My fellow dwarves! My Fellows! Hey! EVERYONE LISTEN! Thank you. I have three special announcements to make on this occasion! Everyone listen, this is important!"
"We just got a note back from the Liaison! He made it to the mountainhomes, and sent back a message. Everyone listen to this!"
"Arzun's a count now! You all better be extra nice to him. Where is Arzun anyway, anyone seen him?"
"Ok, the second announcement is a historical thing. Remember that Bronze Colossus we killed this year? The Liaison mentioned that to some record-keepers, and they looked him up, and it turns out he was some kind of historical figure! With him dead, they're declaring it a new age!"
"So that's pretty good news! Now we just need to get that Mountain Titan, and it'll be the Age of Icemachines!"
A raucous cheer passes around the room."Now my third announcement."
Sphala takes a deep breath. "I. NEED. A. BREAK. I can't do this anymore! It's all work, everyone needing me to tell them what to do every moment of the day! I have a family to take care of! I had a baby this year and barely noticed, I was so busy!"
"I'm putting Paladin Mitch in command. Anyone know where she is? Off fishing again? Good, then she can't stop me. I've got all the papers signed, just need someone to witness it. Are you all good witnesses? Great. Then it's settled. Now someone give me a drink."
While the celebration rages on, Shorast the Cook is one of the few still at work in Icemachines, making sure the storeroom under the dining hall is well-stocked with food and drink. He pauses a moment to admire a fine stack of polar bear meat roasts, one of his finer works. Then, a sudden flash of inspiration.Shorast turns and runs back up the stairs to the larder. Urist McHuman's workshop is here, freshly carved bone bolts stacked aside it.Shorast sweeps aside some chips of bone, then heads out to collect materials...