Let's Play Dwarf Fortress - Skeletal WHAT?!

[Loyal]

We've already got a smoothed road. All we have to do is get some master engravers on the scene and set up walls so that the caravans HAVE to pass through it.

I am pleased to see the progress Loyal is making.

Also, if I remember right the second floor of that tower, on the other side of the grand pit, has some fortifications + archery towers made out... that or it was supposed to but I ran out of time. Just something to think about for when they start packing their own range.

[Corel]

Also, if I remember right the second floor of that tower, on the other side of the grand pit, has some fortifications + archery towers made out... that or it was supposed to but I ran out of time. Just something to think about for when they start packing their own range.

Yeah, I did have them stationed up there originally, then I realised it would be a large pain taking screenshots/it would look much clearer for readers if they were all on the same level.

Will see if we have any master Engravers and try get those stories up!

[Flarecobra]

What next? Tamed undead?


And somehow I could see Dwarf-Loyal poking that maimed-yet-still-alive goblin with a stick, just for shits and giggles.

[Wigmund]

We should have the crafters build dozens of obsidian swords (lord knows we have enough obsidian for that) and build more lines of weapons traps on the arch-bridge and the area between the bridges in preparation for larger invasion forces.

We've already got a smoothed road. All we have to do is get some master engravers on the scene and set up walls so that the caravans HAVE to pass through it..

Unfortunately the engravers can't carve on constructed surfaces, the blood-soaked trap field and entry way should be message enough to all who enter Workgill that we are not to be fucked with.

And the arm lodged in the fortification wall doesn't hurt either.

And somehow I could see Dwarf-Loyal poking that maimed-yet-still-alive goblin with a stick, just for shits and giggles.

Probably nothing Loyal could do to that goblin would be worse than what it was experiencing at that time. The poor soul had just watched all of its comrades get captured, get shredded by pop-up weapons, get crushed by boulders falling from the open air, and then the archer barrage. It would have been merciful if Loyal had choked the life out of the creature.

The goblin was probably lying there, bleeding to death, watching dwarf-Loyal stand over his dying body and he probably had the realization that his fate was to become a skull totem and bone crafts to be sold to the next caravan.

[Loyal]

Wait, that's a paved road?

What a wasted opportunity. Can they be deconstructed? :\

[Wigmund]

Wait, that's a paved road?

What a wasted opportunity. Can they be deconstructed? :\

Sorry, mis-understood you earlier, the road is just smoothed from the obsidian field out there. I thought you were talking about building walls and having those carved. My bad.

Engraving the road would probably be a bad idea though. It would just provide goblin ambushes convenient targets far from the fort.

[Corel]

Probably nothing Loyal could do to that goblin would be worse than what it was experiencing at that time. The poor soul had just watched all of its comrades get captured, get shredded by pop-up weapons, get crushed by boulders falling from the open air, and then the archer barrage. It would have been merciful if Loyal had choked the life out of the creature.

The goblin was probably lying there, bleeding to death, watching dwarf-Loyal stand over his dying body and he probably had the realization that his fate was to become a skull totem and bone crafts to be sold to the next caravan.

And that's not the best part of it. This is what the Goblin saw:

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/LoyalBlood.png

Loyal is wearing Plate Armour with is completely covered in blood along with his face. I think all the blood came mostly from the Undead he's been chopping to pieces but some of that is also Dwarf blood, and he hasn't been injured.

Oh Workgill, you certainly are starting to shape some personality.

[Loyal]

Sorry, mis-understood you earlier, the road is just smoothed from the obsidian field out there. I thought you were talking about building walls and having those carved. My bad.

Engraving the road would probably be a bad idea though. It would just provide goblin ambushes convenient targets far from the fort.

That's why you assign dogs to the engravers, if your military is too occupied to provide an escort. Was never a problem with me.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Journal of Shyria

4th Hematite 59, Early Spring

Corel's ordered a mass culling of the pack, apparently for "safety" reasons. Idiot. What's the point in keeping a bleedin' wolf trainer around if you keep killing all our wolves!? Just think, all those pups growing up, getting bigger, learning the ways of war, ready to lay down life and paws to keep this fort safe...All thrown away for what? Safety? Honestly, I more scared of some of my fellow dwarves than these furry lugs.

Besides, I already made Wuffles apologise to that craftsdwarf for that incident last week (I don't know why he was so upset, he's still got one working one hasn't he?)

[Thadius]

Diary of Thadius, Mayor of Workgill

4th Hematite, 59

The book...

It is angry with me.

The prediction did not come true...

Unless I find another to take the punishment...

I fear for my own safety...

15th Hematite, 59

Goblins. What do they know of darkness? In order to appease the book, I have told all the metalworkers that no nickle silver is to be exported.

17th Hematite, 59

My 'contributions' to various 'funds' has insured that I remain mayor. This means I will remain in a place where I have the power to act on the book's predictions.

6th Malachite, 59

Ooooh...mY heaD...doN't reMemBer whaT i diD laSt niGht...

17th Galena, 59

Apparently we've fended off a goblin siege. What'll we do with the ones in cages?

...As if we really didn't know. In Armok's name! To the fiery pit with ye!

[Wigmund]

That's why you assign dogs to the engravers, if your military is too occupied to provide an escort. Was never a problem with me.

Keep forgettin' about that.

We could use the wolves that are being culled, we probably have enough of them to assign to everyone in the fort if they've been breeding like they were when I was overseer.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Oh man, what a glorious update this was. Nothing beats mindless slaughter. This was most hilarious.

Is there anything else we can do with the goblin prisoners other than cast them into a pit? Can we make them fight gladiator style in an arena or something? Or just like, torture them needlessly?

.... Can we tame them???

[Loyal]

Goblins won't fight each other. No, we can't tame them or otherwise "convert" them (if we could, I'd make my entire royal guard out of goblins or something). I think they'll fight wildlife, and there's... quite a bit you can do with them, (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Captured_creatures) with some imagination and engineering.

[Flarecobra]

Hello, goblin. I want to play a game.- Why just kill them when you can sadistically watch them sprint through a labyrinth of fiendish deathtraps? Pressure plate activated Dwarven Atom Smashers, drawbridges over a drop five Z-levels deep activated by pressure pad and lever, and floodgates unleashing tidal waves combine to produce a horrifically painful experience for the foolish goblins who dared attack your fortress. Time-consuming, but fun to watch.

This sounds fun. :P

Shame we can't launch them from catapaults though, huh? Unless there's something I don't know.

[Wigmund]

I like the siege weapons training option, we should probably look into building some anyways for fortress defense against larger invasions and using the everpresent stone supply we have, some crappy catapults, and a fresh supply of captured targets, we should have some decent siege operators in no time.

[01d55]

Don't drop them into a pit - drop them into the DEMON PIT.

[Kerensky287]

Oh man, can you actually dig a hole straight into the Fun Stuff without any of it coming out? Because that would be wicked awesome.

I'm worried that by the time I'm Overseer there'll be no danger whatsoever, and I'll have to resort to megaprojects like building a Reverse Mass Driver to destroy the demon pit.

EDIT: I can't find any mention of "Reverse Mass Driver" and "Dwarf Fortress" together anywhere so I'm led to believe that this plan may not work as well as I thought, but I have other crazy things in mind.

[Loyal]

I'm not sure the goblins and demons would fight either. The former works for the latter.

Since the river freezes in winter, it may be possible to have a cross-overseer project to try and build the highest tower we possibly can, out of ice.

Then convert it into an execution shaft.

[Wigmund]

Oh man, can you actually dig a hole straight into the Fun Stuff without any of it coming out? Because that would be wicked awesome.

I'm worried that by the time I'm Overseer there'll be no danger whatsoever, and I'll have to resort to megaprojects like building a Reverse Mass Driver to destroy the demon pit.

Unfortunately I activated all the spirits of fire (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Spirit_of_fire) when I had the miners do the exploratory drilling. Thankfully I capped off that entryway, but now they're all down there waiting and hidden waiting to ambush anyone opening a way for them to attack the fort.

[Corel]

Is there anything else we can do with the goblin prisoners other than cast them into a pit? Can we make them fight gladiator style in an arena or something?


We need a Rancor in this case.

I like the siege weapons training option, we should probably look into building some anyways for fortress defense against larger invasions and using the everpresent stone supply we have, some crappy catapults, and a fresh supply of captured targets, we should have some decent siege operators in no time.

I had been constructing some Ballista and catapults just in the event we wanted to set them up. I'll probably leave the construction of them to the next Overseer to have some fun with. Unless these next seasons are very uneventful.

We can test them on the Goblins, FOR DWARVEN SCIENCE.

Unfortunately I activated all the spirits of fire (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Spirit_of_fire) when I had the miners do the exploratory drilling. Thankfully I capped off that entryway, but now they're all down there waiting and hidden waiting to ambush anyone opening a way for them to attack the fort.

Yeah, I did wonder what Ignus was doing standing in a Volcano.

[PyrosNine]

I'm starting to wonder if all these references to Flaming Clowns is a dig at me. Especially when referring to fire spirits.

...Oh well. In the meantime, I'm just gonna tell Thadius via his book to eat more insects and to start subconsiously making miniature copies of the book, so he thinks it's multiplying when he snaps out of his funk.

[Flarecobra]

*Dumps a bucket of water on Pyros*

Anyway, were those wolves actually put to work, or were they just killed?

[Thadius]

It'll be pretty hilarious if one day the goblins get as far as the entrances, encountering no wolfy resistance because Corel had them all killed.

[Loyal]

Don't flatter yourself, Pyros.

Y'know what you should do, Corel (and everyone else lined up for overseership)? Add the [PET_EXOTIC] tag to unicorns*, tame them, and use THEM as guards.

*Their entry is in /raw/objects/creature_standard.txt

[Wigmund]

If I recall my turn correctly the wolves started shooting out pups like little furry factories. I think I had about eight pups in a cage with the other puppies and kittens the fort's pets were producing.

I shudder to think of how many wolves and wolf pups were running around by Corel's time.

I'm starting to wonder if all these references to Flaming Clowns is a dig at me. Especially when referring to fire spirits

No dig at you. Clown is apparently the nickname from the DF Forums for the demons residing in the HFS since many over there feel that they are spoiling something horrifically important if they say outright "Demons from the Pits of Hell".

If we entered pits that were filled with filth and had engravings of depraved acts going on - then our dwarfs would start drawing tentacle hentai on the walls.

[Geminex]

God, this year has been awesome. I really should have checked up on it more often, but I was busy advising the Netherlands on its quest for world conquest.

BTW, I've been dwarfed, haven't I? As an engineer? What've I been up to?

[Corel]

It'll be pretty hilarious if one day the goblins get as far as the entrances, encountering no wolfy resistance because Corel had them all killed.

Yeaaah...about that...


BTW, I've been dwarfed, haven't I? As an engineer? What've I been up to?

About that too...

Also, I'm starting to believe that our Trade Depot is in fact a Clown Car.

[Flarecobra]

Wiped, was it?

[Loyal]

You can fit ridiculous numbers of things on the trade depot as long as nobody takes them off. I can only assume the majority number consists of goblin equipment, as any successful fortress should have it.

[Yumil]

You can fit ridiculous numbers of things on the trade depot as long as nobody takes them off. I can only assume the majority number consists of goblin equipment, as any successful fortress should have it.

Unless they are on an island, only dwarves ever come by>.<

Course, being on an island surrounded by an evil ocean is hella fun.

[Wigmund]

Yeaaah...about that...

About that too...

Also, I'm starting to believe that our Trade Depot is in fact a Clown Car.

What? Are we all dead?

[PyrosNine]

Waa! I've been splashed with water and there are no flaming clowns, yet there is a clown car, and clowns are scary! There is or there isn't something frightening!

[Corel]

1st Limestone 59, Early Autumn

The next invasion force that arrives might be even larger than the last, this calls for somewhat drastic measures.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/UNITAME.png

Something tells me I'm going to regret this.

Also started production of stone swords at Wigmund's recommendation after the Fortress meeting/drunken celebration after the siege.

--------------------

Some of our Engravers have been busy with retelling some stories of our Fort. They're mostly about the succession of our current leaders, but this one caught my eye especially.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/ENGSATIRE-1.png

It's obviously either symbolic or satire for something, however what for I haven't figured out yet.

9th Limestone 59, Early Autumn

Oh, what's this?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/MEL1.png

It appears Melfice is no longer bed ridden!

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/MEL2.png

Found him sparring in the barracks as if nothing had happened; he's probably a little bit freaked out that the Watch is almost quadruple in size whilst he was in his coma. Regardless he's back in action and ready to kick ass.

Now for the difficult to assigning him to a Squad; he's still one of the more experienced of the Watch however I don't wish for unbalance within the squads just yet. For now I have assigned him to work under Wigmund, but when plans for a new specialist squad is drawn up he will have nomination for leadership.

Flare also became a Speardwarf; that makes two now.

13th Limestone 59, Early-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/WAGON.png

Other Dwarves from nearby Fortresses of their own have arrived for trading, with quite a number of wagons.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/WAGON1.png

Don't mind the mess guys, we're in the process of redecorating.

15th Limestone 59, Early-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/WAGON2-1.png

How can SO many Wagons fit on a single depot the size of one wagon?

It's madness, I tell you.

21st Limestone 59, Early-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/WARUNI-1.png

It begins.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/UNITAME1.png

Decided to chain the Unicorns at the entrance second killing zone; if the Goblins make it past the traps I'm sure they're not going to enjoy some Mythical Horses that are probably both pretty deranged and pissed (what with hanging around a graveyard of corpses and skeletons yearly) waiting for new play toys.

25th Limestone 59, Early-Autumn

No need to worry about the Wolf culling of the entrance; I found some Wolves in the cages moping and looking all pathetic so I let them out.

1st Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/GOAT3.png

Not much going on in the fort, so I sent Loyal to harass some Mountain Goats. Unfortunately they were not Undead so that gave way to a bit of a chase before Loyal got bored.

5th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/OPAL.png

Most exquisite.

8th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/WOLVES.png

Jesus, I completely culled the pack the start of the Summer and already they've repopulated the stairwells. They're like rabbits; rabbits that could turn on us at any moment.

Also found another pocket of Galena, the Smelters shall be pleased.

9th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/GRAPHITE.png

Pencils for all! (The stone to the upper left of the Miner is Graphite) Joke kinda doesn't work because I cropped the text, hur hur.

10th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/AUTUMN.png

Ah, we truly are in Autumn. The trees are shedding many wonderful colours and-

Wait, where'd that Unicorn go?

11th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FIDOK1.png

Fikod be crazy and claimed the Craftdwarf's shop. Here's to hoping he makes something more useful than a Drum made out of our most precious metal.

Flare also became a Wrestler again (She likes to swing to and thro) and the merchants finally realised after two weeks or so that Thadius wasn't going to barter with them again so they buggered off.

13th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

Today I ordered the haulers to claim the Galite from the mine and move it closer to the Fort.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/DUMP1GIF.gif

They happily carried it from the northern mine shafts...

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/DUMP2GIF.gif

Under the open sky...

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/DUMP3GIF.gif

Across the fort and down the many stairwells...

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/DUMP4.png

And proceeded to dump it down a hole...

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/DUMP5GIF.gif

...Right into Thadius' room.

Apparently this is where all the Overseers have been dumping stone since this room was first constructed.

Man, Thadius is gonna be pissed if he ever finds out. Good thing it's his tomb; who ever checks the room they're one day going to be in forever when they die?

14th Sandstone 59,Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/NOMIGRANTS.png

Aw, after I had all those rooms prepared as well. I would've thought with our heroic triumph over the Goblins people would come flocking! No matter.

15th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

Struck both Native Silver and Horn Silver. Go us.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/MUSHROOMCROWN.png

Wait, what?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/MUSHROOMCROWN1.png

He made a Crown. Out of Mushrooms. That's...that's just great.

At least it's worth just over 32k.

25th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/PIXIES-1.png

Pixies? In MY fort? What a whimsical year this has been.

I was going to send out a squad to show them whose boss but they vanished long before I could give the command.

--------------------

Some of the undead were getting restless in the sealed mine, so I once again sent Loyal's squad out to contain it. Loyal's squad have proved proficient in dispatching the Undead.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/MINE1.png

Geez, look at all the bones.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/MINE2.png

In the river Styx too.

Let's hope no more of those will be Dwarven remains.

28th Sandstone 59, Mid-Autumn

Loyal let Flare take point at the river bank. One of the Skeletal Lizardmen took her surprise and managed to grab her by the ankles and drag her down into the river.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE.png

In alarm Loyal realised that jumping in from the bank he was at would've been potentially fatal, so tried to find another way around.

Confused and disoriented, Flare took a brutal shot straight to the torso while trying to break the grip of the Skeleton.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE1.png

She managed to land a few critical hits onto the Lizardmen, but her opponent while starting to break to pieces continued to keep a tenacious grasp whilst flaying her skin.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE2.png

She's losing blood, and fast.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE3.png

Flare was thrown violently against the side of the River wall, which tore her back open. With a sure strike she was able to destroy the Skeleton Lizardman she was fighting. Wounded, drowning and submerged in an underground graveyard can she find her way out in time?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE4.png

Vabok can only stand and watch in horror as the river starts to take on a redder tint.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE5.png

As Flare started to lose consciousness the last thing she saw is another Skeleton Lizardman approaching her.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE6.png

She was spared the mercy of the Undead, at least.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE7.png

The river Styx once again turns red.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE8.png

As it claims another victim.

In the event of this tragedy, I've ordered the mines to be resealed for the time being.

2nd Timber 59, Late Autumn

Loyal has taken his subordinate's death pretty hard. His demeanour is doing nothing for the morale of the his squad members so I've temporarily put Melfice in command.

14th Timber 59, Late Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/STRAGGLER-1.png

Oh, hello there. I don't recall you in our ranks.

Must have been left behind from the caravan; which begs the question how did he get so far North that he was outside the fort and down a level by the old entrance?

Ah well, we'll see how long he lasts on his own.

17th Timber 59, Late Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/LOYALMINE.png

We appear to have a shortage of Hematite and the only known source of the material just so happens to be next to the River Styx.

I was about to select a squad in a sweep and clean mission but suddenly Loyal volunteered to go. Alone. Perhaps against my better judgement I let the Champion go solo.

I put Melfice on standby outside the shaft though. We don’t want to lose any more good Dwarves this year.

18th Timber 59, Late Autumn

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/LOYALMINE1.png

Loyal threw open the sealed doors and methodologically starting disposing of the creatures in the Mine shaft almost at a painfully slow pace. Probably trying to make it last longer.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/LOYALMINE2.png

On the first blow he managed to skew the Snakeman in the head and heart simultaneously with a spear.

No wonder our Champion is always covered in blood.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/LOYALMINE3.png

There's something incredibly symbolic how the blood red Hematite crosses over the crossing for the Styx, as if it was some sort of wound or scar.

The mood was sombre as Loyal cleared the area, allowing the Miners and Haulers access to the Hematite.

25th Timber 59, Late Autumn

Oh for goodness sake. I got reports that one of the Masons managed to trap himself outside the fort by the wall he built himself.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/ENGTHIR.png

He was found dying of thirst, we ordered him to break down the wall he made in the first place to escape this fate.

Sometimes I wonder about this place.

27th Timber 59, Late Autumn

With Winter fast approaching, a few more mining excavations are needed to be completed.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/SUCKSTOBETHEM.png

Nothing at all can go wrong with this endeavour!

--------------------

Three down, one to go. I wonder what's going to happen in the season finale? Who knows.

--------------------

Obituary: Flare

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLARE9.png

As Flare's blood covers the River Styx, let's take this time to reflect on her stay at Workgill.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLAREKILL.png

Quite an accomplished individual for the short time she stayed here.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/FLAREPROFILE.png

Caught in the rain recently? Well that's one way of putting it...

[Wigmund]

1st of Limestone, 59

Wigmund Zanegsemor likes Schist, Steel, Moss Agate, Ivory, Shields, and Querns. When possible, he prefers to consume Pike and Dwarven Beer.

I like querns. Nothing wrong with that. STOP HARASSING ME!!


13th of Sandstone, 59

Oh shit, new guy found out where we've been dumping stone.

[Corel]

I would really like to see all the journals compiled next to each update when this LP is completed, they really give it that extra touch.

[Melfice]

Journal of Melfice
8th Limestone 59, Early Autumn

I don't know what happened, but yesterday I woke up in my bed. My lower arms feels like somebody buried some gravel in it, but from what I'm told it used to look like the great crags from the old Mountainhome. The dwarf taking care of me when I was out said it should be fully healed now, though.

9th Limestone 59, Early Autumn

It still hurts when my sparring partner hits me on the bracer, but for the rest... I guess I should thank the dwarf who took care of me. Good as new!
Things have changed in the military, it appears. More bodies to shield the veterans, it seems.

2nd Timber 59, Late Autumn

On the 28th of Sandstone, it appears Flare was killed. Apparantly a very slow and brutal death. Captain Loyal seems to have taken it very hard, making him unfit for leadership. Though this meant my promotion, I must admit that Loyal made for a fine captain.

17th - 19th Timber 59, Late Autumn

As my squad and I were ordered to clean out the mines next to the river Styx (note: Had I the choice, I'd have called it Boned River. We're certainly boned for having exposed it to the mines) we suddenly noted Loyal running up to us.
Apparently, he's gotten over Flare's death - or not... - and volunteered to act as a vanguard for us. Despite explaining our ambush plans, Loyal did not seem to listen and rushed out.
While I am now captain of this squad, I should probably punish him for disobeying orders and rushing off like that, but... considering the result of his rampage -and the fact he's a Champion- I will let this go with a simple warning.
Mind, this will probably be moot as I'll soon be demoted again with the return of Loyal, but so be it.

Minor Entry

Where the hell is Hawk anyway? Haven't seen him in a while. I'll bet he's been put on cantina-duty.

[Bob The Mercenary]

I propose a toast to the late great Flare.

*hic*

[synkr0nized]

Whoa, whoa, a dice-toting table-top gamer? My dwarf is quite a disappointment.

[Corel]

Whoa, whoa, a dice-toting table-top gamer? My dwarf is quite a disappointment.

If it makes you feel any better when you're not table-top gaming you're training mythical creatures and harnessing the elements to forge precious metals which are later used by the Watch in their ever lasting attrition against it's enemies.

Of course, that's in your spare time. Playing 2nd edition is pretty hardcore as it is.

[Thadius]

I'll organize these later. Maybe. I have other things to do today.

Also: Hell yes, war unicorn. I really doubt anything will be able to threaten us now.

[Flarecobra]

At least I went down fighting.


And it's scary how many similarites there are.

[Loyal]

Poor Flare. :(

Also, did Melfice become a champion as well? I was under the impression that Champions could only be stationed under other Champions.

Make sure to show us a nice, healthy screenshot(s) of the whole fort at the end!

[synkr0nized]

If it makes you feel any better [...]

I don't know, do I have to roll some kind of die to figure that out? :(




I am definitely liking how undead keep coming out of that river.

[Melfice]

Poor Flare. :(

Also, did Melfice become a champion as well? I was under the impression that Champions could only be stationed under other Champions.

Make sure to show us a nice, healthy screenshot(s) of the whole fort at the end!

I don't think you're stationed under me. I'm thinking all your men were placed under my squad.

But then... I don't have access to the save, so I don't know for sure, of course.

[Bob The Mercenary]

I am definitely liking how undead keep coming out of that river.

Wait, does this mean we might see an undead Flare? And Loyal will have to endure a moral dilemma as to whether he should take down one of his best friends?

I'm so putting this in novel form.

[Flarecobra]

I think they did that in the Ragnarok Manga...

[Wigmund]

Unfortunately there's no mechanism for the freshly dead to rise from the grave in Dwarf Fortress currently.

But it would be great if it did, then we'd see the following in the dwarfs' thoughts:
Urist McVictim is unhappy. He has witnessed death. He has lost a friend recently. He was forced to endure the rising of a friend's corpse from the grave. He has been attacked by the dead lately.
Of course, all of those unhappy thoughts could be repaired by having a really damn fine dining room. Those silly dwarfs.

And I would have purposely built the tombs in the evil lands just to make sure we constantly have to deal with our own dead trying to devour our alcohol-soaked brains.

[Corel]

I don't think you're stationed under me. I'm thinking all your men were placed under my squad.


Yep, Loyal is going solo for the time being.


Poor Flare

Make sure to show us a nice, healthy screenshot(s) of the whole fort at the end!

Our poor Watchmen. In fact I was trying to get the miners to dig some staircases down for her to get out, let the entire mine shaft flood to save our men however the Miners were too far away.

The layout of the fortress to be honest hasn't changed too much since Wigmund's turn. I will do screenshots of the outer level and probably the mine shafting leading to the river Styx as these are the areas that have changed the most.

[Geminex]

About that too...

What do you mean, "about that too"? What do you mean? What happened? Am I dead? I'm dead, aren't I? Please tell me I'm not dead.

...

Oh god, I'm deaaaad!

You maniacs! You killed my dwarf!

Also, what can war unicorns do? In terms of damage?

[Corel]

What do you mean, "about that too"? What do you mean? What happened? Am I dead? I'm dead, aren't I? Please tell me I'm not dead.


Well...you're not actually a Mechanic. For some reason you are a Peasent.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/GEMI.png

You also appear to be going through a Mid-Life crisis.

Anyway:

Meet the Sniper

Hawk is one of the veterans on the Watch, he was assigned to the Marksdwarf squad where it was his responsbility to train them into an effective fighting force (although having no experience in using a bow himself.) As you probably know, his right lung collapsed quite a few seasons ago and has never truly healed which leads him to sometimes passing out on patrol or trailing behind the younger, fresher recruits.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/HAWK.png

Of course, this has not deterred him from being highly effective in combat, leading him to having one of the highest kill counts in the fort.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/HAWK1.png

Hawk also has a lover, ooOOoo. Let's hope they give us Spartan offspring.

Hmm, the last paragraph reminds me of somebody...

http://17.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ktfftxMq2g1qasu84o1_500.jpg
Pictured: Hawk (Right) and his sniper squad.

He's too old for this shit.

[mauve]

Hahah! I love these Meet The Cast posts. XD

And for the record, my dwarf is awesome.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

My dwarf is more awesomer though! I love the huge number of things I've killed. And wooo I have a lover!! What does she do?

Oh and the part about not doing any more work than neccesary is totally spot on.

[Corel]

Hey guys.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/INVASIONS.png

Be sure to tune in for the season finale.

[Malek]

Wonder if the unicorn defense team saw any action in this siege?
Also, is it just me, or do the strange moods in your fortress seem to always go to the peasants/farmer/fisherdwarves? Maybe the next overseer should get those guys dabbling skill in a more useful profession, so that if they get a mood, they'll do something useful with it.

[Wigmund]

My dwarf is more awesomer though! I love the huge number of things I've killed. And wooo I have a lover!! What does she do?

Oh and the part about not doing any more work than neccesary is totally spot on.

Hopefully your lover isn't in the military then we have to worry about her using your future children as meat shields.

[Corel]

1st Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/WALLPLANT.png

Arg. Arg. Arg.

Why would a Planter even be over there, for any reason?

9th Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/MANDATE.png

Thadius mandated the construction of bracelets, any bracelets. He could've chosen the dozen or so we've already made but instead insisted on brand spanking new ones fresh from the Craftdwarf’s Workshop.

15th Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/INVASIONS.png

Oh you mother lover.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOB1.png

Well, they're back for more and boy do they look pissed.

I suppose I better recall all civilians indoors and man the battle stations.

They appear to be better armed and experienced this time around.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOB2.png

MUCH better equipped.

16th Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOB3.png

These guys aren’t messing around like the last army, they’re immediately charging straight for the entrance. Workgill Watch, to arms!

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/SOUTHGOB.png

Wait, Goblins sighted at the Southern wall? That's impossible, unless-

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/SOUTHGOB1.png

Another legion has been spotted approaching from the East; this does not bode well for us.

Eighteen from the North, sixteen from the East and the Watch are still mobilising.

Let the fireworks begin.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/LOYALLATE.png

Come on Loyal!

----------------------

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK1.png

Here they come.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK2.png

Reminiscent to the last conflict, Goblins pour onto the traps and cages lying in wait, however with their far superior numbers from last time it’s likely more goblins will proceed into the second kill zone than last time.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK3.png

The Goblin named Ngom who seems to be their commander rushes past the traps and is met with our War Unicorns.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK4.png

!?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK5.png

Oh man, this Goblin means business. He's actually stronger than most of our Watchmen. We're in for the fight of our lives if the other Goblins are equally as tough.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK6.png

Perfect timing; Hawk's squad decided to go refill their water skins JUST BEFORE the rest of the goblins advanced into the second killing zone. I was able to recall Hawk but his subordinates we can't stop now.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK7.png

This Ngom character is giving our Unicorns no quarter. Hawk let's fly.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK8-1.png

After three shots Hawk suddenly remembers he only brought three bolts with him and makes a hasty retreat. By sheer luck all of the goblins still in the first kill zone manage to get caught in the traps.

Loyal has finally appeared on scene to assist Bob's squad. They make up the third killing zone.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK9-1.png

Now this is strange, Ngom's forces (All two remaining) managed to get past the traps and decided to make a retreat leaving the commander to fight for himself.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK10.png

Bob’s squad and Loyal move to engage the lone commander.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK11.png

…And on the first exchange proceed to crush his right hand.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK12.png

Next strike leads to Ngom's decapitation with his head hurtling through the air…

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK13.png

…And landing deftly where Hawk's squad were moments ago.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK15.png

Thankfully the Goblins this time were not as smart as last time, and managed to set off nearly ALL the traps.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK16.png

Unfortunately we lost our front line of Unicorns and the use of our traps on the Eastern Legion who seem to be sending their units in a steady trickle towards our entrance.

19th Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/BABY-1.png

One of our soldiers, Likot has given birth to a baby boy during mid-Siege. The child has been named Flare in memory to one of our fallen Watchmen.

Celebrations were cut short however as more Goblins throw themselves at our Fortress. Thankfully Hawk's squad is now re-supplied and ready to fight.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/SECONDATTACK.png

The river has frozen over; I do not know if this is a good omen or a bad omen.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOBTRAPGIF.gif

You would think that this Goblin would notice all his comrades either in pieces or in cages screaming "Noooee! Down't goe iwn there! It's a twap!"

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOBSTUPA.png

Apparently not. He actually retraced his own footsteps and walked right into a stone trap that caved in his skull.

21st Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ATTACK17.png

So after setting off all the traps and having about twelve or so troops left at their disposal, they decide to call it quits now? Geez.

No matter, victory is ours. Let the looting commence!

25th Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/WALLSTUCK.png

JESUS CHRIST ON A SPACEHOPPER

26th Moonstone 59, Early Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/UNI.png

She's back, she must know that her kin has been slaughtered. She's out to get us. I'm sure of it.

Well, that's what Thadius keeps mumbling anyway. I can only assume he means the Unicorns and Goblins...maybe the Undead too?

Clean up is going as planned, no problems with Melfice's squad on watch at the entrance.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/FLAREA.png

Patrolling with baby Flare strapped to her back. Now that's badass.

1st Opal 59, Mid-Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOLDB.png

Goooold rush!

Designated a new stockpile by the smelter designated to Hematite, Gold, and the like.

4th Opal 59, Mid-Winter

Just noticed Goblin's limbs and blood are now starting to decorate the trench.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/TRENCH.png

Let's see how full we can get this.

12th Opal 59, Mid-Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/BRIDGE1.png

The main bridge was starting to collect some remains, so decided to clean it.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/BRIDGE2.png

Wahay!

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/BRIDGE3.png

We most definitely need a Rancor of some sort we can release.

13th Opal 59, Mid-Winter

Struck Almandine, how wonderful.

27th Opal 59, Mid-Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/TRAPUNI.png

Thadius unknowingly caged the last remaining stalking Unicorn outside the old entrance. Thadius came from the East and forced the Unicorn into the waiting trap. She can now long at least join her kin in the cages.

5th Obsidian 59, Late Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/HEMA.png

More Hematite to be used in our steel production, this is never a bad thing.

7th Obsidian 59, Late Winter

The final blocks were to be placed to complete the Fortresses outer wall however Masons have reported Undead activity in the area.

Undead Mountain Goats?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOAT1.png

Not a problem, leave them to Bob. Or his squad members anyway.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/GOAT2.png

What's not pictured is this single guy smacking a goat off the screen Northwards, because that's how he rolls.

13th Obsidian 59, Late Winter

The last stone was today set on the wall, today is a glorious occasion.

27th Obsidian 59, Late Winter

My stay as Overseer has seen two separate Goblin sieges, continuous attack from the Undead, mining exploration, Dwarves both joining and departing and the continuous growth of our Fort. Who knows what lies beyond?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/RIVER.png

The bridge over the Styx was finally safe enough to be completed. It's more a symbol for Dwarven spirit in the face of hardships more than efficient means of physically traversing the river. The Watch takes this time to reflect on this hard year of conflict, and wonders what next year shall bring for Workgill.

28th Obsidian 59, Late Winter

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/UNIAPPEAR.png

OH FOR FUCKS SAKE

The journal ends here.

----------------------

Suggestions

To be honest things are running pretty smoothly since Loyal's turn. Steel production was a bit slow and is now in full swing, especially with all the Hematite now. I've made half a dozen Chainmails of Adamantine, one or two Adamantine Platemails, one or two Adamantine Greaves and a few Steel chainmails and greaves. I also started making smaller apparell such as the boots, head and hand gear. What we really need is this and a few more higher quality weapons.

I haven't added any more traps to the entrance I have however made lots of Obsidian swords if the next Overseer wants to. Personally I want to go Mano-o-Mano without traps so decided on a middle ground of not adding anymore this year.

We might want to think of either adding more to the Fortress Guard or the Watch with the next wave of immigrants. Perhaps a Hammer Dwarf divison?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ENDGOB2.png

I've been collecting these little guys through the year, I know they're mostly here for use in live combat but perhaps we could put them to other good uses?

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ENDBALL.png

I've made a couple of Ballistae which I'll let to Overseer decide what to do with. Ideally I wanted to put them on the roof of the Entrance however they don't fire up or down different levels. The area just East of the Drawbridge would've been ideal if it wasn't so compact.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/ENDCAP.png

Towercap wood is still growing, probably another year or so before we can properly harvest.

Apart from that, I'm sure there still are many treasures and adventures just waiting for us.

I know it was mentioned a while back, but perhaps we should start thinking about a project of some sort, whether it's killing or making something.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%20%204/SUCKSTOBETHEM.png

Remember we've got all these guys to go through yet.

I'll only show the top level, because the main fortress layout has not changed much since Loyal's and Wigmund's turn.

http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/MAP1.png

As you can see a wall has now been constructed around the perimeter. The staircase to the South-West region of the fort and down two levels is where the River Styx is, which has most of the Undead cleared out of it.

One last thing, if I am to be redwarfed I request the next born Child.

----------------------

Playing and compiling seasons takes much longer than one expects, but pretty rewarding once it's done and posted for your viewing pleasure. I think I was very fortunate with an eventful year and things were already operational. Here's to hoping we make it through many years to come, or laugh or way to destruction!

Just as a quick extra:

And wooo I have a lover!! What does she do?


http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Tremere_bucket/Part%205/LOVERHAWK.png

So she's Hawk's Lover, is a soldier in his squad and seems pretty balanced as far as Dwarves go.

I think we all know where this is going to lead.

Here is the SAVE FILE (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HC90JUEC). Good luck to whoever is next!

[OhnoesFlanked]

Corel had the most successful season yet. There's order. That kind of thing does not belong in a proper dwarf fortress.

[Loyal]

Yeah, but he FORCED the order with an adamantine fist. I'd say he's earned his rest.

I'm so happy to see all those live captures. :3

[Wigmund]

1st of Granite, 60

Another overseer has come and left us. The jerk decided to leave the fort after his job was done with the proclamation that the next child born here shall be named after him. Hope he gets eaten by the undead marmots.

Apparently Thadius slid a note under his door designation the next overseer...and wait...The hole-in-his-chest marksdwarf Hawk is supposed to lead us next?!

---------

Great job Corel! I enjoyed this and can't wait for Hawk to get started on his turn.

Get to work Hawk!

Random notes and suggestions:
We'll probably want to remove Flare's mother from active duty in the militia or re-assign her as a marksdwarf and always hide her behind fortifications until Flare's old enough to walk. Mama soldiers love to use their babies as shields.

Also, ballista may not be able to fire up and down across levels, but catapults can. Having three of 'em on top of the entrance would make the sieges epic.

But we can do something with the ballista. Have 'em installed as fortified turrets near the southwestern corner of the fortress and also by the entrance itself should allow us to fire upon invaders from safety and weed some out before they have a chance to reach us.
7103
Red lines designate trenches, light blue are fortifications, and the black lines would designate walls and fortifications to remove. For the corner ballista, rearrange the walls so that it allows diagonal access. Floor over the trenches within the new areas to allow constant access and we've got ourselves some turrets.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Ah yeah, about my future leadership, gona have to take a raincheck on that guys. I said at the start that I might try and take part once I learned some more of the game but well, I haven't been playing all the much and still don't know everything that needs to be known to run a fort of this size. If you give it to me now, it WILL crash and burn, I can garuntee it.

So yeah, I'm gona pass this over to whoever's next.

[Loyal]

Also, ballista may not be able to fire up and down across levels, but catapults can. Having three of 'em on top of the entrance would make the sieges epic. No, they can't. Catapults will fire in a straight, 1 z-level line just like Ballistas, only they will only deal damage when "landing" instead of bulldozing straight through everything in its path.

Plus they have a massive minimum range. They're really only good for getting rid of excess stone and training siege engineers.

Furthermore, neither siege engine can fire in anything other than north-south-east-west directions, give or take 10-20 degrees in either direction.

Finally, siege operators seeing enemies that close to them, whether they can be pathed to or not, is going to spook them off.

On the other hand, we CAN, with some construction work, build a small ballista battery that capitalizes on that stone 'bridge' over the brook that you built.

http://i48.tinypic.com/23wa52a.png

[PhoenixFlame]

(Though I've only watched, I have a few contributions for defensive emplacements.)

*walks in, swishes ale glass, and gives the diagram a peer with uncertain but obviously drunken eyes.*

Nay, nay. Stop foolin' with the siege engines, they're more trouble than they're worth. Years of practice in the fine art of Dwarven SCIENCE has taught me that if you're gonna make traps, and want an effective trap, you should do it in style. Thus, the skymine was born!

Tha skymine is a 3x3, 9 tile square (or larger) propped up by a support, rigged to a pressure plate somewhere on a tile adjacent to the support. When a hostile critter steps on it, the support breaks, and all nine tiles come tumblin' down, instantly killing anyone they fall on (megabeasts, unicorns, and goblins alike). Furthermore, you get a 'cave in' warning, immediately alerting you that the trap was sprung, and dust shoots out a good long ways outside the killzone, automatically knocking everyone unconcious. It's a great way to disable and mostly kill an entire squad with one simple device.

Think of it like a primitive bouncing betty fragmentation mine.

Warning: Phoenixflame does not reccomend creating "sky destroyers" which take the skymine to their logical conclusion. Pave the sky at your own risk. Phoenixflame is not responsible for any 'fun' involved by the sky falling fourty Z-levels and destroying every above-ground structure, item, and object simultaneously.

[Gregness]

Ah yeah, about my future leadership, gona have to take a raincheck on that guys. I said at the start that I might try and take part once I learned some more of the game but well, I haven't been playing all the much and still don't know everything that needs to be known to run a fort of this size. If you give it to me now, it WILL crash and burn, I can garuntee it.

So yeah, I'm gona pass this over to whoever's next.

I guess that means it's Kerensky then me huh? I might actually get my turn before the semester starts!

[Kerensky287]

Wow, my turn came fast. Uhm...

1) I'm away from my good computer (the one that can run DF with graphics without being a pain in the ass, and that has a proper numpad) until Sunday night, so an update will have to wait until at least then.

2) Am I supposed to add that [PET_EXOTIC] bit to the unicorn? Admittedly I never really did the whole animal taming/caging thing. I was mostly about the megaconstructions.

[Yumil]

I was mostly about the megaconstructions.

Best part of the game. Hell, I spent my first game building a tower to scrape the top z level. Who needs to live underground when you have a huge tower(with glass blocks covering the rest of the sky:o). Yeah, I just had to strip mine most of my surroundings...but I did get my obsidian tower at the end. A Bronze Colosus finally destroyed it...damn him.

Edit: I didn't have a military as I found it easy enough to just close my floodgate doors to stave off attacks since I was self sustaining.

[Corel]

On the other hand, we CAN, with some construction work, build a small ballista battery that capitalizes on that stone 'bridge' over the brook that you built.

http://i48.tinypic.com/23wa52a.png

I considered that, however I have no idea what the time frame I would have to set it off while they were still on the bridge unless we trapped them somehow.

Oh yeah also, I still have loot all Iron Amrour enabled for the Goblins, you might want to turn that off.

The Exotic tag for the Unicorn taming also needs to be added.

Edit: Like the diagram by the way!

[TheSaylesMan]

A rapt and mostly silent observer here. I'm nowhere near good enough at the game to actually try to do anything with it at this point. Forts of mine tend to collapse and starve.

BUT, I do have ideas. Grand ideas. What I've always wanted to do with all the excess stone that happens to be laying around is to build UPWARDS. Blasphemous I know, but it would have its uses. Namely, creating a massive spire with a "sky light" on the top of it to drop goblins through it and to their deaths. They'd make satisfactory slats.

Also, on the traps vs no traps debate, keep the traps. Not only so that there would always be prisoners to make my death spire idea worth it, but in case of any roving megabeasts. You have the means, so why not a tame dragon or whatever other megabeasts you can tame? You could keep it penned in the "bottom floor" of the death spire. Turn it into an arena. Instead of just dropping Goblins so that they splat on this level, you could release goblins to get smashed by any captured monsters.

[PhoenixFlame]

Urist McKing cancels Attend Party: Interrupted by Titan

In my experience, capturing megabeasts is generally a very bad plan. ;)

Or a 'fun' one, if you know what I mean... It was on accident, so I stuck him in the zoo. Bad idea.

[Corel]

Just remembered, whoever is the next Overseer be sure to read the detailed floors in the sealed up tomb in the South-Western region.

Freaky stuff.

[Loyal]

Urist McKing cancels Attend Party: Interrupted by Titan

In my experience, capturing megabeasts is generally a very bad plan. ;)

Or a 'fun' one, if you know what I mean... It was on accident, so I stuck him in the zoo. Bad idea.Yeah, but we've already seen our queen handle captured beasties just fine. :P

[Yumil]

Just remembered, whoever is the next Overseer be sure to read the detailed floors in the sealed up tomb in the South-Western region.

Freaky stuff.

Got any good exerts?

[Wigmund]

No, they can't. Catapults will fire in a straight, 1 z-level line just like Ballistas, only they will only deal damage when "landing" instead of bulldozing straight through everything in its path.

Plus they have a massive minimum range. They're really only good for getting rid of excess stone and training siege engineers.

Furthermore, neither siege engine can fire in anything other than north-south-east-west directions, give or take 10-20 degrees in either direction.

Finally, siege operators seeing enemies that close to them, whether they can be pathed to or not, is going to spook them off.

On the other hand, we CAN, with some construction work, build a small ballista battery that capitalizes on that stone 'bridge' over the brook that you built.

Well damn. I really need to refresh my memory on this stuff. To be honest, I haven't had many forts continue this long, usually I get pissed because I planned something out wrong and I'm compelled to start a new fort.

We can use all those obsidian blades Corel had built and use them in ten-packed weapons traps in the second battle area and rename that "The Field of Cuisinart". And we could build fortifications on top of the walls beside the overpass with a one or two wide floor behind it to give the marksdwarfs a better area to rain death upon our foes. And they can enjoy the show as body parts go flying as goblins clog the traps with their bodies.

:p The carpenter's better at city-planning and passive defenses (the freaking long bridges with the deep pit and the trench lines) rather than active ones like siege engines. :p

Just remembered, whoever is the next Overseer be sure to read the detailed floors in the sealed up tomb in the South-Western region.

Freaky stuff.

You mean the demon pits?

It's imagery of humans, elves, and dwarves being tortured, being dead, cringing, burning and other lovely stuff.

I should have posted the descriptions back when the pits were uncovered.

EDIT: So Thadius, once Kerensky and Gregness have had their turns does overseer control just loop back through the list?

[Thadius]

Hmm. Certainly could.

I advise you all to look for other potential overseers though.

Cause when I get my turn again? Things are goin' nuts.

[Geminex]

Corel hereby gets the golden beer mug, for the best turn at the wheel to date. Not 'cause of the development of the fortress, but because his posts were awesome.

[Melfice]

Only a golden mug?
They're dwarfs for crying out loud.

They won't be satisfied with anything less than a golden beer keg/barrel.

[Wigmund]

Awards are gonna have to wait, cause from this point on it just get worse.

[Krylo]

Corel hereby gets the golden beer mug, for the best turn at the wheel to date. Not 'cause of the development of the fortress, but because his posts were awesome.

Coral's was most SUCCESSFUL, but I kind of liked Wigmund's better for the gratuitous over use of the drawbridge to rob caravans.

Also, is it possible to train goblins? I know it's been done in a few games (like Cacame Awemedinade's fortress), but I'm not sure if they had to edit any files to do so.

If it IS possible, I want to be 'dwarfed' as a 'trained' goblin.

With a sword.

[Wigmund]

I think training goblins involves programs like Dwarf Manager or the like.

Don't know what would happen if you added the [PET_EXOTIC] tag to goblins. Probably have to make sure to weed out any who have ever killed dwarfs anywhere, otherwise that would lead to bad fun results.

EDIT: Nevermind, PET_EXOTIC seems to do nothing for goblins. They're only good for throwing into the pits or stripping down and letting our military train on them.

[Corel]

Awards are gonna have to wait, cause from this point on it just get worse.

Agreed! Now that things are up and operational it's time for us to become more daring in what we do.

Why do I have the unsettling feeling that there are other horrors lurking underground just waiting for us?


If it IS possible, I want to be 'dwarfed' as a 'trained' goblin.

With a sword.

Hmm, I was considering through playing of chaining a single Goblin at the entrance way to our Fortress. We could do that and give it a custom name?

It's also good to see all you readers are enjoying our little LP, tis nice about this LP format that each of us get to use different LP styles and we like to focus on different things.

[Bob The Mercenary]

It has been very entertaining to say the least. Though I'd make a suggestion that if you're worried about demons from the pits of Hell, maybe you want to make some sort of gauntlet the demons have to run in the lower mining levels. Maybe create a bottleneck and place a siege weapon at the end of the corridor. Or a cave-in situation if things get really tough down there.

Very nice screenshots and captions. One question, when you say "more daring", what exactly can you create in this game on a larger scale?

[Melfice]

Very nice screenshots and captions. One question, when you say "more daring", what exactly can you create in this game on a larger scale?

Make some suggestions.
Anything from inverted pyramids to doomsday clocks. (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Stupid_dwarf_trick)

[PhoenixFlame]

You can create such awesome machines as the "Ocean Destroyer" (instantaneously channels the entire ocean into an aquifer, destroying it). "Self Destruct Lever" (The sky destroyer, underground! Obliterates everything!) and many, many more!

If you manage to capture !!clowns!! you can also build an infernal combustion engine.

[Corel]

Oh man, the magma cannon has already been done!

I was thinking of kicking around a Mako Cannon type device using pumps and pressure, however no idea how to implement it into the game.

[Bob The Mercenary]

I'd totally support the magma shower. Build a channel from a magma pipe up and over into a chamber above the other side of the main entrance bridge. Build a couple hatches in the chamber and have them all controlled by levers. You could pick and choose which gobs you want to fry. Then maybe have a seperate pressurized chamber of water right next to it to make cleanup a snap!

[Melfice]

I'd totally support the magma shower. Build a channel from a magma pipe up and over into a chamber above the other side of the main entrance bridge. Build a couple hatches in the chamber and have them all controlled by levers. You could pick and choose which gobs you want to fry. Then maybe have a seperate pressurized chamber of water right next to it to make cleanup a snap!

Alternatively: find some way to drain the magma into the earth into a reservoir for recycling.

[Loyal]

Recycling? What the bloody hell kinda pansy elf idea is that!?

[Wigmund]

I was thinking of the mist generator (http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=34407.0) converted for use with magma for goblin invasions.

What we need now are zoos and other happiness generation areas. With waterfalls.

[01d55]

Can cave-in traps kill spirits of fire? If so we should undertake to destroy them and claim their riches!

[Loyal]

Yeah, but a crossbow squad works just as well provided you get them out of their ambush first.

I guess if you could get a hammerdwarf exceptionally heat resistant (Full suit of adamantine armor maybe?) that'd work even better.

[Malek]

I don't know if they can be killed by a cave-in, but I did see someone use a cave-in to knock them unconscious in a room full of cage traps, capturing them all in cages.

[Melfice]

Recycling? What the bloody hell kinda pansy elf idea is that!?

Communiqué between Captain Loyal and acting(?) Captain Melfice, date unknown

Recycling a wooden mug into a... doorhandle is a pansy elf idea. Recycling a table into a shield is a pansy elf idea.
Re-purposing the magma that fell on the earth from our "magma shower" so that we can use it for a death-pit (or something else involving magma, and the horrible death of whoever sieges us) is a brilliant idea from your resident strategist (ME).

Besides, I have no idea if we have smelter yet, but I can assure you that smelting looted armour is an excellent way of bolstering out metal supplies. Recycling, in other words.

It's all good to be a beer-swilling, homicidal, psychotic dwarf. I'm all for that; as a matter of fact, it's been long due we drank something together, Captain, but innovation is long due in our ways.

Hoping to have explained myself sufficiently,

Melfice.

[PhoenixFlame]

I advise you not to trifle with !!clowns!! for they are dangerous and the only thing capable of killing adamantine clad champions without even touching them.

[Wigmund]

How about we clear out the rest of the undead river, then take on the undead of the magma pipe, and finally the undead of the chasm before we take on the world-enders hiding in the clown car.

We have enough hostile creatures, not even counting the frequent goblin raids, to keep the fort busy for awhile. Besides, with trying to take on the chasm and magma pipe, we can lose soldiers to flames and falling. And then have dwarfs in the fort freak because we can't recover any remains to bury.

[Loyal]

Dear Melfice:

I fail to see why we should go through the trouble (and wasted space, and materials, see below) of siphoning used magma back into a resovoir, or the volcano, or wherever, for the purpose of using the magma in other pursuits, when one considers that we can simply draw off more of the fiery blood from the (inexhaustible) magma vent itself.

Furthermore, such an undertaking would involve significant taxation on our magma-proof resources, especially considering how little of it we have:

Bauxite is in extremely limited supply, and now that our Queen is here, we will no longer be able to request any more of it.

Iron does not exist in natural form in the area (barring rare veins of Hematite), and can only be harvested from captured and killed goblins. For my own part I'd rather use that iron for things like armor and steel production, maybe crafts or goblets in a pinch;

Nickel still has yet to be excavated, last I heard, and likely will remain that way for some time to come unless an exhaustive search is performed;

And Adamantine is in finite supply and far too valuable for such pursuits.

[Geminex]

Captain loyal! You seem... coherent?

Are you sober?

As for fun ideas, would it be possible to build a huge colliseum-like arena and pit various animals, prisoners and undead against each other?

[Thadius]

Wait a tic...

Military units...

Going without drink...

But we've plenty of booze...

WHO GAVE THEM WATERSKINS?! OWN UP!

[Flarecobra]

Booze refreshes. Water heals. Simple as that.

[Loyal]

I dunno about you but my military dwarves are always sober, even off-duty. Think it has to do with the waterskins they carry.

[Wigmund]

You fool, you've doomed us all! Everyone knows dwarfs have to constantly drink otherwise they become knurd!
Think of the stunning realizations about the idiocy of dwarfkind horrors your men will witness if that's allowed to happen.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah I did notice whenever someone posted a pic of any Dwarfs thoughts that they all seemed to be sober. Kind've worrying really. Are we actually out of alchahol or what then?

[Wigmund]

Think we're safe, pulled up Corel's save and had a look at Wigmund's thoughts
7105

[Corel]

Yeah, there are around 450 odd units of alcohol; that's one thing I've been keeping an eye on through the entire year.

I had also been wondering why the soldiers were never drinking, even when off duty in the dining area.

Edit: The Let's Play Hydra is growing!

[Kerensky287]

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/thadbastard.jpg

You made me a chick, you bastard.

In all seriousness, how have the other overseers been recording their adventures? Just screenshot + MS Paint + crop out the edges?

EDIT: ALL OF YOUR METAL-RELATED DWARVES ARE WOMEN.

EDIT2: Now I'm a woodcutter, hurrah. Still works for my plan. Works better, in fact.

[Thadius]

Yeah, we use Paint. Well, I did, I can't speak for the others, really.

[Loyal]

Yeah, Paint here too. For some reason GraphicsGale goes all screwy with pasting a Printscreen.

[Kerensky287]

WIGMUND: Alright, all, gather 'round the entryway statue garden! It's Granite the 1st again and you all know what that means...

CROWD: *assorted grumbles*

WIGMUND: That's right, it's time to vote for a new overseer! Anybody have anyone in mind to nominate?

CROWD: *assorted grumbles*

URIST MCWHINER: Why not just make Thadius do it again? Everyone knows he's the only one who knows what the hell's going on here.

WIGMUND: Oh, that's not true. I was working pretty hard for a while. And hey, look at how much we've flourished under... uh... that last guy!

URIST MCRABBLEROUSER: Oh, come on! He doesn't even know the last guy's name!

URIST MCWHINER: Make Thadius do it!

URIST MCNOTSTUPID: Honestly? That guy's a nutjob! Have you seen the way he carries that book around with him? What we need is someone with a little experience who knows how to overcome problems, like Hawk! He's had a friggin' hole in his lung for who-knows-how-long and he's still the best Marksdwarf any of us have ever seen!

URIST MCRABBLEROUSER: Yeah! Put Hawk on overseer duty! We like Hawk! We like Hawk!

CROWD: *mixed chants of We Like Hawk, devolving into mixed fits of giggles*

WIGMUND: ...So, Hawk it is then! Unless anyone else has any disagreements?

CROWD: *mixed chants of We Like Cawk*

WIGMUND: Alright then, with that I announc-

DOOR: *booted down*

THADIUS: Hold it right there, all of you! I hold here the answer to all of your problems!

WIGMUND: Umm, we already voted.

THADIUS: What do you think this is, a democracy?!

WIGMUND: Why not?

THADIUS: BECAUSE THE ECONOMICON HAS SPOKEN! *holds up a sheet of paper ripped from a book*

Clearly visible on the page is the line "WORKGILL OVERSEER: Kerensky Osustlogem, Woodcutter

CROWD: *disappointed muttering*

THADIUS: And that's that. You may disperse, everyone who isn't on this paper!

KERENSKY: ...But I don't know how to oversee... or whatever it is... I just got here in the last set of migrants. Heck, I don't even know anyone yet.

THADIUS: According to this book you've got enough raw talent to oversee a whole country! Now get to work, time's a-wasting, and you've only got a year to prove that you're some kind of hero!

KERENSKY: Alrighty. Any tips?

THADIUS: I'm sorry, it sounded like you asked me for help. That can't be right, considering that you're a heroic overseer. Which you are, because if you weren't, we'd probably through you in the river of undead for sheer uselessness.

KERENSKY: Exactly, I said "I gotta go oversee now."

THADIUS: I thought so.

___________________

FIRST JOUNAL OF KERENSKY OSUSTLOGEM, OVERSEER OF WORKGILL

1st Granite

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran1.jpg

I am so screwed.

81 dwarves! I have to lead 81 dwarves, including myself, with no experience, no help, and no idea how this place used to work before I got here! AND ONE OF THOSE DWARVES IS THE QUEEN! I don't know how to run a fortress. I don't know the first thing. Food, I guess? We've got that. Defenses...?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran2.jpg

Got that, too. That last guy managed to guard the front gate with not only a pair of wolves, but a pair of UNICORNS. I can't be expected to tame a unicorn, can I?!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran3.jpg

I'm a woodworker. I've always been one. It's in my blood, really. Ever since I first broke a tree in half with my toy axe, then made a tent out of it. I'm more fit to make some pretty barrels to put ale in than to give the orders to brew it.

The sad thing is, this Workgill place, confusing as it is, doesn't seem to have much use for wood. Everything's made of stone, and it seems like nobody's been collecting wood for ages. When I finally found the carpentry shops after what felt like hours of wandering, they were coated with dust, and the nearby stockpiles were nearly empty.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran4.jpg

That's the Furnace Operator. I don't remember her name... but she's apparently the only one around who uses wood anymore. When I met her, she was taking the last few logs - thinking she was a fellow wood enthusiast, I tried to strike up a conversation. I needed a friend anyway, and... well, she had a cute beard.

Turns out she was just going to turn the wood into charcoal.

I don't know where much is, but I saw the wood furnace. It's right next to FOUR MAGMA FURNACES.

She was just wasting wood! Nobody needs goddamn charcoal, and I need that wood to make barrels, chests... or... or whatever! I'm the overseer, right? I say stuff should be made out of wood now!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran5.jpg

Not that it matters, anyway. Guess it's time for me to go cut down some trees... that charcoal isn't going to make itself.


4th Granite

There's nothing to do around here. I just cut down something like half the trees in the Workgill enclosure. We aren't going to run out of wood anytime soon, but apparently they've got enough charcoal now and I don't have any ideas for what to make.

Funny story, though. I ran into the queen yesterday. She very graciously hinted that her already grand throne room could've been a bit more royal, as could her opulent dining room.

What makes a room fancy, I wonder? Statues, perhaps?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran7.jpg

I told her I'd see what I could do.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch1/gran6.jpg

Now I'm just lying in my tiny room - I guess overseers still don't deserve the big fancy places - while some mason makes those statues, I guess. Probably out of obsidian. Seems to be a lot of that lying around.

What is there to do? I have to do something grand. Build something, maybe! Something everyone will enjoy. I can be helpful, I'm sure of it. I... just need to sleep on the idea, is all.

_________________________________________

So, how's that for a first entry? I'm planning to build a megaproject of some kind... maybe more than one. I've got a really good one in mind but it's a little small and for more of a one-off joke. If anyone has a suggestion for a good megaconstruction, I'd love to hear it.

And of course if you have any criticisms tell me too.

Side note: holy shit, that fortress is huge. Took me ages to find anything in there, but I think I'm taming a unicorn or something now, and yeah, lots of statues on the way for Queen Mauve and eventually Thadius, both of whom have some requirements that aren't quite fulfilled. I dunno if it's the best idea but dammit I'm going to fill Mauve's room(s) with statues whether she likes it or not.

[Wigmund]

2nd of Granite, 60

So we have our new overseer, some random migrant [indicating escaped felon] that Thadius claims his book had chosen because of his great skills. What's next? One of the mechanics being placed in authority of this place?

But I do feel sorry for the poor woodcutter, that was my job when we first founded this place...what was it - 4 or 5 years ago? Maybe the greatness will rub off on what-his-name, oh yeah, Kerensky. Could have sworn that was one of smiths.

Maybe I should remind the kid that Custom dictates that the new overseer always builds himself a new bedroom, office and dining room suite as well as a decent tomb. That should help relieve his worries some - well, until the elves show up. Gonna have to remind him to drop them into the pit, only way to deal with them, every overseer after me has failed in this one protocol.

[Thadius]

I love the fact that we're all apparently ruled by my book. It started as a gag, but now its mutated beyond my control.

Oh, yeah, I did promise I'd try to organize the journal entries, didn't I? Oh well, I'll get started on that. I'll probably end up doing it by person and in sequential order.

...You're all just lucky I have a case of OCD I can switch on and off at will.

EDIT: Done. And from now on I'm watching this thread a bit closer so it isn't a chore to update it. Look for the list of journals under the overseer list.

EDIT2: Clearly the project, whatever it is, must involve magma at some point. We have bauxite being imported en masse, t'would be a shame not to use it...

[Loyal]

EDIT2: Clearly the project, whatever it is, must involve magma at some point. We have bauxite being imported en masse, t'would be a shame not to use it......since when?
Turns out she was just going to turn the wood into charcoal.

I don't know where much is, but I saw the wood furnace. It's right next to FOUR MAGMA FURNACES.

She was just wasting wood! Nobody needs goddamn charcoal, and I need that wood to make barrels, chests... or... or whatever! I'm the overseer, right? I say stuff should be made out of wood now!Steel production requires one unit of fuel, regardless of forge type.

[Kerensky287]

Steel production requires one unit of fuel, regardless of forge type.

Screw steel. Who needs steel? What can you make with steel that you can't make with good old-fashioned wood? Heck, I can make you a wall out of wood that can take just as much punishment as any adamantine wall! /incharacter

But yeah, the fort is well-protected enough that I really doubt we need much more protection. It's practically self-sufficient, and all the invaders tend to end up skewered while crossing the bridge that we can actually just raise to kill them.

[Thadius]

...since when?

Since Wigmund max-prioritized everything the last time we got a liaison from the dwarves. After that the queen arrived and we can't fix it.

So we can trade with other dwarves for bauxite, and they'll have a lot of it.

It'll just be Armok-damned expensive.

[mauve]

Diary of Her Majesty Queen Mauve, Most Glorious Ruler of Workgil and Empress of All She Sees

1ST GRANITE

The commoners seem to be attempting to "choose" a new leader based on popular opinion. Ohohoho! Silly commoners! What do their opinions matter? Are they Queen? No, they are NOT!

We are amused by the absurdity of the commoner.

Ah, but enough time has been spent pondering the mysteries of the Non-Royal Dwarf. Time for booze.

2ND GRANITE

The leader problem has been resolved, and thankfully without help from that "democracy" concept the commoners came up with.

We question the logic in putting a newcomer in charge of Our glorious fortress, especially one who works with trees instead of stone. But getting involved in such matters is beneath Us. Besides, "leader" is an empty title, really. We all know who the real power behind this fortress is! (Us.)

Also, in order to discuss this matter, We would need to consult that fellow with the book. And quite frankly, he creeps Us out.

4TH GRANITE

We fear the new "leader" may not understand how things work here. Particularly, the things involving Us being the true ruler of this fortress. We decided We must remedy this, and went about introducing Ourselves this afternoon, after taking Tea and Booze in the royal dining hall.

We are concerned about the lack of glorious opulence in said dining hall. We politely informed the woodworker of this, and added that a few statues here and there would add a nice touch to the place. Particularly the place around Our royal throne. Nothing too fancy, nothing too over-the-top... We want to impress/intimidate visitors with Our immense wealth and greatness, but we don't want to overdo things. It might make Us look bad.

Hopefully the newcomer can manage that simple task, and hopefully he understands who is Queen in this here fortress. (It is Us.)

Ah, it is a busy job, being Queen. However do We manage it so well?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Diary of Hawk, 1st Marksman of Workgill, 1st of Granite, 60

So it's that time of year again and everyone gathered together to elect this years leader. Quite surprisingly, many people seemed to want ME of all people in charge. Can you imagine that??!

I politely declined. Politics is not my thing. Still, nice to know I have friends.

2nd of Granite, 60

New leader is a new arrival, a carpenter.... chosen by Thadius' "book". Dear Armok this year is not going to end well!

[Corel]

But yeah, the fort is well-protected enough that I really doubt we need much more protection. It's practically self-sufficient, and all the invaders tend to end up skewered while crossing the bridge that we can actually just raise to kill them.

To be honest I'm much more worried about the enemy already within Workgill's walls.

Also liked the introduction, good old whats-his-name!

[Loyal]

Since Wigmund max-prioritized everything the last time we got a liaison from the dwarves. After that the queen arrived and we can't fix it.

So we can trade with other dwarves for bauxite, and they'll have a lot of it.

It'll just be Armok-damned expensive.Trade agreements are one year only things, and expire the second the next caravan arrives. It is not an ongoing thing.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Trade agreements are one year only things, and expire the second the next caravan arrives. It is not an ongoing thing.

Problem is I think we won't be getting another caravan from the mountainhome to fix things because technically (now that we've found adamantine and had the royalty move in) WE'RE the mountainhome.

[PyrosNine]

Diary of suspiciously tall and unbearded Noble ruler, Pyros Nine.

Day ???, Location: ???

Cannot find the new mountainhome called "Workgill." No longer care about adamantine. Cold. So cold. Undead, goblins, and godless killing machine bears everywhere. We are beginning to suspect her royal highness's plan "to go ahead and see if it's safe, then send safe directions" was an elaborate ruse to lose Us on some Armokforsaken mountain in the middle of...wherever the hell We are. Our stewards are all dead, eaten by bears, strange slimes, and in one instance, a horrible bridge related accident. Damn them, damn all the bridges! What fools bridgebuilders be, creating something so powerful, without thinking of the long-reaching effects!

...It is a miracle We have survived for so long.... Our provisions are running low.

Day: 3 days after previous, "Weyard."

Armok be praised! We have stumbled upon three travelers also lost in the winter snows, two elves accompanied by a half-ling. Or at least, they claim to be elves. They went on to debate this point in front of Us for a good hour or so about reclusive mountain villages and 'Psynergy', but all the while We worried that the half-ling was kept as emergency rations, being quite small and yet full of tender meat.

Their manner of speech is quite troubling, and much of what they say is nonsensical, but what troubles Us most is their description of the land and it's title of "Weyard." One look at their map tells Us that We are not even on the right continent. We fear her royal haneous told Us to take the wrong turn at the dwarven outpost of Alb-urist-urque, so to speak.

Hmm.. Our newfound possibly elven friends seem to be alarmed about something-Oh. A bear is gnawing at my numb, frostbitten, and possibly lifeless right leg. It would seem prudent to put down my pen..no, never mind, the tallest one blew it into chunks with a blast of fire. I believe that if they are indeed elves, then that one is an acceptable elf, and much better than all those flaming clowns I keep hearing about.

We put down Our pen now because the soothing flame now engulfing the better portion of Our body endangers this parchment, and We are beginning to regain most painful sensations in the lower bodu./-----------------------*smudge*

Leaderly Voice: Y'know, I think there's something called "friendly fire", and maybe you should start looking into it.

Firebrand Voice: Well, you have to admit that fire is awfully friendly.

Halfling Voice: My goodness Mr. Fred-o, I think I can see Imil over that hill!

[Wigmund]

The Baron should arrive soon Pyros, so hope is not lost for your long line of short-lived nobles.

Trade agreements are one year only things, and expire the second the next caravan arrives. It is not an ongoing thing.

If we received human caravans (or other dwarf civs I believe), we'd have more negotiators. But since we've only seen the caravans from the old Mountainhome and the elves...:(

[Thadius]

Is there a way to rep everyone who's contributed to this thread besides me with one button? I could totally go for something like that.

[Sir Pinkleton]

Workgill journal of Sir Pinkleton, Jeweler, 2nd Granite, 60

I keep getting the odd gem here and there to keep me busy, but it's all so boring compared to all that I hear about. The siege from the undead underground, and goblin raids are the latest interesting developments. Just today though, a woodworker was made into overseer. Perhaps he, too, can appreciate the work of the unmentioned? We don't use much wood here, and no one talks about the gems I make either, except maybe when we sell them.

Maybe I'll visit him at his office (room?) sometime soon? But maybe that'd be too forward...

I'll keep gem-cutting, if nothing else.

[Yumil]

Diary of Captured Goblin, 2nd Granite, 60
The start of the entry is illegible

Stubbies were scary. Try trade with stubby and rock fall on head, why? We no hurt stubbies. Wesa good Gobs. Stubbies no scary now. Stoopid stubbies make chop chop leader. Chop chop no good. I escape soon, chop chop no know. Bring back army, take baby stubbies, make stubby army, and rock fall on stubby head. Stubby know then, Gobs best. Chop chop chop chop.

The rest of the entry is incoherent.

[Thadius]

Actually, with all that open space and potential, a thought occurs.

We could probably set up something akin, to, say, a Tower Defense run for the gobs. Or a psychotic sprint to stay alive. Or a combination of them. Hell, with all that space, why are we limiting ourselves?!

And where's the overseer? I swear, kids these days. They take one look at the Economicon and scamper off, muttering about demons from other dimensions. In my day...

[Loyal]

Because the "towers" need to be manned, and training crossbowdwarves can get quite... resource-intensive.

We could build a massive tribute to the Economicon? I've been experimenting with constructions lately...

[Kerensky287]

And where's the overseer?

Is that a crack about how I haven't updated in a while? Because I'm sorry about that, I've been a bit busy with school lately and doing a DF update takes ages because it runs at goddamn SNAIL PACE.

[Thadius]

Then clean out the river/chasm/magma pipe. Should pick up then.

Oh and we definitely need some sort of BOOKTRIBUTE so that we can later upgrade it to BOOKWEAPON.

[Geminex]

Would this be a book-shaped weapon? A weapon that shoots books? A really lethal library?

[Thadius]

Yes. Also, with 90% more magma!

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I don't think a library with magma running through it would be practical. I mean sure it would look pretty flashy, but paper + heat = A Bad Thing.

We could perhaps create some channels out in the open space, running along the surface of the world in the shape of the letters WORKGILL, and THEN fill it with lava.

It would be like a giant lava based signpost pointing to the fortress... that's only visible from space! We could even do an arrow!

It's practical, flashy, and it gives you something to read.

[Geminex]

No, see, what we do is the following. We build this huge dome. The dome is rigged in some way so that huge pressure can be created in it using magma. The high-pressure dome is connected to a pipe. Or, perhaps, several pipes. There's a gate between the dome and the pipe and the end of the pipe and the outside world. There's also a contraption allowing us to place ammunition near the entrance from pipe to dome. What we do is create huge pressure within the dome, place a book (or goblin, or other object) near the entrance, open all gates and bam. Supersonic book. (Or goblin. Or troublesome noble. Or, if we're boring, rock). And if we're ever close to defeat we can fire the economicon out of it and end the world.

Hell, if we build two of them we could really smash atoms.

Hell, forget everything I just said, let's just build a magma-powered LHC.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I wonder if we can build some sort of artificial volcano using that dome idea. Build a dome, fill it with lava, then remove the support columns that the entire structure is resting upon cuasing the entire magma dome to fall to the earth... from say, 10 z levels up.

What happens then is anyones guess.

[Geminex]

You know, I actually support that plan more than mine. You see, in my plans, the best-case scenario was interesting. But the worst-case scenario was that we put in huge effort and do not achieve very much at all.

With Hawk's, the ultimate worst-case scenario is awesome. And probably, fun.

[Wigmund]

For many years I have plotted for these coming events...
Many years of scheming and betraying all who would put their trust in me...
7107
Oh dread Lord Erane Severangel, how have I worked to free you from the infernal prison you were seal within so many generations ago...

Did I not set the dread beasts upon the great civilization of Besmar Tarmid so that their foolish queen who set out settlers to the locations in which adamantine may be found along with the pits that seal you and your kindred?

How much amusement was wrought as I myself unlocked many of the seals and gates that allowed the dragons, titans and other beasts to approach that which my former kindred called the Mountainhomes and how much panic and despair was unleashed as the knights and defenders of that decadent fortress found that their gates and other fortifications had been compromised to allow death in those hallowed halls?

Did you not reveal all of this to me my Lord? Did you not say that there would be settlers that ended up above the very pit in which you have been sealed? Did you not reveal to me that you would release an artifact of your own craftmanship, to be manufactured in ways most unholy, to be found in within the settlement? And did you not intend for me to hear of this artifact so that I may seek out the wretched site and work at corrupting all who would reside there so that they may unseal your pit?

You did and it has come to pass...
...
...
...
And then it went wrong...
I have failed you my Lord. But I have not forsaken my task of unsealing you so that the world may know the true terror of your reign.

When you released your artifact, it was received by the leader of the outpost known as 'Workgill', truly a wretched place. But I quickly arrived and hid amongst the wilds that surrounded the place - satisfying my urges with the innocent beings that resided in the lands below the place and recruiting in the lands above.

The one who received your gift was known as 'Thadius'. He has not deciphered the true intentions of your work and he regards it as little more than an enchanted inventory. The fool! But I have seen him become twisted by the presence of the gift - what he and the others of Workgill call the 'Economicon' - such a pitiful name for so powerful an artifact created by the true lord of all the lands. They deserve far worse than anything I can torment them with, how I will delight in seeing this place be the first to burn when you stride the lands!

But fear not, all has not fallen through my Lord. I have twisted the thoughts of many at the fort. The second overseer of the outpost, a corpulent carpenter, had listened to the dark dreamings I sent and moved the fort closer to your pit. Then he listened further - without ever suspecting a thing! - and sent miners out to probe the deepest reaches of the earth to find your tomb.
7108
And how I rejoiced when they found you my Lord, but my joy quickly turned to anger as they presumed to reseal your enclosure with a mere stone floor! How dare they! But they still found you my Lord, and even know, your power leaks into the fortress, twisting the thoughts of all that reside there - including the Queen who arrived not long after they found you...she presumed to come here because of the treasures they discovered. What treasures shall she soon reveal in when you can finally be set free my Lord!

Do not think I have done nothing but use my dark arts on this miserable place my Lord. I have resumed my favorite tricks of baiting the dark races and other foul beasts into seeking out this place for blood and conquest. The goblins have been uncessing in their attempts to break the will of the lost souls, but they have proven to be resilient and blood now soaks the grounds around this land...so much more sacrifices for your honor than even I could have anticipated. The fat carpenter even had his eye sacrificed - how delicious...I wish I could have found the arrow that took it so I could enjoy that feast.

There has also been a lost Knight of Besmar Tarmid who ran the outpost, then left in a fruitless attempt to find other survivors of the kingdom...let's just say he provided many days feast and an appropriate sacrifice and a new totem so that I may communicate with you better my Lord.

Now...now...there seems to be a dark undercurrent in the fortress my Lord. They grow restless from the constant fighting with the goblin raiders and the undead that populate the lands above you. I have received word that some discuss plans to unseal your pits so that they may try to defeat whatever demons crawl out - the foolish bravado! How they will weep as your glorious presence is revealed and how they will tear out their own tongues and gouge out their own eyes in reverence of you my Lord.

But fear not my Lord, I have not forsaken your gift...even now I watch over it and through it twist the mind of its holder.
7109
How I long to strangle him in his sleep so that I may have possession of what should have been gifted unto me...

[Bob The Mercenary]

Jesus. The tension. Can't wait to hear what happened next.

Also, remind me never to add an addition on to my basement.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

What.

The.

Fuck?!?!

No really, what just happened here?? By the Gods Wigmund!! What have you done?!!

[Thadius]

He put life back in this thread is what he did.

Oy! Overseer! Either you get on it, or you get tossed into the river of undead and Gregness becomes the next overseer!

[Kerensky287]

He put life back in this thread is what he did.

Oy! Overseer! Either you get on it, or you get tossed into the river of undead and Gregness becomes the next overseer!

GAAH FUCK okay fine. I'll get right on it.

I mean, I knew university would kinda kill my life for a while but I didn't expect it to get this harsh. I'll split my focus for a while then between Uni, Paradox (http://www.moddb.com/mods/red-alert-3-paradox), a flash movie I've been making with these guys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FRZ5PW6h8A) for over a year that I've put off far too long, and this DF playthrough.

EDIT: Done.

__________________________________________________ ______________

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani1.jpg

WIGMUND: Still chopping wood, huh? Even as an overseer you can't stop doing your real job too, I guess.

KERENSKY: Well, I'm starting to think that this whole overseer thing is all work and no play. I mean, I don't get any special privileges. I've still gotta do my job. I don't even get a bigger room than anybody else.

WIGMUND: Huh? What do you mean?

KERENSKY: I mean... well, y'know, Thadius has his 3-storey living complex, Queen Mauve has a massive set of rooms to herself, even you and Loyal have some pretty nifty setups! I'm stuck with my little 2 by 2 room in the apartments.

WIGMUND: ...You DO know that as overseer, you're allowed to designate areas for whoever you want, including yourself, right?

KERENSKY: ...Huh?

WIGMUND: Well, who the hell do you think built my "nifty setup"?

KERENSKY: *pause*

*Kerensky stops cutting wood, seeks out a nearby mason.*

KERENSKY: Hello, I'm the overseer! I have a proposal...

__________________________________________________ ___________________________

7th GRANITE

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani2.jpg

These are the blueprints for my new home - a two-storey tower in the courtyard of Workgill itself. When it's finished it'll even have a staircase into the fortress so I don't have to go outside to get there.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani3.jpg

I think I'm getting the hang of noticing what needs doing, as well. I'm really surprised that none of the previous overseers have done anything about this friggin' underground river of undead.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani4.jpg

My tentative plan is to dig out a giant hole above the river.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani5.jpg

Once it's reached the surface, Hawk's squad can fire downward into it with their crossbows. They'll be completely safe from harm, too, as skeletal water monsters can't climb. It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel! Ahahaha, I crack myself up.


10TH GRANITE

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani5.jpg

Elves.

I despise them.

No appreciation for proper carpentry techniques. They think that taking an axe to a tree "hurts it" or something - bullpocky, in my opinion. Trees don't bleed. Except for sap, of course. But that doesn't count because it's delicious.

Honestly, someone should teach these guys how to properly smooth wood. They're always coming along with their "natural" wood products - you know an elf once tried to sell me a wooden mug? It was a goddamn bird's nest.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani7.jpg

Now, dwarves know how to properly work with wood! This guy's a farmer and he's apparently decided to make himself a little project without even having any carpentry skill! Now that's initiative.


11TH GRANITE

Elves finally made it to the entrance of Workgill.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani8.jpg

I hope nobody minds that they made it no further.


12TH GRANITE

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani9.jpg

We're apparently under attack by goblins again. Normally I'd be moderately concerned, but for one thing, they're also getting rid of the surviving elves, and for another, this is goddamn WORKGILL. As long as we stay inside the front gate they can't freakin' touch us.


16TH GRANITE

...Oh, fuck me. Why did I have to write that?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani10.jpg

So, the goblins apparently mustered the courage to charge the gates again. Maybe they didn't see all the clothes the previous army left behind - everything of value was claimed already. I guess the prospect of watching some goblins explode drew a bit of a crowd. I should've seen a problem with that, but I was busy overseeing the creation of my tower.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani11.jpg

Apparently it was a good show, actually. There was this one goblin who I guess went through the same weapon trap multiple times - an iron maul smashed off one arm, then the other, then his leg at the knee. Mauls aren't the kind of thing you'd usually think of when it comes to limb-severing either, so I guess it would've been pretty kickass to watch.

Somebody threw up.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani12.jpg

I have no idea what happened next. Maybe the onlookers decided to head out and pick the corpses clean. Maybe they had work to do outside the fort. Either way, NOBODY thought to check for more goblins.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani13.jpg

Needless to say, the results were a little gruesome.

Luckily all but one of the onlookers escaped. The last one apparently had some pressing matter to attend to in the middle of the goblin horde.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani14.jpg

I have NO idea what was running through everyone's heads at this point but apparently running was out of the question, as was HIDING BEHIND THE FUCKING GUARD-WOLVES. The goblin army started massing on the outermost side of the traps, though, and enough had been set off that they could have made it through with a few goblins still standing. A few dwarves had the presence of mind to alert the guards. One guy finally told me.

I immediately gave an emergency order for all non-military personnel to remain inside the fort until further notice.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani15.jpg

I still don't know what the hell took Hawk's squad so long. They were stationed right near the entrance and I actually ordered them to the fortifications immediately after ordering everyone else inside. Luckily, a Swordsdwarf - I think he was from Melfice's squad - was close enough that he took it upon himself to act as a forward guard. Those goblin corpses behind him? HE MADE THOSE.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani16.jpg

I'd have pinned a medal on the guy if some bastard hadn't hit him with a lucky crossbow shot.

The goblins were forced to retreat shortly after Hawk's squad arrived. Hawk himself is unconscious again - seems to have broken his arm somehow, too. Can't imagine how. But now all the dwarves have gone out, buried their dead (we lost something like 5 pets in the attack) and picked the goblins clean. I've kept some dwarves on watch just in case the goblins come back, but I'm not worried anymore. They're less than a quarter of their original strength and thus no longer a threat.

And now to start resetting the traps.


26TH GRANITE

Goblins haven't been seen in a while. I'm not sure where they've gone, and if it was any other race I'd be worried... but they're probably stuck wandering in some forest somewhere, trying to find the fortress again.

That farmer finally finished his construction - it was a damn fine hatch cover. I'd have rubbed it in the Elves' faces if any survived.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani17.jpg

The masons also finished a ton of statues and Queen Mauve is satisfied with how much she now owns. I guess nobles really DO like statues.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch2/grani18.jpg

I threw some of the leftovers in my newly completed tower, which I've taken to calling The Tor.

Naturally, right after I put them there, Thadius came running over to me and in some sort of "me-too" frenzy apparently decided his office, bedroom and dining room needed some sprucing up as well. I've put another 12 statues on order. The masons are now experienced enough that masterpieces are almost common though so Thads should be satisfied with less as long as I don't tell him how many have been made.

Who knows? Maybe those things will grow on me, too. I can always put up another floor on my house for the sole purpose of statue ownership. I just hope I don't end up going mad with power.


27TH GRANITE

Those miner cowards won't finish the Undead Killing Hole thanks to some scary noises from below. Will write more once I've spoken to them.

__________________________________________________ ___

I honestly don't know what happened with that goblin attack. The dwarves seemed obsessed with running right into danger. I'm just glad that redshirt arrived when he/she did because there were a good number of forumites in that crowd and I didn't want to have to rename other people before anyone knew what happened tell you guys I couldn't save your dudes.

I'm also not sure at all why Hawk's squad took so fucking long to arrive. They were in the barracks right next to the bridge and I sent them to the fortifications the moment the goblins showed up. I'll probably end up using both that and the broken arm thing (which I ALSO don't know the origin of) later in the story, though.

[Wigmund]

7th of Granite, 60
...
...
I wonder if Kerensky knew about the empty three level suite just down from Thadius' suites off of the main stairwells?

I actually wonder if anyone's been using my old rooms after I moved down to fucking fine suites I built for myself near the jails?

11th of Granite, 60

FINALLY! Finally someone has listened to my warnings about those damn elves and did something about it!

Let us craft some elf bone jewelry to sell to the next caravan.

-------

Hell yeah! Now we get to worry about Elf Sieges if they were pissed off enough by the massacre of their entire caravan.

Also, someone left the 'Be Drunken Vultures' option on didn't they? :p
I was in that crowd of scavengers in the front gate - What the Hell! I don't have many more body parts to lose!

[Geminex]

Can we handle an elf siege? We don't have any big cannons yet...

[Yumil]

Diary of a Captured Goblin, 10th Granite, 60
Stubby come to me today. He not like other stubbies, he not poke, he tell story. I no know, but Stubby say I free soon. Stubby no like other Stubbies, say sum lord fix it. Me no know 'bout Stubby, but dead Stubbies good.

12th Granite, 60
Gobs come. Gobs show. Stubbies die.

16th Granite, 60
Gobs no rescue. Me sad. Gobs need me. I spy now. Cage need open...
Some sort of plan is drawn, but is too badly done to understand what it means.

[Loyal]

I dunno, I think it might take a few more years before we go to sieges.

Me, I like to keep the elves happy because they bring animals, and because their equipment is absolutely worthless and I have enough problems dealing with excess stone and goblin gear.

[Corel]

A foul being recounts that which has led to today...

The plot thickens!


I'm also not sure at all why Hawk's squad took so fucking long to arrive. They were in the barracks right next to the bridge and I sent them to the fortifications the moment the goblins showed up.

Probably due to the fact Hawk tends to pass out when going anywhere and having to take the Northern stairs, in my experience.

Also, I too completely underestimated how long a seasons would take to write up.

[Geminex]

Would it be possible for us to build a self-destructing forest through which the elves have to enter?
Like, set up lots of high logs, add a mechanism to make them fall over and bust into flames.

And perhaps set them up so they spell "IRONY!".

[Loyal]

It may be worth it to rotate squad leadership when the normal squad leader is too thirsty/hungry/sleepy/unconscious to be where you need 'em.

[edit] It just occurred to me... why on earth do we have Kilns? We don't have any glassmaking ability!

[Corel]

Would it be possible for us to build a self-destructing forest through which the elves have to enter?
Like, set up lots of high logs, add a mechanism to make them fall over and bust into flames.

And perhaps set them up so they spell "IRONY!".

It's a shame steam no longer hurts creatures, I would've liked to funnel some water and lava together and make a geyser mine field.

[Thadius]

26TH GRANITE
...I just hope I don't end up going mad with power...


If it ends up as anything else, you're doing it wrong.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Diary of Hawk, 1st Marksdwarve of Workgill, 20th Granite, 60

Following entry is barely legible, as if the writer was incapable of holding a quill


Injured in the line of duty once again, though this time to my shame not due to direct combat. I fell and tripped while rushing up the stairs to confront the latest Goblin horde. I am currently writing with my left hand, hence the terrible quality of this entry. It's my lungs, I simply cannot exert myself as much as I used to, and all these bloody stairs are killing me.

The next line is almost indecipherable. It appears to read, "I'm too old for this shit!"

Many scholars debate the authenticity of this entry.

[Wigmund]

[edit] It just occurred to me... why on earth do we have Kilns? We don't have any glassmaking ability!

I built them on the off chance that we would need them (though I did not build any glass furnaces) once we started growing tower-caps on muddy stone in the evil areas.

From DF Wiki (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Sand):
When an underground plant grows on a muddy stone floor tile (after finding an underground river or pool), the floor tile turn into a soil type appropriate to the biome - for biomes which lack soil layers altogether (such as mountains and glaciers), a random soil type will be selected, which might sometimes be sand.

Since the evil areas on the plateau lack a soil layer, growing tower-caps along cleared out stretches of the underground river might lead to us having some sand on the map. It'll take years to do this, but it's worth a try.

[Loyal]

Interesting... in that case I suggest expanding the tower cap farm to boost chances.

Glass is awesome.

[edit] ...it would appear Loyal has been beating enemies to death with his waterskin.
http://i50.tinypic.com/2psovhi.png

[Wigmund]

Interesting... in that case I suggest expanding the tower cap farm to boost chances.

Glass is awesome.

It'll have to somewhere under the evil sides of the map, no soil layers over there. Otherwise, we'll just have more peat. Creating a floodchamber and resevoir just off of the underground river should do the trick.

[edit] ...it would appear Loyal has been beating enemies to death with his waterskin.

Also, most of the dwarfs in the fortress are wearing little more than rags that are almost falling off their bodies...and the Queen is nearly nude!
7110
Kerensky needs to get our clothing industry up and running so that our dwarfs have some new clothes to wear and leave lying around the fort.

[Loyal]

If I remember right, a ruler that arrives dressed as a peasant is wearing nothing more than a robe to begin with, so... yeah.

We have more cloth than we know what to do with, really, especially considering how much of it the elves generously donate to our fortress year after year. You could make a few dozen bags for milling (is there a quern/millstone anywhere? I haven't found one and had to make my own) and still have lots left over.

[Wigmund]

If I remember right, a ruler that arrives dressed as a peasant is wearing nothing more than a robe to begin with, so... yeah.

Better than our Dungeon Master who's wearing nothing more than mittens, socks and a cloak...

We have more cloth than we know what to do with, really, especially considering how much of it the elves generously donate to our fortress year after year. You could make a few dozen bags for milling

I'm sure whatever clothiers are left in Workgill (assuming they haven't been re-assigned as guards, farmers, or become zombie/gobbo chow) would love to have the work providing clothing and bags for the fortress - probably beats hauling shit all over the place and sitting around at parties getting to know the other lazy bums at the fort.

(is there a quern/millstone anywhere? I haven't found one and had to make my own) and still have lots left over.

I thought I had provided space for them, but I was mistaken - but here's a good spot for the querns and millstones (between the Farmer's Workshop and the old Dining Hall):
7111
Channeling down from the surface above the 'X' will allow the millstones to be powered by something like windmills. And it'll miss burrowing straight through the underground farms.
The area to the right of the would-be millstone area could become a storage area for flour, syrups, and other food prep supplies (if they haven't been separated out already). Dyes, I believe, are already included in a stockpile in the clothier's district.

[Geminex]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQERRbU23bU&feature=player_embedded#

Courtesy of cracked.

Huge city?
Mindless individuals controlled by an "overmind"
Designed as if by an architect for most possible efficiency?
Things being carried huge distances through the colony by common workers, while military fights off invaders??
Huge emphasis on digging?

God.

I'm not quite sure whether DF designers based their game on observing ants, or whether you actually control an ant hive every time you play DF.

I'm just thankful that ants have not jet found out how to get drunk, discovered ores or built super-projects.

God.

[Thadius]

Calling all winners! Calling all losers! Shedding light on the lurkers! Calling cops on stalkers!

Wait, mayhap I went a wee bit too far. Anyways.

Anyone who's read the first page will see that everyone who asked to be dwarfed has been, and we're nearing the end of the overseer list. Should we actually run out of overseers, the game will default back to me, and when it does that, well, madness, absolute madness, will break out. I have several ideas for how to bring that about.

But I don't want to use them!

No, what I want is all overseers, no matter how inexperienced, to come forth and sign up. Workgill is at the point where we're self-sustainable. Such a fact is unthinkable! We need to figure out some way to eventually run this fort into the ground! The fact that the queen is here only increases the urgency.

Handing the fort off to newbie overseer after newbie overseer is only one half of my plan. The other half calls on the very experienced players. They should be working out evil, evil modifications we could do to the various game files that will eventually result in Fun. I'll pick and choose which mods will go in and which will stay out based on the description provided. Mods with descriptions such as 'This will result in Fun' or 'This will be interesting' won't be picked nearly as often as 'This will allow you to increase the goblin seige size' or 'This will replace the goblins with T-rexes with lasers attached to their heads.'

Anyways. I would like more overseers with varying levels of experience and evil modifications. The evil mods should be PM'd to me, though, so as not to ruin the surprise for everyone else.

[waddle2120]

If your looking for Overseers who have no clue how ANY advanced mechanics go, I suppose I could jump into line.

[Geminex]

I would participate, but I'm considering an LP of my own, so no.

But now that the overseer list is through, why don't you just start from the beginning? Go through it again? Oh, right. That wouldn't be fun.

[Yumil]

If you don't mind "fun" I can join in.

[mauve]

Y'know, if I knew anything about this game, I might be tempted to oversee. (If anyone's gonna run Queen Mauve's kingdom into the ground, it's me, dammit!) But this looks waaaaaay too complicated for me and my work schedule.

Anyway, I'm perfectly happy to sit in my elaborate throne in my statue-filled hall and make snarky comments behind the overseer's back.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Playing, I could handle, its the "screencapping, posting, and coming up with witty fluff text" that might give me trouble.

[Yumil]

Im surprised no one has used Stonesense to show it in iso yet(yeah it doesnt show everything, but structures are kind of cool in it)...well if we(if you let me)/ya'll ever build a super structure, Ill make sure to screencap a stonesense view of it.

[PyrosNine]

Anyway, I'm perfectly happy to sit in my elaborate throne in my statue-filled hall and make snarky comments behind the overseer's back.

And not shed any tears for your missing and presumed dead regal significant other?

[mauve]

Yup, that's pretty much it.

And hey, there's no physical evidence at Workgil suggesting that he's dead. We're all assuming he just decided not to come. And there's certainly no evidence hinting that Queen Mauve sent That Guy Who Doesn't Rule This Fortress to any sort of untimely demise. (Well, there isn't any after that totally accidental fire, anyways.)

[Krylo]

Yeah, alright. Add me to the list. I was planning on using the save file to dick around anyway.

I may as well do it in an official propensity.

[Thadius]

Thank you one and all. The list is by no means full, so cannon fodder newer players can still sign up.

However, if you'll pardon me, the Economicon is telling me to take this really sharp stick and go poke Kerensky.

Must do as book tells me...

[Krylo]

For the record there is a good chance that the fort won't survive me as I fully intend on playing with HFS.

[Geminex]

I'm thinking of doing journal entries as well... but unfortunately my dwarf is but a peasant. Would it possible to give good Geminex a meaningfull job or position in the guard?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I'm thinking of doing journal entries as well... but unfortunately my dwarf is but a peasant. Would it possible to give good Geminex a meaningfull job or position in the guard?

Didn't somebody say something about starting a hammerdwarve squad??

Congratulations, you've just been drafted!!!:D

[Corel]

For those who are still considering; I was/still pretty am a newbie DF player. Heck the day I made that DF thread was the day I picked it up.

The Dwarf Wiki is your friend, oh and if you're lacking in technical skills you can probably make up for it by making the read funny/interesting.

[Kerensky287]

Ugh, I feel terrible about this. I've got a TON going on right about now and as a result I've been putting off the LP like crazy. I may just have to end it next chapter (in tragedy, naturally) because if I keep holding onto the spot, this'll keep going for months and I'm sure there are other, faster people waiting for a turn.

I know of a fantastic way to end it (and I'll do so on Wednesday) but I just want to know if you guys are okay with that.

[Thadius]

By 'end' do you mean 'wipe the fort'?

If so, I'd ask you to hold off on destruction of such magnitude. Heck, Krylo's all but told us he's going to kill us all.

...Which is why he's going to occupy the bottom slot. If it makes it to him, we know it's the end.

If you just mean 'end your turn' then by all means! Go ahead.

[Krylo]

Hey, I MIGHT pull off an HFS win. You don't know.

I've got plans!

RIDICULOUS plans!


Speaking of, if you guys could start manufacturing mechanisms and spikes? Oh, and start digging a massive pit right next to the HFS that goes all the way up so it's technically 'outside'?

Yeah. It'd make my go at it easier.

Thanks.

[Kerensky287]

By 'end' do you mean 'wipe the fort'?

By 'end' I mean 'wipe the Kerensky the Woodcutter.'

EDIT JAN 21: Last chapter's getting started now.

EDIT SLATE 18: Shit. I.... Shit. Umm. Fuck.

EDIT FINAL: Oookay, I think I've cleared everything up here.

__________________________________________________ _____

27th Granite

Those miners are useless buggers. I had been trying to create a hole deep down into the earth so our marksdwarves could shoot those damned undead in the underground river... but nooo, one of them just happened to sneak a peak down and now they won't dig any further. They're a full height level above the zombies, I don't see what there is to be worried about. But I have no talent in mining, so I guess that if they won't do it I'll have to figure something else out.


28th Granite

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla1.jpg

I figured something else out.

Looking at a map of the river, it seems that most of the undead are clustered near the end of the river. We've got a mining encampment near the head of it, and for some reason or another the area is pretty much devoid of threat. I've started a new digging project above there. Now, there are two issues with the new plan.

1) The new location is pretty far south of the fortress. The goblins appear to have set up camp on a nearby hill as well, meaning that we'll have to protect the miners as they work. I've got some masons set to construct a wall around the dig site, but there isn't any stone nearby so the soldiers we station as defenders will be on their own for a bit. Bob and his mercenaries have already volunteered to head out and provide whatever backup is necessary.

2) Crossbow bolts won't be as effective with no target anymore. But that's fine... the wall serves another purpose. It will be the scaffolding for my new super-project. It will be a massive suit of armour, powered by mechanisms, capable of walking on its own, wading through the river and crushing all opposition!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/gurrinlogon.jpg

I call it the Gurrin' Log-On.

1) The armour's titular Log-On. A mighty wooden weapon useful for clubbing the zombies into dust.
2) The armour's titular "Grrr" sound effect. Not sure how to make it do this yet but it's unimportant.
3) The driver rests within the heavily shielded beard. The driver will be me.
4) A single support that the machine rests on. Once released, the machine will drop into the river, ready for action!

My plan is flawless. It goes into action starting tomorrow.


1st Slate

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla2.jpg

A temporary setback in the plan. One of Bob's redshirts arrived early and apparently decided it was in his best interests to perform some force reconnaissance. He managed to escape in time for Bob to back him up, and the two took care of the few goblin sentries that had given chase.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla3.jpg

Apparently the horde took notice at this point.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla4.jpg

Bob and that other guy naturally charged right into the enemy force, figuring that offense was the best defense. They were also smart enough to go straight for the ranged attacker. Bob's wrestler sidekick actually TORE THE CROSSBOW GOBLIN'S HAND OFF while Bob eviscerated every other creature within 10 feet.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla5.jpg

There wasn't much left by the time backup arrived.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla6.jpg

I told Bob and co. that they could go right back off duty because there were no longer any hostiles within sight of the fort. Construction has continued pretty well for the entire day and there doesn't appear to be anything that wants to kill us.


4th Slate

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla7.jpg

While waiting for the entire wall/hole project to be completed, I went to work trying to make sure Mauve's quarters were up to her ludicrously high standards. While forcing more statues into her dining room we accidentally trapped a pony on top of one of her treasure chests but I honestly don't think she'll mind.


5th Slate

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla8.jpg

Pony and statues don't add enough. Drafting plans to enlarge Her Highness's dining room to fit in more statues.


17th Slate

Queen Mauve is so goddamn picky.

__________________________________________________ __

CONVERSATION RECORDED ON 18TH SLATE

MAUVE: Why are you not making Us more treasure chests?

KERENSKY: Saywha?

MAUVE: We need at least 10. Give Us more treasure chests.

KERENSKY: But... you HAVE 10.

MAUVE: Yes, but two of them are behind statues. We can't reach them. And one of them can't even be opened because there's a pony on top of it. We need some actual useful chests.

KERENSKY: Oh, come on! What are you even going to DO with that many chests? It's like the statues! They're nice to look at but it's not like you need them all!

MAUVE: On the contrary, We need to store all of Our queenly outfits separately so they do not contaminate each other! Dinner wear cannot touch morning wear, and so forth!

KERENSKY: Look, I just DOUBLED the size of your dining room. I filled it with more wealth than is in the rest of the fort combined. And yet you still want more?!

MAUVE: As queen, We are entitled to-

KERENSKY: You're entitled to JACK SH-

*A loud crash resonates throughout the fortress.*

KERENSKY: ...What was that?

____________________________________________

18th Slate

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla9.jpg

It's almost poetic, really.

I mean, it's not even the new location that collapsed. It's the OLD one.

Some miner apparently got up the courage to dig through the hole again and miscalculated.

Gonna go see who it is.

__________________________________________________ ___________________

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla10.jpg

KERENSKY: What the HELL is wrong with you?! You trade your brains for balls or something?!

MINER: Hey, boss, it wasn't MY idea.

KERENSKY: ...Then who put you up to it?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla11.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla12.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla13.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla14.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla15.jpg

KERENSKY: Oh no. Please tell me I'm seeing things.

MINER: Yeah, Thadius made me do it. Crazy gu-

KERENSKY: What the FUCK are you waiting for?! Get him out!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla16.jpg

MINER: B-but it'll flood the fort! We'll lose a whole bunch of mines we never use anymore!

KERENSKY: Wall it off, I don't care! Just get him out!

MINER: Nobody can swim. What could we even do?

KERENSKY: *no response*

________________________________________

18th SLATE

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla17.jpg

...He passed out while fighting off the hordes of skeletal lizardmen around him. The miner who fell in with him survived for a little while, escaping while they tore Thadius to bits.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla18.jpg

No point in flooding the fort anymore, I guess. Not like there ever really was.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla19.jpg

Now we don't have any kind of leadership. The one guy who backed me from the start is gone and I'm one of two people who knows why. We're also down to one miner now. None at all if he talks.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla20.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla21.jpg

Screw that megaproject. I've got one last idea and running the fort doesn't really factor into it.

Ciao.

*A large, circular hole is cut out of the next page.*

__________________________________________________ ______________________________________

CONVERSATION RECORDED ON 22nd SLATE

URIST MCGOSSIP: Where'd that overseer go off to?

URIST MCOBLIVIOUS: Not sure. Think it had something to do with that crash earlier?

MCGOSSIP: For certain! I heard the zombies crawled up from that hole and dragged him down!

MCOBLIVIOUS: What hole?

MCGOSSIP: You know, that hole that they were digging - hey, you! You worked on it, didn't you?

MINER: Nothing happened and you'd better stop talking about it or by Armok you'll meet the same fate as Thadius.

*MINER runs off, a terrified look in his eyes.*

MCOBLIVIOUS: Thadius? What, like, we'll end up locking ourselves in our rooms for hours on end? Nobody sees that guy anymore.

THADIUS: Nobody sees who anymore?

MCGOSSIP: Hey, what are you doing out and walking around, Mayor Thadius?

THADIUS: Please, call me Thadds. And I'm stepping down from the office of mayor for now.

MCOBLIVIOUS: Why?

THADIUS: Too much work.

MCOBLIVIOUS: No, why call you Thadds?

THADIUS: Too much work.

MCGOSSIP: So, what happened to that overseer you appointed?

THADIUS: Uh, he ran away. The new overseer is... that guy.

GREGNESS: Hmm? What?

THADIUS: You two, Urists! Show him around the fort. Teach him in the ways of overseeing. I have to go inspect... umm, my room.

MCGOSSIP: So, who gets the old boss's tower?

THADIUS: Doesn't matter to me. But I want the statues regardless. Anyway, I'd better be going. See you later!

MCGOSSIP: Hold up a second!

*THADIUS freezes.*

MCGOSSIP: You look different somehow.

THADIUS: What?

MCGOSSIP: Something about your face.

THADIUS: Oh, I caught a dwarf-cold. So I'm wearing a mask. I drew a picture of my face on it so you'd still know it was me.

MCOBLIVIOUS: Oh. Carry on then.

THADIUS: Ciao.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla22.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/LP%20DF%20ch3/sla23.jpg

MCGOSSIP: What did you say?

THADIUS: ...It was my book. It said "Meow."

__________________________________________________ _________________________________________

THE SAVE FILE (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PAONO8Q2)

My original intention was to end this by dropping the Gurrin' Log-On into the river with my dwarf inside it (probably after asking someone who the hell they thought he was), thus ending the story prematurely. But while I was paying attention to other stuff, Thadius went ahead and collapsed himself to death. I'm honestly not sure how it happened. I had cancelled most of the channels for the old hole...

But yeah, Gregness's turn. I don't want to cut his turn short thanks to my quitterness, so we should probably start and stop on either the 22nd of Slate (which is where the save ended) or the 1st of Felsite (start of the next month). Or we could continue as usual, ending on the 1st of Granite. Doesn't really matter to me.

For future overseers, you'll need to head into [your DF folder]/raw/objects/creature_standard.txt and add [PET_EXOTIC] to the entry on unicorns. I also added [TRAINABLE] to the entry on wolves in [your DF folder]/raw/objects/creature_large_template.txt but I don't think it did anything so I don't know if it's necessary to add.

Apologies to Thadius, this really didn't turn out as I had hoped. But I renamed my dwarf to Thadius in hopes of maybe giving the real Thadius a possibility of playing again when his turn rolls around. Having an imposter allows for plenty of options - he could play as a ghost who haunts/possesses the imposter, or play as the imposter who is slowly being driven mad by the Economicon, or... I dunno, whatever else.

You could always kill him off if you don't like the ideas, too.

But yeah, sorry.

[OhnoesFlanked]

I know in other succession games if an overseer quits they revert to the previous overseer's save file.

[Kerensky287]

I know in other succession games if an overseer quits they revert to the previous overseer's save file.

'Twould solve a multitude of problems, verily.

[PyrosNine]

No! Not the bookholder! He has died! He held the Economicon all nicely, and never bent the spine! Now who will bear the brunt of Meow, mumble to himself, then work to maximize profits?

The Economicon will hold a brief moment of silence for the fallen Thadius, before meowing again.

Dwarven Damnation: + 20 enraged Elephants.
Damnation Level: Easy Bake Urist.

[Sir Pinkleton]

I know in other succession games if an overseer quits they revert to the previous overseer's save file.

So Kerensky's role as overseer was a hypothetical, parallel universe, where the Economicon is destroyed, perhaps leading to a less-madness induced future? Inconceivable!

I assume it was destroyed anyway because Thad always is carrying it, no? Unless the book told him to sacrifice himself? But why...

Either way, this story is really interesting. I hope it's picked up sooner rather than later. :)

[Yumil]

So Kerensky's role as overseer was a hypothetical, parallel universe, where the Economicon is destroyed, perhaps leading to a less-madness induced future? Inconceivable!

I assume it was destroyed anyway because Thad always is carrying it, no? Unless the book told him to sacrifice himself? But why...

Either way, this story is really interesting. I hope it's picked up sooner rather than later. :)

Kerensky murdered him for the book. The book still exists, it just liked Kerensky's madness more.

[mauve]

NOOOOOO, NOT THE CRAZY MAYOR!! D:

Awww, I'm sorry this didn't work out with your schedule, Kerensky. I enjoyed reading your entries!

-----------------------
FROM THE DIARY OF HER ROYAL MAJESTY QUEEN MAUVE, RULER OF WORKGILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS, AND EMPRESS OF ALL SHE SEES


4th SLATE

We are pleased that the new Overseer has finally understood the importance of statuary in Our royal rooms. We believe we are also the only Queen in the world to own a Royal Pony Treasure Chest. Clearly, having one of Our Royal Ponies fused to the lid of a treasure chest improves its fanciness by a significant amount.

We shall celebrate Our accomplishment with booze now.

5th SLATE

We take back what we said yesterday. This whole Pony thing is stupid and useless. For one thing, the pony is now significantly taller than Us, and We don't like that kind of uppity attitude in our Royal Pony Squad. Secondly, the pony is not actually fused to the lid. It's just sort of standing there, refusing to come down. We will not tolerate such shoddy craftsdwarfship in Our kingdom! And thirdly, in addition to the mess the pony makes, it also renders the chest useless, as We cannot open it with the added weight to the lid. This infuriates Us. If We remember, We will have the insolent wretch-pony put to death for its insubordination tomorrow.

We'd do it now, but the Overseer has decided to acknowledge Our very subtle hints that Our dining hall is getting cramped and needs more wealth stashed in it. Took him long enough.

Yay, bigger dining hall! A booze celebration is in order!

18th SLATE

There was something We were supposed to do today... Whaaaaat was it? Putting something to death? Oh well. We are too angry to be bothered with that right now.

This Overseer has no respect for his Queen. How dare he suggest that We use the treasure chests We already have instead of forcing him to make Us some new ones? The nerve! And then he just runs off in the middle of our conversation just because some tunnel collapsed somewhere. Who cares if someone died?! WE ARE QUEEN AND WE DEMAND RESPECT!

Oh, he is so totally going on Our "To-Kill" list! Right after We go yell at that craftsdwarf over there. He's not making treasure chests nearly quickly enough!

18th SLATE--- later

Where did that Overseer go?
Our dining hall won't decorate itself!

Also, that creepy fellow with the book seems less creepy all of a sudden. Maybe we'll take his name off the Kill list and move Kerensky's up one.

[Sir Pinkleton]

Kerensky murdered him for the book. The book still exists, it just liked Kerensky's madness more.

But it's a cave collapse. Unless Kerensky the wood-worker, through the power of the book, subconsciously kept up the mining of the pit, he had no part in Thad's death.

What was Thad doing there anyway?

[Thadius]

Diary of Thadius, Mayor of Workgill.

17th Slate, 60

Once more, the book speaks to me. But this time, not in numbers or by meowing. No, this time it has shown me what will be, should I remain and continue to possess it.

This cannot come to pass. The book, it is a thing of evil, and for the first night in many a year, my head is clear again. I am free of the corrupting influence of the book, and now I know what I must do.

Mauve, forgive me, but if I remain, then I shall only put the fort at greater risk...

I merely hope that this thing will not ensnare another. That the next Overseer has the sense of mind to recognize that book for what it is and toss it into the lava.

I...I can't do it. It won't let me. Every time I try, I feel the urge to count more stones, or demand nickle silver...

It is the book, I am sure, that drives me to act irrationally. It seeks out those that would lead forts, attaches itself to them, and subsumes their will to serve it for its own protection. I have checked the list of overseers, and a dwarf by the name of Gregness is next.

He has not been touched by the book. He must destroy it.

For all our sakes...

The note drifts down the river Styx, ignored by all...

[Loyal]

There is no reason why any miner should have to be exposed to unnecessary danger (not counting the underground river). All mineshafts are accessible from within the fort.

Also, Statues really aren't very good decoration, unless they're REALLY expensive statues. They block the view (and thus the value) of any floor they're placed on, and any wall they're adjacent to... and of course, they block movement. Mechanisms (as levers or gear assemblies) work better and have a higher value multiplier (x30 as opposed to a statue's x25).

The queen's dining room floor is mostly engraved with zero-quality engravings, so get rid of those (by building floors over them and then deconstructing them) and get a more potent engraver on the job to do it right (I believe there's a legendary engraver somewhere in the fort). Worst case scenario, you could just build an armor stand or something out of all those adamantine ores we have lying around, and that'll probably do the job all by itself what with all those good masons we have.

[waddle2120]

Diary Entry-

What is going on in this Wor Kgi LL place... Ever since I've arrived, everyone bosses me around like I'm some 2 bit extra with nothing else to do except die and get ordered around by every single person.

I don't even know what squad I am supposedly assigned to, all of the Squad LEaders take their turns telling me to "beam down" with the "away team" and all seem equally shocked when I return...

Coincedence? Perhaps not...

[Wigmund]

18th of Slate, 60

So the fool's jumped into the river. At least he took that book with him...
He was one of my true friends in this place, I followed him to the ass end of the world to settle this miserable place and now I'm one of the few remaining founders left...*wet spots smear the writing here*

Now onto the important question - who's gonna lead this fort. I personally think it should be one of the original settlers, maybe one who has had experience with leading this place and protecting the fine dwarfs from themselves.

In other news: Kerensky's vanished.
Pity, I actually liked this overseer. He knew how to deal with elves.

[I]22nd of Slate, 60

I've been called into a meeting with Queen Mauve about "Her Mountainhome's lack of a proper overseer who shall protect her from the common dwarfs [indicating low-born] and other riff-raff".

I claimed that I had no idea who was next in line as overseer since Thadius was the one who kept that list...or made it up whenever it was necessary...and he took that damned book with him into the Styx.

Then Queen Mauve, pointed to some random dwarf [indicating industrious laborer] and declared that they shall be our overseer...

So I had to inform Gregness, one of the Engineers, that in addition to his other duties, he shall now oversee the running of Workgill. And improving my chambers, they need more...I don't know...engravings and other finery.

By Armok, I hope we don't receive any more nobles [indicating blood-sucking beardless leaches].

-------

Suggestions for the next overseer, you should make Wigmund the next Hoardmaster of Workgill, it's not like he's been doing anything else.

I know in other succession games if an overseer quits they revert to the previous overseer's save file.

The show must go on as is! We shall boldly press onwards!

[Loyal]

It's Gregness' choice I suppose. Where is he anyway?

[Gregness]

Sorry for being scarce. I'll get to working on my first update this weekend and I hope to have it up by sunday night. A couple things: I've got an old version of DF so can someone tell me which version y'all are using so I can grab it? Also, what are some good image hosting sites that are long on reliability and short on being a pain in my ass?

I'll leave the mega project for someone else I think. I'll try to finish up Kerensky's turn and then take my year also, but I just started my spring semester, so expect most updates to be over the weekend after this next week.

[Krylo]

I use photobucket for hosting, personally.

[Viridis]

Also, what are some good image hosting sites that are long on reliability and short on being a pain in my ass?
I use Dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTIzODMzNjg5). It gives you 2 GB free. After installation, it places a folder on your computer and anything placed in the folder is automatically synced to the website. Inside your folder is a folder labeled 'Public'. Anything in that folder is automatically given a URL that you can right-click the file to find. (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2383368/screen_20100123_03-37-16001.png)

I think I made it sound more complicated than it is and of course having to install something does make it a little more complicated than Photobucket, but after that uploading things just means copying them into the folder.


Anyway, someone make me a dwarf, please. Don't particularly care what. I'll be following this a bit for the story and watching the strange micro managing (and secretly hoping for a comical disaster) but I have no interest in playing. The one time I played this game I couldn't figure out how to make anything and everyone slowly starved to death while I fiddled with things.

[Wigmund]

I've got an old version of DF so can someone tell me which version y'all are using so I can grab it?

Download Mayday's tileset for Dwarf Fortress (http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/df.php), it includes the (currently) latest version of DF (40d16).

[Gregness]

Okay, so, I downloaded Viridis' dropbox thing since that seems like it will be the easiest to work with. I've hit a small snag though, I went to download the mayday mod and it says it needs a horizontal resolution of 1280 pixels and that there's no workaround. I've got an aging machine here and the max I can set the resolution to is 1024x768.

So, if anyone knows of anything clever that can be done about the resolution thing I'm all ears. If not, I'll just download 40d16 from the main site and y'all will just have to deal with the ascii graphics.

Last, I've been thinking about where I want to try and take the fort (barring horrible flaming death of course) and I think I'll be going with the economicon having been destroyed. Don't worry though, there'll still be evil afoot.

[Krylo]

Yeah, leave the fun for me. I've already been relegated to last place for it.

[Viridis]

Okay, so, I downloaded Viridis' dropbox thing since that seems like it will be the easiest to work with.

*watches his space increase thanks to the referral* MWAHAHA.

It install and set up the folder okay? Ask me if you need any help, but it should be really easy. Drag things into 'Public' and right click to get the URLs.


I'll be fine with ASCII as long as you actually describe what's happening on the screen.

[Thadius]

Since it technically didn't exist on any screen, you can't really claim the fall destroyed the Economicon.

Something tells me that the book has merely been swept down the river Styx, borne by the souls and bones of the damned and undead, back towards Lord Severangel or whatever the demon lord's name is. At least, until we get a new bookkeeper.

Right, Wigmund? Doesn't that fit in with your little narrative nicely?

[Wigmund]

Since it technically didn't exist on any screen, you can't really claim the fall destroyed the Economicon.

Something tells me that the book has merely been swept down the river Styx, borne by the souls and bones of the damned and undead, back towards Lord Severangel or whatever the demon lord's name is. At least, until we get a new bookkeeper.

Right, Wigmund? Doesn't that fit in with your little narrative nicely?

That was the idea if Gregness names Wigmund the new bookkeeper - the book would show up in his office (which I built in the middle of the jail, so now we can have a reason for abusive guards when the Hammerer and Tax Collector show up) and he'd be taken in by it.

[Gregness]

Okay, modifying the raws now. Does it matter where in the unicorn entry you add the [PET_EXOTIC] tag?


Edit: okay, I think I've got everything in working order. No tileset though, so you'll have to deal with ASCII screenshots. Also, HOLY SHIT THIS PLACE IS HUGE. Like, seriously, my own fort had a population of like 65 and I only had three floors (ignoring mine shafts). I'll try to have something up by tonight, but it's gonna take me a bit to learn the layout of this place. Actually, scratch that. Something will be up tonight, I just can't guarantee how large an update it will be.

[Thadius]

Okay, modifying the raws now. Does it matter where in the unicorn entry you add the [PET_EXOTIC] tag?

Not really, though for our amount of Fun you should also add [TRAINABLE] in there somewhere. War Unicorns are awesome.

[Wigmund]

Not really, though for our amount of Fun you should also add [TRAINABLE] in there somewhere. War Unicorns are awesome.

So that's what the [TRAINABLE] tag is for...makes me wish Workgill had to deal with Macaque raids.
Would have captured dozens of 'em, trained 'em, and built triggerable cages filled with pissed off war monkeys .

[Corel]

Edit: okay, I think I've got everything in working order. No tileset though, so you'll have to deal with ASCII screenshots. Also, HOLY SHIT THIS PLACE IS HUGE. Like, seriously, my own fort had a population of like 65 and I only had three floors (ignoring mine shafts).

Once you navigate your way around you'll probably be very thankful everything is ordered in some way. Think it will also allow free expansion when (or if) our population increases and we just need to either dig down or out as opposed to knocking over older buildings now.

[PyrosNine]

I swear, you Dwarves just take it for granted that these dark tomes just "magically" pop back up to tempt and/or annoy. Sure, there's magic involved, but the real magic is manipulating probability to allow the book to be eaten by an oversized underground river carp, which swims far enough into more sunlit waters to be picked up by a hungry and strong enough bird, which then manages to flap far enough to Workgill before perspiring of fatigue and maybe a crossbow bolt of a hunter, dropping fish and bird within the grounds which are obviously moved to be taken care of by the automatic Dwarven codes of moving shit where it belongs, then making sure the Pescatarian (that's fish butcher to those who don't know the language) doesn't hack up the book (which is impossible anyway, the book can survive an atom smashing) who then is charmed to pay no mind and leave the book there for another dwarf to properly place in a bookshelf or something, and countless other Dwarven interactions that end with the book on someone's desk, only slightly smelling of fish.

Not even the book can remove the smell of fish. Especially undead fish.

[Gregness]

It was the 23rd of Felsite when it all started to go wrong for me.


*impatient knocking*

Voice: mphfrsr?

*louder knocking*

Me: mmf, what is it?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/0_iNeedSleep.jpg

*BAM* *BAM*


I flung open the door: Dammit, the hell's yer problem waking a dwarf up at this hour?

Wigmund: You're the new overseer now kid, no more sleeping in for you.

Gregness: Huh? You're kidding, right? They were serious about that? Gods, I thought I was just hearing things from having too little to drink...

Wigmund: Yeah, well, you've got some things here we need you to look at, and-

Gregness: Save it. First I'm going to drink this hangover away, then we'll talk.


Meet the Engineer Overseer


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/0_meetTheEngineer.jpg

All I wanted was to relax and enjoy life as one of the few dwarves who know more about machinery than "pull this lever". I'd just build whatever they need in my own time, then relax away the off hours at parties or whatever; I'm not too picky.

Instead, I'm only just through my apprenticeship and now I've got guys like this Viridis chucklefuck bringing me work at all hours of the day and night.

Gregness: Hey, genius, I think you missed a few pages.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/0_initFortStatus.jpg

Gregness: Aside from the booze and food, there's nothing here that says anything at all about what we've got in this place!

Viridis: Hey, listen "Overseer" I just gathered up everything that looked important from Thadius' office and brought it over. Besides, it's not like we need to know where anything other than the booze and food is anyway.

Gregness: Was that you volunteering to count everything? I think it was!

Viridis: Dammit.



The only other thing that stood out from that first report was that our entire mining crew consisted of one dwarf! I had no idea if there were any picks laying around, so I sent an order for four down to the forges so I could recruit some of the peasantry.

--------------------------------------------------------

Viridis = Dwarfed.

Okay, first update down. I think rather than seasonal updates I'll be doing smaller ones like this so I don't have to sit for four hours per post. It should end up being more regular this way since it'll be easier to fit in around my school schedule. There'll likely be one maybe two more posts before thusday night, but I'll be back in sacramento visiting my family for the weekend (and hopefully, going dancing with a beautiful woman!) so that will push back any further updates to next week.

[Viridis]

:D Great... doing inventory, hehe. What's the dwarf's actual job?



Glad to see Dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTIzODMzNjg5) worked out well, too. (Shameless attempt at more referrals!)

[Gregness]

He's the new Broker and hoardmaster, though I may make someone else the new broker if counting everything takes too much of his time. I'll have to see what happens when the next caravan comes.

I was actually tempted to make myself the new hoardmaster since doing all that inventory leads to crazy skill increases which in turn leads to crazy stats.

Yeah, in DF doing paperwork gives you a six-pack.

[Loyal]

Presumably it shouldn't be a problem. Inventory accuracy levels are there forever, even if the broker dies. I think after Highest Accuracy is attained you no longer actually need a record keeper.

[Viridis]

Presumably it shouldn't be a problem. Inventory accuracy levels are there forever, even if the broker dies. I think after Highest Accuracy is attained you no longer actually need a record keeper.That's an amazing worth ethic for a character that's supposed to be me.



Also: Mwahaha, another referral (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTIzODMzNjg5) went through. My power grows!

[PyrosNine]

Don't get smug Viridis, even if using this for LP's and whatnot seems like a good idea!

I FEEL SO USED! Quite like Zelda in the pic that is the source for what is now my avatar!

[Wigmund]

Great, our new broker is someone who's never dealt with anyone before...

Word of advice - you pull the middle lever in the main entryway when you see elves start to cross the Gneiss Bridges. It's the 'special discount' switch for trade deals with the pointy-eared tree-hugging cannibalistic non-bearded non-alcoholic bastards.

It's also the 'Noble Welcome' beacon for the fortress when newly arriving nobles start to cross the bridges. Pull it repeatedly then.

[Sithdarth]

Only 77 dwarfs damn that must be nice. I'm edging 160 right now. I guess that's the benefit of being over a river full of undead and being murder happy. Man just accommodating this many people has pushed my fortress to about a quarter of the map on two z-levels. I might jump in here once I get a little more experience. So uh dwarf me I guess though I can't guarantee regular journal updates.

edit: My nightmare:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/Sithdarth/df001.png

And everyone of them has their own room with a couple of extra beds in the barracks for overflow.

edit2: DAMN IT! I jinxed myself. Now I'm up to 179. That's just 4 dwarfs short of a full immigration.

[Loyal]

If you're trying to stifle population growth, a good idea (aside from editing the init.txt) is to only use the goods you get from invaders to buy things; Immigration is determined by exported wealth, and only the things that you made (or decorated) count towards the total.

[Sithdarth]

I'd actually been doing that unintentionally thanks to goblin Christmas. Had a couple of huge ones actually. I was actually good for like 2 years or more with a steady 150ish and then I mentioned it and bam like 10 minutes later 20 migrants.

[PyrosNine]

If a Male noble shows up of course, it'll not be Pyros you drop a bridge on or something (He is in fact on his way to the equivalent of Pismo beach after he shows some trees what for!), but his brother/cousin/nephew Nein who is slightly more Dwarven by virtue of having facial hair (sexy evil goatee) but is still oddly taller than most dwarves, but manages to hide it quite splendidly by being drunken and violent.

Anywho, in case anyone still cares about what King Pyros is doing:

Weyard: Date/Time: Winter.
It has come to this. I have hit an epiphany of sorts, a brick wall of the mind that I have o'erleaped: I am no longer a King!

It is just as much a shock as anything else I have ever known or believed, but here, surrounded by the unbearded and traveling with Elves with mind crossbow bolts, where no one even knows of the great Dwarven monarchy. To protect my regal self when I first met these boys I have avoided revealing my noble nature, swapping YOUR ETERNAL MAJESTY, MAY YOUR HAMMER STRIKE LAST IN ALL MATTERS, King Pyros for "Mister Pyros", but after several days of this, and a brief period of Knurd, I feel my feet firmly pressed on the common ground.

I have made things with my hands, something I haven't done since I was a wee lad, and for once, I've actually tried speaking the dwarven tongue, which is just like any other tongue but with a scot/irish strong man accent. I have struck down random foes, just like those peons outside my castle have done, and believe it or not, I just climbed up a blasted tower as far from the earth as possible, surrounded by a frigid blue ocean, bluer than my mother's eyes. To beat the crap out of some blue haired flaming clown at the top no less. I have had to do menial work even! Limbs do not stitch on themselves.

This is a both glorious and troubling occasion. I was born to rule, even if at the end of a broken, horribly complicated family line of betrayals and poor kingdom management. Yet I am more alive than ever before, and far from the doom mines where my throne lay, amongst fine warriors: Can a Dwarve desire anything more? I spend enough under the earth and amongst old stone anyway nowadays. Yet still, there were things I had intended to do as King, there were important actions to be done, and vital secrets I, and I alone knew that were possibly the only salvation of Dwarven kind. I cannot be specific here, in a mere journal to describe the depths that I know, but it has to do with a saboteur in the Dwarven ranks, a dark insidious evil that it worships, another, slightly less dark being with a kickass name, and some sort of evil book. I am not sure how a book could be evil, being made out of trees, which as everyone knows, are unthinking things only existing to be knocked down with an axe and made into more chests for bedrooms. You can never have enough chests. Speaking of chests, a girl has joined the party, and her name--well, I suppose I'd best not make fun even in my diary, she's a sweet one.

Now where was I? Ah yes, Dark secrets. Dwarvenkind is in for some dark days, while I sun it up in a land of plenty. I am not even sure this land feels the same touch of death and horror of my own, and what maps I have seen are lacking in depth! It's as if no one has bothered following the seas as far as they can go or something.

I am at a crossroads. I will remain with these adept youths, until I can obtain another ship (Though now that I think about it, how did I get here? Did I actually take a ship?) and make my way home, and take my rightful place as king amongst my people. If I am unable to, then by Armok, I will take the new destiny handed to me and follow these young'uns as far as the golden sun will take me.

Signed...
The former King, Pyros.

Water Maiden: Goodnight Mister Pyros!

Pyros: Aye, Goodnight lass. Goodnight.

[Wigmund]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I've killed the foul thief who stole what was rightfully mine! Lord, I used my dark arts to trick the fool into dropping himself - himself I tell you - into the underground river in which he was set upon by the undead hordes residing there...
7118
Lord, It was pleasurable to watch him realize that death was coming and there was little he could do about it, watching that miserable conceit known as hope fade from his eyes was so gratifying my Lord, I despair in the knowledge that you were not there personally to watch the latest sacrifice to your glory.

Now I shall retrieve what should have been mine from the beginning and with which I shall have power granted by you my Lord to twist and warp the minds and souls of all in this miserable heap of filth they call the newest Mountainhome...how I wish I could unleash more of those megabeasts upon the denizens here...but those beasts are hard to come by even with the powers you have granted me my Lord.

Do not think I have forsaken you my Lord, I have used the arts granted to trick the goblins into making regular attacks upon this worthless tomb, and I have finally worked it so that the miserable fools here have started to anger the elves. What delicious carnage shall be unleashed when those nature-loving purists come for revenge now that their kindred molder at the bottom of a moat. How I thirst for the blood as I imagine you do as well my Lord...

Wait, my Lord...something is wrong! Something is wrong! SOMETHING IS WRONG!!

THE BOOK!!! WHERE IS MY BOOK!!!

Wait...the mayor was carrying something when he fell into those dark waters...
...
...
...
no
...
...
...
SSSSSSHHHHHHHRRRRRRREEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKK!!!! !!!!!!!!
7117
THAT MISERABLE WRETCH!!! HE TOOK IT WITH HIM!!! DAMN HIM!!! DAMN HIM DAMN HIM DAMN HIM!!!!

[Sithdarth]

If at all possible I would prefer to be dwarfed as an Engineer. I have plans. Very magnificent plans.

[Gregness]

@Sith: That was literally the first thing that came to mind when you asked to be dwarfed.


This isn't an update sadly, but I wanted to let y'all know I haven't forgotten about you. This is the list of things that needs to happen before you guys get more blood, vomit, and fire:

I need to finish this week's physics homework.

I need to finish three calculus assignments.

I'm going tonight to take a qualification test to become a census worker because I'm broke in college.

I need to at least start on my computer engineering and computer science homeworks for next week since I'll be out of town all weekend.


When the smoke clears, I'll probably be able to get an update done some time tomorrow.

[Melfice]

@Sith: That was literally the first thing that came to mind when you asked to be dwarfed.


This isn't an update sadly, but I wanted to let y'all know I haven't forgotten about you. This is the list of things that needs to happen before you guys get more blood, vomit, and fire:

I need to finish this week's physics homework.

I need to finish three calculus assignments.

I'm going tonight to take a qualification test to become a census worker because I'm broke in college.

I need to at least start on my computer engineering and computer science homeworks for next week since I'll be out of town all weekend.


When the smoke clears, I'll probably be able to get an update done some time tomorrow.

This is, what?
A week's amount of work?

If it's more than a week, wouldn't it be easier to skip on to the next in line?
I have no objection to it taking a little bit to update, but if it's gonna take 4 weeks for the next entry... well.

Just a question.

[Thadius]

Clearly somewhere on that list is the mastery of time-travel. He'll get it all done, then come back and do the DF LP session. We won't even remember being frustrated, it will never have been.

Which will be awesome. Using time travel to save important figures or rewriting your own past? Pfft, that's nothing compared to keeping dwarves happy!

[Matsci]

Wow, Just read through this entire thread. I would like to volunteer for both a dwarfing, and a chance to run this later.

While have played DF before, I havn't done a LP. If I say something stupid, please call me out on it.

[Geminex]

Regarding the economicon...

Would it be feasible to leave it be? Simply swept along the undead river, never to be found again? Lost, as it were, forever?

...

Well, not forever. I almost guarantee that it'd be found again. Admittedly, not in this LP, but still.

[Gregness]

3rd Felsite

On the third, one of the haulers finally brought me the census information so I could select some new miners.

Heh:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_senseOfHumor.jpg

I love a good practical joke as much as the next dwarf, but when the butt of your joke can train beasts five times your size you're probably asking to be introduced to the sharp end of a unicorn.

I leafed through a few more pages in high spirits.

"WHAT?!"

I burst out of my apartment turned office waving one of the pages:

"Why the hell didn't anyone tell me about this sooner?!"

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_InvaderList.jpg


"Overseer?"

"Gods, you'd think the fact that we're under attack would be news. That maybe the damn overseer should know about it! But I have to find it out from the godsdamn CENS-"

"You mean the prisoners?"

I had tossed the sheet in my excitement and one of my former colleagues was now eyeing it quizzically.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. I thought it'd be fun to go poking around some of the more out of the way sections of the fort and I found this stockpile full o' goblins in cages."

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_cagedInvaders.jpg

I closed my eyes and drew a breath: "I need more beers to deal with this shit."

"Sir?"

"Nothing. Listen, uh, Sithdarth was it?"

"yes?"

I motioned him over: "how does the title 'Chief Engineer of Workgill' sound?"

"Pretty damn good"

"I thought so. This never happened"

"Deal."

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_sithDwarf.jpg


10th Felsite

I had Sithdarth draw me up some schematics to help me make sense out of this place. It's bigger than I'd imagined. The mining tunnels stretch for miles and snake up and down and around the Styx. With this labyrinth I suppose I should be surprised we have even one miner left much less with the undead infesting the river as well. I'll have to remember to ask him how he keeps it all straight.

I won't be making any trips through them though, I'll stick to my gears and ballistas, thanks.

In other news: Holy crap!

It's one thing to hear that the fort you live in has struck adamantine. It's another beast entirely to be overseer and find out you have fucking VAULTS of the stuff.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_holyCrapAdamantine.jpg

I need to have the metalworkers practice on a bunch of junk so they'll be able to make the good stuff with this.

12th Felsite

Huh, Immigrants. Maybe they heard about the goblin zoo.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_weGotNoobs.jpg


Still though, a months long trek through undead infested wasteland couldn't have been easy...

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_ImmigrantGuard.jpg

Ah, they brought help. That explains it. Also of note, another wrestler who's already making himself at home in the barracks, another miner(!), a siege operator, some craftsdwarves, and a few peasants (miner recruits).


I decided to check in with Viridis to see how the inventory was coming along. I finally found him in his office looking scruffy and wild eyed.

"Uh, Hey Viridis, that inventory gonna take much longer?"

"Do you have ANY idea how much shit we have?!"

He slammed the door and I thought the better of knocking again.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_fortStats.jpg



16th Felsite

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_interruptions.jpg

So apparantly every Don, Crick, and Urist in this fort has been going out of their fucking way to make sure that their jobs take them past Thadius' sinkhole only to run like fucking elves as soon as they catch sight of the undead thirty feet below them!

There's also a disturbingly detailed account of a couple of cats trying and failing to "store an item in the stockpile". Whatever the fuck THAT means. From what I gather from the note (and the sloppily scratched out betting pool on the back) there were about twenty dwarves just watching a pair of injured cats dragging themselves along by their crippled legs, or fangs, or I don't even fucking know what.


Bah, if these elves are so fucking scared of a hole in the ground I'll have 'em pave the thing over.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/1_interruptionCulprit.jpg

I'm not nearly drunk enough for this.


Bah, missed the thursday night deadline. Damn post took longer to write than I thought. It's 12:40 now, and I started it at 11:20. :(

[Corel]

Bah, missed the thursday night deadline. Damn post took longer to write than I thought. It's 12:40 now, and I started it at 11:20. :(

That still counts as Thursday Night in my book. It isn't the new day until you go to sleep!

I am enjoying seeing the fort in ASCII art. After being so well acquainted with the fort it's like revisiting your favourite places, but only with retro art.

[Loyal]

Greg: I recommend looking at this. (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Cat_cancels_Store_Item_in_Stockpile:_Too_injured)

[synkr0nized]

WHY ISN'T ANYONE JOINING MY CAMPAIGN?!!


.. pay attention to me! Hey, who wrote that I am dung?!

[Wigmund]

3rd of Felsite, 60

Another dwarf is discovering the joys of overseer-hood. I believe this one has just discovered the goblins living in the basement.

Wonder if he knows about the elf corpses at the bottom of the Grand Pit?
Guess we'll find out soon.

-----------------------------

Regarding the economicon...

Would it be feasible to leave it be? Simply swept along the undead river, never to be found again? Lost, as it were, forever?

...

Well, not forever. I almost guarantee that it'd be found again. Admittedly, not in this LP, but still.

That's why the Disciple was pissed. Though he'll probably show up again when the HFS is re-opened.

[Gregness]

Greg: I recommend looking at this. (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Cat_cancels_Store_Item_in_Stockpile:_Too_injured)

Honestly, the injured cat thing is WAY more hilarious.

[Yumil]

Get to updating!

[Kerensky287]

Yeah, man, I quit my post in hopes that the next person would update MORE.

[PyrosNine]

Thadius related LP's shall likely be postponed until the coming weekend.

[Thadius]

Okay so one of three things is going on here, clearly.

1. Gregness accidentally hit the 'Forward' button instead of the 'Back' button on his time machine.
2.Everything I touch withers and dies.
3.Other shenanigans of which I am unaware.

I despise number two, but it's likely what happened here, amiright?

[PyrosNine]

My personal 2 tends to be "Everything I touch catches fire and explodes."

It seems Gregness has suffered a critical overseer failure, methinks.

[Gregness]

Well, one problem is that as I mentioned before, I have somewhat of an aging machine here and I've not run a fort this big. When I made the last update I had the game running for about three hours and only got about 3 weeks of game time. The solution I've come up with is just to leave it running in the background while I'm doing my school readings or whatever during which time my computer is sorta crippled since DF eats processor power like candy. Only thing is I'm a little worried I might miss something hilarious.

But, no overseer failure. It's just gonna take more time than I thought to grind the time away. I may go ahead and just stop at the end of Kerensk's year that way I don't tie up the LP for the next month and a half doing his and mine like I had planned.

Anyway, preview now, update tomorrow. I'm into early summer and we've got the first siege of my overseership. Complication: I've never defended a siege before (my own fort is in a sandbox sort of place with not much else around). This is going to be we're all going to die.

[Wigmund]

An update on my birthday!?

What a great present! Especially if we get to see everyone die.

I lied it's from Jingo
-------------
A page from the Economicon in a Workgill that could have been
...bingeley-bingeley beep...
...Seven eh em...Organize Defenders at Front Gate...Seven twenty-five...Hand-to-Hand Fighting in Trade Depot...Seven Forty-eight eight eight...Rally survivors in Main Dining Hall...Things To Do Today: Build Build Build Barricades...

...bingeley...Eight oh two eh em, Death of Marksdwarf Hawk...Eight oh three eh em...Death of Baby Flare....Eight oh threethreethree eh em and seven seconds...Death of Knight Loyal...Eight oh three eh em and nineninenine seconds....Death of death of death of....

Death of Captain of the Guard Wigmund...Eight oh three eh em and fourteenteenteen seconds...

...Death of Queen Mauve....beep...

...beep...Things To Do Today Today Today: Die...
-------------------

[Gregness]

Oh. Wow.

Does...

Does anyone know how to extract a combat log from dwarf mode? 'Cause I just saw some shit.

[Melfice]

Oh. Wow.

Does...

Does anyone know how to extract a combat log from dwarf mode? 'Cause I just saw some shit.

If you know the names of the dwarf(/ves) involved...
- Copy the save-folder of the region you're playing in (Workgill's)
- Abandon Fort
- Enter Legends mode
- Search for Dwarf name
- ????
- PROFIT!!!

That might give you a combat log, but don't quote me on it. There's probably an easier way.

[PyrosNine]

There's probably a log file in the save directory of Dwarf Fortess, maybe?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

A page from the Economicon in a Workgill that could have been
...bingeley-bingeley beep...
...Seven eh em...Organize Defenders at Front Gate...Seven twenty-five...Hand-to-Hand Fighting in Trade Depot...Seven Forty-eight eight eight...Rally survivors in Main Dining Hall...Things To Do Today: Build Build Build Barricades...

...bingeley...Eight oh two eh em, Death of Marksdwarf Hawk...Eight oh three eh em...Death of Baby Flare....Eight oh threethreethree eh em and seven seconds...Death of Knight Loyal...Eight oh three eh em and nineninenine seconds....Death of death of death of....

Death of Captain of the Guard Wigmund...Eight oh three eh em and fourteenteenteen seconds...

...Death of Queen Mauve....beep...

...beep...Things To Do Today Today Today: Die...


Why do I have to die first...?? :(

[Flarecobra]

-------------
A page from the Economicon in a Workgill that could have been
...bingeley-bingeley beep...
...Seven eh em...Organize Defenders at Front Gate...Seven twenty-five...Hand-to-Hand Fighting in Trade Depot...Seven Forty-eight eight eight...Rally survivors in Main Dining Hall...Things To Do Today: Build Build Build Barricades...

...bingeley...Eight oh two eh em, Death of Marksdwarf Hawk...Eight oh three eh em...Death of Baby Flare....Eight oh threethreethree eh em and seven seconds...Death of Knight Loyal...Eight oh three eh em and nineninenine seconds....Death of death of death of....

Death of Captain of the Guard Wigmund...Eight oh three eh em and fourteenteenteen seconds...

...Death of Queen Mauve....beep...

...beep...Things To Do Today Today Today: Die...
-------------------

And kill a baby? How cruel!

[Gregness]

I checked the Dwarf Fortress forums and it seems there are a few mods that turn on combat logs for fort modes, but I doubt those will help seeing as the thing I want logged already happened. Oh well. I'll just have to make something wicked awesome up to describe what happened.

[Wigmund]

Enough waiting! Wigmund wants to see this epic battle!

[Gregness]

Happy birthday wigmund!

----------------


"Overseer! Overseer, They're here!"

Bleary-eyed, I rolled over in my bed to face the messenger. Sadly, I'd almost gotten used to these asscrack of dawn intrusions.

"Wha-? More migrants?"

"No, it's the goblins! Initial reports show one group west-southwest of the main gates:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_WestGoblins.jpg


Another south-southwest of the gates:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_SWGoblins.jpg


And the final group directly to the south:"


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_SEGoblins.jpg


I sat up in bed, silently cursing the universe that seemed to conspire to drop crisis after crisis in my lap at the worst times. I was almost sober for Armok's sake! Luckily, I'd had the foresight to ask around discreetly about some of the prior sieges a few weeks back and learned that these little brutes didn't respect the power of precision engineering.

"Order Hawk's squad into the archery tower and put Loyal on the near side of the Great Bridge. Have Bob's squad flank him on either side as backup if he needs it. Let the little bastards have a field day running through the traps at the enterence if they want, but we haven't finished clearing the debris and corpses from the last bunch that wanted to try that so they may just turn back. Either way, we're not losing anyone to these simpletons!"

"And you, Overseer?"

"I am going to get a drink. Actually, make that two. Yeah, this is a two beer problem."



No sooner did I hit the pantry then another messenger ran panting into view

"We ordered all civilians inside as you ordered. It actually turned out to be much simpler than it would otherwise be since most of us are creeped out by that pit that claimed Thadius. We do have a small problem though: apparantly one of the off duty wrestlers was giving his livestock a walk when the goblins appeared almost on top of him."


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_FirstCasualty.jpg


"Bah, nothing to be done about it. We'll be sure to give him a proper burial after we've broken the siege."

"That's the thing... When word came in about it one of the wrestlers, Sibrek, grabbed a sword after muttering something about needing to 'grab a few things' and took off at a sprint. She's heading right for them!"

I finished my second drink, grabbed a third and ran to the observation tower. What I saw next, I can't even attribute to being too sober.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_CrazyFucker.jpg

As Sibrek rushed to her fallen companion's side, she came face to face with the horde which struck him down. She paused momentarily. Tears of grief subtly gave way to tears of rage and she charged.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_Berserk.jpg

The goblins sneered with a sadistic glee as their newest victim committed to her suicide run. She slammed headlong into the thick of them, and the goblins piled on, laughing maniacally. I lost sight of Sibrek amidst the roiling goblin bodies. The whole thing reminded me of the pictures of combat in the stories written for children where a chaotic melee is reduced to a dust cloud to save the little ones' innocence a few more precious years. I might have laughed if I weren't watching one of my own being butchered. The melee twisted and writhed for a few tense moments, when suddenly an arm flew through the air, still leaking blood. Next, a leg, another arm, and... an arm?

With a scream of primal fury, Sibrek threw the goblins off her. She was covered in blood; none of it her own.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_Badass.jpg

As if newly awakened, the goblins looked around in shock. Two of their number lay dead at Sibrek's feet, two more unconscious and bleeding near fatal wounds, one flying towards the nearby hill, driven by a titanic blow from Sibrek, and Sibrek herself with murder in her eyes.

They broke.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_MoraleFailure.jpg

Sibrek had no thought of mercy.

She caught up with one goblin who barely had time to turn around before she was upon him. She saw the next was in full flight and closed the gap with superdwarven speed. Her first shot was probably a mortal wound:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_CriticalHit.jpg

But she didn't stop at one shot.


As the rest of the goblins ran to the hills, Sibrek took a breath and slowly staggered back to the fort. Not from any injury; she was untouched. She was simply exhausted.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4223625/2_SevenKillsUntouched.jpg

[Bob The Mercenary]

Holy shit. Can you fashion Sibrek a medal of damn honor?

[Geminex]

Isn't that what engraving's for?

Nice, though. What's the difference between berserking and sibrek's martial trance?

[Flarecobra]

Hotdaymn!

And I think if one's Berserk...they go after anyone and anything...Martial Trance would just attack threats to one's self.

Please, if I'm wrong about this, correct me.

[Gregness]

As I was originally watching this unfold, and later as I was writing the post, I decided that a "trance" needn't necessarily be of the zen sort. A good old fashioned viking berserker rage could be a "trance" in as much as it's an altered state of consciousness and it also fit better with what seemed to be going on. So, that much at least was poetic license.

As for the technical aspects, some of you may find This (http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Martial_trance) interesting.

[Geminex]

Wait...

a single dwarf is being attacked by more than one enemy

Does this increase in proportion to amount of enemies? Say, 1 dwarf versus 20 goblins? 30? An entire siege? The stats increase is pretty major, especially if we find some way to make it berserk as well. Imagine, our head wrestler loyal, seeing his favorite table smashed before his eyes by goblins, his eyes first misting over as the horde approaches to tear him limb from limb, then running red, superdwarven strength and rage combining with the ultimate calm of battle. And then all the goblins die.

...

We could at least TRY, couldn't we?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I'll tell you the difference between Martial Trance and a Berserk; Berserking is for pussies apparantly!!

Damn that was pretty crazy. Remind me never to piss Sibrek off.

[Melfice]

Well... there's only one response possible.

Wigmund: "Gregness, what does the scouter say about her power level?"
Gregness: "It's over nine-THOUSAAAAND!"

If we go with Geminex' suggestion, we'll be creating Super (Saiyan) Dwarves.

[Geminex]

Do their beards go all spikey and yellow?

[Melfice]

Do their beards go all spikey and yellow?

It damn well better!

[Kerensky287]

Do their beards go all spikey and yellow?

All the better to impale goblins with.

[OhnoesFlanked]

We're suffering from a lack of posts.

[Loyal]

I wonder if Waddle is ready to go? It may be necessary to just skip past gregness since he apparantly can't put aside the time to get past one in-game year.

[OhnoesFlanked]

We need a nearly world breaking catastrophe to raise interest again. I task the next overseer to build the dwarven equivalent of an atomic bomb. Pave the sky and attach it to a single support at least ten stories above the top most level of ground on the map.

[Gregness]

I wonder if Waddle is ready to go? It may be necessary to just skip past gregness since he apparantly can't put aside the time to get past one in-game year.

:sweatdrop


So, yeah, I know I'm kinda blowing it on the whole update frequency thing. I've been ridiculously busy due to a conflux of assignment due dates compounded by a few other things which I'm not gonna go into since I don't want to seem like I'm bitching about a bunch of stuff that's honestly pretty rad. It does tend to eat the time though.

I'll get a small update tonight, and then next week looks considerably better as far as my schedule is concerned. I should be able to finish my turn then.

Bottom line: Sorry about holding up the LP everyone. I'll try to make up for frequency with quality!