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[The_Fool76]

A while ago I had started a community fort and all was going well but then real life decided to intervene and I wasn't able to continue it.

I've been itching though to get back to writing something so I have decided to restart the story in the current version. 
Same premise (7 escaped convicts with no skills and a box of axes) and some of the same characters. The rest though is a clean slate.

I have played up through the first year and there are currently 12 free immigrants for claiming. (The founding 7 are not available.)
Seven Females and Five males. 

Currently there are three dwarves of note in the immigrants in terms of having real jobs:
Miner (Female) - Married to a Gem Cutter
Farmer (Male) - Also has some crossbow skills and other military skills
Smith (Female) - Not much work due to severe ore shortage but still important

My one rule for dwarves is that they are all outcasts or criminals so if you wish to adopt a dwarf you should include what their reason for being an outcast/criminal is.  Be it something as normal as being the victim of a failed production order or as bizarre as your really a midget human pretending to be a dwarf.  If you don't provide something like this, it will be provided for you.  I should also note that I reserve the right to tweak it as I see fit to make it work in the story.  Basically if you claim your dwarf is really Armok's avatar, I'll describe them as a loon that thinks they are Armok's avatar.   If you would prefer your dark secret remain a secret feel free to PM me their crime or whatever and I'll reveal it at some appropriate time. 

I'll be trying to update once every three days and the immigrants don't show up until the sixth entry (I have a decent buffer of entries) so you have about fifteen days till your going to be seeing any dwarves you claimed show up.   

For the curious the old story can be found here:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=42122.msg769590

Now that I've got all that out of the way... on with the show!

List of claimed, unclaimed and doomed dwarves

Index
Entry 1 - From the frying pan into the fire.
Entry 2 - Strike the Buzzards Earth!
Entry 3 - Turtle Soup
Entry 4 - Dead Ducks and an uncertain future.
Entry 5 - Love and walls are in the air
Entry 6 - No longer alone
Entry 7 - Unwelcome Welcome

[The_Fool76]

Diary of "Mandy" the Chief of Lebesbomrek (Apexwhips)
All names have been changed to protect the guilty and hide their crimes.

--- First Entry ---
I found a mostly blank recordbook in with the axes on the wagon so I have decided to use it to record a ... well a record I suppose. After all, keeping track of a fort's history is traditionally the job of it's leader.  Though to call this place a fort seems a poor joke at best.  God forsaken hellhole is more of an apt description but let me start at the beginning, or at least as close to it as I dare write down.

First off, let me just mention that the names within this journal are not our real names.  Not that it would matter much if they were as I fear we all may just die out here.  Those who come across our rotted bones will probably have little care that we are all escaped convicts.  That's right, we are a pack of criminals.  What we were in for matters little now and I'm not about to write it down in any case. Lets just say we were all incarcerated for our crimes at the prison fort of Axegrind.  Being part of the general hauler crew, we were not watched quite as closely as the more skilled laborers so we were able to escape our dismal fate using a plan I devised.  It wasn't a terribly complex plan, we simply deconstructed some key support beams on the guard house and then stole a supply cart in the resulting chaos.

We hitched up the first two animals we could find, a horse and water buffalo, and drove it away from the fort as fast as we could.  Would that we had paid more attention to the contents of the cart and would that we had been caught!  A hammering would have been preferable to this fate.  After the initial rush of escape had died down we took a look at what the cart contained.  Curse our luck! It was a cart meant for the guards and contained nothing but a crate full of copper axes.  No food, no drink and worst of all, no picks.  We did have the foresight to each take some small amount of food with us in our escape and we prayed that would hold us till we got somewhere we could trade the axes for better provisions.

On the second day of our journey we entered a dead forest.  It was the start of spring so the lack of leaves on the trees wasn't unusual, but something just felt wrong about the place.  We kept on though, afraid that the guards from Axegrind would be after us.  Now I am sure they stopped chasing as soon as they realized where we were headed.  No sane dwarf would want to be in this place.  On the morning of our third day of freedom the wheel came off the cart.  That in of itself wouldn't have been so bad except that the cart promptly dropped to the ground with the distinct sound of splintering wood.  When we lifted it up to inspect the damage, it was clear the axle of the cart had snapped through when it fell.

That was when the undead buzzards attacked.

[Imakuni]

I'll take the miner migrant.

Name: Imaku
Why she's there: Broke a floodgate holding back lava from a volcano while tantruming. Killed most of the fortress.

[Akigagak]

I forget, was my dwarf one of the original 7 or did she appear later?

If the second, I claim any useless bastard that's available to be the foundation of the great and powerful Army of Apexwhips. Male preferable, name of Duke Reynington III.

Got in a spot of bother with the Oppressive Regime about the time and place for the use of axes in solving problems. Apparently, lack of cheese is not an adequate reason to kill a cheesemaker and all his pets.

[Firelordsky]

I'll take the farmer.

[Teneb]

Dorf me as a dwarf likely to get drafted into the military.

Name: Skipp
Crime: Smuggling

[Theifofdreams]

Dorf me as a male mechanic, please.

Crime: Engineering a Noble's throne room to flood with the pull of a lever that was suppose to release a pleasant mist.

[The_Fool76]

Oh wow, wasn't expecting quite this much interest.  

I think I should note that if you want you can PM me their crime/fetish/whatever if you would like to keep it a secret till it gets revealed in the course of the story.   

[Argonnek]

I shall take the male Farmer. Argonnek is his name. Pretty much the same backstory as before. If necessary, I'll PM it to you again.

[The_Fool76]

I'll take the farmer.

I shall take the male Farmer. Argonnek is his name. Pretty much the same backstory as before. If necessary, I'll PM it to you again.

Hmm... only one way to solve this. TO THE ARENA!
 

I'll go through my list of dwarves tonight and see about putting up some profiles and matching people up to dwarves.

PS. Argonnek, I do have the backstory still.

[Argonnek]

The others would fit acceptably, but "Farmer" is the closest profession to the requested Butcher.

[The_Fool76]

The others would fit acceptably, but "Farmer" is the closest profession to the requested Butcher.

I'll give you an actual dedicated butcher.  For reasons that will become clear, every grazer that has arrived at the fort has gone straight into the food stockpiles. I'll also give you the job of fish cleaner while there aren't larger animals to slaughter if that's ok?

[Argonnek]

That's fine, yeah.

[The_Fool76]

Argh... Argonnek, the dwarf I was going to give you is ... ah ... having Fun... Looks like you get the dwarf with Surgery skills instead. (That's like butchery right? )

Anyway, here are the dwarfs that have been claimed so far, along with their important info:

Spoiler: Imaku (Imakuni) (click to show/hide)

Imaku (F):  <<Married to Helf>>
    Age: 80
    Birthday: 28th of Obsidian
    quite durable, quite quick to heal, strong
    extremely quick to tire
    Likes:
        alunite, rose gold, white jade, candlenut wood, alpaca wool, the color burnt sienna, suns, spears, amulets
    Food:
        spotted ratfish, dwarven rum, whip vine seeds
    Dislikes:
        oysters
    amazing spatial sense, very good intuition, good memory
    poor creativity
    can handle stress, very friendly, mostly unaware of her own emotions, rarely expresses emotions, prefers familiar routines, slow to trust others, self-disciplined
    Skills:
        Novice Miner
        Expert Engraver
        Expert Mason
        Novice Presser
        Proficient Ambusher

Spoiler: Duke Reynington III (Akigagak) (click to show/hide)

Duke Reynington III (Akigagak) (M):
    Age: 83
    Birthday: 6th of slate
    tough
    susceptible to disease and extremely quick to tire
    Likes:
        porcelain, bismuth, pink tourmaline, thrones, large gems, flasks and longland grass for their sweeping stalks
    Food:
        basking shark, bumblebee mead, and sweet pod seeds
    Dislikes:
        mussels
    Great analytical abilities and great sense of empathy
    bad intuition and little natural inclination to music
    rarely feels discouraged, not interested in art, trusting, likes helping others, doesn't like compromise, exhales sharply when angry
    Skills:
        Adequate Organizer

Spoiler: Firelordsky (click to show/hide)

Firelordsky (M):
    Age: 66
    Birthday: 26th of Galena
    Flimsy and weak
    Likes:
        cryloite, fine pewter, clear tourmaline, suns, bucklers, crowns, blue peafowls for their enormous fan tails, ocean sunfish for their strange fins
    Food:
        dwarvin wine, rock nut oil
    Dislikes:
        blood gnats
    great affinity for language, a great deal of patience, good intuition, good spatial sense
    poor focus
    rarely discouraged, occasionally overindulges, assertive, dislikes intellectual discussions, put off by authority and tradition, likes helping others, lacks confidence,
    doesn't go out of his way to do more work than needed
    Skills:
        Novice Marksdwarf
        Novice Armor User
        Novice Archer
        Novice Dodger
        Novice Wood Cutter
        Accomplished Grower
        Competent Gem Setter
        Skilled Shearer
        Novice Observer

Spoiler: Skipp (Deathsword) (click to show/hide)

Skipp(Deathsword) (F):
    Age: 82
    Birthday: 3rd of Felsite
    Quick to heal
    quick to tire
    Likes:
        alunite, gold, clear diamond, mahogany wood, turtle shell, sheep wool, war hammers, gauntlets, coins and leechmen for their tenacious nature
    Food:
        reindeer and prickle berry wine
    Dislikes:
        Lizards
    Little patience and a lousy intellect
    always tense and jittery, very quick to anger, self-conscious, doesn't often experience strong cravings or urges, confident under pressure, isn't given to flights of fancy,
    regards intellectual exercise as a waste of energy, candid and sincere in dealings with others, laughs loudly when surprised
    Skills:
        Talented Weaver
        Adequate Glassmaker
        Adequate Crutch-walker

Spoiler: Theifofdreams (click to show/hide)

Theifofdreams (M):
    Age: 79
    Birthday: 18th of Moonshine
    Incredibly Tough
    Slow to heal
    Likes:
        hornblende, silver, sardonyx, mountain goat hoof, llamas for their jutting teeth and dusk trolls for their macabre ways
    Food:
        pig, rainbow trout, bloated tubers, dwarven beer, and whip vine flower
    Dislikes:
        Worms
    very good intuition, ability to read emotions fairly well and a sum of patience
    very bad analytical ability
    slow to anger, makes friends quickly, doesn't need thrills or risks in life, dislikes intellectual discussions, candid and sincere in dealings with others, lacks confidence,
    has a sense of duty, self disciplined, whispers when nervous
    Skills:
        Competent Animal Trainer
        Competent Gem cutter
        Competent Gem setter
        Novice Siege Engineer
        Novice Concentration

Spoiler: Argonnek (click to show/hide)

Argonnek (M):
    Age: 50
    Birthday: 20th of Obsidian
    very rarely sick and slow to tire
    Likes:
        quartzite, nickel silver, purple spinel, silvery gibbon leather, the color pine green, large gems, cows for their haunting moos and beak dogs for their chatters and clicks.
    Food:
        elk bird, oyster and river spirits
    Dislikes:
        blood gnats
    sharp intellect and a good memory
    little natural inclination towards music
    occasionally overindulges, pessimist, trusting, speaks deliberately when angry
    Skills:
        Novice Surgeon
        Novice Record Keeper

Spoiler: Helf (click to show/hide)

Helf(M):  <<Married to Imaku>>
   Age: 65
   Birthday: 6th of slate
   Susceptible to disease
   Likes:
       sphalerite, iron, claro opal, oak wood, the color olive, leggins, coffins, errings, flasks, goats for their eating habits, wild strawberries for their vivid red color
   Food:
       cow, mead, wuarry bush leaves
   Dislikes:
       mussels
   Very good intuition, good creativity
   poor focus, questionable spacial sense, very bad analytical abilities
   rarely feals discouraged, self-conscious, prefers to be alone, very active, isn't given to flights of fancy, appreciates art and natural beatuty, doesn ot go out of his way to help,
   confident, very disorganized, talks very loudly when excited, runs fingers through hair when trying to remember
   Skills:
       Adequate Gem Cutter

Spoiler: Eliza (Lizar) (click to show/hide)

Eliza (Lizar) (F):
   Age: 80
   Birthday: 28th of Obsidian
   very rarely sick
   slow to heal, very weak
   Likes:
       hornblende, platinum, star ruby, giant cave swallow leather, the color clear, crosbows, guantlets, sheep for their wool and cave wheat for their stalks
   Food:
       fire imp, and meed
   Dislikes:
       bats
   great at language, great ability to focus, great feel for social relationships, a sum of patience and willpower
   iffy memory, poor empathy and very bad intuition
   Loves a good thrill, often cheerful, appreciates art and beauty, put off by athority and tradition, triest to live well organized life, occasionally given to procrastination
   Skills:
       High Master Metalsmith
       Talented Consoler

Spoiler: Lockspear(Lockspear) (click to show/hide)

Lockspear(Lockspear) (F):
   Age: 62
   Birthday: 9th of timber
   Rarely sick
   Likes:
       bauxite, platinum, sardonys, highwoood wood, horse hoof, spears and slabs
   Food:
       drunian, hagfish, plump helmets, dwarven ale and dwarven wheat flower
   Dislikes:
       Large roaches
   Great feel for the surrounding space, very good intuition, ability to read emotions fairly well
   Very little linguistic ability
   only rarely feels strong cravings or urges, tends to avoid crowds, not a risk taker, admires tradition, trusting, doesn't feel effective in life, possesses great willpower,
   always scratches her head when she is trying to remember something
   Skills:
       Novice Trapper
       Talented Gem Cutter
       Competent Pump Operator

Unclaimed dwarves:

Spoiler: Female Dwarf 1 (click to show/hide)

Unclaimed (F):
   Age: 56
   Birthday: 7th of Limestone
   Rarely Sick
   Likes:
       cassiterite, bismuth bronse, topazolite, rubber wood wood, elk bone, bucklers and toy boats
   Food:
       dwarven beer
   Dislikes:
       oysters
   deep well of patience, great ability to focus, very good sense of her own body
   questionable spatial sense, poor creativity, next to no willpower, next to no musical ability
   Can handle stress, somewhat reserved, enjoys crowds, relaxed, not a risk taker, prefers familiar routines, guarded in relationsips with others, moves hands when exasperated,
   holds breath when nervious
   Skills:
       Skilled Engraver
       Novice Weaver
       Talented Gem Cutter

Spoiler: Female Dwarf 2 (click to show/hide)

Unclaimed(F):
   Age: 67
   Birthday: 27th of Limestone
   agile and quick to heal
   susceptible to disease
   Likes:
       gabbro, bronze, wood opal, greaves, water buffalos for their water wallowing and vile trolls for their macabre ways
   Food:
       black bullhead, strawberry wine, horse's milk
   Dislikes:
       oysters
   Great sense of empathy, great analytical abilites, great musical sense, great creativity
   poor spatial sense
   very active, prefers familiar routines, likes helping others, not easily moved to pity, always acts without considering alternatives or thinking throug possiblilities
   Skills:
       Novice Cook
       High Master Potash Maker
       Adequate Record Keeper
       Adequate Liar
       Novice Student

Spoiler: Female Dwarf 3 (click to show/hide)

Unlclaimed(F):
   Age: 55
   Birthday: 2nd Galena
   Rarely sick
   Likes:
       talk, billon, pink jade, drunian leather, sole bone, phantom spider silk, earrings, milkfish for their silvery bodies
   Food:
       hoary marmot, swamp whiskey, dwarven sugar
   Dislikes:
       purring maggots
   Great kinesthetic sense
   very bad analytical abilities, poor creativity, very bad intuation
   often nervious, tends to avoid crowds, prefers that others lead, relaxed, eager for new experiences, slow to trust others, likes helping others, tenses up when nervious
   Skils:
       Talented Herbalist
       Adequate Leatherworker
       Competent Military Tactics

Doomed Dwarves:

Spoiler: Doomed Dwarf 1 (click to show/hide)

Zon Kuletorrun(M): 
   Age: 77
   Birthday: 22nd of slate
   Tough and slow to tire
   Slow to heal
   Likes:
       dacite, sterling silver, morganite, crystal glass, waves, picks, quivers, windows, bracelets, flasks and yaks for their shaggy hair
   Food:
       dwarven rum
   Dislikes:
       Rats
   sarp intellect, a very good feel for social relationships, a way with words, the ability to focus
   poor empathy, meager kinesthetic sense, very bad intuition, little natrual inclination towards music
   calm demeanor, impervious to the effects of stress, very active, rarely happy or enthusiastic, tends not to openly express emotions, does not trust others, doesn't like to compromise,
   lacks confidence, his tongue sticks out when he is trying to remember something
   Skills:
       Novice Leatherworker
       Novice Potash Maker
       Novice Appraiser

List of people waiting on dwarves:

Spoiler: Fniff (click to show/hide)

Wants a male immigrant no specific job requiremnt.

Spoiler: NRDL (click to show/hide)

Wants a male wrestler

Spoiler: GreatWyrmGold (click to show/hide)

Wants a male Speardwarf

[The_Fool76]

--- Second Entry ---
The animals bolted wild eyed as a foul flock of buzzards descended on us.  We smashed open the crate of axes and several of us grabbed one in the moments before they were upon us.  Now buzzards themselves would be bad enough, but as soon as these got near it became clear that these were undead abominations.  Most of them were nothing but bare bone but a few had just enough flesh still clinging to their remains to produce an awful stench.

The fight was brief and mostly one-sided despite our lack of any skill.  Despite being undead abominations, they were still only birds.  Large birds though so we didn't emerge entirely untouched. Oden had her nose broken by one and Tombs is limping a bit from the battering she took to her leg.  Both were quite unhappy as a result and I can't say I blame them.  Here we are, no real supplies, in the middle of a sinister forest, no hope to return or press forward unless we wish to walk, on the run from the law, and now undead buzzard bait. 

I feel no real shame in saying that I seriously contemplated just falling on one of the axes right then and there and ending it all.  I think the only thing that kept me from it was when Tombs put the axe over her shoulder and started walking towards a nearby tree with a determined look in her eye.  When asked where she was going she responded with, "If we want to live we need some walls.  To build walls we need wood. I have an axe and that is a tree."  She might not be the most eloquent of speakers but I think it was more her stubborn refusal to be discouraged that inspired me to stick it out.

"Come on" I said to the others, "She is right, we won't survive a month without a shelter in this place.  Lets chop down some of these trees before worse shows up than some undead birds." At that moment Loki decided to speak up. "Walls won't do us a damn bit of good if we just starve behind them.  We don't have a bit of food."  I gazed out at the dead and barren landscape around us.  There wasn't a living plant to be seen.  At that moment the two animals that had pulled our cart wandered back up to it.  "You have a good point but the only things I see we can eat are those." I said pointing at the horse and buffalo. 

There was a general moment of quiet consideration.  If we butchered the animals there would be nothing left to pull the cart even if we did manage to fix it.  Once again I looked at the dead landscape around us, "I hate to say this, but if we don't eat them, they are just going to starve along with us." Again there was a long pause. "I'll do it." said Loki. "Do what? I asked a bit confused." "Butcher and cook them of course.  I brought up the question of food so ... "  "I guess this is it den? We weally are going to die here?" asked Oden her words a bit distorted by her broken nose.  Cog started to cry at that statement.  "I just want to go home." 

"Well we aren't dead yet so I suppose we might as well try putting that off as long as we can.  Loki go ahead and get us some fresh food, the rest of you, lets see about making a place to survive." With that I hefted my own axe and headed for a tree.