There is much to set straight as soon as possible. We need to attract more dwarves to the fortress if we are to survive. One of the best ways to do that is to show the world that we are alive and thriving, and to that end we need to generate trade goods, and a lot of them. I immediately have my companion deliver to the drop point a request to vote to excavate a series of rooms near the trade depot in order to house workshops. These workshops will be active all day, every day, with the express purpose of producing cheap, easily exported trinkets which can be sold to the other nations. We will sell them at a loss, but in so doing we will become dominant in that particular market, as nobody else will be able to match our production rates and prices.



In the delivered proposal, the workshops are arranged such that they will all have easy access to a quarry directly below. That quarry will exist solely to support the workshops. We will need more miners, both to finish this project as soon as possible, as well as to excavate the quarry as rapidly as possible. To that end, a proposal was entered to expand our sad force of 3 miners to include all current military members. Of course, with my help, the motion passed almost unanimously. They will do well with the exercise, and this will have the added side effect of keeping Boing busy and out of the way of progress.

We will also need to clear the trade depot as soon as possible. The levers controlling the flooding system are all labelled, but there is no way to be sure the signs are correct. Nothing can be done but try, however, so I have the proper paperwork delivered. Within a day or two, the lever is pulled.



From what I hear, there were no surprises. However, elsewhere in the fortress, it is noted that Star Guarded is hard at work on Project Boing. During that process, he reportedly noticed some adamantine when he inadvertently pierced an open cavern. The adamantine is interesting, but I can not allow the dwarves to be distracted by such things at this time. What concerns me most is the report I acquire along with the one mentioning the adamantine:



This is a problem. However, it should be easily remedied. I know our stockpile of wood grows low, and there are a few trees just outside the gates of the fortress. With the swamp around us allegedly clear, and the woodcutters more than antsy, it is an easy thing to have the right committee formed, which promptly orders some of the trees cut down. At the same time, many of the more opportunistic dwarves begin the retrieval of much of the goods dropped by our fleeing aggressors. The dwarves are all too happy to grab what is available, and from what I read, they were practically streaming out of the fortress. I have the rosters altered such that Boing has nothing to do but haul goods, so that she joins the others outside.

While Boing is distracted by the goings-on outside, work on her new quarters proceeds. For whatever reason, Star Guarded apparently volunteered to be the chief excavator. He has surely seen the blueprints, so he must know exactly what is in store. I can only assume he would agree with my plan if he knew I were behind it.

The design was simple, but spacious. Boing's current quarters are attached directly to the great hall, near the surface, unprotected, and open to all. The proposal I had anonymously forwarded to her was almost immediately accepted. A new entrance hall, still adjoined to the great hall:



The access hallway will continue deeper, down many levels, well away from the dangers Boing fears. At the end of the access, spacious apartments, with plenty of room to expand should she feel the need. Boing wrote in the approval that she was pleased to have such a defensible place to live.



I left out certain details, such as the exact construction site, and the local fauna.






As soon as the quarters are complete, I will see to it that Boing is permanently transferred. Any paperwork to undo the move will most likely be "lost" in the system. Similarly, as soon as the new craftshop complex is complete, full-scale production will begin. Once that is running, the complex will be expanded to at least twice its current size. Only then will we be producing enough wealth to draw in the immigrants we need. However, I suspect word has already spread that Boing's reign has ended and a new era of prosperity is on the horizon for Gemclod…

Zarah wrote :-

I'm somewhat surprised to see we're still getting migrants. Maybe word of the atrocities during Boing's overseership hasn't spread that far yet. Then again, rampant death is pretty "same old" for the Famous Palisades. Maybe we can use that in our new migrant attraction campaign:

Tired of having your home raided and burned every few months?
Sick of watching your family and friends die at the hands of our enemies?
Escape the tedium of desperately running for your life day in and day out...
And come join us in Gemclod. Where the sun is always shining!
Where you'll never be alone! Where there's always a drink waiting for you!
Experience tried and tested defensive structures built solely protect you and what you hold dear!
Never be afraid of the greenskins or the Arrogant Ones again!

Leave behind the meaningless deaths* and migrate to Gemclod today!




_{*Gemclod administration takes no responsibility for any meaningless deaths that happen due to workplace accidents, dwarven tantrums, or sudden bridge deployments.}

M_Gargantua wrote :-

Here is recorded the journal of M_Gargantua:

Interns aren't expendable! Were people too! All the doctors claim is that were working for the good of the palisades; that the risks we take will be rewarded by our grandchildren.

Science team. Our "team" was two interns and a mad old geologist. He was little more then a miner who refused to touch rock. We did all the digging for him.

Maybe that's what saved me. We has made it down to the deepest recorded depths. Carefully descending the caves. Carefully made safe with the diligent application of magma. We hit the base of the volcano, a sight I will never forget for sure. I saw a pick fused to a melting wall when my companion threw it in frustration. We never made it deeper.

When we ran low on water we returned to the surface through our protected tunnels. It was a long climb. Our camp had been raided, our fool doctor nowhere to be found.

May the lazy fool rest in peace, I'll give him that for what I managed to learn from him.

We set out north, following a cool river, hopefully well make it back alive.