Journal of Yeol Deabo Tcher, Armorer and Glorious Supreme Overseer of Gemclod
25th Slate 268

There's a lot of dwarves with nothing to do, mostly haulers, so I increased the training requirements for everyone.

Kennel was added to the East Pulleys since they were missing a marksdwarf. I also added some of the recent migrants to the militia, including the formation of a new squad, The Blanketed Helms, of semi-professional marksdwarves headed by Rookems who I've promoted to militia captain. He was the only one with military experience not in a squad.

By which I mean that he told me he's held a warhammer in his hands once before. Crossbows are kind of like warhammers.


26th Slate 268

Negotiations for an import trade agreement with the diplomat today. She brought out a gigantic scroll with every possible trade goods one can imagine, and things that barely fit the definition. We didn't need anything, but I was sort of curious to see if these agreements really do something.



I hope we get a bunch of horribly mauled merchants next season. The chipmunks are just there as warm-up for them.


28th Slate 268

Minty had used Vox's tomb to store the fortress' artifacts. I had it emptied and the artifacts moved somewhere else. A platinum sarcophagus was brought back in, and I gave him the key to the door on the condition that I never hear about this place again.




I guess it was worth it if only to buy his loyalty.


1st Felsite 268

More complaints from the diplomat. She said that Boing keeps ignoring her to ferry clothing between her rooms.

"What do you mean, rooms?"

Turns out that Boing kept both the room assigned to the mayor, AND that assigned to all militia captains by Minty. I'm putting a stop to that immediately, and from now on she'll only have the mayor's room, which is fitting seeing as she still hasn't been re-instated as militia captain, something which may very well become permanent if she keeps trying my patience.


4th Felsite 268

Finalized the import agreement. We'll pay a 100% premium on any chipmunk or grizzly bear blood we buy from the next caravan, but NOT red squirrel or black bear blood. I was very insistent on this point with the diplomat.

I don't think she realized I was screwing with her. I can sort of see why Boing is doing this.


7th Felsite 268

I was told by one of the furnace operators that they couldn't make the adamantine wafers I requested. Not enough strands.

According to the inventory, there are enough strands. But upon closer examination, those adamantine strands, source of the most valuable, useful and rare metal known to dwarvenkind, have been reserved for hospital use by the doctors of Gemclod.

Someone's going to end up with hell of a suture.


12th Felsite 268

I questioned the miners as to why they were reluctant to unseal the adamantine vein earlier. They were tight-lipped at first, but I quickly made it clear it was in their best interest to tell me the truth.

I almost wish they didn't.

They've told me that it leads straight to hell. Literal hell. And that as far as they can tell, it's the only thing standing between us and countless demons, or whatever you want to call the inhabitants of hell. The point is, they can feel them scratching on the rock, trying to escape, and I doubt the demons are friendly.

As much as I'd like to dismiss the miners as superstitious idiots, dwarven miners have a sort of sixth sense when it comes to stone. And I still recall the first time I went near the vein. I could hear things.

Still, to someone like me, this does offer some interesting possibilities.

Oh, and the miners also revealed that they've known of the adamantine since long before Bad Munki's rule. I guess that explains his "visions" and how he knew where to dig to find it.


15th Felsite 168

Inspected the barracks today. Got another one of those moments you can't find anywhere but in Gemclod. In the barracks I found something I didn't expect.



Floodgates. Floodgates that burned me when I touched them.

"MARKUS! Why are there magma floodgates in the western barracks?"
"Anti siege device. Boing designed it. Minty ordered it built."

Then he pointed to the lever in front of my office. Satisfied with this, he then asked me if I intended to "fix the flaw in the design" soon. He's pretty lucky I need him as bookkeeper or I would have had every last one of those pillars mined out like the "broken" ones, and then I'd have assigned him to the penal squad.

What has to be wrong with you? Boing's crazy, and I can see Minty ordering that built to calm her, but Markus? That Mondul death cult thing is more dangerous than I thought.

Hmm, that's what I need. A death cult dedicated to me.


17th Felsite 268

Oh ye gods!





Elven ambush! Elven ambush! What do I do now?