The Second Scroll of Kalugog, servant of Asёn Gemmined, Leader of the Golden Throats, Protectors of the Dwarven hold of Icemachines.
The fortress is in the winter of its third year. The nights are so long that even those of us who have adapted to life underground can spend most of the day above surface without discomfort. We are thankful for the blessings of Asёn Gemmined. While the miner Wes Caesar Ȃbirmistȇm might not be of our flock - so many of the dwarves of Profanemachines have faith in themselves and their wisest peers alone and lack time for the gods, he is no fool. He treats Adamantite with the respect the Great Gift deserves and we benefit from his prudence. Soon, we will have weapons that can tear through the flesh of the toughest beast and armour stronger than steel yet light as cloth. Our miners found even more of this hallowed metal in the cavern. I take it as a reinforcement of Asёn Gemmined's favour, but there are those who whisper that this much adamantite is only ever found where the gates to hell are the largest and most terrible.
We are celebrating in different ways. I have decided to chronicle the events transpiring in this fortress. Our leader threw a party in his own grandiose room. He behaves more like a noble each day. Perhaps the greatest was Cerol Oltarsoveth Oltarshoveth, who made a gold-spiked leather coat fit for a high lord.
Sphala Kûbuksákrith gave birth to a daughter, the first child born in our fortress. She intends to raise her in the best traditions of our faith, a difficult act given how we lack even rudimentary shrines, much less actual temples. Still, the fortress is young. I know I have her support in my suggestions to build a temple for our patron. Despite our still ongoing rivalry, sister Hatebeard will surely stand with me on that as well - even if she still sees her right to leadership as the greater, she is a faithful believer in Asёn Gemmined.
We fought the elves yesterday. Not a plan I approve of, but with Peregar, Hatebeard and Arzun all eager to slay those vermin, I could not really oppose them. While the treehuggers ways are abhorrent to all good dwarves, we should not antagonize even the least of foes until we are prepared for a long war. Our lack of preparation was clear later than evening - goblin thieves snuck right up to us, badly wounded Hatebeard and ran off with Rovod, the child who arrived with us nearly two years ago. Less than six years old, there was nothing that young a dwarf could do to resist a kidnapper. We sorely need Asёn's Great Gift if we are to fight a real goblin attack.
A new wave of migrants, the third one to arrive here. Among them is a weaponsmith, though sadly not one of our faith. Hopefully, our next metalworker will be eligible to one day become a Wise Master. Still, Cheveux Larustuth is a blessing to us. I should not disrespect his work just because he does not look into the soul of that which he shapes. We also have a healer, Harken Asolsigun. He is already working on the wound Hatebeard sustained from the goblin thief.
I should use this time while my sister is being doctored to improve my skills.
First of all, Professor Harken is apparently so overcome by our amount of Adamantite, that he chose to seal Hatebeard's wound with thread spun of this holy metal. This is a blessed, if expensive suture, one which surely will protect my sister in arms in the future. My training has progressed little. Sodel is as thick-skinned as he is lazy. I tried to wake him for hours, poking him with the training spear. By the end, I was half-tempted to try out the new Adamantite weapon.
It is summer. Cheveux has made weapons from the Great gift for all of us - two spears, one sword and one axe. The blade Hatebeard received is easily the finest weapon I have seen other than the holy relics held by the captains of Ironchills' temple guard. Regrettably, we still lack a proper armoursmith, but Adamantite shields ought not be too difficult to make - a disk is far simpler than a double-bladed sword.
Our leader is indeed pretending to already be a baron. At least, his mandates have been sensible - a new pair of boots and a ban on the export of earrings is perfectly acceptable. I don't mind the noblity, but Hatebeard is not likely to agree with me on that either. We are currently trading with humans. At the very least, I am not freezing my fingers off. I only have time to write before going to bed, so these entries are kept short.
A goblin ambush! Hatebeard continues to be defiant, not only towards me but fate and chance. The goblins launched an attack on us. My sister in arms was first to charge, Derm hot on her heels. Hopefully she will not underestimate a crossbow again - the snow is thick even in summer and liable to slow us down. I and Sodel had to charge just to keep up with our brethren. Our shields were fine, but as I suspected, Cheveux' mail is still lacking. Hatebeard was nearly gutted by a bolt and Derm had one in his leg. I hope they will recover soon, the elves will probably attack next and despite their crude weapons, their archers are notorious. We have at least four wounded, though no casualties as of yet. The bolt lodged in Hatebeard's guts was the worst injury sustained today, but Likot Ledrath, the dwarf still calling himself Derm was also out cold for a worrying amount of time. Before we can dream of temples and other grand structures, we will need fortifications and a watch tower, with plenty of fires to keep the guard warm even in the harsh blizzards of our winters.
I write with a heavy heart today. A craftsman had gone berserk in one of our workshops. Grand ideas coupled with a lack of desired materials has driven plenty of dwarves mad in the past. I did my best to make it quick and painless, spearing through his head at first opportunity. Hatebeard and Derm are still critical. A gut wound can be severe, even the most foolish layman knows that. She is in a coma as often as not and when she isn't she tends to throw up what little Professor Harken's new assistants manage to feed her. The irony is that she is herself a capable surgeon, capable of using a small blade with great deftness when calm.
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Topic: Icemachines, saving the world from starvation [SUCCESSION_FORT][NEED_OVERSEERS] (Read 33587 times)