Strike the earth!, A new chapter of dwarven history begins

I'm curious if you have the description for my character like you had for the first batch or if you only get that for the first group you set out with?
I'm only asking so that I can get into character with my logs.

Also Legendary Tanner. Hopefully those skills won't go to waste.

Except they're all pets, which means they can't be killed for their hides; kittens however are fair game.

The dwarf that came up with this idea wasn't drunk enough.

Here's the profiles for all current immigrants:

Anna, Bullseye, Luppy, Mato, Nefi, Ou Des, Randa, Sage, TrekTek, Zero, Meagen, Newb, Nifar

Nifar Sarvewhatever appears to have very little in common with me, going so far as to be the exact opposite when it comes to memory and intuition, so this should be interesting.

Edit: Question, though. What are the Barricaded Crystal and the Tour of Safety that are mentioned in the dwarves' profiles?

This post has been edited by Nifar on Oct 27 2010, 03:43 AM

"Barricaded Crystal" is our Mountainhome. The "Tour of Safety" is the name of our expeditionary group. Jon insisted on it, I think.


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Expedition Leader's Log, Galena 11: The substance of the pillar has been successfully mined out, but its skeleton remains. There's not really any safe way to finish mining it out, so I've ordered Bullseye to rig up a remote switch to collapse the lowest scaffold support. If done right, it should bring the entire structure down at once.



If done wrong, dwarves could be seriously injured or killed...


Galena 11, cont.: Success! As soon as all upper supports were removed, I ordered everyone inside to stay well clear of the falling pillar.



As I pulled the pillar, I could hear a rumbling outside...



Which rapidly became a deafening roar.

For a moment, I feared I'd miscalculated and would be bringing down the ceiling of the fortress on our heads as well.

But no! When the rumbling stopped, and we stepped outside, it became apparent that I couldn't have asked for a cleaner drop. Just some miscellaneous debris scattered around.



I quickly had Jon and Mike dig out the surface of the pillar that was still visible, and set myself to walling off our new "quarry".



Expedition Leader's Log, Limestone 28: No trade caravan yet. Perhaps I worried too much. We did have a few more immigrants straggle in. A cross-trained wood-burner/hunter by the name of Newb, and a pair of former Militiadwarves; Nifar and Meagen. Well, it's high time we started on our defensive force anyway; Mordain can't do everything. I assign the two to her for training.

Another lucky find, though much more mundane than adamantine. While channeling down beside the pillar, Jon informs me we've found a large field of Magnetite. The iron (and the steel we'll make from it) will be a welcome addition to our resources; especially for crafting items that we might want to trade.

Things have been progressing slowly but surely. The living quarters have been improving steadily, especially with Ou smoothing out the higher-class stone rooms. I've ordered more work and storage space be dug out for our new metal industry, but Jon and Mike have been too busy digging out all that magnetite, so we may not see a functional forge before winter. In the meantime, I'm working on some trade-able stonecrafts myself. We will be needing at least some supplies from the caravan when it arrives.
********************

This short update took the longest of any update yet. Calling it quits for tonight. Here's the current state of the fortress:

Felsite 29:

Slept outside last night. It was either that or be kept up by Knight and Notty... t'be honest, I don't want to know what they were doin'.

Felsite 30:

Oh, stop looking so proud of yourself, ya stuck up ol' badgergnome. She had her eyes on you from the moment you were introduced as the expedition leader. Only person didn't notice was you.

I'm spending the next couple weeks on patrol. Between that and the adamantite, our esteemed leader is going to be even more insufferable. 'sides, I need to go kill a few more trees so we can make some more furniture. Maybe I can get someone to finally make me some more damned bolts, too.

Malachite 14:

Got a wave of immigrants. 8 of 'em, plus two little girls who you could barely see for all of the kittens and puppies followin' 'em around.

At least the base won't have to worry about rats, I guess. And our lack of leather may solve itself in a year or so...

I barely get a word out, tho', afore they all tromp inside, fit to never leave, and not a one picks up any sort of weapon. The only one who even so much as pokes his head outside is a young man, barely more than a kid really, who carries a fishing pole like it was his own child and tromps down to the river. I tried to say hello, but he just gave me this little nervous smile before skittering off. Heh. Cute.

I'll let 'im work. It'll be nice to have something other than mushroom mush to eat.

Galena 11:

By Ral's silvery nosehairs! Those lunatics are trying to bring the mountain down on our heads!

I headed out for another 'patrol' as soon as they started setting up explosives, but even halfway around the mountain I could hear the shattering boom as they finally set it off. Let's hope I won't come back to a pile of rubble - my stuff is in there, you lunatic elkbirds! There's paranoia, and then there's crazy paranoia!

Limestone 29:

When our colony more than doubled in size and none of the newcomers got assigned to militia, I was a bit worried. Fortunately, after those crazy miners nearly brought the mountain down on our heads trying to get rid of what was left of that blue pillar, a few more straggled in (I guess they'd gotten themselves lost, and used the explosion to guide themselves in - better them than the local goblins, I guess), and two of them were given to me for training.

They... could be worse.

Not much, tho'.

Nifar can barely lift a battleaxe, but he's as sturdy as a steel post. Meagen's not bad all around, but she tripped twice over her own two feet in the first half hour; I stopped keeping track after that.

I can work with this, tho'. Neither of 'em are totally incompetent, as soon as our forge can crank out decent weaponry, I can work with it. I guess I better, we can't rely on this good luck forever...

And I could use the help anyway. Hauling wood builds up the muscles, Nifar.

Journal of Nifar Sarveshvucar, Galena 11:

Still not entirely certain what I did to deserves this. Yes, okay, I probably could have done more to keep Duke Whatshisface from being stabbed, but exile? Talk about over-reacting. The duke was fine! Granted, he won't be sitting down any time soon, but he lived, didn't he?

Anyway, I'm rambling. Somehow me and two other dwarves have managed to get separated from the rest of the exiles immigrants, and have been lost in the wilderness for several weeks now, with nary an ale in sight. If we don't find civilization soon, I fear we may end up killing ea By the gods, that was quite an explosion! I think we may not be too far from the Mountainhome. Praise Deler, I suppose?

Limestone 29:

Well, we were further away than I first thought. Still, we've arrived essentially safe, and, big surprise, the rest of the group had made it here before us. The current leader saw fit to assign me to the militia once again, under a she-dwarf named Mordain. Currently the militia is made up of Mordain, myself, and one of the dwarves that came in with me, named Meagen. Not much, but hopefully we'll have a few more recruits before we really need them. Apparently our current duties are mostly tree killing, which suits me just fine, and hauling the wood back home, which I enjoy quite a bit less. Boss-lady says it's good for building muscles, which I think is her way of saying "Quit bitching and do your work."

Journal of TrekTek Erithrag:

Felsite 30:

If only I hadn't taken that animal hide then I'd still be in The Barricaded Crystal. I wrongly followed my intuition and had taken the animal hide to be tanned from the seedy man. I thought it was odd that he wanted me to tan a cat though but his money was good so I didn't question it at the time.
Who would of thunk it that is was the cat of a lord and now I'm bing shipped off to a place called CatKnives.
*Sigh* Ah well I'm sure it'll be a good place to start anew. Maybe I'll even be able to take an apprentice.
Yes, things are looking up immensely.

Malachite 14:

Finally arrived at our destination of CatKnives and the Leader Knight is very kind, he seemed a bit perplexed to see me here and I later found out that they have no animal hide for me to tan.....at least not yet, he was eying out Sir dogsworth sr. and Meowingtin the third. I better keep them close. Don't want to make the same mistake twice.

Galena 11:

OHGODTHEMOUNTAINTAINISCOLLAPSINGWHEREISEVERYONEOHGODWE'REALLGOINGTODIE!!!!

Ah it stopped and I'm not dead..... better go check on everyone else to make sure they're okay.

Log book - Entry 000

How dare they banish me! I have done nothing wrong! My job was to research the effects of modern medicine on Dwarves. And now they dare to challenge me with crimes againts Dwarfhood! All i did was to see how children would react to being injected with small pox, a human disease. If Dwarves are indeed vulnerable to it, then i would need to know... So now they send me off to this mining expedition. How will i ever study science there?

Log book - Entry 001

Heeheehee, finally i've found some new specimens! These small mammals will fit the bill fine, until i can find something better to work on. I will just need to send out a list that i'm searching for a way to, erm, "ease the mining operation". Taking the facts that both moles and Dwarves are excellent miners, a crossbreed should make the perfect digger... If it won't, the result would still be great data for future experiments.

Log book - Entry 003

I arrived at the mines. That is... Adamantite! Even with my long history, i have never hold it before. I MUST study it, even if i have to steal the ore right out of the hands of a miner!

Log book - Entry 004

They want me to destroy the remains of the Adamantite?! How barbaric! These brainless Dwarves have NO idea of the true value of Adamantite. Instead, they are whining about "safety" and "possible casualties during mining". Who cares?! Science should always come first, and if i were the boss, i would make them mine straight to the gates of hell. If it exists, which i doubt, it would allow me to research a whole new world. But for now, i will have to do as they say. The man who ordered me to destroy this treasure will be the first "volunteer" in the mole-Dwarf breeding experiment though...

(Sidenote: As should be obvious from this post, my character is a science-obsessed dwarf who says "F*ck you" to ethics. I love how this somehow reflected into his description, with him having "meager social skills and next to no empathy" and "finding rules confining" XD, In any case, just think of Hojo and you'll know how he is.)

This post has been edited by neobullseye on Oct 27 2010, 06:37 PM

((psst, Neo, you're the mechanic))

Well, it's not like science and mechanic are polar opposites anyways. Then i'll just make him a Hojo who also makes machines instead of only biological stuff
Plues, i wanted my guy to be like this anyways... Because it's fun ^_^

This post has been edited by neobullseye on Oct 27 2010, 06:44 PM

And an apprentice (i.e. no starting skill) mechanic, at that. Also, Your dwarf here. You may wish to browse, since those personality traits will be affecting your in-game actions.

Edit: Admittedly, you'll be crafting most of our traps, so a bit of crazy may fit. Just sayin' you should probably stay away from the deep end. Otherwise, we may have an... unfortunate accident...

********************
Expedition Leader's Log, 30th Sandstone: Jon's spent a month at that magnetite. Considering we don't even have a smelter up and running yet, I call him off that job and set him to widening our workshop area. Also, since we've had rather pathetic luck so far finding coal, I've set Mordain and her assistants to murdering every goddamn tree in sight.

Expedition Leader's Log, 14th Timber: The workshop area has been expanded, but our stock of trade goods is far less than I'd like. Fine stonework was never my primary training, and the going is slow. If on-

****

"Sir! The trade representative is here!" A younger dwarf runs into my office... what was his name... Zero. "I was out fishing and I saw them coming over the hill. They came up and asked me where to set up their goods."

"What do you mean 'where'? The trade depot, of cour- Armok's flaming bunions!"

The trade depot was set up early for a short while, but was a casualty of the collapsing pillar and I completely forgot to rebuild it. I grab my tools and sprint up the stairs. At least the stones are still right nearby so I don't have to have them hauled up from my shop. I'm halfway to the door when I spot Carmichael headed my way, a thundercloud rolling over his head.

"Three trees! Three entire goddamn trees!" He waves the inventory papers at me. "We were going to have them turned into charcoal for the forges, but then Algasir starts babbling incoherently, drags the wood off to the carpenter's shop and locks himself in; when I asked what he wanted them for, he told me to piss off!"



"Look, Carmichael, now's really not the time." I say, trying to edge past him in the hallway. "Mordain's team should be bringing in plenty of lumber soon, so we can spare a few logs. I mean, you know how crafters get sometimes..."

"Buncha fuckin' pampered primadonnas..." he mutters. "Fine. But if he makes a goddamn bracelet or something out of those trees, I'm feeding it to him."

Leaving Car to his grumbling, I snag some stones from the debris outside and throw together a temporary depot. The trade representative arrives while I'm working and spends the last few minutes of construction tapping his foot, waiting to talk to me. I send Notty out to fleece the incoming traders while I talk with the rep. Maybe she can get something out of them for our crappy trade goods...



****

Expedition Leader's Log, 14th Timber; cont.: Trade netted us a bin full of leather and a small supply of cloth. We also got some more varied foodstuffs and drinks to keep the men happy. I've told the trade rep that next year we'll be needing more leather and cloth, and perhaps some livestock. I've also requested a variety of seeds to grow in the smaller farm plot I've been planning underneath the primary one. Maybe we can start making cloth for ourselves eventually. If nothing else, we can get some flour for bread.

After taking down my requests, the rep pulled me aside and let me know that there's a serious shortage of quality weapons available in the Mountainhome. Apparently war with the goblins is looming again, and we could do well in crafted arms, should we have some available for trade next year. I had already planned on setting up some good steel weapons for export, but it's good to hear that we'll be getting a better price for them.
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Log One:
Note to self. Do not, in the future, force minor nobility to keep to the terms of their bets. Especially if it involves eating hats. Especially if said hat is in fact a helmet. Especially if said "helmet" is a ridiculous chainmail fez made of adamantite. The doctors do not appreciate it.

It was funny watching the doctors declare that they would need to cut him open to get it back, though. Serves the bastard right for saying he would eat his hat if I was a better hunter.

Log Two:
I've never been so happy before that I insist on keeping signed records of all bets I make. Producing the paperwork changed my sentence from "go join the next caravan to the forests of torment" to "go join whichever colony you feel like so long as you get out of the capital by the time I stop laughing at my third cousin."

Log Three:
There's some kind of strange... something in the air. I'm going to follow the sensation. People say that these kinds of things are my imagination, but... the last time I followed my "imagination" things ended rather well for me. I'll go, and hope my gut leads me right again.

Log Four:
I've arrived. There's a secret here. I don't know what it is, but there's definitely one here. I'll just keep my eyes open.

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Expedition Leader's Log, 20th Timber: The traders are packing up to leave, and I just got word of what Algasir was working on for the past week, locked up in his shop. A goddamn crutch. I can't decide what I think about this. The crutch is legendary, decorated with menacing spikes, and amazingly crafted. On the other hand, it's a damn crutch! Whatever; amazing or not, this epiphany seems to have honed Algasir's carpentry skill greatly, so I'm not going to complain.

Expedition Leader's Log, 10th Galena: The traders may not know about our fortress's wealth, but I swear the goblins can smell it. We've seen two goblin thieves already, one of which was discovered by Trektek's dog "Papersoldiers", who got a wounded leg for his trouble.



I've started construction of some basic defensive fortifications, and ordered Bullseye to set traps down the entry corridor. After much complaining that I wouldn't let him create ten-bladed death machines, he set to work making the cage traps I requested.



Expedition Leader's Log, 1st Moonstone: Winter is setting in. Construction of the defenses continues nicely. Though only partially completed, our traps have already caught two thieves. Only one of them was goblin, though. The other was one of a pair of racoons that have been raiding our food and leather stores. Mordain has already said she wants a new hat. The goblin thief was a rather successful one, judging from the quality silk clothes and steel dagger he had. I've ordered them removed, cleaned, and stockpiled. I'll think of something amusing to do to the goblin himself later. Maybe a live combat training dummy for the militia...



Expedition Leader's Log, 22nd Moonstone: Everyone is settling in for the winter, though it looks to be a mild one, thank Aned. With things slowing down, I've taken the opportunity to have our kitchen areas expanded. A butcher shop, tannery, and fishery are quickly constructed. Mordain has also set up a kennel to train the two stray dogs that embarked with us last spring. One is set on sentry duty near the front door, for the off chance that a thief gets past the traps. The other tags along constantly at Mordain's heels.



Expedition Leader's Log, 12th Opal: It may be cold outside, but the smelter running full time keeps the fortress nice and warm. It's a slow process, but I have Randa working on turning our huge store of magnetite into steel. Newb is running the wood furnace full time as well, keeping her supplied with charcoal. We found a coal vein, which is slowly being turned into coke for fuel, but for now, we're going through our wood supply even faster than we are beer.

Expedition Leader's Log, 1st Granite: Spring has finally arrived, and not a moment too soon. The long winter seems to have driven Mike insane. This morning, she burst into my shop, gibbering wildly, grabbed some stone supplies from my stock, and shoved me out the door. Inside, I can hear her repeating the same word over and over again; "Staliden". I'm reminded of Algasir's earlier fit, but this is something different. There was a wild look in her eyes as she claimed my workshop... something other than Mike was looking out at me. I've heard of dwarves being posessed by the spirits of craftsdwarves of old, but I'd never seen it until now.
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A spiked crutch?

Wouldn't that, like, be very painful and lacerate the shoulder of whatever dwarf with a broken leg tries to use it?

It is a crutch for manly injured dwarves.

It is a device for injured dwarves that want to also injure other dwarves.

Urkist was angry again. There were complaints. I don't understand why.

*******

I made a picture of a falcon soaring in the sky. It was done in the fluid stylistic Tawnyreach style. At first I was worried that there would be an issue with the placement, since the rest of the frieze was done in rigid and geometric Barricaded Crystal designs, but it worked well. There were compliments.

*******

I was eating. It was dried dog meat. I thought about something I saw last year.

A kobold thief had penetrated to the inner horde. It was discovered and started to flee. I watched from around the corner of a wall as it was pursued by guard dogs. Heedless in it's terror the thief ran towards the exit of the fortress. It dodged the traps but was slowed down by it's caution. Two dogs came close and then leapt upon him, tearing at his flesh. The creature howled in pain and was pulled down by the dogs. As it fell the kobold pushed a pressure plate. There was a pop and whirl of machinery. I was watching. What was left of the dogs was dragged off to be butchered, though they couldn't tan that many pieces of hide. The kobold was gathered up and thrown in the midden. Then the mechanics came to work on the traps. Diligently they were stripped, cleaned, oiled, and reassembled. The blood was scrubbed off, but not all of it. Even now there's still a stain on the walls. The pattern reminds me of a bird, soaring.

nobody knows

I ate dog meat today.

*******

I completed the carving in upper east 42. People would stop and look at it then hurry off. Urkist came and admired it for a while. I thought he might yell but he just turned around and left.

Later he came back and told me that my name had been drawn in a lot for the next colony.

I said I didn't want to leave, and he said I had no choice. He'd see what he could do, but fair is fair he said. I was chosen by lot he said.

liar

*******

We've been traveling. When we stop to rest I draw pictures of the plants I see. Yesterday I saw a fox. There are a lot of plants under the sky. I wonder how they stand the light?

A family is traveling with us. The children have some pet puppies. As they play at camp sometimes the animals stop and look at me. It unsettles me.

I don't like the sky. I miss my room.

*******

We arrived today. It's a small burrow in the middle of nowhere. There's a waterfall some distance away. I didn't know there were rivers up here. You'd think they'd all just evaporate under the gaze of the Sun.

The local boss made some speech about how there's some big secret we're supposed to keep. I didn't listen. Whatever it is it's outside. I wanted to get underground but he kept us out here to give his speech.

Anyway this is a new delving and I'm the only engraver apparently. I set to work smoothing. It's good to be underground again.

*******

i said i didnt understand the complaints

i lied

*******

There was an explosion outside. They did something with that big pillar. Boss Knight goes on about it endlessly. Typical of a man I suppose.

The rumbling made me chip a panel I was working on. I tried to move to the next panel, but all I could do was stare at the chip. It was wrong.

I said I was taking a break. That isn't true.

I was watching. It seemed like it was getting bigger. I could almost see a set of eyes in the shadows looking out at me.

I tried going to sleep that night but couldn't. So I went back and resmoothed the panel. The chip isn't visible, but I know it's still in there. Those eyes are still there.

*******

They found some iron ore. I requested a new chisel. Boss Knight said he'd see what he could do.

I hated him right then. I don't know why. It passed.

*******

Traders came and went. I didn't see any of them. Boss Knight has the mechanic making traps.

Bullseye. It's a bad name.

I went back to carving.

Argh! *buried in immigrants*

From 20 dwarves to 38 in one goddamn wave. Looks like the next update is just going to be a list of newcomers.