Defenses Ahoy

Mattias

1st of Limestone

As I arrive at the entrance to what I shall be calling my home for the next half year, all that greeted me was bunch of animals grazing in the rain. It took me a while to actually locate the entrance to the fort as it was not clearly set out. The entrance consisted of a couple of stairs that I feared was the main stairs running through the fort, and that was it. There had been no effort put into the planning for defense against all the scary things that lurks in the lands. I made it my goal for my mandate to plan for and start setting up defenses around the perimeters.

3rd of Limestone

We had a run in with a thief yesterday. Apparently some goods were lying around outside and attracted some unwanted characters. I have ordered a stockpile for miscellaneous goods to be set up until we have managed to create specific rooms for more stockpiles. The work with bringing in the wares lying around is on the way. Also, on a side note it has stopped raining. I should set up a statue garden outside to prevent the population from becoming cave adapted. I ordered the miners to stop digging deeper as their efforts were needed elsewhere. I hope this won't come back and bite me later down the road..

15th of Limestone

A caravan has been spotted at the edge of the claim. Hopefully they carry some metals for traps and gypsum for plaster. We could also use some fish. The population is getting bored of the same old food ration of raw plump helmets. I assigned Tirist Vunomral to the position of broker, she has no previous experiences in the trade but I believe that her characteristics will make her perfect for the job.

Supplementary: I just realized that there is no river near by. This means that we have to rely on caravans for fish and that we have to dig into the caverns bellow for a water supply for the hospital.

16th of Limestone

The liaison from the mountain homes informed me of multiple kidnappings all over the land. I seems that the goblins are rather aggressive at this time, we will have to look after ourselves and, eventually, our young ones. The defenses now have higher priority than ever in my mind. The liaison also carried news of conquests of places I have never heard of by groups that I have never read about. I am ashamed to admit that my knowledge of our history has never been very good. I scribbled down the names for later study when time was available. the places and the groups that were conquered: Claspedsalves -> The Whiskered Seducer Boardtempest -> The Large Midnight

Also Tulon Nameswords have been elected mayor of the Bould of Reputations, replacing Kosoth Ringlashed.

This has truly been a busy day, hopefully we can get to trading as soon as the caravan has set up their goods.

20th of Limestone

As the day draws to a close I am exhausted by the trade negotiations. They desire the following goods from us next year:

• Short swords 168 (High priority)
• Legwear 187 (Highest priority)
• anvils 166 (High priority)
• ammunition 186 (High priority)
• Leather waterskins 177 (High priority)
• Thread 160 (medium priority)
• large gems 187 (high)
• backpacks 202 (highest)
• cloth 164 (high)
• goblets 210 (highest)
• blocks 125 (low)

18th of Sandstone

Where did last month go? I have been so caught up with work that the month just passed me by. The sleeping quarters are in the process of being moved down 10 levels to ensure that the population is not disturbed by the stone and metal industry. This has inevitably upset some of the population, however, when they realize that the move is for the greater good they will come to terms with it.

The caravan left us today, going to other settlements. I hope them the best of luck on their journey and may the fortune ever be in their favor.

25th of Sandstone

We spotted a bunch of dwarfs traveling towards us, however the did not look like a caravan. It was some migrants that had arrived and asked to be allowed to settle down here at Yearlingbell. We welcomed them with open arms. A fresh workforce is always welcome at an expanding fortress. There were 10 in total new arrivals, 3 of which were fisherdwarfs who had heard of the rich fishing grounds. I was sad to inform them that, other than the small pond outside of the entrance, there were not much in the way of fishing to be found here until we have managed to establish an militia and taken control over the underground cavern which hosted a magnificent underwater lake.

Their sad faces were painful to look at, but they quickly came to terms with the facts and asked for other work instead. I said that furniture haulers were in short supply, and they seemed happy enough at that.

14th of Timber

As I get closer to the middle of my mandate I realize that my goal might be unreachable. I have had to settle for minor things such as comfort and trying maximize production output with what I had been given. I feel good though as the miners have started digging out the space where our future legendary dining hall will be! I am just sad that I most likely will not see it finished. I have seen the drawings for it and it looks good.

In the afternoon Sibrek Inodnitig the farmer pushed Tirist Lungsilver from the craftdwarf's workshop and claimed it for him self. He then proceeded to run around in the fortress looking for things. It was as if he was possessed.

15th of Timber

Sibrek Inodnitig began working on something in the craftdwarf's workshop. He refuses to tell me what he is working on, almost downright ignoring me. He kept muttering something about Uvash Zithis though.

18th of Timber

Sibrek Inodnitig emerged from the craftdwarf's workshop all worn out. He had not talked to anyone in three days. He held aloft his creation, it was a phyllite mini-forge. He then rushed of to get a drink and then went back to his regular duties.

25th of Timber

The leaves on the trees surrounding the fortress are changing colours, it is a really beautiful sight to behold. Unfortunately the Statue garden is nowhere near done.

2nd of Moonstone

The winter has come. I now only have 3 months left here. The time seems to be flying by so quickly and my goals are still unfulfilled. Personal bashing aside, we had another run in with a goblin thief. Those bloody burglars just can keep their greedy fingers to themselves. I shall try to erect some walls and drawbridges before my mandate is up.

18th of Moonstone

Today I assigned Asob Melbillektad as bookkeeper. He was then given an office and told to make sure that all counts were accurate. He eagerly went to work.

10th of opal

It is getting cold outside now, the water in the pond just froze solid. We have managed to raise some walls around the entrance to the fort, now we just need to be able to seal of the access to the trade depot at will and we will be a little bit more safe. As there have been no sign of metal in the rock I fear that there might not be any metal here to be found, at least not any shallow metals. Maybe I should have focused on finding metal instead of walls for defenses... I hope my successor have better luck finding metal than I had. Maybe if I keep digging deeper I might find some... yes that is it, deeper into the depth of the mountain, surely there must be some metal...

14th of Opal

WE HAVE STRUCK METAL! Joy of joy! it is gold, but it is metal! We will try and dig deeper and see if we can't find some more usable metal for weapons and traps! This is however a step in the right direction!

19th of Opal

I realized that we had a lot of hens and two roosters, and figured that egg production was the logical next step. We have constructed two nest boxes just outside of the fort in the chicken pen. Hopefully we will have some tasty eggs soon.

11th of Obsidian

One of the miners approached me today with a proposition for a rather large dig. It was three rooms in the same shape and size as the dining hall on the dining hall level, in the formation of a four leaf clover. As I now have less than a month left here I decided to let my successor decide what to make of it and asked the miner to give the drawings of the rooms to him or her.

15th of Obsidian

We struck malachite today. Finally we can start to produce copper weaponry and copper trap components. I will order the excavation of the Malachite ore veins as soon as possible, this will provide my successor with ore to start the metal industry. To bad it was not iron. I guess you can't get everything...

Supplementary: We struck sphalerite yesterday, however, it is useless on its own so I did not think it was worth mentioning but now that we have copper we can make brass if we wish.

26th of Obsidian

Just as I were finishing of some final paperwork for my mandate here, I get the report that Etur Toralthob has been taken by a fey mood. He claimed a metalsmith's forge and started screaming for metal bars. I ordered for some gold ore and Malachite to be smelted post haste in the hope that I could satisfy Eturs desire for metal bars before my mandate is over, this however seems unlikely with only two days remaining... I hope we have everything else Etur needs to finish his project when my successor arrives.

28th of Obsidian

I failed to supply Etur with his desired metal bars. However, I ordered a farmer who was passing me by in the corridors to smelt some ore, I just pray he did not just go on break....

Ahh, I never thought I'd actually miss this place. I shall ask for permission from the mountain homes to come here for another mandate!

Best of luck to my successor. Oh before I forget, the lever by the drawbridge is not linked up yet. Just so you know!