Hematite
1 Hematite 263
Summer.
Digging has resumed; we need the stockpile space below, and the sooner it's done, the sooner we can start work on bedrooms.
5 Hematite 263
It has begun to rain.
The Lore is that it should rain in winter and be dry in summer. But the Lore does not tell of the weather in festering swamps, so we must disregard it. In truth, for a dwarf that must be outdoors, the rain quenches the sticky heat, although I learned today it does not quench a dwarf's ability to grumble mildly at inclement weather.
6 Hematite 263
A predator prowls the swamp. It is long and furry like a cat but much bigger. Star Guarded is busy mining below but when I described the creature he said it was a cat. I explained that it was bigger and he said that if a cat is not eaten, in time it will get bigger. I asked why no cat in the Mountainhomes was so big and he said the dwarves in the Mountainhomes are often hungry.
However other dwarves call it a Jaguar, saying that they have Lore of it. The Lore is that Jaguars are deadly stalkers that will eat a dwarf. They kill a dwarf and drag him into a tree.
I considered again locking the doors but after the grimeling I should show more confidence in the militia.
7 Hematite 263
The legendary bone-carver Shorter Than Some reports that he is out of bones to carve. There are rotting parts in the refuse stockpile but he said these are not yet suitable.
I gathered the militia and sent them out in the rain to slay the Jaguar. Angry Ed will cook its meat and Shorter Than Some will carve its bones. They were more discomfited by the rain than the prospect of evisceration so I took that as confidence regarding the Jaguar's chances.
The militia stalked the Jaguar, first west, and then northwest along the perimeter.
8 Hematite 263
The militia continued to track the Jaguar, which is wily and avoids them. They followed it north, and then east across the gypsum, mudstone, hematite, coal, and red sand hill to the north.
Later today it stopped raining.
9 Hematite 263
The militia tracked the Jaguar east, past the ponds, which are muddy from yesterday's rain. Many times they closed to within thirty paces but the wily Jaguar always stayed ahead. At dusk it crossed the stream.
10 Hematite 263
Still the militia chased the Jaguar tirelessly. Few dwarves still bother to watch from above the palisade, even though many are idle. The Jaguar fled east to the larger hill which stands on the northeast edge of our explored territory. I guess at its game; had the creature given up its intent to dine on dwarves, it would not so fastidiously remain within sight of the fortress, but rather flee. Yet it will not turn and fight with six armed dwarves either.
11 Hematite 263
The Jaguar stalked south along our eastern border and the militia endured the chase.
12 Hematite 263
I could not stand to linger any longer to watch. I was the last dwarf to lose interest (except for CommaToes, but he sleeps instead.) I left him orders to summon me the moment the militia are seen to catch the Jaguar, and then went below to check on the progress of various projects.
The farms are plowed and TyrantSabre has begun to plant. TyrantSabre shows determination so I praised him which he ignored. He explained that according to farming Lore, a workshop is needed to process various of the food-plants. I ordered the southeast corner expanded slightly to accommodate one and then visited Markus to ask him to begin drawing up designs.
Before I could be invited to play checkers I went down to review the mining work. The store-rooms are more than half dug and one of the workshop rooms is complete, although I noticed a discrepancy which has ruined the room's symmetry.
Because the cistern is directly above, the miners had double-checked before cutting each rock that showed dampness, and someone myself or Markus had accidentally designated slightly more stone be cut than ought to have, on the southern edge.
One cannot replace native stone. If we ever smooth this rock, I will have a wall built here, though it will still be impossible to entirely hide the flaw.
As the colloquialism goes, do not weep over crushed stone, so I will endeavor not to be troubled further by it. Also I will not tell Markus.
13 Hematite 263
A report was brought to our offices where Markus and I labored to adapt the mineworks designs. The militia has pursued the Jaguar south and then west. Atomikus lags behind. Perhaps she begins to tire, or perhaps she is simply lazier than the other recruits.
Today the militia again crossed the stream, and in the late afternoon, pursued the Jaguar past the point at which it was first spotted six days ago. Still it eluded them.
I have concluded that their pursuit of the creature is futile. I sent orders for the militia to return to guard the palisade. Perhaps then the Jaguar will deign to either stalk a dwarf and be ambushed, or slink away.
14 Hematite 263
I went to meet the returned militia. Minty, Apocadall, and goatface stood their watch, and as I arrived, the laggard Atomikus strolled up as well.
I inquired as to the whereabouts of Enzer and Slaan. Minty said that the pair had disregarded orders because they were really sure they would catch the Jaguar any hour now and could not endure to give up the chase when so close to victory.
I yelled that Enzer and Slaan were wrong and then yelled that Minty, Apocadall, goatface, and Atomikus should go and find them immediately. The Jaguar was last seen scampering north along the western perimeter, so I sent the four northwest, to intercept.
16 Hematite 263
Six armed dwarves stumble about in the wet filthy muck and continue to fail to catch the Jaguar. I misjudged the speed of the cat and so the four arrived well behind Enzer and Slaan, and now chase them while they chase the Jaguar.
I stood atop the palisade and yelled that militia duty was over and it was time for food. Perhaps that was enough to convince Enzer and Slaan to abandon the chase, or perhaps two more days of running was it, but regardless all six dwarves ceased the chase and came back to the fortress. They appeared much bedraggled and tired as they stumbled through the north doors one by one.
The episode has reminded me of an earlier plan. I sent work order chits to the forge, and then went down to my workshop to work stone. Carving stone is a good way to distract from yelling things one may later regret.
When I arrived below I saw that the entrance to the cavern had finally been sealed as ordered.
17 Hematite 263
The first thing I cut was cinnabar stone blocks. As soon as they were finished I sent another work order up to Markus; we now have all materials needed for a well. I left him to design it while I cut more stone.
Markus sent back a note detailing the current stocks. We have over 200 drinks. With the well completed and the farm being worked I do not think we will need anything from the swamp save wood and (if they can be caught!) Jaguar bones.
One of the stockrooms is finished so I again interrupted my stonework to lay out a stockpile. Some of the workshops on the surface are cluttered with excess goods that we have not properly stored.
18 Hematite 263
I spoke with Apocadall, who came to complain of the lack of a well.
I told him there would be a well before the end of Hematite. He reported that the Jaguar has not been seen today and is thought absconded. I told him to give the news to Shorter Than Some who must go without Jaguar bones. If Shorter Than Some is angered by the report, he will not be yelling at the wrong dwarf.
20 Hematite 263
Vox Nihili is the only weaponsmith in Gemclod and he has many duties. Because YeOldeButchere is an accomplished armorsmith I informed her that she will also smith weapons when Vox Nihili is busy. She suggested this was an imposition on her armorsmithing duties but I pointed out that I had not ordered any armor to which she seemed satisfied, as though she had won a disagreement.
Later I realized she intended criticism that I had not ordered armor made. I was rueful to then order armor but I thought of Enzer and chose to be contrite. I ordered iron chainmail but it is last on the order list for the metalsmith's forge.
The sooner she makes the weapons I ordered, the sooner she can make armor.
22 Hematite 263
Today I toured the fortress. I went up to the surface and observed YeOldeButchere making iron crossbows. Near the Great hall I found Markus was laying out his well design at the hole above the cistern.
The corner in the farm was completed so I ordered the farmer's workshop constructed there as well.
Spare weapons and extra bars of coke are being hauled to the new stockpiles.
Vox Nihili builds wooden beds. I discussed things with Markus and we agreed that mining bedrooms can begin next month unless there is an interruption. His farmer's workshop design was already complete so Gomegoth was able to begin constructing it immediately.
The first-floor walls in the Great Hall are smoothed so I ordered the floor and pillars smoothed next. Eventually if we want to smooth higher up the walls it will be necessary to build temporary scaffolding, but that will require either carpentry or masonry, and both are in short supply today.
Markus surprised me with a new mining design. With the workshop level compromised, he suggested the kitchen and distillery be situated just off the Great Hall, with storerooms for food and drink close by. He indulged in whimsy and the result is unusual but (Markus says) will be pleasing to the eye. He showed enthusiasm so I did not veto the design although it is not traditional.
27 Hematite 263
The farmer's workshop is finished. Mining in the lower workshop rooms is nearly finished, as are the store-rooms.
Five iron crossbows are complete. Tarezax has skill in archery and the bow but no dwarf at Gemclod is a marksdwarf. (And Tarezax is a weaver which we do not need yet but we will need as soon as there is something to weave.) The companions of Pozzo the sheriff are permanently idle but I will not arm them. Of those that remain, every dwarf has some important job or another (or two, or five). But we are ready; I am hopeful that more migrants may find us here, especially after news of our legendary artifact Stagshildak spreads.
Regardless I am determined that we will not be without crossbowdwarves in six month's time.
ikanreed wrote :-
I wish my drawing skills could do any justice to the ideas I have. I'm a lefty left left brained person.
markus_cz wrote :-
The Diamond Air
Minty, Enzer and Slaan pursue the elusive jaguar.
EDIT: I just wanted to show the equipment of our militia. Things should be about right as in the update where Leperflesh described who wears what.
YeOldeButchere wrote :-
Journal of Yeol Deabo Tcher, Armorer and Weaponsmith
How many dwarves does it take to kill a jaguar? More than six if you're in Gemclod.
Once again, I am impressed by the sheer incompetence shown by the militia. They've spent days tracking a jaguar outside our walls yet in the end it manages to outsmart them. I need to start carrying a dagger on me at all time, it's obvious that the militia wouldn't be able to protect anyone here if things got serious.
In other news, I've been assigned to the duty of weaponsmith. I don't have any experience making weapons, but I suppose the overseer's thought process was something like "metal makes weapons, metal makes armor, therefore weapons = armor". Unfortunately there are subtleties beyond that which make the two tasks entirely different. Not that I'd expect him to understand that. To be honest, I think he's a bit slow. It took him hours to figure out I made fun of him earlier, and besides, who the hell speaks like he does in this day and age? I don't think they still did 250 years ago. He did order some crossbows and armor, so maybe there's hope yet. It'd be even better if I had any idea how to make a crossbow.
Well, I suppose I shouldn't complain. It makes me even more valuable to the fortress in the long run and I've got to admit I've always wanted to try my hand at making weapons. It can't be that hard, you just need to make something really big or really sharp. That goes for crossbows too, I don't expect anyone here to use them for anything but hitting things. And with some luck perhaps in time the fruits of my labor will find themselves lodged in the skulls of some of the more useless dwarves we have around here. That would cheer me up.