Journal of Yeol Deabo Tcher, Armorer and Supreme Overseer of Gemclod
26th Felsite 268
It's official! Today was a glorious day for Gemclod as we became a barony.
I was assured by his caretakers that CommaToes is quite happy of this.
Apparently they've set up a funnel to feed him through the pile of buckets, and the gurgling noise was different today when they poured down whatever they feed him and that means he's happy.
Sure.
28th Felsite 268
I've had another idea today.
Since the establishment of the penal squad, no one has done anything worth being sent to it. Lesser overseers would assume that it's working as intended, but clearly it isn't the sort of thing that would really stop the dwarves of Gemclod from being morons.
The obvious explanation is that they're hiding things from me.
So I've gathered a few of the more reliable dwarves, not that it means much around here, and gave them the side-job of secretly... investigating the journals of their fellow dwarf and reporting any dissent or hidden activities to me.
Then I had them come individually, implied I trusted each one more than the rest and had them all spy on one another, too.
Can't be too careful with these things.
1st Hematite 268
It's summer.
I know this because the swamp stinks even more now.
2nd Hematite 268
Visited the hospital today. Some of the injuries are more serious.
Others, less.
And some are hardly life-threatening.
Bruises and a stubbed toe? Way to waste doctors' time.
Not that they need any help as the chief medical dwarf, Kaboom Dragoon, decided this was a good time to train for combat. Even though I've ordered everyone to stand down and doctors are excluded from the militia for obvious reasons.
Gemclod's best and brightest again.
3rd Hematite 268
The quintessential Gemclod moment today.
I just found out what a sizable portion of the dwarves here have been busy doing outside. You see, one of the previous overseers had, for once, a good idea. Well, it would have been a good idea anywhere but in Gemclod.
He or she decided to use the roof of Gemclod for archery practice. Which is great because it's just about the only place where marksdwarves can practice long distance shots without being at the mercy of grizzly bears or shooting at passing dwarves.
Unfortunately, there is no solid wall behind the targets, which means the bolts used for practice end up in the swamp to the north of Gemclod.
AND THAT MEANS AN ARMY OF PEONS JUST HAS TO GO GET THE BOLTS AND BRING THEM BACK INSIDE ONE BY ONE! OF COURSE! THIS IS SANE!
I hate this place.
5th Hematite 268
Boing came to me and declared that as per the powers vested in the mayor of Gemclod, she henceforth forbids that any item made of or containing billon be exported from Gemclod.
I can only assume this is a critical part of some insane plan to save Gemclod from an enemy that only exists in her diseased mind.
10th Hematite 268
Looking at stockpile records, I noticed something odd. Apparently, we have some pretty valuable furniture here in Gemclod, for example 2 cabinets and 2 chests made out of solid platinum, a table made out of rose gold, and a throne made out of solid adamantine.
The thing is, I've never seen any of those.
Now, I don't like to judge before all the facts are in, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that Vox Nihili isn't the only one who used Gemclod's resources for himself. Honestly his tomb is pretty unimpressive, which is largely why I don't care that he got it back. I have no idea why Minty was so mad when he found out about the place. Matter of principle or some such platitude I suppose. But using the fortress' supply of adamantine is another thing altogether.
We're facing countless enemies, and yet there is time to squander precious resources.
13th Hematite 268
I've ordered the smelting of as much metal as our pathetic six smelters can handle. The problem is that we don't even have six functioning smelters. One of them has been cold since before the start of my rule.
I think it might be clogged.
Still, some things are getting done, and we might finally be able to resume steel production soon, followed my armor and weapons.
Which we really, really need, because I don't think that that last battle was the last one, and some of the newer militia squads don't have proper weapons, and I'm not sending them in battle with wooden swords.
Even if that's what the majority of the elves are carrying.
15th Hematite 268
The cleanup from the last battle is about done, and I think our regular squads have had a long enough break. For all we know, there's more elves on their way to Gemclod and we need them ready. I order the Gilded Men and the New Paints to resume training and swamp patrol.
The Knives of Domination can wait a bit, it's not as if they were particularly effective last battle anyway. Not to mention that we're short of metal bolts, and while I could order more made out of iron, I prefer to keep it for steel production. We'll use other metals like brass or silver, at least until they can reliably hit a target from the top of the gatehouse.
18th Hematite 268
WHY?
Why are you idiots collecting those bolts? And why has someone used iron bolts for practice despite my explicit order that metal bolts only be used for combat?
Guess I'll have to build a wall behind the archery range to make sure no bolt survives! A wise use of time, labor and resources, to be sure!
And knowing this place, someone will decide to practice while the wall is being built and a mason will end up with an additional breathing hole in his head.
20th Hematite 268
But of course! I can't have a wall built behind the targets, because the floor is so shoddily built it would probably collapse. We'd have to rip out the floor, and then build the wall. Which is precisely what we're going to do.
And if the 6th Goblin War Giant Eagle Wing attacks while we're doing this, gets in through the hole and slaughters half of the fortress, then so be it. I don't care anymore. I'll probably just laugh as the cretins run around flailing and screaming.
21st Hematite 268
The Regal Mechanisms have been ordered to return to training and patrol Gemclod once more. I'm sure Boing is eager to root out whatever conspiracy she's dreamed of.
The Knives of Domination have also returned to training, though not on the roof. They'll have to use the archery target in their barracks. There's about 10 feet between it and the back wall, but considering our marksdwarves' poor performances and their propensity for running to the enemy and then shooting at point-blank range, I'm sure they're bound to learn *something* useful from this.
1st Malachite 268
Ah, mid-summer. That wonderful time of the year in Gemclod where the swamp, the scorching sun and the piles of rotting corpses combine to create an inimitable fragrance. Truly we are blessed.
I'm kind of nostalgic of those times when I didn't have to leave my forges.
markus_cz wrote :-
We are not amused.
Bobbin Threadbare wrote :-
I got a secrit frend! He hids in bucets all day. I sat on the bucets and he taked to me. He sayd he sleeps all day and does not let dwarfs now he is awake some times. I told Penguingo but she does not beleve me. She sayd bucets do'nt tak so I sayd no but they can hide some one. Then she sayd we got enimees and I got boreed and now I am heer! Mama says I am smart fer my age.