Journal of Boing Dalkamzefon
15th Malachite, 265

A troll in the forges!



It is alleged that Brainspawn evaded the beast's frantic charge but was backed into a corner, where it pummelled at her but did not injure her greatly until it grabbed her arm and snapped it with a hateful roar.



Brainspawn attempted to fight back from the floor but her ribs were crushed and she could fight back no longer. It seemed however that the troll was in no rush to kill and continued to pummel at her until Enzer arrived with Esme in tow.





Enzer was taken aback by the troll's show of strength. She blocked its flailing strikes and stood up but was pushed back again by a second charge. On the third, she stepped out of the beast's way and slashed at its back, causing blood to spray.



The troll attempted to strike back, but Enzer was already out of the way and smashed it in the chest with her axe-pommel. The troll gurgled for breath even as it charged Enzer and knocked her again to the floor, but this brought her low enough to take off the beast's leg with an axe-sweep.



The troll howled with rage and stumbled backward to the floor as she stood and moved in to end its life. She took off its right arm with her second hack, and impaled it through the heart with her third. On her fourth, the troll's very body was cleaved in two and the forges were made safe again.



Brainspawn's injuries were severe but she may yet live.





It seems the troll made entrance from the caverns via a stairway leading to the southern area of the obsidian cap. One of the previous overseers had not the sense to see it properly secured and so Brainspawn suffers in penance. I order the area bricked up permanently. Work continues.

17th Malachite



It seems Angry Ed the butcher has standing orders to carve what edible meat he can find from any dead thing that lies about the fortress. He has taken this instruction liberally and prepared cuts of the worm-monsters that plagued our fortress during the greenskin siege. I order them cooked and served as a delicacy although I will not taste the meat. I order their skins tanned also for their leather has proved tough and may yet protect our warriors in battle.



Meanwhile I have spoken to TyrantSabre in a rare moment of clarity and I suspect he is in want of something named 'rope reed fiber'. I have talked to Illarkul and he says it is a surface crop similar to our pig tails. I look through our records and note that we have a small bag of rope reed seeds presumably from prior trades. I ask Illarkul if he can grow any and he says surface farming is for humans and Onshenites. I note that he is an Onshenite and he says that TyrantSabre himself is our only experienced farmer. I order him to plough the surface soil above in the courtyard and he agrees but grudgingly.



As he leaves I move to deliver water to the ex-Praetor personally.









I do not know when to stop giving water so I guess.



22nd Malachite

Though Illarkul moves to plant human surface seeds it is apparently too late. TyrantSabre drops his hammer and runs through the fortress gibbering.





He begins to remove clothes and I cover Brute_force's eyes for it is not something she should see.



On a more positive note there are no fire snakes on the horizon.

25 Malachite



As TyrantSabre's forge is now vacated I order metal pump parts to be built so that magma pumping operations can begin. The shaft is fully mined out and only machinery work remains.

Midsummer draws to a close as Galena dawns on the calendar.

Sirocco wrote :-

Vox Nihili sits in the darkness, nothing for company but giant stone draughts counters. He hears a noise filtering from outside. Getting to his feet he walks to the locked door and presses an ear to it. The words he understands not, but the tone is accusing. Are the dwarves... singing?


(Click here for lyrics, tablatures and other versions of the song.)

Burgomaster wrote :-

Vox Nihili



And after having a drink.

TyrantSabre wrote :-

a scrap of paper

nO

PIg tAIls

nO pIg TaILs

NO piG TAilS In thIs fOrtRESs

No Pig tAiLS On mE

ObMeiste wrote :-

Diary of Obmei Tobulurmim
16th Malachite, 265

It has taken me a while, diary, but I've finally seen the truth to Boing.
At first I thought she was simply another harsh, but fair taskmaster like our former Praetor. Who's ambitions were grand, but threaded with consideration for our well-being.
But now I know she is of the same stock of rulers that saw the mountainhomes brought to ruin in facing the arrogant ones. She is mad.
So many have died since her reign began and even I've come close to death from her carelessness.
And each loss is felt, not just for all of us in gemclod, but for the entirety of the dwarven peoples.
We are too burdened with working on her plans, there is no time to see to those wounded and suffering from her actions. More will perish from their wounds if something is not done.

And I know what must be done, but I am too scared and weak to go up against her, to see her stopped.
I can only hope Praetor Vox might return, or someone else might will come to the fore to topple her.