[DF] Fortress Year 7

[Ronin Storm]

I think I'll be dealing with the preparing for the killing as I don't plan on letting dwarves back out into the world without some serious skills. The one and only time I plan to open the drawbridge is to let the human trader out and even then I'm thinking of telling him to go out the back.

 

[Xarlaxas]

That seems fair, how many dwarves are you putting in the military/do we have enough metal armour for them all?

 

[BiG D]

Oh I'll take the next year, but be warned that my entire plan is to find adamantine and create an army of SUPERSOLDIERS...

 

[Xarlaxas]

You'll kill us all!

 

[Ronin Storm]

I heartily approve of the supersoldier plan.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Well, as long as we get a War-Dragon at some point. . . .

 

[Ronin Storm]

Autumn 1060 (5th Limestone)

So the craziest thing just happened. We spied a kobold thief trying to steal stuff from the corpses of our fallen comrades. Then out of nowhere, a goblin ambush party sprang up and chased off the kobold! Never seen anything quite like it.

In other news, I've disbanded the militia pending the formation of a professional fighting force. Three dwarves have yet to be informed due to being unconcious in hospital but I think they'll understand.

Also, the burial chamber is nearly full. More coffins required, I guess, if this slaughter is going to continue. While I ponder that, I've ordered the current resting place to be engraved with scenes of the lives of the dwarves here. Should we all die, those who follow can read about our valiant yet inevitable demise and prepare themselves accordingly.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Huzzah! I was hoping there would be more engraving, I think I already did so but make sure only the skilled detailers are engraving, the barracks is a little off what with some walls having vines and flowers on them, followed by a detailed image of weeping dwarves being cut down by goblins.

We're not traumatised, not at all. . . .

Going to expand the burial chamber then or just pack more in? I'd vote for the former option personally!

Oh, might I suggest you do some kind of rotating military service for the Dwarves? That way they'll all end up stronger and can fight when things (inevitably) go to Hell!

 

[Ronin Storm]

Late Autumn 1060 (5th Timber)

We've traded and bought a lot of food, booze, timber and other supplies. We also managed to sneak the human caravan out the main gate before the goblins caught on, though a wardog got trapped outside when we raised the drawbridge again and was promptly murdered. Humans didn't engage the goblins, unfortunately.

Migrants arrived on the opposite side of the map to the goblin ambushers. 8 of them. I was able to open the lumber passage for long enough to get them inside but two of the newly appointed squad rushed out with training swords in hand and promptly died in a blaze of utter stupidity. Those doors are sealed again, so net gain of 6 dwarves.

We're not going outside again. Every time I open the doors, idiotic things happen.

Only a season left 'til I'm free of this madhouse. Y'know, I think I'm going to start writing my resignation/complaint letter right after this...

 

[Xarlaxas]

Sounds like we're pretty much under siege then eh? Ye gods. . . .

Who's taking over next?

 

[BiG D]

"Lumber passage" is the best euphemism ever.

 

[Ronin Storm]

While I missed this on first pass, I think "lumber back passage" would have been even better.

 

[Ronin Storm]

[strike]Autumn 1060 (17th Timber)

The outpost liaison has arrived but the goblins are already camping the route that the migrants took (aka the lumber passage). Very briefly struck by a mad fit to let them in the main gate, I realised my mistake before any damage was done. The liaison will just have to take his chances on the outside. Maybe he'll take some of the goblins with him?

In other news, the soldiers I've recruited aren't doing much in the way of actual training. They do a good impression of standing around waiting for someone to tell them to train but not actually training. What is it with these bearded halfpeople?

20th Timber

After an intense staring match, two squads of goblin ambushers (lashers and swordsgoblins) withdrew. Watched them go. I'm now officially scared of our liaison. I don't think he even drew his weapon. I'm taking advantage of the brief quiet to collect some belongings, wood, dead, and do some trade. If anyone, even one dwarf dies, due to another ambush as a result of me opening the fortress gates then I'm shutting the gates and walling us in.

That said, they'll have to come in the lumber route. Stupid liaison is standing beneath where I lower the drawbridge. I hear lowering a drawbridge onto your liaison is bad for business. And, in this case, my health.[/strike]

 

[Ronin Storm]

[strike]End of Autumn 1060 (27th Timber)

Freeze has come early this year. Been a week. No sign of goblins. They'll be back, though.

Meanwhile, we're gathering everything we can from outside the fortress and I'll see if we can get some trade done with the liaison and his caravan. We're pretty well set up, though, so I'm not worried.

Training is now underway. I think some harsh words made the difference. Or maybe they were practicing the liaison's "stare of making goblins flee"? Whatever the case, they're on dodging practice. Good thing, given that we've been butchered in every recent engagement. Hate to think what a serious invasion would do.[/strike]

 

[Ronin Storm]

[strike]Straight After the Last Report

Right. Now I know why the goblins ran off. Our liaison is here to, uhm, well, I'm not sure. He says we can become a colony or some such. Do we want to be a colony? Is this just some veiled attempt to wrest control from me?

Oh, hang on, wresting control from me is good; then I can escape sooner! Yes, yes, have it. Take it all!

I've recommended the current mayor, Tosid, to be Baron of this fort. Better him than me. Besides, I think he might do a half decent job. This fortress has grown under his eye over this last year. Well, mostly my eye, but his half an eye on every other Tuesday.[/strike]

 

[Ronin Storm]

[strike]Mid winter 1060 (3rd Opal)

Cold outside. River has frozen solid. That said, it's not stopping the dwarves from collecting all the battle detritus and equipment. All our fallen comrades are properly buried. Indeed, I've added a whole new chamber for those yet to fall, but we'll need a bunch more coffins to fit it out. Made I shoulda been in the undertaking business...

Training is still underway. We're teaching swords, largely because we had 10 training swords but not 10 of anything else. Seems to be slow progress. Also set to training a bunch more wardogs after the butchery that decimated our previous canine legion. Even the ones that survived are scarred to hell and one notable one is limping everywhere. Isn't there a vet in this damn place?

Speaking of vets, we have a full complement of medical staff: five doctors of various specialities and two medics for the fetch and carry. They're all off other duties and ready to deal with incoming casualties. You just know there'll be some.

Still, clean up is going well and wood supplies are rolling in. We've bought as much wood, food and booze as we can lay our hands on and requested for more from the Mountainhomes caravan next year. I'm almost of the impression that we could survive a year long siege if it came to that.

Not long left here and the quiet is quite disturbing. I'm told that we're regularly attacked just as winter begins to thaw so I'll be ready to seal the gates again. To support that, I've added an internal drawbridge to raise and lower on the lumber route. With the remote lever activation that should help keep things a bit safer, though I'm leaving the doors in place too.

Here's to hoping for the quiet to continue. I'd rather listen to the sounds of industry than the sounds of battle![/strike]

 

[Ronin Storm]

Okay, I kinda want to cry. It'd gone to late winter and DF just crashed on me. Now I'm back to late autumn again, so the goblins are all still here. Done for the evening on that but I guess I can pick up again on Friday. :/

I've struck through all the information that has now not happened, just for clarity.

 

[BiG D]

Praise Armok! Lumber Passage is still canon.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Yeah, Dwarf Fortress seems to have crashed a lot for us, luckily for me whenever it stops responding I'll just wait a minute and it will catch up again. . . .

At least you're at Autumn instead of starting again!

 

[Zooggy]

Hoy,

<Dwarf Fortress install folder>/data/init/d_init.txt

You can turn autosave on. It's only seasonal, but it's better than nothing.

Cheers,
J.