[DF] Fortress Year 7

[Ronin Storm]

Deja vu...

Late Autumn 1060 (20th Timber)

Outpost liaison has arrived. His stare withers all opposition. Goblins flee. Result. I feel like I had a dream about this very event...

Opening the fortress doors so we can recover our fall comrades and generally make right the things that went wrong. Hopefully this won't fall on its face.

 

[Xarlaxas]

If it all happens exactly as before will you murder someone? Or just un-strike out the previous text?

 

[Ronin Storm]

To be honest, I'm being more efficient in my design this time round. I was hoping that the goblins would flee at the sight of the liaison, which they did; he must look terrifying as the swordsmen ran his way then promptly ran the other way around in a serious Han Solo versus room full of Stormtroopers way.

That said, given the complexity I'm almost certainly making some changes as I'm going along.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Oh boy, that's one scary liason. . . .

Huzzah for changes, I hope things work out, I'm just sad it will be weeks before I get the fortress in my hands again!

 

[Ronin Storm]

Early Winter 1060 (7th Moonstone)

My powers of foresight are uncanny. An early freeze, just as I predicted. How could I be doing this?

We traded with the Mountainhomes caravan for a lot of supplies. Records show that goblin attacks happen just before the Spring thaw and I want to be ready just in case the next one is the big one. Food and booze bought in large supplies, along with thread, weaponry, armour and some other decently priced bits (glass, sand, bags, wood, etc).

I suspect I'm going to be called on to turn Ekastbom Kib into a Barony, if I'm truly prescient.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Hehehe.

Yeah, the Goblins really do love coming just before the hand-over date, maybe the next person will have a siege to contend with?

Also, becoming a Barony under the people who send liasons who can scare away Goblin hordes sounds useful!

 

[Nanor]

I'm ready to take another stab at it if you want me back in the fray for some week.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Yeah, be great to have you back in, Nanor. Strongly recommend activating seasonal saves or doing as I'm doing: every time you make a major configuration change you also save.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Mid Winter 1060 (6th Opal)

It's snowing. I hope this doesn't create a problem.

Operation Collect-All-That-Crap is going well, with dwarves buried and equipment from friend and foe alike being collected.

We've completed the internal drawbridge in the lumber passage. There are now two levers responsible for sealing the fortress. The first is in a room on the same level as the depot and main entrance, causing the drawbridge to raise and seal the fortress entrance. The second is by the seed stockpile near the underground farm, which raises the drawbridge leading out to our lumber supply.

Speaking of lumber supply, I'm building a small fortification around the stairs down into the lumber passage. I haven't got a specific plan just yet but I'm hoping that this might mean we have an option to defend that position with archers. Not that we have any archers.

Had to have words with the mayor, Tosid, to get him to stop with the friggin' wood and actually talk to the liaison. Useless bastard. Probably just the right guy to be a Baron.

 

[Traxata]

I think Nanor going after my year could have some entertaining repercussions

 

[Ronin Storm]

The Day After (7th Opal)

A Barony, you say? I'll buy two! Mayor Tosid the Totally Useless for Baron, please.

And next year, bring us booze, wood, food and weapons. And a training manual on how to do that "scare goblins" stare.

 

[Xarlaxas]

So, what are the benefits of having a Baron now eh?

 

[Ronin Storm]

Late Winter 1060 (5th Obsidian)

The liaison is about to leave. Tosid will doubtless be declared Baron before the end of the year. I've started construction on his chambers, which are good enough for a Mayor but may need extension for a Baron. I should have these done before the year is out.

My eyes are open for invaders. Are military has been in training for a while now and I've switched them to training axes because they have more basic experience with axes than swords. That said, if they're to go into combat they'll need combat equipment. I suggest keeping up the training regime and not engaging goblins at all...

The stockpile south of the main barracks is for the weapons, armour and ammunition for soldiers. There's a food stockpile right by the barracks too so they tend to stay there for training.

Late Winter 1060 (17th Obsidian)

Ready for a surprise? Goblin ambushers have struck. Okay, it wasn't much of a surprise, I admit. Looks like one of my lumberjacks is going to be eating dirt and steel pretty shortly. I'm going to seal the lumber passage immediately and demand that all dwarves stay inside. No unnecessary casualties, especially as we know that these ambushes come in twos.

 

[Ronin Storm]

21st Obsidian

Yep, the one ambushed dwarf was murdered as he ran for the gates. He didn't make it very far. I guess the fact that I locked the doors so he had to run the long way didn't help.

Gates are sealed. We've lost around 5 wardogs who rushed out to engage the goblins but I guess there's nothing for it. I doubt they did much. The rest of the populace are sealed inside and I'm now not opening the gates. I'll climb over the wall and sneak my way out in just over a week...

Burrow orders rescinded, but it's not like the dwarves can go anywhere.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Yeah, maybe we should just lock up the fortress every Obsidian? Seems they always arrive at that time!

 

[Ronin Storm]

24th Obsidian

It's a bloody good job I sealed the gates. Second ambush party right on cue. Archers this time. That could have been devastating, especially as they appeared right outside the main gates! They can hang around outside and starve for all I care, though they've got dead dog to dine on so I guess that won't be happening while I'm in command.

A week to go, then I'm free!

 

[Ronin Storm]

25th Obsidian

Ever wanted to know how evil goblins are? They kill puppies, that's how evil. Volley fire on an escaping puppy ended it in two volleys. Poor little critter.

 

[Xarlaxas]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo! Not the puppies! When does the next human caravan come? They tend to be armed, might be an idea to hide until they arrive. Are our above-ground farms accessible by our Dwarves? We seem to have more seeds for them than the under-ground ones.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Spring 1061

We have lived another year! Goblins are still outside but, frankly, screw them. They can't get in and we have food and booze to last a long time.

Just before I sneak out, here's a list of my main concerns in no particular order:

• The Baron needs his needs fulfilling. Other nobles might do too. I organised a coffin to be sent to the Baron's tomb but it'll need properly designating and so on.
• Our economy is driven by recovering clothes from fallen goblins. This is a disgusting economy. Dig deep and begin creation of great wonders!
• A siege can punch through our walls and anything flying can sweep over the walls and get straight into our fortress. The topside is, thus, the chief weakness in our defence. Harden it.
• We have many seeds and many farms but I can't swear that any of these are running efficiently. Needs checking.
• Our military is still pretty pathetic. Needs training, more military, etc. Even their schedules probably need work.
• The main entrance has traps and I've ordered traps for the lumber passage, but stonefall traps are a bit crap so consider some defence in depth.
• When the river freezes over winter, the pump can only draw from the narrow underground channel. In theory, this can run out. Consider extending the system to include a reservoir for water resilience.
• There's not enough magma. Find it.

Here's a map of the fortress as I left it. See how (mostly) free of corpses it is? I'd like to find it that way if I come back through here in future.

Save file to follow shortly.

 

[Ronin Storm]

When does the next human caravan come?

No idea, but archers tend to be bad news.

Are our above-ground farms accessible by our Dwarves?

Yes. That's a sealed compound now. Goblins can't come in but similarly dwarves can't leave. I've even removed the doors to the outside as there's now a wall blocking that route. Much too dangerous.