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[varnish]

((I hope that you're only slightly confused! And if you want to be redwarfed, just let me know. I think there's only been two Alkhemia's so far, so there's plenty of room for another))

From the Journals of Aban Brothertreaties, Late Summer 202:

I've been on edge these past few weeks. Now, you might think that I haven't got anything new to worry about by now. I mean, the ape men attacks are normal, the ghosts are old news, and the alligator beast is still swimming around the magma pumps (it's probably warm there) so what's to worry about?

Insanity, that's what.

Well, hopefully that won't be the result. But one of the refugees has quietly locked herself away in a mason's shop.



So many strange, (and, all right, boring) things have resulted from these moods, I really don't know what to expect. Either some sort of macabre totem, or a lump of basalt that she'll call a chair. Or, she could go insane and attack us.

So, I'm on edge.

.................................

One Week Later:

I... was wrong. On all counts.



It's beautiful.

............................

Next: Problems. Not Solutions.

[Alkhemia]

Sure why not I'll just bookmark this to not forget this time.

[varnish]

((And I'll get you in soon, and try to keep updating, and not die of this horrible cold I've got. Quick, tiny update.))

Notes from Oceanbridge, Summer - Autumn 202:

Aban gave the order for Rovod's gold table to be placed in the dining room, hoping that it would keep everyone in a good mood, and distract them from the fact that they were eating in a room filled with coffins, skeletons, and restless ghosts.

It worked, until the ghost themselves began to take interest in the table. After several meals turned "cold, so very, deathly cold", most dwarfs stopped eating there.

.................................

Several other ghosts took up position in the brewery, and refused to leave.



After several days of jokes involving "spirits", Gar declared that all puns would be punishable by death. (Un)fortunately, he was in no position to enforce the edict.

.................................

And another beast came crawling out of the endless caverns.



...............................

Next: Issues, Which is Another Word for Problems.

[varnish]

Training:

"I know that most of you don't know how to fight. But that's ok, because by the time I'm done with you, you will know how to fight! That's... that's the definition of training." The Soldier scratched her head. "So let's train, people. Start hitting each other with your weapons."

The old barracks was still flooded, so the Soldier had appropriated a tomb for her new training arena. Being surrounded by the remains of fallen warriors had to be inspiring, she thought. And they'd also be ready when those fallen warriors started rising from their graves, hungry for blood. That was going to happen any day now, she was sure.

She noticed something odd about one of the new recruits. "You, Dodok! What kind of weapon is that?"



"My name is Alkhemia, commander, and this is a training sword. It's made out of cedar, so it won't cut-"

"I could have sworn that your name was Dodok. I wrote it down, even. Well, put that away and use a real sword. You aren't going to be fighting enemies armed with sticks!"

"Actually, some of the elves use-"

"Real sword, back to training, Alkhemia. No questions."

"Yes, Commander."

They were lucky in Oceanbridge, the Soldier thought as she watched the recruits clumsily attack each other, to have all of this fine armor. Every member of the militia was clad in steel, from head to toe, something that was unheard of in the outpost she had fled. No danger of training injuries here. Of course, they'd had to repair most of the pieces, as they had very large holes in them, which meant that the previous owners had not been lucky at all...

She had just managed to push that thought out of her head, when she heard the screaming.

The first thing she and the militia saw was Aban, who stumbled out of a side tunnel, out of breath and near collapse.



The next thing they saw was the potter, who tried to follow Aban to the relative safety of the training room.

He didn't make it.



The Soldier drew her spear, and turned away from the monster in order to face her recruits. "See that, Alkemia? That is why we don't use wooden swords in training. Charge!"

.............................

Next: A Fight

[varnish]

((updatin'))

From the Journals of Aban Brothertreaties

Well, we killed it! How about that.

I should say that Neo killed it, as he was the one who did most of the fighting. No sooner had I got out of the way, then he was jumping on top of the giant scorpion thing, stabbing away.



It was, in all honesty, an amazingly courageous thing. Neo was there stabbing away at the hide of some hideous insect ten times his own size, a sword in each hand, shouting curses and imprecations and so on.



Oh! He's go two swords now, I guess.



Not official uniform, but I don't think anyone is going to question him after this performance.

The fight went on for a very, very long time (I myself went to find a drink, talked with Gar for a few minutes, and updated the stockpile records to include one potter's corpse before coming back to still find him fighting).



The monster finally keeled over from blood loss (not poisonous blood, thank the gods), and some other recruit finished it off with a spear to the head area.



Neo didn't seem too upset, though. He sheathed his weapons, picked up a limestone block, and made his way up to the bridge.

Meanwhile, I'd like to bury the poor potter who was killed. But we still haven't managed to bury everyone else who's died here. He'll have to wait his turn, or come back to life again, or come back as a ghost, just like everyone else.

...............................

Next: Possessions are Problems Too

[varnish]

From the Journals of Aban Brothertreaties, Early Winter 202:

Well, our victory wasn't going to come without some sort of price.

I was walking by one of the older, long abandoned workshops when I heard the babbling. It was a terrifying moment, and I thought at first that I might be hearing... some sort of voice, again. But when I peeked in through the entrance, I just saw one of the refugee brewers, curled up in a ball on the floor, naked and whimpering. There were piles of ape men bones and llama wool all around her.



Ok, that was all also pretty terrifying, but in a more mundane way. Mundane for around here, I mean. I found out later that the last person to see her had noticed her wandering down to the lower halls with "an unearthly light in her eyes, speaking in voice that was not her own". I asked him why he hadn't, you know, mentioned this, and he said that he had thought she was just sober.

But I know what really happened. She was possessed, by something. Something that didn't get everything it wanted, and drove her mad when it didn't.

Croaker took her to the hospital, but she keeps leaving her bed and wandering the fortress, babbling. Refuses food and booze. We know how these things go. So there's another death for us.

.................................

Next: Questions about Problems

[peregarrett]

What did that guy want? I thought we have here ANY kind of resource. Maybe we should have sheared some sheeps?

Also, how's work on shelter going? Will we be back to Bridge soon?

[varnish]

I don't know what went wrong with the mood. We had every type of material that I could find, which was pretty much all of them. The one item missing was actually some sort of rough gem.

The shelter is almost done, and will be shown off soon. It's... a bit different, due to space, but it does feature pressure plates, traps and drowning! I've also filled every corridor with traps.

TRAPS

[varnish]

((Tiniest updateish thing. No time to write. ))

An example of engravings featured in the emergency shelter:

Croaker provided several, though he seemed to be stuck on a single subject.





Di-III added a satirical touch



And Remalle depicted something very few of them could remember in this lifetime.



.................................

Next: Monster Problems

[Alkhemia]

Next: Monster Problems

Sounds like fun

[Kalemyr Skyfire]

Yay, I've finally caught up; I will now stop lurking in this thread.

So... When will the Goblins notice Neo is building the bridge?

[varnish]

((Congratulations on reading it all! And the answer is: maybe soon.))

From the Journals of Aban Brothertreaties, Winter 202

There are large tusked, shaggy monsters that live in the caverns, and no, I'm not talking about Gar. (How was that? I'm trying to remember if I have a sense of humor!) Apparently these things also sometimes work for the goblins, because there's a few out on the bridge. Those one's don't try to kill us yet, though.

A farmer met the creature coming up the stairs. She told us that it was climbing up them like a goat, on all fours and with a dead turkey in it's mouth. Which is well, a somewhat too vivid image.



Neo and a few others were on hand, though, and one can guess the result.



Severed troll parts everywhere. Well, at least it's good to know that we can handle anything the goblins might throw at us when they inevitably betray us.

...................................

Something felt... wrong. Aban looked up from her writing to see the Soldier standing in front of her desk, looking at her.

"How... how long have you been there?"

"A while, expedition leader. What is that? Is it the official record of this fortress?"

Aban pushed her notepad aside, knocking several piles off her desk in the process. "No. No it is not. What do you want?"

"Another siege to report! There are about fifty of those ape-men outside.






I just wanted to get your approval, and we'll get out there and kill them dead." the Soldier grinned. "I have to say, fighting these bastards is almost fun."

Speechless, Aban nodded. The Soldier dashed away, calling for Neo and the other militia captains.

Aban watched them go, then picked up her notebook again, and wrote: "Well, we're under siege again. This marks approximately the 115th time I have written these words..."

There was no official record of Oceanbridge that she knew of. If there was, reading it would probably drive someone mad.
.............................

Next: Fighting Problems is Fun

[Alkhemia]

Next: Fighting Problems is Fun

Best way to solve all problem killing them 

To bad the FB did not have anything FUN like deadly blood or dust seem to be getting almost too easy.

[varnish]

((Well, maybe that will change))

The Historian Records a Great Battle:

And in the winter, many apemen arrived. Long had they come to Oceanbridge seeking death, howling through the jungles from their distant dens. Great were their numbers, and great their stench, but the will of the dwarfs of Oceanbridge was greater still. The spear-dwarfs, and yes, the swords-dwarfs and pick-dwarfs and armed-with-cabinets-dwarfs too, marched to meet their hated enemy on the field of battle.

They then marched still further, having first found a single goblin surrounded by many bodies of ape-men, and The Soldier was heard to say "Not again, they always get here before us."



The Historian marched with them, and saw the bloodlust of the great dwarf warrior at last sated, as more apemen poured out of the thick green underbrush, like snakes that had three arms, and no tails or scales. Goblin and dwarf fought side by side, and much blood was spilled by both.



The Soldier proved to be a shield-dwarf as well, and crushed an apeman's skull, in the final blow of the battle.



The battle won, the happy dwarfs celebrated through the night, feasting on wine, plump helmets, and finely minced troll. But the soldier known as Neo looked to the night horizon, and saw bright lights, and smoke.



And he asked "What the hell is that?"

............................

Next: Massive Fires are Quite Clearly Problems.

((I don't know why the map is on fire))

[peregarrett]

When the surface fire became a problem to dwarves? Usually we start those fires, and from that it's all other's problem!
It will clean the surface from bodies and clothes, that is good. Also it will burn most of "friendly" goblins, that is good also.
What's all that talk about?! Just stay away from that and come back when it's over.
*Gar grumbles in annoyance and turns back to his work on shelter and corridor traps*