2nd Granite, 265

There is much construction that needs to be done, and I note that there are few among us that are skilled in stonework. One does not need to be skilled in order to place down bricks. To that end, I order every dwarf that does not have more important responsibilities to begin their toil.



Even the children face responsibility in tearing down the feeble wooden walls that Markus contrived to erect in the early days of Gemclod. Stone shall take their place. We will be safe within these walls.



Brute_force grows heavy on my arm, and soon she shall work also.

I am told to expect migrants, for the snows in the mountains have by now melted, and travellers will come seeking our wealth. We cannot afford to be lax in allowing these travellers into our walls, especially now that word has begun reaching them from the trade caravans of Gemclod's enduring foundation. No such strangers can be trusted, for they may be fire snakes in disguise.



I order a Welcome Chamber built in preparation for these migrants, so that they can prove to us that they are truly dwarves and worthy of our trust.



Elsewhere, beneath the Great Hall, I order the miners to hollow out a spacious room. It shall be an area more suited for the proper treatment of those trade caravans that arrive to ply our goods. Work continues.

5th Granite

I have appropriated Vox Nihili's office for use in managing the many Changes that must be brought about. He needs it no longer, but it may do me some good yet.



I am not knowing the purpose of the checkerboard design. Perhaps it is what drove him to commit such indecency against dwarfkin. I shall be careful not to let my gaze linger for too long on it.

Willie quarrels with me, for he supposes that my responsibility is more important than my commitment to my marriage. I told him it is. He told me that he shall give no more children. I told him to show Locomotive Breath where Penguingo had bit him and he quarrelled no longer.

6th Granite

Once again, my predecessors' ineptitude takes its toll on the lives of our dwarfkin. The building of the wooden wall was not secure.



Catastrophe strikes. The bridge crashes with thunder into the moat below. The screams of an orphan child.



Samuszoomer was a dear friend to us all. May she be mourned. Tragedy such as this only highlights further the need to remain Safe. It is saddening that I am the first of our overseers that realises this. I order work on the gatehouse to continue, as fast as possible to prevent any more needless loss.



Festering CommaToes was not even roused by the accident, mere feet away from him. His ambivalence to the safety of our children is a peril unto us all.

10th Granite



Even though Samuszoomer was not one of Penguingo's friends, she copes surprisingly well with the tragedy. I told Willie this and he did not speak to me.



Work begins at last on the new trade depot. Perfect Potato and Star Guarded are indeed hasty miners. The fort is busy, though it is difficult to tell with what. Outstanding work orders from past overseers conflate my authority, and it is difficult for my Changes to be put rapidly into place. I shall see if their mandates can be easily struck from the record.

13th Granite



Bad Munki sighted a bird monster in the magma cooling tunnels. I order Enzer's squad on standby as I command the tunnels to be sealed. We shall not be needing them for any immediate purpose, though it is not infeasible for the tunnels to be re-opened.



Elsewhere, Tarezax sighted a 'horrible little creature' scuttling around the under-caves. Her cry of alarm could be heard from far above in the fortress proper, though I did not know what she was doing in the under-caves to begin with. Since it was nothing I authorised, I have little doubt that she was plotting and the sighting is merely a cover. I shall add her to the List.



Later, she called it a Gremlin and said they were known by Tradition to be mischievous thieves and lever-pullers. Nobody has corroborated her claim as to the sighting. She showed me a bruise and claimed it had taken her breath, but I still do not believe her words.

15th Granite

The sounds of battle issue forth from caves above the magma forges, but it is not the sound of metal upon metal that we are used to.





No dwarf has claimed a missing dog as their own, and I have forbidden ventures into that part of the under-caves for now. The forge wall nears completion - all that is needed is a ceiling to keep away the bird monsters. That will have to wait until the completion of the gatehouse, for we are more exposed on the surface than beneath the earth.

27th Granite



Dwarven toil reaches its fruition. I order the foundations of another moat dug at the entrance to the new gatehouse, and a bridge of solid steel constructed at its entrance, with secure pivots that it may be raised and lowered at a moment's notice should we be attacked by fire snakes masquerading as dwarven migrants. The Welcome Room is also nearly complete. I decree the placement of a high-quality door and a viewing window. Enzer's squad contrives to train nearby, which has been distracting the workers as they move stones into position around the settlement. I choose to leave them for the time being, as their proximity makes them fast responders in the event of an invading force breaching our gates.

31st Granite

As the first month of my overseership draws to its end, I make the effort of touring the areas of Gemclod that I have yet to witness personally. I remain away from the magma forges, for the threat of bird monsters and giant bears remains material, though I am told smelting proceeds well.



I discover a downward stairway at the far end of the workshops. It is lengthy, though apparently not exposed to any cave network, so I deem it safe to explore.

What I discover is most unsettling.

Penguingo wrote :-

ObMeiste wrote :-

Diary of Obmei Tobulurmim
Granite 1st, 265
Well diary, once again my skill with the needle and thread have allowed me to be of help to those in need. Today I was sent to stich the wounds of our honored Praetor and that kindly Mr.Markus, who'd both been attacked by some horrible creature from the deep caves. I believe it was one of those flying cavedogs Star Guarded has spoken about in passing, I can't quite remember.

In any case, whatever it was, the creature had wounded the two men so badly it took me a moment to compose myself after seeing them in this state. When I did though I set to work in cleaning Preator Vox's wounds to get them ready to be stiched and bandaged. All the while I tried to take his mind a bit off the attack and discuss the nice improvements he'd done for the fortress.

Suddenly though as I was just finishing up cleaning the Preator's wounds, Mr.Markus stood up from the infirmary bed and walked limping off.
I tried to call to him, but Praetor Vox began to quickly shout over me, trying to order Mr.Markus back to his bed. As the other didn't listen the Preator was about ready to get up from the bed and follow after him!
Goodness gracious, diary, can you imagine? I had to quickly calm him down to keep him in his bed, as I didn't think for an instance I could try to do so by force given my slight stature. All the while I was busy doing that though, Mr.Markus had vanished off, apparantly from what I heard to get a drink to take some edge of his pain before getting right back to work.

I was horrified to hear this, but I was then told this was part of some Mondulites faith and I know it's not my place to say how they practice it. I just hope Mr.Markus makes it through, he was always so kind and enthusiastic and it would break my heart to hear of another good dwarf lost here at Gemclod.


Granite 7th, 265
I am so sorry diary, I nearly forgot about you and I feel a entry is well overdue.

It has been so very busy since I last wrote, with our Praetor Vox stepping down and the good lady Boing taking up the mantle of overseer. She has some ambitious ideas as Vox did and she is getting all of us in on making them reality.

We've been dismantling the old wooden walls on the surface and building a sturdier one of stone. This has been quite exhausting work, not to mention tragically deadly. As only the day before, the poor orphan child Samuszoomer was killed when the bridge gave way underneath her.
I had only talked to the girl in brief before, as she wandered about with the others she considers her family of sorts. And while she had a foul mouth she seemed also to have a good heart on her. Poor thing herself had lost a good friend in the late Pozzo, which is a loss she had to struggle with since the good sheriff's passing. I can only hope the two are reunited in the beyond.

The work continues nevertheless, although most of us feel it is done with a greater weight on our hearts that make it all the more draining on us.
I find some relief and distraction from it all in watching the warriors spar. Their skill, which has repeatedly saved dwarven lives, is exciting to see put on display. Especially with the amazing axelordette Enzer showing off! She puts all the ragged warriors back home to shame with her skill and it is quite inspiring to see.
I think I might even have picked up a bit of an idea how to fight just from watching. Although I'd never dare to try a wield a weapon myself, I'd no doubt only trip and skewer myself on it!

Also there's some other duties that keep me distracted, like bringing food and drink to the crippled warrior Commatoes as well as helping with the farm work when needed. So hopefully you can more easily understand my absence, diary.

Oh and I almost forgot! I saw Mr.Markus again a few days ago. I asked how he was faring and he in a somber and matter of the fact manner explained all that was wrong with him. I suggested he come by Kaboom for some proper treatment to his wounds, but he dismissed the idea. I did not press the matter, happy just to see him still up and about, so I wished him the best as he went off back to work.

I must admit I was a bit unsettled by the meeting. For Markus had a look to his eyes I've seen far too often back home in gaze of older dwarves who've seen too many years of our decline. It is no small wonder Mondul is a god with strong appeal back home these days, but so far I've felt safe and hopeful during my stay here until now. There has been far too many tragedies and I hope to Onshen that more love and merriment can come to this place again.