251, First Granite
We’ve arrived.
The king granted us a wagon full of food and drink, as well as a few crude tools. Nothing too remarkable about the supplies. The companions chosen for me are a solid group. There’s a lot of cross-training here.
Carpenter/Medic.
Armorer/Mechanic.
Brewer/Leatherworker.
Farmer/Gemcutter.
Cook/Weaponsmith.
Mason/Architect.
We’ve stopped the wagon on the western edge of a large valley. There is a river running through the valley, some five fathoms below and perhaps sixty fathoms east. Likot, our cook, is already talking about turtle biscuits, and the group agrees that they sound good. They are all excited, but I am wary. There is ample vegetation and plenty of good land here, but…
There are undead.
They make no cry, and I don’t think the rest of the group has seen them, but I’ve already spotted an undead giant eagle in skies. Much of the other wildlife in the area seems changed as well. I think there will be little meat from hunting, unless we can penetrate to a cavern. For now I think we must dig a refuge and get our supplies under good stone. There’s no reason this site can’t be a bastion, and a profitable one, but it will always require some care. The brewer, Besmar, has been a tireless worker throughout our journey. I like her looks as a miner. And I believe I’ll take up the other pick myself and see if I can’t get us safely inside soon.
251, Second Granite
With no immediately arable cavern space, Likot has been gathering nearby plants. This morning he brought work to a halt by bringing back several whip vines to camp. I can almost taste the battle scones we’ll make from these. Praise Armok!
251, Eighth Granite
We’ve carved out a suitable hole (it deserves no other word) and have begun moving food supplies inside. Fikod dismantled the wagon and made several beds from it. Ushat’s been chopping down some nearby trees to allow Fikod to continue his work. This team knows how to work.
Besmar and I have so far been digging only in soil layers. It’s fast work, and speed is needed, but we must dig to bedrock soon. Atir, our mason and architect has been stoic about taking on the hauling duties until then, but we need stone doors for our cave.
251, Sixteenth Granite
One of the dogs strayed too far from the camp and got into a fight with several of the undead mountain goats we’ve spotted. Ushat, who was chopping wood nearby rushed to the dog’s aid, and killed the zombie goats, but the dog is badly hurt.
251, Second Slate
Besmar and I chanced an uncontrolled tap of a nearby pond to try to get our farming project moving. It worked perfectly and Minkot has begun cultivation.
251, First Hematite
Summer has arrived and things have been going quite well. We are all undercover, with sturdy stone doors and a few simple traps protecting our entrance. The first crop of plump helmets is already in, and I expect to smell it brewing within a few days. There is a problem though. The quartermaster that supplied us apparently had some grudge against Minkot. He filled most of our seed bags full of pebbles. Minkot’s found a few seeds in the bags, but the only thing we have enough of is plump helmets. All the other staples will require a long time to replenish.
Fikod has exhausted her supply of wood, so I’ve asked her to do a quick inventory while we chop down a few more trees. I would do it myself, but there are still too many mining projects that need attention.
251, Second Malachite
We’ve been reinforced. A group of four dwarves arrived today, including Tobul. I’ve heard of his work. He’s an accomplished weaponsmith, and I’m sure we’ll have need of his services. Especially since Besmar and I have uncovered both bituminous coal and lignite in the last month. We’ve also got a limonite strike. No flux stone yet, but even iron would be a great boon.
251, Second Galena
One of the new migrants is a skilled warrior. Almoshurvad claims he’s better with a mace, but all we have is an axe. He used it to take out another one of those zombie giant eagles. Gathering plants and wood from the surface is a risky business, but we must have the materials at this stage of our development. I am torn between digging deeper to expose the subterranean caverns and continuing to plunder the surface resources. With only eleven of us here, I think it’s safer to continue to brave the surface. We are working on bringing smelting and smithing online. I hope to give Almoshurvad an iron mace and shield soon.
251, Twelfth Galena
We’ve begun building a larger dormitory/hospital on the third level. Beds and table are being moved in as I write this. I’ve designated the original common room near the entrance to serve as a barracks. Almoshurvad is there now, practicing. Once the dorm and emergency facilities are settled, we’ll begin working on some individual rooms. I’d prefer to have some marble or limestone for the main living area, but all we’ve found in siltstone and some orthoclase. We’ll need to dig deeper soon.
251, Nineteenth Galena
We’ve begun forging iron arms and armors. Praise Armok!
251, Seventeenth Limestone
Our hospital is now supplied with splints, thread and cloth. Fikod is much happier now that the emergency supplies are in place. We’re still lacking soap and traction benches, but we are working on it. Atir, our architect, keeps teasing me about having a sixteen bed dorm when there are only eleven dwarves in the outpost, but I know more will come. We’re doing well in this hostile land.
We need more wood. Time to send another expedition outside.
251, Second Sandstone
Six more migrants have arrived, bringing our group up to seventeen dwarves. We are well situated now, and a few extra mouths are not a problem. There’s another macedwarf in the mix. His name is Melbil, and I’ve placed under Almoshurvad’s command. We’ve got a spare mace already, and iron armor should be ready soon.
251, Twenty-seventh Timber
I traded one of our high-quality serrated discs for a good supply of extra meat, leather and cloth. I also requested large supplies of some of our industry critical needs. I asked for a lot of pretty much any wood product, including lye, partly because I don’t want to do too much lumber-jacking yet, and partly because they’re dirt cheap. I also asked them to bring some flux stone, in case we don’t find any here. Assorted high-quality leather, and some valuable gems to keep my workers happy rounded out the list. With such a good weaponsmith and no lack of iron ore, I don’t see any reason not to bring a little beauty and comfort to our home.
251, Twenty-fifth Moonstone [Early Winter]
We were forced to fight another zombie giant eagle. Our fine macedwarves make short work of them, but I remain concerned about the frequency of the attacks on our surface operations.
We’ve completed the main line of an aqueduct to bring water to the living areas of the fort. Ushat is connecting floodgates even now.
251, Twenty-first Opal [Mid-Winter]
The gates are open and the aqueduct is flooding! Hopefully it will fill before the brook finished freezing.
251, Thirtieth Obsidian [Late Winter]
Tomorrow will be the one-year anniversary of our arrival in this valley. I am quite pleased with how we’ve managed so far. We are well-established in our home (no longer merely a hole!) and our prospects are good. We’ve accomplished much in a short span of time, but much remains to be done. Some thoughts for the coming year:
- Complete the individual living quarters, which are only partially excavated now.
- Excavate and furnish a proper dining hall.
- Bring the textiles industry in to place. Various dwarves have tried their hands at this already (including myself!), but none of us has shown real talent.
- Construct kennels and get our animals contributing more.
- Manufacture soap for the hospital. It’s the only thing lacking, now that the well and traction benches are both working.
- Improve storage of masonry products.
- Dig deep!
It has been an honor, a privilege and a pleasure to lead these fine dwarves in the last year. I look forward to many decades of prosperity in my new home!
