The new migrants appear, at least ostensibly, to be dwarves. This is precisely what the fire snakes wish us to think. I shall not have a repeat of the unscrupled incident that turned Willie to thievery, and so I have ordered them to remain isolated on the ramparts until their identities can be assured.

Though I take it with a lavish fistful of salt, they give their names and professions as follows:

Cholfo Glazedceiling, adept with the shield and the whip. He also claims to have taught recruits in the past.
Mythomanic Dabblesyrup, a trapper and woodcutter (though I note he has failed to bring his own axe).
TheWhaler Tongsoutrage, a siege engineer of apparent renown. A puppy trails behind him. He has not allowed it to be killed for meat. I suspect serpentine deceit is at play.
Leal Knifeattic, a trapper and leatherworker. I asked if this one was willing to help install the mechanisms in the Welcome Room but he regarded me with vitriol.
Cambrian Obelus Lostship, who claims to have skill in animal dissecting and tanning but to have little training in either. Her apparent usefulness is the most questionable.
Nettle Soup Carnalmanor, who claims to be a grand master liar. I find myself with difficulty in assigning her a workshop.



CAT ASS now!!! Honoredconstruct, a fish dissector of apparent skill. In my time as overseer I have not seen a single fish. Our food stores are in no danger, but it may be an alternative to consider when cold winter looms.
Skaw Authorarrow, a potash maker. I asked her what potash was and she did not answer but glared at me with evil eyes. I have added her to the List.



Fizzle Whippalace, a milker. He claims to have milked many maggots but stopped speaking when my eyebrows raised.
Toffile Anguishedbanner, a pump operator. She also claims to have had basic military training. Fire snakes cannot fool me so easily; we shall not hand over to her our weapons until we are sure.
Jabor Flankedchanneled, leatherworker and comedian. I asked her for a joke and she said to look in the reflection of a cave pool. She is on the List.
Charlie72 Helmsprayed, a mason-in-training. I am skeptical. He does not appear strong enough to carry bricks.
Anchors Rampartwinds, a fisherdwarf. It is good that he can fish, for he will be spending much time under the sky.
Arglebargle III Tradereigned, a gemcutter of modest skill. Perhaps too modest. I am suspicious.
Teledahn Stirredhames, a talented axedwarf. He showed me his talent and it was genuine. However I require new gloves. He is also a high master furnace operator, though I see no need as steel ingots are steel ingots and quality is immaterial.
Illarkul Lancedesteems. A marksdwarf and farm assistant, who claims basic competence with disciplines as disparate as brewing, butchery, tanning, milking, milling, threshing and cheese making.
Sirocco Craftedplunge, who claimed admirable skill in concentrating. I asked him to show me and he did, though my astonishment was not tangible. He also claims skill with gems. We have many.
Tyshalob Lashquickness, a cook and bowmaker. We do not yet have many dwarves who hold crossbows but there may be more.
Gabriel Pope Diamondshake, a thresher and suturer. I am uncertain what threshing is but I did not ask for she took it seriously.
Potato Jones Diamondpaints, a thresher of lesser skill. This did not bother me as it perhaps might have.

As I write in retrospect, I suspect the migrant conspiracy may be more widespread than I feared. While I was dealing with the influx, Daisyvondoom approached me from the forges in a sweat and told me there had been an Incident.



Gomegoth's tenacity in detaching her tired hand while continuing to punch with the other is to be lauded. But ultimately, it was not enough. While dwarfkin scattered, the scaled beast chased Banemaster across the upper level. It apparently proved too quick for her short legs and was able to pounce, costing the loss of her middle finger.





But not only that. I am told that Banemaster's left arm was found scattered in two pieces across the cave floor. In her last moments, she was seen prone, with the great beast latched ferociously onto her leg, and her tenacity also was unfettered as she continued to bludgeon it with her injured fist until she could no longer.



Arriving at the scene moments too late, Enzer decapitates the beast with a single stroke of her steel axe. The bodies of the two shall be recovered and interred in the Hall of Heroes, as is appropriate. Work continues.

Had I not been distracted in discerning the intent of the newcomers, I might have been able to prevent this. It was not so. I shall harbour deepest suspicion when continuing to assess their worth.

Felsite dawns on the calendar.

Jabor wrote :-

Charlie72 wrote :-

LOG:CHARLIE72:SCIENCE TEAM LEADER
2-7-265

It has been three years since the decommission of SCIENCE TEAM. Our cause was noble; to find a way to finally beat THE HUNTERs (Security Team calls them the " Arrogant Ones".Security Team are beak dog brains) once and for all. Our experiments where expensive, for sure. Experiment 245A4: extract venom from a giant cave spider to use on weapon, resulted in the loss of 4 interns and the GCS. Experiment 457C2: Try to reverse-engineer Dragon Fire lost us 6 interns and half the lab. Experment 666S3: See if a dwarf off the flesh of other dead dwarves , resulted in the death of the test dwarf do to a flesh eating virus, as well as the murderer of the intern who told the test dwarf about said virus.

We were decommission do to the expenses growing to high for our nation to sustain. I was demoted to being a mason intern (personal note: ironic). I thought both our nation and SCIENCE was doomed. But then Gemclod happened.

At the rate Gelmclod is growing, it will soon have more dwarves then the rest of nantion combined, meaning an unlimited budget. Also, I've heard tales of subterranean creature and vast pools of subterranean liquefied rock. And, if my research is right, where theres vast pools of subterranean liquefied rock, there is PHAZ ADAMANTIRE!

I know what I must do. I must go to Gemclod. I must reform SCIENCE TEAM. I must tame the underground beasts. I most find glorious ADAMANTIRE. And, when THE HUNTERS come (and they will come) I will show them the power of a fully operational battle-fortress!

Nettle Soup wrote :-

Internal Monologue of Nettle Soup

I seem to have made it in unnoticed. The overseer questioned my profession, but believed me when I said "Not a liar". I'm so good at this.

I think I'm clear for now anyway, nobody seems to suspect anything.