There is so much work left to be done that it feels like we are somehow already behind where we used to be. Yet, when I evaluate the labors completed in the first month and a half of my tenure, I realize that we have accomplished much.

The first major happening involved a giant bat intruding upon the obsidian shelf work site. Thankfully, none of our workers were at the location at the time, and the militia was dispatched to slay the beast.



Though the creature fled, our stout militiadwarves had little difficulty in tracking it. The monster turned to fight, and its fate was sealed.



Minty collected the kill, finishing off the giant bat by hacking it in two. Its parts will be processed by a butcher into food, bones, and hide for Gemclod.



Speaking of butchers, I was able to arrange a meeting with the so-called "Screamin' Beakdogs." The filthy, drunken layabouts spent the first days of my reign accomplishing absolutely nothing of value. By Kudust, I will not suffer such insolence while we are faced with the prospect of death from direction. I was able to convince the members of the small band to at least help with some masonry work by informing them that their laziness could end in death if our perimeter is not properly fortified in time. I also promised them positions as "heroic butchers of all who dare oppose us." I hope they find the butcher' shop to be sufficiently heroic. I may yet draft them as a part-time militia force- after all, why risk our real warriors such as Enzer and Minty when our undesirables can risk their necks for us? I may yet draft an all-Mondulite squad as well, should the need arise.

The giant bat was butchered as requested by one of the "Beakdogs." They may yet redeem themselves.



For the first month, workers hustled this way and that constantly. Gone were the days of slacking under Leperfish and Markus. No longer would boulders litter our fine hall. I ordered an infirmary and bonehoard to be dug adjacent to the main hall. Our refuse will no longer have to be carted all the way to the surface, and our injured will not be left to languish upon the scalding, humid swamp.



As predicted, the forgehole dug under Leperfish's supervision began to flood with magma. Thankfully, I have relocated our metalsmith's forge to the surface until proper magma-powered arrangements can be made. I have also commissioned several sets of iron gauntlets and boots for our fighting men and women, in additional to anvils so that we might expand our operations.. I myself will put aside some time to craft additional battle axes. By Kudust, a fortress can never have enough battle axes. I also ordered several wooden shields to be crafted, and made sure our military understood that they would serve until we could outfit them with proper gear. I specifically assigned the artifact bone buckler "Fintree" to Enzer, Leperish's lover and perhaps our greatest warrior.



Work was progressing well. I ordered several obsidian spires that had formed during the cooling process over the cap to be mined through, so as to allow water to more easily reach the remaining magma.

Suddenly, two things happened at the same time. I heard shouts and horn-blasts from the surface, and the entire fort was shaken by what felt like an explosion from the direction of the magma tube. I chose to attend to the latter first, fearful that some sort of beast had broken into our operations again. A huge cloud of dust filled the massive chamber, blocking almost everything from sight. Several dwarves ran forward to investigate.



They found the crumpled remains of goatface, a miner who was also a part-time leader of our second militia squad. It took several minutes to pierce together what had happened. Apparently, he had carved through one of the obsidian spires, and the remaining top portion had collapsed upon him. But he was not crushed- instead, he was thrown backward into the nearby aqueduct wall, and killed in the impact. A trail of blood spatter confirmed it- especially the sickening pattern of blood upon the wall itself. I am confused as to how this happened- normally, such minor cave-ins could cause, at worse, temporary unconsciousness or slight injuries. Perhaps there was a core of sizzling magma within the spire he broke in to that exploded outward as it was penetrated. The mystery may never be fully understood, but I have ordered the remaining spires to be left alone.



The commotion on the surface turned out to be the arrival of migrants, and not that of enemies. Everyone is relieved. The next journal entry will catalog these fresh hands.



I order a Hall of Heroes to be excavated, so that goatface and any others who meet a similar fate me be interned with all due honor and respect.

markus_cz wrote :-

Thief of Killing



This is an engraving of goatface the dwarf and a obsidian by an unknown artist. Goatface is mining. The obsidian is falling. The artwork relates to the crushing of the dwarf goatface by a obsidian in Gemclod in the mid-spring of 264.