As has been foretold in prophecy, dwarves rise again to stand over their great oppressor, the sky.
(Click to zoom, courtesy of Japa)
(http://i.imgur.com/d5OaHzj.jpg)
The sequel to the popular Skyscrapes, the Tower-Fortress (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53814.0). This time, with BEES (and nest boxes, minecarts, goblins...).
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109564.msg3415699#msg3415699
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109564.msg3415912#msg3415912
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109564.msg3416002#msg3416002
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109564.msg3968525#msg3968525
Rules:
1. Each player has 1 in-game year to add another level to the tower.
2. Each player can add 1-8 floors to the tower (since I don't think we'll reach 100 turns).
3. All functional parts of the fort (i.e. bedrooms, workshops, dining halls, etc.) MUST be contained within the tower, above ground. The only exceptions are farms, mining for stone/ore, and stockpiles.
4. The levels of the tower can be designed in any way you desire, as long as it won't easily collapse (e.g. with the pull of a lever). Be sure to roof over any sections of the tower you want to be considered "inside", as the next player might not put a floor down above it.
5. Try to use up any stone you mine out; we don't want too much clutter. Making blocks is recommended for constructions.
6. Modifying previous players' levels is allowed, to a certain extent. Try not to mess with the outer walls, or anything that looks like it would've taken a while to design/make.
NOTE: When you find out it's your turn, please post in the thread so you won't be skipped due to inactivity.
Once you have been notified of the start of your turn, you have one week after the PM was sent, or one week after you were last online last online, whichever comes first (minimum one day) to acknowledge your turn, otherwise you'll be skipped.
Turn List:- Graebeard
- billybobfred
- bmaczero
- Microcline
- Scruffy
- TurkeyXIII
- Sizik
- jmnmaui
- Lielac
- Argembarger
- melkor
- NCommander
- wypie
- Japa
- EmeraldWind
- Daenyth
- Bastus
- MarcAFK
- davros
- Sphalerite
- Crossroads Inc.
- Microcline
- tahujdt
- Niyazov
- Betelgeuse
- JoshBrickstien
- MadeOfStarDust
- Prometheusmfd
- InfinityWEAPON
- Megaman3321
- Graebeard
- Scruffy
- TheDJ17
Note to people who've been skipped: If you asked to be skipped, you can take your turn anytime after the currently playing person, just ask.
If you were involuntarily skipped, you can only be added to the end of the list.
Color Key: In Line Awaiting Confirmation Active Completed Skipped (inactive/unresponsive) Skipped (voluntary)
Latest save. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7792)
Latest Map. (http://www.mkv25.net/dfma/map-11555-skyscrapes2)
PTW! Minecarts and skyscrapes go!
EDIT:
We should at least try 3x3 so there's plenty of horizontal space for dicking about with Carts, but as with the last one what we really need is lots of height and theres no point slowing the game down too much with extra Embark space (though we don't want to limit our availability of stone and ore by doing 2x2 again); while i have a shiny new i7 i won't ask for stupidly large embark to be fair on the rest of the people want to play this.
I vote we strip away most of the caverns, 1 is plenty enough to get some fun and FB's and i would like the openness factor set much higher so we get some nice underground gallerys.
As for terriflying biomes, we'll be spending most of our time sealed away and FPS will be HORRIBLE, if we can't keep the surface clean, I strongly reccomend only allowing a single tile of embark to be terrifying so theres a chance of keeping the map clean. Also clouds are very very bad, is it possible to have terrifying terrain without those damn cursed clouds? i would support this. If not then it should be very fun to just embark close to a necro tower, we would get al the fun of undead without the risk of debilitating constant FPS issues.
Mods? naw, i don't see the need as theres so much to play around with in this version, i would however support any minor RAW changes that might make the game a little better, Do kobolds still survive worldgen? Are Whips still stupidly overpowered? ETC.
Embark 3x3 or 4x4 (more than 100 above ground if possible)
Caverns ONLY 1, but large and open
No to terrifying, YES to Zombie neighbours.
Mods: No.
Winter was brutal, but at least it was short.
(http://tnypic.net/images/11508.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
Laying out the bedrooms on level 3
(http://tnypic.net/images/006aa.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
(http://tnypic.net/images/6277c.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
Note the cliffs to the left. Lots of blue bubble bulb growing underneath the snow.
With the thaw it's about time to throw the switch on the pond-drainer. Wish me luck!
(http://tnypic.net/images/78494.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
For the curious, snowmelt is around 7th Granite and icemelt is around 22 Granite.
(http://i.imgbox.com/aadRYVfj.png)
Quick question along these lines: If I cast an obsidian room above ground, dig (not channel) it out, and fill it with water, will the water freeze in the winter? In other words, (if I understand correctly) will the dug-out tile be subterranean?
I tested this myself and unfortunately it does not work it is still considered to be above ground.
(http://t.imgbox.com/aakwt5Qu.jpg) (http://imgbox.com/aakwt5Qu)
(http://tnypic.net/images/667cb.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
Edit: Don't walk your caged necromancers to the communal cage in the dining hall past your butchers shop. Trust me.
That is, indeed, a great idea! Now I'm kicking myself for getting rid of the temptation to savescum by turning off backups... I don't have a save for the end of year 1. I guess we could always just use Sizik's save to start
In other news, I just finished another 17 hour day (9:00 am to 2:00 am), which is my excuse for being so bad at timely updates. The end of the year is approaching, though! My fiance is already asleep, so she can't yell at me for staying awake playing DF when I have to be back at work in 7 hours.
Onward!
Terrahex, I... I'm sorry. I failed you. He just wouldn't stay down...
(http://tnypic.net/images/47463.png)][URL=http://tnypic.net/](http://tnypic.net/images/47463.png) (http://[URL=http://tnypic.net/)[/url]
Edit2: I know this is getting old, but I'm having a really hard time finishing with my workload right now. I just finished working 19 hours straight. On a Sunday. And I have to be back in less than 4 hours. Ugh.
I promise I haven't forgotten about y'all.
Year 2 is finished! Here's the save (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=6598). Lemme message melkor, brb with more.
Edit: Ok, here's the deets.
We decided to really go for it this time, right? We've got a taller map, so we might as well have a bigger footprint, too.
(http://tnypic.net/images/7491c.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
This will keep it circular, but it's a little more interesting and won't just be a repeat of the last one. It also should be fun to see each of the satellite towers progress at different rates and do different things. I've got the North East tower housing the Depot on the 6th floor. I'm hoping people do crazy things with these like turn them into 3d mazes, make 10 story personal mansions, or create artificial, above ground volcanoes.
melkor, if you're interested in following the pattern I left inaccessible digging designations as reference points. I used these as I laid out walls in case you're wondering what the hell they were for.
I didn't get very deep. The central bore hole is most of the way through the 9th level. Since we're not using the underground I decided to channel my way down rather than dig. The underground central staircase (and the well, which unfortunately must be underground for now) is walled in just in case anyone decides the shaft would look better if it were filled with magma.
Players should be ready for plenty of undead. We have these guys just hanging out with us:
(http://tnypic.net/images/56221.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
I'll wrap up with some more pictures:(http://tnypic.net/images/7c870.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
This is the bedroom template I used. There are 2 floors of this for a total of 64 bedrooms. Mine is the larger one on the NE with the green tourmaline windows. The other one on the NW is Sizik's. He's in there right now counting seeds or some such.
(http://tnypic.net/images/b4844.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
The wagon-accessable depot is six floors up. That cart track you see there from the central tower is my very first experiment with minecarts. I hope it works.
(http://tnypic.net/images/82313.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
I decided to start hollowing out this 12 level tall hill because, well, it was there and I needed the chert. I'm really curious what's going to happen to this.
I'm going to try getting a shot of this with overseer a bit later.
It crippled my laptop taking these pictures, but I think they turned out well. Those cliffs are super intimidating.
(http://tnypic.net/images/33335.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
Overhead of the map
(http://tnypic.net/images/a2534.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
Looking up the cliffs.
(http://tnypic.net/images/3907b.png) (http://tnypic.net/)
View from the peak.
Seriously. We have 100z starting from the top of those cliffs.
3rd Granite, 103
I have no idea what I'm doing. I think we need food and booze, right? Also, a military, I guess.
14th Granite
We are dwarves and we're digging a hole. Diggy diggy hole.
I don't know why, but who am I to question the previous overseer?
9th Felsite
I am trying to build here. Why is this so difficult. We have lots of rocks, the miners are producing one metric assload as they dig down for magma.
16th Felsite
Undead, hooray. And by "hooray" I mean "go away".
23rd Felsite
ZERG RUSH KEKEKE
3rd Hematite
The undead siege is broken, at the cost of over half our dwarves' lives. I AM GOOD AT MILITARY
13th Hematite
Everydwarf is absolutely miserable. I should build a mist generator to take care of that.
1st Malachite
nobody is doing anything they are all too busy throwing tantrums sgjksdfhglkj stop that
... So, turns out I'm not all that good at handling undead!
Journal of 'BMacZero' Eshtanozor, Trapper
In the Mid-Summer of 103, I was promoted to the leadership of the village Anrizigath Igathifin, "Skyscrapes the Scraped Hardiness". The impetus for this strange happening, as you may be aware, was the slaughter of most of the fortress' population at the hands of a legion of freakish undead wildlife, mostly bloated and rotted Kea and the animated skins of recently-butchered livestock, from the records. Guess the tanner wasn't on top of things, well he got what was coming to him, too, according to the records.
So now it's my responsiblity to clear out the remains (still in various states of life or death) and secure us from what may come in the future...
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq18/bmaczero/Keep/bmaczerodwarf.png)
(Apparently I have a poor sense of empathy. This is fortunate)
---
Fortunate that our former leaders saw fit to install vast swathes of cleverly-concealed cage traps throughout the grounds. The remaining Kea have been trapped (except for the one smashed to bits by the carpenter, Cerol. I would congratulate him, but he looks like he might snap at any moment. What can I say, I'm an engineer, not a shrink). I've issued standing orders that if it's dead and not a dwarf, it gets tossed off the tower into a shallow but secure and conveniently placed pit. This proved more difficult than anticipated, as many of the bits are no longer positively identifiable. I think I'm going to let the plebs sort that one out.
I am now surveying and securing the bounds of the fortress from future attack. I've ordered ramps removed and a drawbridge installed before the aerial trade depot. Fortunately the sky is not near so dangerous as the dead - the manager and local union leader, Nil Bomrektathtat, fell five floors during the removal of the present fixed bridge but broke only her right hand and a few ribs. Our workers are still in quite sad shape, and more die each day from grievous wounds inflicted by the dead. I've stopped being surprised when a dwarf I saw yesterday no longer appear on the timesheets.
---
All hands are still busy today sorting the carnage throughout the halls and fields. Some have begun work to secure the walls.
My plans now are to order a few skilled workers to begin carving some trinkets from the bones of our foes and encrusting them with gems to trade to the humans when they arrive. Actually, I'm not sure which bones are which at this point, but that's irrelevant. Also, we have none who are skilled in these trades. Well, they can learn.
I plan to personally engage in training some of these captive boars. There are nearly a dozen of them making a perpetual commotion (an annoyance) and stink (I've ceased to care) in the large dining hall cage. They will make a fine source of meat, a commodity which has been quite absent for some months.
---
It is now autumn.
The humans arrived in the late summer - with a large force of goblins on their heels. Olin was still linking the bridge (myself standing directly behind him, threatening to feed him to the Kea if he didn't work faster) as they poured up the ramps. Almost before he was finished, I seized the lever, and the bridge was raised. Goblins soared across the depot like...goblins, I guess, smacking into the opposite wall, unconsious. Unfortunately, so did one of the human's wagons. They refused to even see our goods, despite the fact that we had rescued them from certain death. I turned them right back out - I think we all know how that went for them.
Now that the walls are firm, let the fun begin.
Apologies for the lack of updates, fathers day was pretty busy and i was rather worn out last night.
I'll edit this post as i update.
Edit: Damn, what is with all the cancel spam, is this related to the new stockpiles? nvm, those stones aren't inside the burrows, so they're being cancelled.Also it seems the 3 wheelbarrow limit might be causing this, i've noticed only 3 dwarves will shift these stones at a time.
I wanted to take some nice screenshots but stonesense isn't cooperating with the fullscreen thing, so i'll just do some classic ascii stuff.
Our Illustrious fort, notice the decent population of Soon to be masons/temporary militia.
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Zscreen1.png)
pump operators Volunteers for the military, Of course we don't have the weapons and armour for them so they'll be miners, wood cutters, and masons untill i can get some more stuff sorted for them.
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Squads.png)
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Cages.png)
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Cage.png)
Edit: Too late, both bulls starve to death.
A random woodcutter shows up somehow, and starts attacking An engraver
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Woodcutter.png)
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Engraverdown.png)
(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Marc_Laird/Skyscrapes%202/Chillingout.png)
I forgot to remove the dump upstairs when i stripped the caged prisoners of their weapons and armour, ill have to get somewhat creative with cage traps to retrieve those 'iron helm's and 'copper shield's
EDIT: It seems my internet connection is seriously bad, i'm having alot of trouble even loading the forum to update my posts.
EDIT: I'm, still having trouble with the burrows, cant seem to get anyone to dig out more galena downstairs, or build anything outside.
The answer is the Shirke. The answer is always the Shrike
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2LiwE4cKIkA/TLDYILCyEeI/AAAAAAAAAhY/6HVwwcbrJKk/s1600/Shrike_2.jpg)
1 Granite 104
From what I understand, we're trapped in our own tower. We're safe behind the walls, although every so often something climbs up and spooks the workers. While we've in no danger of running out of booze or ammo, I think everyone would feel a bit safer if we were in control of the region instead of the zombies.
The old entrance is overrun, so I've started a new one. We've got a decent workforce, although tools and weapons are in critically short supply.
(http://i.imgur.com/gIM9T.png)
We've also put up memorials. Ghosts are the least of our worries, but we'll always welcome one less undead.
(http://i.imgur.com/2XYup.png)
1 Hematite 104
Migrants arrived, boosting the population from an anemic 28 to a hearty 43. A few were lost making the trek to the depot entrance, but Momuz Isancerl held the bridge, keeping the rest safe. This allowed us to expand our military from a single dwarf to two squads--the rangers of The Defensive Flags and the melee combatants of The Ochre Bells.
While the Bells train in the new barracks, the Defensive Flags took to the courtyard to pester the undead on the nearby hills. It's only a small dent in the overall population, but it's probably more efficient target practice than the archery range.
(http://i.imgur.com/B941P.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/HMSvd.png)
Not everything that arrived this season was good though.
(http://i.imgur.com/PsFkP.png)
Two necromancers showed up by the east tower. They shouldn't be a problem once we retake the wall, but they've led to an undead population boom.
The entrance, while nowhere near complete should be good enough to breech the tower as soon as the military is ready.
(http://i.imgur.com/kcfIs.png)
With the reinforcements, the dwarves seem to be looking up. The other day I found this drawing by little Ducim Likotidos. I bet he'll grow up to be an engraver.
(http://i.imgur.com/zKAmE.png)
Let's just make sure he has things to engrave other than memorial slabs.
The bubble grass. It hurts my eyes!
I think that I found the gates Microline mentioned. Started fixing a few potential places the critters might get in.
Dorfed myself (engraver) and Microline (the militia commander).
10th Granite
Another ambush. Curse them!
We have 9 drinks and 0 prepared meals. Well, atleast we have plump helmets :P
Some many mediocre farmers but only one cook that is too busy farming and crafting stone blocks. Time to assign some jobs. We have many weapon/armorsmiths and I don't want to produce junk crafted by the dabbling smiths when the talented ones are idling in the background.
Our workshops and farms are all over the place.
Time to get some cooking and weaponcrafting done.
26th Granite
The goblins are fighting the zombie remains of our former citizens.
Started producing mechanisms for the zipperbridge.
I am planning on building a kitchen floor in one of the towers.
5th Slade
We need more stone so I ordered the pit under the central tower to dug even deeper. (No idea of the hole's purpose, but it is now deeper, thus more dwarven)
Also, our food production is back in good state.
23th Slade
Migrants. We will need a dorm. Stuffed some beds in the hollowed cliff. The dwarves found a bunch of corpses in the cliffside while they were at it.
Dug slightly deeper pits.
12th Felsite
(http://i.imgur.com/nx6tH.png)
A weaponsmith mooded. Good news, except we only have a single bar of nickel silver and charcoal. Currently smelting silver (atleast we can get some hammers)
19th Felsite
(http://i.imgur.com/eBlaY.png)
This could get ugly. It is a rather large siege luckily we are inside (and the elven caravan outside) We won't starve and they shouldn't get in (As long as necromancers don't have a long ressurecting range. Then they could just zap our roofless cemetary.
I started constructing a small 2 dwarf complex inside the NE tower. It is held up by a support and after it is finished I will remove all other ways of accessing it. It is a decent sized strawberry farm and room for 2 workshops.
Our best weaponsmith is going to fail his mood. Where the heck are we going to get silk cloth in time?
10th Galena
The only metal we have is galena. I need to start digging for something more useful. (Though silver warhammers are pretty good againt zombies since the biome isn't resurrecting)
(http://i.imgur.com/EqTaH.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/pZ2Ki.png)
20th Galena
Kobolds. Skulking filth. Well, atleast the necromancer has someone to keep him company.
(http://i.imgur.com/c1Umc.png)
Edit: Didn't notice that collapsable towers are forbidden. Well, it won't collapse and even if it did it wouldn't affect the tower in any way.
Two dwarves starved in the mines. Might have had something to do with the burrows.
The south tower pit is not symmetrical (since the tower isn't completely round) . Someone can fix it if they want.
I tried to make The Defensive Flag shoot the darn necromancer but he is walking just out of their range.
12th Galena
More kobolds. I am almost starting to feel sorry for them (but not really)
Started looking for more galena (I'm starting to suspect that it's the only ore we have)
18th Galena
A militia commander mooded. Claimed a clother's workshops and is screaming that she wants silk. If she wants silk she can just walk outside and go ask our quests if they have any.
Six more goblin ambushes came. Poor bastards didn't live long.
Ok, actually they still live. They are just not alive anymore.
20th Galena
Ok, 8 ambushes :P
Lets see... Hmm, 3 necrodudes and roughly a hundred little corpsicles. I am darn glad that I'm in this side of the wall.
2th Limestone
The dorfs are partying around a table. I wonder if they are dancing thriller night (it would fit the current state of the site. Not that I listen to that music)
Sandstone
I stopped trying to keep all the floors in the towers the same color. Too much hassle getting enough blocks of the same stone.
(http://i.imgur.com/IBl78.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/kmwtw.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/NTXqs.jpg)
10th Timber
One of the unfortunate idiots I chose for the sealed tower has been sleeping for the whole year. Broken spine or something. Time to deconstruct his bed and tell him to get back to work. BMacZero almost got trapped in the tower with them. The walls in the sealed part have been replaced with wall grates.
I sealed two dwarves in (one is complitely immobilized).
Moonstone
(http://i.imgur.com/CKNTD.png)
Not much has happened. The kitchen floor constructions are progressing rather slowly.
I ordered some stonefall and cage traps to be constructed in the south tower enterence.
Miners seem to have buggered off somewhere. The fortress hasn't changed much during my turn.
Miners seemed to be stuck in an area between the inner and outer walls. They could have gotten out but were scared of a rather menacing looking severed arm in the cliff. I presume that it was giving them the "finger" :P
Opal
The mayor mandates ballista arrows. Why the heck would we need them?
(http://i.imgur.com/hJBsW.png)
Dug into the murky pool and build a wall to prevent critters entering via it.
An eagle corpse flew inside the tower and started breaking havoc inside the bedrooms area. We only lost 2 dwarves. I suppose that we need to make our central tower airtight?
4 dwarves are starving on the ramps of the nort eastern tower. They can get out but are too scared to do so :P Constructions have been slow because the masons get scared and end up cowering in fear in some random corner and don't want to come down.
Obsidian
Even the mechanic is too scared to build any traps.
More gobbos came. Still unable to build the eastern kitchen tower.
The zombies moved away so the dorfs finally managed to start building the eastern side of the tower.
Cave-in while removing a piece of floor. Oops. No deaths.
Also, since I couldn't build a diningroom in the tower in time I constructed a floored dining room on the ground floor.
(http://i.imgur.com/H1JOq.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/DCmlw.jpg)
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7192 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7192)
http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-11494-skyscrapes2]http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-11494-skyscrapes2]http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-11494-skyscrapes2 (http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-11494-skyscrapes2)
What's the deal with the zipper bridge, anyway?
No idea. I think that someone called it that earlier in this thread. It is just more ncomplicated way of building a bridge (pretty much just a dozen smalled bridges.) I suppose that it will work even if something too heavy steps on it since the remaining bridges still function.
So, basically during this turn:
-I mined more stone (a few areas deep underground and a pit under the main tower)
-Worked a little on the east tower. Severed the murky pool from the outside, started making a dining room and build kitchen/still where they are easier to find.
-Dug a shallow dodgetrap in the S tower
-Build a small, sealed section in the NE tower containing one dwarf and a dead paralyzed dwarf. While it can be collapsed the support is not linked so I hope it won't be against the rules. The dwarf doesn't have a pick but can get out by deconstructing. He has strawberries and a kitchen/still.
-Did some little things (food, booze, a few warhammers, some coffins, walls and a crude dormitory)
To the next overseer:
There is a ramp leading down from the walls/roof of the NE tower. Remove it if zombies get on top of the walls.
There is a small hole in the inner walls near the S tower that I used to let the scared miners out.
There should be some slabs of ghosts being produced. Stick them somewhere if the ghosts become a nuisance.
I suppose that the pit under the zipper bridge should be deeper.
Have fun.
Just one more thing about the zombies:
Sometimes. Sometimes they fly! The pecking! The PECKING!
The towers are still quite low. Must be because we have so many of them so we can't concentrate one or two. None of them except for the middle one can even be called towers.
Also, pity the poor kobolds. They get gangraped by hordes of goblins, zombies, zombie goblins and various animals the very moment they enter the site.
(http://i.qkme.me/3qacna.jpg)
Status report: Early Autumn
We're still under siege by the undead. However, some of our marksdwarves have gotten pretty good at picking them off
(http://i.imgur.com/7lZiMyW.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/vtax2Kf.png)
While I'd prefer that it'd go all the way to the caverns, I've deepened the chasm from a 2-5 z-level drop to a 3-11 z-level drop. Combined with the marksdwarves and the southern tower, we should be able to break the siege by the end of the year. The only area that we can't reliably hit are the cliffs where the necromancers are hiding. However, this also means that unless they expose themselves to crossbow fire they can't revive their minions.
Unrelated, this could be troubling
(http://i.imgur.com/k4f3yZ3.png)
We're playing Russian roulette with one of our dwarves (if we don't have or can't make what he wants, we're screwed) and I don't think large gems gems hold that much value in post-apocalyptic zombie hellscapes no matter how many masterful engravings of cheese are on it.
\/\/\/ If your save isn't to bad you can finish it/give it to me to finish. I'm going to have to reset my year anyway due to some mistakes that would make it difficult for the next overseer.
1st Granite
I’m just a cook. You want roast Giant Rat brain I’m your dwarf. Wiping out legions of the undead doesn’t fall into my skillset. Yet here I am. Another night of drinking and I wake up with sheaves of paper stacked on me.
My first task was stockpile status. We are set for booze and food.
And we’re really set for plump helmets
(http://i39.tinypic.com/34e5102.png)
I stumbled around the fortress and eventually found Microcline. His report:
“We are surrounded by about 380 undead creatures.”
After some thought I replied “Just undead?”
“Oh no, there’s also three Necromancers cavorting in the southern cliffs.”
I don’t think we can expect much help from the mountain homes
Well first thing’s first, time to halt the production of plump helmets.
3rd Granite
It appears that we are a fortress that stands strong against the tides of darkness but is to paralyzed with fear to expand or fortify.
5th granite
I’ve decided to test some of the boundaries within which we can build. I’ve been told repeatedly that the dwarves are simply too frightened to build close to the undead, even if they’re out of harm’s reach.
So I’ve instructed the dwarves to try and build up on the Southeast Tower.
8th granite
While construction attempts to continue I found Zulban the hunter in the Northwest Tower taking pot shots at a headless corpse. I asked him if he was making any progress on actually killing the undead and his response was to giggle and then shoot off an individual toe of Anirdomi’s partial skeleton. Anirdomi’s severed head is also prancing about up there on the cliffs and gives me the willies.
17th granite
Mebzuth the butcher is stricken with melancholy.
27th Granite
A master goblin thief showed up today to snatch children. Too bad he showed up in the middle of the sea of undead. The results were predictable.
11th slate
Today I went to look over the machine being built underground. It contains a raised drawbridge and several cages containing captive undead. It appears that when the mechanic is finished you just lock the door, release the cages with one lever, allow the beasts to roam a bit and then pull the other lever. Theoretically this pulverizes them.
We decided to give this a try. I pulled the lever for the cages and indeed the beasts sprang out and began to roam. Unfortunately the mechanisms for the cage release also threw cages and parts under the smasher as well. So much for trying to retain parts.
The machine squished several beasts, but some of the marginally smarter ones have stayed by the western wall. We will simply have to wait.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/fjf4w1.png)
12th slate
Stray Wild Boar Sow (Semi-Wild) has forgotten her training! Indeed, she’s starting to look like semi-Wild bacon. The animal trainer seems a bit busy to be trying to re-train the pigs.
16th slate
Previous overseers have made a serious attempt at setting up a trapped entrance in the South Tower. I’ve decided to try it out and see how well it works.
The first things was to raise the zipper bridge ( a marvelous construction). Amusingly a chicken was on it at the time and was flung into the Eastern pit. And they said chickens couldn’t fly.
In preparation for the onslaught I stationed our marks dwarves in the fortifications above the trap bridge and pulled the gate lever…
It did not raise the bridge that it said it would.
A mechanic is now re-doing the lever so that it opens the appropriate gate.
26th Slate
I want to open the bridge but that idiot Mebzuth is taking forever to hook up the bridge.
6th Felsite
Huzzah! The Southern bridge is open… The undead are not pouring in as expected. There have got to be at 30 of them lined up.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/33o79td.png)
Though no beasts were trying to come in, a lone marks dwarf, Lolor, decided to make a name for himself and one-shotted an elf corpse. I was impressed.
OOC: First time I’ve ever seen this. Does the recursion continue?
(http://i41.tinypic.com/npoygz.png)
7th Felsite
The Elf Corpse re-killing catalyzed the hordes and 2 made their way inside quickly becoming caught in the cage traps. We quickly closed the gate hoping to go “harvest” our new captives. But even with the gate closed, the dwarves are too afraid of nearby zombies to change cages. It would appear that the Necromancers have come down from the Southern Cliffs and have started resurrecting yet more corpses on the hill over the Southern Tower. I actually watched one human being resurrected and I must say it was both nauseating and frightening. So now we are not able to work much on the external portion of the South Tower.
17th felsite
We are being haunted by the ghost of Dorem Shemsanod. We have no history of him so we cannot engrave his memorial. He is currently floating at the highest level of the North Tower.
19th Felsite.
Another poor skulking filth has arrived at the wrong time. This little bastard actually managed to escape.
27th Felsite
We are so fearfully trapped in here that I finally decided that we could at least add another level to the Northern tower. It is beautifully made of Quartzite blocks. But even here, the workers are occasionally spooked by the hordes and find myself having to constantly encourage them to return to work.
(http://i42.tinypic.com/10y19ig.png)
I also was inclined to see how close we could get to the cliffs in hopes that perhaps we could place archers to pick off some of the undead causing us problems up there. We did not get very close…
(http://i42.tinypic.com/dz77dt.png)
OOC: And that's spring.
Triple Post!! This time with violence!
4th Hematite
Another pig has gone wild so I decided to just have the Ochre Bells have fun chasing and murdering it. Got to keep these military types occupied.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/2hygo5h.png)
The spear dwarf Unib chased the pig for sometime before finally stabbing it cleanly through the head. Now I’m off to the butcher’s workshop to make sure the pig doesn’t come back for revenge.
11th Hematite
Today we finally crushed the last of the original 5 caged undead. Time to reset.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/11bmb0j.png)
13Th Hematite
Atir the child has been possessed and has claimed the southwestern Craftsdwarf’s shop. His list of demands is substantial so the fortress is now mobilized in finding everything. An extra pig will be slaughtered for its hide. Damn thing would probably revert to a wild state anyways.
20th Hematite
Since the only construction that’s going to occur is in the central and North Towers, I’ve had the masons add a floor above the trade depot level on the central tower. For the time being it’s just another block storage pile but I hope it can be used for workshops or bedrooms eventually.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2uelitx.png)
27th Malachite
Despite having all of the materials Atir desired, we were not able to satisfy his mood.
(http://i39.tinypic.com/3499kde.png)
It is sad to have to put down a child.
2nd Galena
A cave in occurred while trying to remedy the new stockpiles level.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/343nfol.png)
4th Galena
I noticed that we had a rather large dormitory that was likely constructed when we actually had things like migrants so it has been appropriated as a hospital. 3 dwarves lay there now: Sibrek, Mekkud, and Microcline.
6th Galena
Another collapse, this time with our own Chief medical dwarf taking serious injury. Construction has been halted on the new floor. For the time being we will take care of the wounded and clean house.
(http://i43.tinypic.com/n3rlfl.png)
15th Galena
8 goblin ambushes showed up today.
The battle was amazing to watch.
Outside the Eastern Gate
(http://i44.tinypic.com/1c4mp.png)
The Southeast
(http://i39.tinypic.com/machuw.png)
The Northeast
(http://i42.tinypic.com/2cyfgh4.png)
Goblins sprang up from every direction and the battle was spectacular. Nearly every able body dwarf came up to the top of the central tower to get a true panoramic vision of chaos and violence. It turns out that these goblins are surprisingly efficient at mowing down the undead. In just one day the number of enemies had been reduced by 100.
19th Galena
Although the ambushers were ultimately pushed back, the enemy count now rests at 212. It would appear that the three necromancers causing us trouble have either fled or were struck down in the melee. For the time being corpses won’t be getting back up.
20th Galena
I spoke too soon. Another necromancer has survived.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/2rnipsn.png)
28th Galena
The scheming necromancer has begun raising the dead again.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2r47ifa.png)
OOC:And that's summer. This is a seriously difficult fortress.
14th Limestone
So many pigs are returning to their wild states that I’ve ordered any animal that isn’t completely tame to be placed in a cage next to the butcher shop.
The undead continue to beat upon our gates. They make such horrible noises.
23rd Limestone
In the ensuing boredom of mediocre construction and caring for invalids it became a past time to open and shut the southern gate to temp the monsters into stepping forward; crushing some and leading others to the stonefall traps.
(http://i39.tinypic.com/fe13z8.png)
One dwarves skeleton even managed to fall in the pit and land on its head. Just its head. Somehow the thing is still moving.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/1zx1tlh.png)
8th Sandstone
Kubuk has been possessed and has claimed the Southwest crafts dwarf shop. Currently he is scurrying about trying to find materials.
8th Timber
After some judicious use of the southern gate and the stonefall trap pit we have winnowed down the total number of creatures to 197...Hooray. They’re queuing up in the alley outside our gates.
(http://i39.tinypic.com/fkzi1l.png)
17th Timber
Another 4 well timed ambushes came today. Although the goblins didn’t last long, they did bring the total undaed count to 177. I found myself actually rooting for those little green bastards.
19th Timber
Amazingly a caravan has shown up from Rilemsibrek. Sadly the wagon bypassed us along with its military escort. Unfortunately we cannot open our gates for them. There are still too many undead outside our Eastern gate.
21st Timber
Unfortunately the liaison wandered away from the caravan and was slain. I fear that even after all the undead are destroyed we will have no more connection with the mountain home. We cannot survive here indefinitely without more migration.
2nd Moonstone
Despite our having everything available for his project
(http://i43.tinypic.com/oji5tz.png)
6th Moonstone
Since the merchant showed up in the Northern cliff, his two guards, a Speardwarf and Hammerdwarf have been resolutely smashing every undead they encounter. Since it is not possible to open the Eastern gate we are attempting to continue the sky bridge to the cliffs.
19th Moonstone
The merchants met their end today. Most impressively, this happened:
(http://i43.tinypic.com/dcsbcy.png)
13th Obsidian
We have come under siege from a new necromancer and his posse of 50 goblin corpses. They will join the others.
1st Granite
And so ends my rather short time as Overseer. Doubtless I have done more damage than good here. 6 dwarves in hospital and still 200 undead outside our gates. Perhaps the next Overseer will be able to usher us forward into a brighter future.
OOC: This was the most frustrating fortress I have ever run. Things did not go well aside from the Ambush-o-rama. If I were to play the year again I would have done it very differently, spending the dwarfpower on making weapon traps, waiting for the siege to end and then welcoming the remaining undead into the trade depot area. Since I just jumped in feel free to go back to the previous save unless the (hopefully) next overseer thinks they can salvage the place.
Save: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7741
I would like to be added on the turn list.
I'd also like some information as to how to kick a save into not looking massively wonky after it changes from Phoebus to vanilla* ASCII, because when I downloaded jmnmaui's save to make sure the fort wouldn't kill my computer (48fps when unpaused, it'll do), it looked like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/M0oSID6.png)
I'm preeeeeetty sure sand walls aren't supposed to be i graves.
*I use Taffer's 10x10 (http://dwarffortresswiki.org/images/f/fa/Taffer_10x10.png) for square ASCII goodness.
24th Malachite, 109, Mid-Summer
Dear Diary,
The hottest days of summer are upon us. The air is somehow dry and humid at once, and the sun beats down on our foolhardy enterprise as relentlessly as it always has, but somehow more intensely. My exposed scalp feels like a gnome caught in a blast of gnomeblight steam. Considering the pain that simply furrowing my brow causes me, it's notable to consider the fact that the headache generated by that which I am thinking about dwarfs (ho ho ho) the agony of that burn.
Today I was informed that the workings of Skyscrapes the Scraped Hardiness, the convoluted nightmare I've been calling home for longer than I care to admit, have been entrusted to my leadership. This is all well and good, and under normal circumstances I would relish the opportunity to flex my natural dwarfiness towards these sorts of managerial pursuits, but these are by no means normal circumstances.
I've spent most of the day sorting through the disorganized heap of papers and sketches I've been tossed, trying to make sense of just what in the hell we've been up to for so long. I've always known it was bad, but by Armok's left ventricle, just what the fuck am I looking at??
(http://i.imgur.com/65XK8Iw.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/zV0cryO.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/s9yyInJ.png)
It's hard for me to convey just how eye-wrecking the state of this is. The drawing simply doesn't capture it. Perhaps a song might serve me better.
The cliff is alive with the sound of zombies
With groans they have moaned for at least a year
The plain fills my ears with the sound of zombies
My fist wants to punch every corpse I hear
My heart wants to kill like the pores of the sponge
that lurk from the lakes to the streams
My beard wants to sigh like a goblin that flies
martial trance hammer dreams
To laugh when a kobold trips and falls over
stonefall traps that weigh
To scream through the night like an elf who is about to pay
I go to the still when my heart is lonely
I know I will drink what I've drank before
My gut will be blessed with the taste of ale
And I'll drink once more
In other words, I have no idea what I'm looking at. It looks like every single plant outside has been marked for harvesting, which is insane because the entire fort is on undead lockdown. I have no idea where these dwarves think they're supposed to be.
(http://i.imgur.com/CVR3wn9.png)
Would anyone like to explain the difference between "Indoors" and "Not Outdoors" to me? If I tell them to "stay inside dammit", will they go Indoors or will they simply be Not Outdoors? On second thought, don't answer that. I don't think I care enough.
Priority 1: Clean up the absolute chaos I'm being forced to look at. Make sure our humble force of dwarves is working productively. TRY to KIND OF memorize the layout of this place. (What? Don't look at me like that. Just because I've lived here doesn't mean this chaotic clusterfuck has ever made sense then or now.) I certainly hope there are no mystery levers...
Priority 2: Strike the damn sky already. We are well-fed and well-boozed. We are (technically) safe. (Almost) everyone is happy. There's really no excuse.
Wish me luck, Diary.
-Argembarger
14th Galena, 109, Late Summer
Dear Diary,
I've recently been informed that a floor of Skyscrapes is devoted almost entirely to laying bloody corpses, skeletons and other assorted body parts out to rot. This is disgusting. I went to order some coffins to be made, and I was informed that there are currently over 140 coffins already. I have no idea where they are located at. There are also 40 slabs, presumably to memorialize those without remains. I have no idea where they are located at. I don't know anything. I may be the captain of this ship, but the whole thing is ramshackle and steers like a cow.
We also have no hospital. I was so shocked to discover this, considering we have an active chief medical dwarf, that I have taken the liberty of setting up a very small one near the forges, next to the skybridge leading to the (hideously underutilized) trade depot. It's only got a few beds, but it's a start. I'm tired of seeing dwarves limping around with mangled parts. Their complaints are just going to get everyone down if we don't take care of them.
(http://i.imgur.com/VKxzI6d.png)
Also, glancing at the skybridge gives me an idea of how to deal with the zombies... but it's risky as all get out and insane to boot.
Which means it's perfect, right?
-Argembarger
P.S. I found the coffins and slabs. They were with the corpses. I guess I was distracted by all the corpses.
16th Limestone, 109, Early Autumn
Astesh Isakdumat has been trudging around, putting up walls and such in the face of the undead horde, all the while with a bruised liver and intense pain in his lower spine. What a trooper! Everyone should follow Astesh's example. He doesn't sit around whining about sewer brew or socks or the futility of life against the hordes of the damned.
19th Sandstone, 109, Mid-Autumn
I don't know what this room is for, but it's going to be our mausoleum now.
(http://i.imgur.com/firylG0.png)
I'm getting some slabs engraved for the ghosts we already have. Meanwhile, the anti-zombie project continues unabated. Everything may or may not be coming together nicely, I hope.
25th Sandstone, 109, Mid-Autumn
I've just been informed of something called a "zipper-bridge" which "flings things nicely!"
Perhaps I'll give it a go if my own solution doesn't suffice.
19th Timber, 109, Late Autumn
Good news and bad news.
Good news: My project works, essentially.
(http://i.imgur.com/zALmiZj.png)(http://i.imgur.com/uH59fmm.png)
Bad news: FUCKING DWARVES RUNNING INTO IT FOR NO GODDAMN REASON
STAY INSIDE DAMMIT DON'T RUN OUT TO FIGHT ZOMBIES IN THE INSTANT KILL ZONE WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT PLEASE STOP PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME BE YOUR MURDERER THAT IS THE WORST THING FOR ME TO BE IS A MURDERER IT IS LIKE IF I WAS SOME KIND OF STUPID IDIOT WHO IS ABOUT TO MISMANAGE THIS FORTRESS INTO THE GROUND DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BEING UNDER A KILL BRIDGE WILL KILL YOU IF THE KILL BRIDGE GOES THROUGH ITS KILL OPERATION NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I can see why the 'stay inside' alert is named as such.
Lost way too many dwarves to my own stupidity.
RIP Lorbam, Saint Iridkonos, Astesh (a different one), Sizik, Cerol, and Terrahex.
Do I feel bad for accidently allowing so many named dorfs to be crushed by my own poorly-concieved trap? Yes. Were mistakes made? Yes. Did those dwarves know what they were getting into? Of course.
Be back later, Diary. I need a stiff fucking drink.