State of the Fortress:
Corpses are strewn amidst the frogs and flies. Blood, mud, and water are everywhere.
A small number of dogs and cats, seemingly oblivious to the death and destruction that surround them, survive by stalking the rats and vermin that crawl amongst the refuse. A few emaciated livestock wander the halls of Gemclod, searching in vain for any sign of subterranean vegetation.
So how did it come to this?
The stout-hearted dwarves had survived, even thrived, despite the attrition wrought by the countless sieges of the elves, the goblins, and the Arrogant Ones. They had survived the great Forgotten Beasts from the caverns below, and the plagues that the great Beasts had spread in their wake.
But when the minions of Hell itself were accidentally released from their imprisonment, most of the dwarves of Gemclod did not survive.
When the demons found their way into the fortress, the dwarves fought bravely, and for a short time they almost appeared to have the upper hand. But then came Slitheredlow, Bane of Gemclod. After shrugging off a number of attacks by heroic dwarven warriors and heroic dwarven civilians alike -- a series of suicide charges that would have made Mondul herself proud -- Slitheredlow was finally defeated... but not before taking most of the fortress with it.
Outside, high above the sealed fortress gates, three great winged demons hover, watching, waiting. It appears that these three are the last of the demons to have escaped from the underworld... but nobody can be absolutely sure.
But the Dwarven will to survive is strong, and not easily broken. Gemclod would persevere to the last.
Population: Sixteen
The survivors are:
CommaToes The nominal Baron of Gemclod, he is the only surviving member of the original seven founders of the fortress. However, his crippling injuries have not allowed him to leave his bed for any length of time for over a decade now.
Daeren The erstwhile overseer of Gemclod and Captain of the Guard, he too is bedridden with injuries.
Factory Factory An adequate mason, she also rests her injuries.
Clever Hans An animal handler and cheese maker, she is resting injuries as well.
The Lord Of Hats The current mayor of what remains of Gemclod. Like so many of the others, he is resting his wounds.
FebreezeNinja The chief medical dwarf of Gemclod and a warrior of some skill. Although he suffers from old wounds, he is capable enough to move around the fort and contribute.
Izzy A notable warrior of Gemclod, she is currently resting her wounds.
MortuusLupus A competent warrior, and probably Gemclods greatest warrior of the few who are still able to fight.
Skanky Burns A master fisherdwarf, she has recently been spending most of her time nursing the injured dwarves back to health.
Dirt5o8 A veteran warrior, she is currently resting her wounds in the hospital with the other injured dwarves.
Fizzle A capable marksdwarf, he is also resting his injuries.
Lazarenth Another veteran warrior of Gemclod resting his wounds.
Spermy Smurf A competent engineer and brewer, he has been nursing the wounded back to health alongside Skanky Burns.
nimby The most renowned of Gemclods surviving warriors, she is currently too wounded to fight, and rests in the hospital with the others.
Magil Zeal The only child living in Gemclod, he has had a very difficult time dealing with all of the recent tragedy.
And there is one more.
-----
1st Granite 273
Emperor Yeol I surveyed her stockpiles one last time. There was plenty of good booze left, but there was nothing remaining that looked to be worth eating.
She looked across the magma reservoir towards the door to the rest of the fortress, the door that had been sealed for five long years, and sighed.
"Grizzly bears be damned..." she muttered to herself. "I've gotta find something to eat, even if it means leaving my room."
She slowly made her way across the great bridge above the magma reservoir, the bridge which separated her personal demesne from the rest of the fortress.
Almost imperceptibly, a dust-covered spectre crept up behind her.
And now to unpause the game, I guess