19th Timber, 1054 Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Child

We have flux! Our hopes were not in vain: the dwarven stronghold Kulsimcerol has sent us all the flux they could spare. Too bad our weaponsmiths might not be up to par with their new material, steel. Even when one of the smiths has created Rigòthosram Gúr Avuz, an adamantine war hammer, menacing with goblin bone spikes!



The forgotten beast, ettin Tikbo Alkoctimta Ingsulauzo Egu, visited us. We kept his rotting skeleton for the heck of it.



Poor Stinthäd Dastotanan, our mad woodcutter, finally gave in to thirst in a desolate barracks after asking for shells I couldn't provide. I know it won't help Stinthäd, but we now have mussel shells.

We've also tried to recenter our dwarven keep, but that might not be possible before liberating the lower caverns. The first cavern is now sealed so we can use it as we wish.


The last stone is set.

23rd Felsite, 1054 Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Child

Maybe we were too hasty trying to take hold of the upper cavern... We've killed a giant cave spider, a troll and a cave crocodile in one day.

The siege force is closing in and while our dwarves are eagerly waiting for them behind our trapped entrance, we also had a troglodyte uprising in the caverns.



After this incident Vucar Udarudil, our legendary stonecrafter, has become our most valuable worker. Indeed, he has three adamantine strands sewn into his worthless skin.

13th Felsite, 1054 Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Child

In the caverns we've managed to stomp a giant toad, a giant cave swallow and a bunch of troglodytes.

But we went too far! I managed to seal approximately a quarter of the first cavern before the goblin siegers arrived. The elven traders won't stand a chance unless our dwarven hammers arrive in time to the main gate. Maybe we should position the trade depot futher down the defenses later on.

The fort will be safe nonetheless.

The siege force consists of 14 goblin pikemen led by a goblin bowman riding a voracious cave crawler. My little sister shall play with their skulls after our hammers haven spoken.

9th Slate, 1054. Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Child

We had a minor conflict with the buzzards today. We drove them off, our adamantium armor shining in the sun.

We've mined two more levels of adamantite, to the bottom of the caverns and isolated the adamantite from the main halls. I'm also planning to take hold of the uppermost cavern by summer.

After vigorous training we now have two legendary armorsmiths!

28th Timber, 1053. Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Baby

It is now late autumn. I've grown to be a child playing with adamantine strands and wafers. We've mined the first of adamantine and I've ordered special rooms to be built so the metalsmiths could strand, smelt and forge undisturbed.

We also have an elected mayor now, our cook Noman Mengusen.

And again, migrants. I'd say we're well off for the winter.



Entrance level. Pretty much the same, though I've added dog cages to the Kennels.



Storage for the workshops and on the right... our light blue gold! Also living space for our delicate dwarven leaders, mined from magnetite.



Housing for the less choosy. In one of the dining rooms you can find the single most expensive thing in Idashled: Sazirnilun Mangròdogtum, the definitive platinum table!



The stuff dreams are made of.

25th Slate, 1053. Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Baby

By the gods of the earth! This is a good day! Libash Kûbukabal has created Sazirnilun Mangròdogtum, a platinum table worth 98400¤! Libash's metalsmithing will be legendary and I don't intend to keep him with the military for long. Working behind the forge will be his destiny!

We also have over twenty new migrants! I can't believe that the word could've gotten so far so quick.

And by gods, we are getting close to that precious stone. Knowing that mere metres of stone separates us from the horrors of the caverns is very exciting as our military isn't excactly in shape.

20th Slate, 1053. Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Baby

We've begun mining towards the adamantine along the instructions of our manager Eshtân Mengtad. I intend to mine some of that precious rock, for who could resist the temptation, the challenge! I wish to hold it in my hands in no longer than two weeks.

We might use the better weapons and armour as well. Strike the goblin skull!

Libas Kûbukabal, one of our best axedwarfs and a metalsmith by trade, has apparently found his calling, Doren Zasasmel be praised. He's searching for items of great value, hiding them under his forge, whispering. With platinum bars and rough brown jaspers he's begun to build like I've never seen before, like his hands were guided from above, or maybe from below...

6th Granite, 1053. Chronicle of Mosus Lulârber, Dwarven Baby

When I drew my first breath some eight months ago I cried out - not your usual cry-baby "Waaah" - but instead a bellowing, earth-shattering "STRIKE THE EARTH!". I am the first-born of Idashled and the only child here. It seems that the enlightening company of these wise dwarven forefathers and mothers has indeed made me a baby genius.

After recognicing my potential the powers that be have given me somewhat free hands. I shall use all my limbs, my brain and above all my slate gray baby-eyes to spin a web of corruption into the dwarven souls of Idashled. I will soon be in total control.

I also sport a braided beard, long moustache and sideburns.

Our new manager is an incredible man and our leader doesn't fall far behind. However the inefficiency of our garbage disposal is still unacceptable. My #1 goal this year will be to spread the word of our wealth so as to attract fresh migrants to haul off all this filth, and I'm not talking about my fellow dwarves here even if I should.

Also, the stone traps at the gate are getting loaded stone by stone and I've ordered all the animals to be rounded up. I like my pets stuffed. Next up: a trash chute near the kitchens.

26th Obsidian, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

My reign is almost at end. I have plotted a fairly likely tunnel to the adamantite but I did not order the digging to begin yet.

Here are maps of the layout of the current fortress:





Entrance level. Trade depot was moved just within the door. Two dogs guard it. Military trains just outside. The wide straight opening to north and south can be turned into a narrow, trap-laden corridor with the flip of a lever. To the south is the main pathway.





Farms. Ramps on the right lead to main food storage and kitchens.





Incoming storage level. Stores are mostly only accessed through workshop level, except for the kitchen storage (in the middle), which mediates seeds and vegetables between the farm and the kitchens. Long narrow corridor at the bottom leads to exploratory mining shafts.





Workshop level. Hidden in miasma are the kitchens. The two isolated store rooms are prepared food storage for the dining room. On the left is the main pathway to the surface. The support can be broken using a lever or more likely by a building destroyer beast. This allows the beast to make acquaintance with a bit of floor falling on its head. Similar construction is almost complete for the path to exploratory mining shafts. On the right is the proposed path to adamantite.





Living area. Here are also dining room (middle of the image), lever room (just right of the dining room) and the hospital. Below you can see output store rooms for the workshops.

6th Opal, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Logem begun constructing whatever it is he has been gathering all that crap for. Birch and ash logs? Raccoon and mountain goat leather? 13 pieces of horse bone? Hematite? This better be good.

Finally he crafted Nelzuriklist, The Invisible Whisper, a birchen scepter. All the craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is decorated with ash and encircled with bands of mountain goat leather. The object menaces with spikes of birch, raccoon leather and hematite.

On it is an image of Led Largeclasp the dwarf in horse bone. Led Largeclasp is being shot. The artwork relates to the shooting of the dwarf Led Largeclasp by an unknown creature in Spokendevils in The Tufted Crest in 119 during Arist íkthag, "The Assault of Squeezing".

28th Moonstone, 1052. Addendum. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Raw adamantine! Praise the miners! Don't need no stinking flux now.

(I have placed a note for future managers on cave level 18 right middle. I also plotted a possible course of extraction but the abundance of caverns in this regions make any plans unpredictable.)

28th Moonstone, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Or then, Udil might not last the day. She died of thirst this morning. Fair riddance.

27th Moonstone, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Our nurse Logem Udiblumash has been possessed. I hope it doesn't end as it did with poor Udil. She's been drooling in my sock drawer every day now. But it could be worse. I don't think she'll last the winter.

13th Timber, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

We may have ourselves some magma, gentledwarves. D.I.G. operative ònul Bakustmörul found some warm rock today.

5th Timber, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

I received a report that we have discovered an expansive cavern deep underground. We've been discovering nothing but expansive caverns ever since I command D.I.G. (Deep Inspection Group) to see if they could find some flux. I feel like we set our fort on a piece of two-humped camel cheese.

Well. I inspected the walls of the newest newly found cavern. Result: there is no flux!

2nd Timber, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Udil Leromlorbam had this idea for an artifact for a while now. He was screaming for body parts and rock bars (I'm presuming I'd need to book Iron Maiden too). I posted a squad of our soldiers to guard her well-being just in case. Unfort... Luckily she did not get violent once she realised Manowar had cancelled their come-back tour.

16th Galena, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Some horses showed up. Hardly the portent of doom I was expecting. Oh, and some humans. Filthy, tall humans. We gave them some of our lesser trinkets in exchange for their cheese and leather.

27th Malachite, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Everything seems to be going fine. I feel like things are going to go horribly wrong very soon.

15th Malachite, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Some more migrants have arrived. Which is bit of a bother since we don't even have rooms for the last lot yet.

26th Hematite, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Happy occasion! Sodel Matullibash has given birth to a boy. I am almost considering giving their family a second bed. Almost.

XX Felsite, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Some elven traders arrived from Afe Iwa. We traded them with the glorious goods produced by our two legendary stonecrafters. Momuz and Vucar can easily churn ou... Ahem, lovingly craft items of great value and unparalleled artistry from mere stone. They work diligently and quickly enough to rob bli... Trade the goods for the wares of any passing caravan. Literally they can turn the ground beneath our feet into untold riches.

However I am less than pleased with what happened after we had purchased valuable food rations from the elves. A flock of buzzards, those useless vulture birds, swooped down and begun pillaging our newly acquired food supplies. I commanded our eight brave soldiers to protect the trade depot but half of them stood around uselessly, never striking their foe.

Back in the old halls of the dwarven king this kind of mutiny would have been considered treason. Reason enough to turn short dwarves into even shorter dwarves. A head shorter.

7th Slate, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

Migrants arrived. 21 new lost sou... Brave explorers.

1st Granite, 1052. Chronicle of Eshtân Mengtad, manager of Moistenedrack

By the most ancient and holy decree of R.R.R.A.M. (Round-Robin Rule of Assured Madness) I have been appointed as the new manager of dwarven expedition to Moistenedrack.

After briefly surveying the state of our party I, as my very first order, relieved everyone of their useless hauling jobs. Which is: most of them. I don't believe in hauling stuff around just for the sake of hauling it around. Cooks and farmers can store food. Masons and carpenters can install furniture. Woodcutter can pile up enough wood. Nurses can do cleaning and disposin... Consecrating perished dwarves to holy ground.

Secondly I planned a new, more efficient layout for the future dwarven fortress. Clearly separating the workspace and living quarters by at least 10 squares of solid rock I prevented any noise carrying over. After all, a well-slept dwarf is an efficient dwarf.

Next I appointed our broker Rith Ethabcatten as the bookkeeper. Expecting nothing but the highest precision, of course. Lór Ellestkivish was named chief medical dwarf.

And why is our legendary stonecrafter Momuz Nakuthlorbam wasting her time making useless bone bolts? Is the reason we are nearly out of drink because our brewer has been playing in the dirt?

Reminder to future managers: A dining hall does not need water. It needs booze. Lots of it.

Current roster:

The first year, all in one post!

Saga of the Superior Lenses and the outpost Idashled

Written by Ast Ducimkulal, expedition leader of the Momentous Knives

Kar Niral, 1051

(The first actual post is a bit of a mess due to lack of internets on the computer I play DF on. Sorry about that.)

The surroundings are magnificent! A beautiful brook and mostly harmless wildlife in a lush valley with lots of fuel. No, wood. Trees! I mean trees. This valley would make such a good pasture for bovine friends, mooing hauntingly when the sun rises. *sigh*

*

Ögred be praised! We've dug into ruby, star ruby and bauxite! Thankfully we've also found bituminous coal, which should come in handy later.

As the expedition leader I took the liberty of planning the entrance a bit further. I reckon we should build a tower to the entrance. And with 'tower' I mean a towering hulk with pointy teeth and hundreds of tiny staring eyes. With bolts coming out of them. Pow!

*

We've hit a cavern! A cavern with troglodytes and giant spiders, no less. Oh how I absolutely detest cave spiders. Only a few z-levels^W dozen meters underground! Rotten luck.

It seems we've all slept rather uneasily due to noise. Lazy miners, drinking all day. When will we get our fine bedrooms? It seems that our miners Ònul and Led have a bit of a romance going on between them. I told them that it's ok as long as it doesn't interfere with mining. I hate to be harsh on good dwarves, but we need to be prepared when winter hits us.

*

It seems we've attracted our first migrants! They luckily took lots of food^W animals with them for us to butcher^W show our affection to. Population: 15 dwarves, 14 animals.

*

Now everyone has a bedroom of their own, and we finally have a meeting hall to conduct our dwarvenly behaviour together.

Our premises consist of an entrance hall (now filled with random stockpiles and workshops, but we'll transform it later to be the deadliest roomful of traps ever) and workshops on the first floor, and a stockpile/farming level on the second. Meeting hall and quarters are located deeper in the mines.

*

Autumn has come. I've decided it's time to begin farming. I've constructed a flooding mechanism underground in order to get some juicy mud on our fields.

*

More immigrants! Now we have a population of 24 dwarves, including a furnace operator, a weaponsmith and an armorer.

*

We need a well soon. I'm getting sick and tired of the same old stinky water. I really don't know why the river would be filled with stinky water, but seems like it is. I've taken measurements to ensure we soon have a well, filled with water and Fun.

*

Thief! Darned thief! It took our iron pick! The iron pick! Despite assigning a squad to wander around like idiots, we couldn't locate the thief. A truly sad day for all of us.

*

Great news everyone! The caravan has arrived! I've assigned our gem cutter Rith Ethabcatten to be our broker since he's a competent comedian. You can't go wrong with that, can you?

*

Winter is upon us. We traded some cages and other stuff we don't have access to yet. Too bad they didn't have any chains, we definitely would've had use for chains.

*

What is this? After his trading Rith the Comedian has decided to withdraw from society and claimed the craftsdwarf's workshop for his mysterious construction.

He has created Uzlirrashgur, a bauxite scepter! All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. The bauxite scepter is encircled with bands of bauxite. There's nothing like bauxite to excite a comedian.

*

We now have a well. It goes straight down to the caverns, which should provide us fun later in the game. I did construct traps around it just to be safe, though.

*

More kobolds! These two were spotted by one of our always alert dogs. They did slip away from us, unfortunately, so they'll live to tell. That'll mean more fun to our friends playing after me.

By the way, our test farming of tower-caps turned out succesful! Soon we can turn this into an indoors only club just for us hairy ladies and gentlemen.

*

Well, spring is here. Much was done, even more was left undone. Regrets, I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention. Or not. Perhaps too much was left undone? Oh well.

Over and out.

Strike the earth!

The chosen few of #dwarffortress @ircnet have decided to strike the earth together.

Each player controls the outpost Idashled for one year, starting from spring.

I had the honour of going first, and so far I've done my best to ensure that we'll have a very challenging game ahead of us. (With only a week of serious dwarffortressing under my belt, leaving a questionable heritage should be no problem.) Mr. Harvest has agreed to be my successor.

I'll keep a journal and post pictures of my progress, or lack thereof.

Wish me luck.