Journal of Catalyst, Overseer and Body-Hopping PsychopathWith the bird buzzing about in our basement, I rounded up a team of volunteers to bravely
sacrifice themselves for defend the fortress. As I am waiting for them to gather their equipment and rally for their charge, I scan the fortress quickly... and notice for the first time a dwarven corpse rotting (forbidden for some reason) in the STILL STALLED aquifer breach. What a mess... There is no time to contemplate this, however, as suddenly a goat and a cat are 'struck down' in two completely seperate parts of the fortress - by a rampaging hummingbird, no doubt.
The beast slaughters a cow next, but then it is engaged by a black bear and a vulture, which both managing to both get a grip on it with their teeth! GO! EAT IT, IT TASTES LIKE CHICKEN! It will be enough to slow it down and distract it for a little while, at least. The troops aren't rallied yet - but I give the order to engage anyway. The bird finishes off the vulture and becomes preoccupied slaughtering cats atop the strange suspended platform I noticed earlier. At least it will be busy a while.
In response to the order to attack, Aussie just scurries off, the coward. Conchobar goes in alone - Eric is limping behind but is very slow. But surely Conchobar - the sole survivor of the old militia - is more than up to the task of killing this one bird. .... Or not.
Then Eric arrives - not yet fully transitioned to his Recruit status - and soon suffers the same fate.
Clearly, I must take matters into my own hands - even if I have no combat skills and all I can do is attract its attention and lead it through the fort. Yes... That was my intention in wandering down and getting attacked by it, I promise you... Alright honestly I have no idea what I was thinking. But I dashed to the stairs with it hot in pursuit - and managed to lead it down to the mines. Then its long, needle-like beak and cruel mandibles closed around the back of my neck, and I felt no more.
I immediately claimed a new body, naturally. I'll put it to better use than it's former occupant anyway. I intend to sacrifice this one breaching Hell.... What do you mean by that, "no regard for waste of life?" Nonsense! I have the highest regard for the lives of my fellow dwarves - there are so many wonderful things you can spend them on!
I had hoped that the bird would get lost in the mine tunnels - and so it seemed it had, for a moment. But then Kar wanders by obliviously - and of course the beast gives chase.... but miraculously, only for a moment before Kar slips away! The bird goes back to standing around staring at a wall, and all seems to be well. But then one of Ledi's damn CATS attracts its attention, and runs straight at Kar when it gives chase.
HOLY SHIT and Kar decapitates it like it's no big deal. I HAD NO IDEA HE EVEN HAD COMBAT SKILLS! ... SWEET ARMOK HE DOESN'T
We grow ever closer to the time we can arm the Hellcannon. Aussie starts making some of the final linkages. Mego (finally) continues the aquifer project. While the aquifer breach is being finished up, DevilEd III the Thief is taken by a fey mood and claims a magma forge.
Meanwhile, outside, a random human hammerman is engaged in a feirce battle with some skeindeer. He does pretty well until he's gored in his maul-hand. Looks like he bought his caravan enough time to escape though - brave man. This provides enough distraction that when Seanhl - a lone migrant - arrives, she can make it to the entrance of the fort... where she immediately runs into a skeletal polar bear. I try to open the Hellcannon for her...and it works! Seanhl is safely inside, and the gate is re-sealed.
Noises from the deep... This one is nowhere it can do us harm though.
A caravan and trade liaison come and go. Kar acquires some interesting delicacies, some lobsters and turtle for shells, and some extra thread, glass and metals and other crafting materials, but nothing too noteworthy. The cannon is progressing extremely well, almost all the links have been made, I've built in a few more interesting features and protections, and even the aquifer breach is almost done. In the midst of all this I didn't notice that DevilEd III did not have the materials he needed. In my defense, we probably couldn't have done anything for him anyway.
The date is now 10th Opal, Midwinter. Our population is 22 dwarves. My next update will concern the activation of the Hellcannon, and it will be my last.
~
Catalyst
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Topic: Hellcannon (Succession: Battlefailed 3) (0.31.25) (DEAD) (Read 837768 times)