Well time for another community fortress. The king has declared that for the 100th anniversary of the mountainhome's founding a new civilization will form for the greater glory of The Mint Rack.
You have your choice of gender, role and the first 6 get to choose some starting materials. Don't go too expensive, but if you want to be a steel plated guard it can be arranged.
A few specific roles need to be assigned from the first group
- Head assistant: The right hand dwarf of the expedition leader, and bookeeper.
- Doctor: Can have other jobs, but will be assigned CMD (Chief Medical Dwarf) and cannot be military
- Broker: Will have other jobs, but will not be military.
- Head of the Military: Will likely spend most time training.
- Manager: Can be in military as they wish or will have other work elsewhere
- Guard Captain: Will need other work most likely.
Current Dwarves
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Kate - Expedition Fearless Leader
NESgamer190 - Chief Medical Dwarf
Gar - Broker & Jeweler
Blade - Weaponsmith & Brewer
AussieEvil - Manager, Mason & Engraver
Tau - Head of the Military
GoombaGeek -
Supplies Requested
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A couple of cats
Stone
Copper ore
Anvil
Armor & Axe
*Unspecified until prefs available*
The story:
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Each dwarf recieved a letter reading:
You have been selected to form a new mountainhome for the greater glory of
The Mint Rack. This honour has been bestowed upon you by King Aban
Treatykindled himself. You will go with six other dwarves to the south. Your
wagon will travel for one year, and upon the 1st day of the year 100 you
will stop wherever you happen to be, and there you will found LostPages.
I am leaving you in the capable hands of Kate, one of my most trusted
scholars. She will guide you in your endevors there. Please pack reasonably
lightly, as the trip is long and we can only allocate a single wagon to your
expedition.
Unknown to the others, Kate received this letter several months earlier:
Kate, unless you have found any thing in your current endeavors, return immediately. We have found a much more solid lead in the south. It seems in the frozen wastes to the south a taint is growing. This is the territory of the Ashen Stockade, so we must step carefully, and ensure our true intentions are not discovered.
Thus you will be leading an expedition to the south, where you will found a new colony. Do your research discretely, and report back to me every year. I will have a caravan sent to you in order to maintain contact.
I will give you more details in person when you arrive.
Your Lord and Master,
Aban Treatykindled
Embark Area:
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/embark_area.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/Tau_embark.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/AussieEvil_embark.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/Blade_embark.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/Gar_embark.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/NESgamer190_embark.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/Kate_embark.jpg)
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/Last.jpg)
The last remaining spot on the initial group will be female it seems. If anyone is interested in taking that.
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/KateWissen/starting_six.jpg)
1st of Granite, 99:
I arrived at the wagon to see the six dwarves the King had selected. I looked over each of them, then sent each off to grab some items. What we need to survive, and what they want to bring with them. I balked a bit when one of them wanted to bring cats along, but I didn't want to start this expedition off with an argument.
-----------------
4th of Felsite, 99:
We have been traveling for just over two months now. The group seems excited, and upbeat. They would not be if they knew what I know. We are scheduled to arrive atop the frozen wastes to the south at exactly the first of Granite next year. Right in the middle of a growing blight... I don't know what I or the others here did to piss off the King, but I can't imagine he cares too much for any of our lives.
-----------------
21st of Limestone, 99:
Its getting colder now, winter will soon fall. The cruel joke of this being that winter will fall right as we hit the glacier. The others are far less enthusiastic about continuing forward. I think they realize as well that what lies to the south is not pleasant. Noone has stepped up to complain, but after the majority of a year with each other I can read it on their faces.
-----------------
4th of Obsidian, 99:
We have reached the edge of the taint. Many of the group wished to go around, but I was forced to tell them that we would have to go straight through. I think a few may not be too pleased with me, but otherwise this whole painful endeavor was pointless. Hopefully we will all live long enough for them to forgive me.
=========================================================
That's the pre-embark bit. More to come very soon.
2nd of Hematite, 100
Everyone is mining now, in hopes to clear out a suitable living area, but in the depths of the pit we can hear that we aren't the only ones here. Putting our bedrooms next to a deep pit may not have been my best idea, but it is going to be necessary.
25th of Malachite
Mining is quite hard work, several of us were taking a break out near the wagon when we heard a commotion. I asked Lady to go take a quick look at what was going on.
She quickly reported back, "Immigrants."
The break chatter suddenly gave way to silence. No doubt it was unbelievable to any of us, why would anyone come here. They must have been duped like the rest of the group here. Who would come here knowing what is down here. I suspect that if any word gets back to what this place is really like the migrant waves would come to a screeching halt.
Lady went back out to take a proper tally of who these dwarves were and what they could do.
Male:
Kibaziz - Former Soapmaker turned Speardwarf - Married to Stelidilral
Mengdolush - Lye Maker - Married (Wife deceased)
Dodokstath - Leatherworker - Married to Oltarroth
Liktotrisen - Former Shearer turned Potter - Married to Dodoksolon
Female:
Dodoksolon - Carpenter - Married to Liktotrisen
Oltarroth - Bone Doctor - Married to Dodokstath
Mengimik - Bowyer
Stelidilral - Former Mechanic turned Marksdwarf - Married to Kibaziz
Amazingly it seems that the majority of the immigrants were married couples. I can see that this was clearly the influence of mountainhome propaganda. I shook my head and returned to work.
=======================================
Talvieno feel free to choose any of the dwarves from above. Not sure if you have a preference toward marriage or not. The speardwarf and marksdwarf may end up in the military sooner or later, given we may have to defend ourselves vs some deep creatures.
6th of Limestone, 100
"It's autumn already?" I said, talking to myself.
"Yes, yes it is." a voice from behind replied.
"Gah! Gar, don't sneak up on me. Oh, wait, I had work for you. Can you cut up some gems for selling? We need some sort of trade good, and we have a few rough gems around in need of cutting."
"Can do!" he said excitedly as he rushed off.
I hardly had time to take a breath before Tau came up to me. "We need to start thinking about defenses."
"Defenses? From who?"
"We haven't seen anything wandering the wastes yet, but that doesn't mean that there aren't things out there. We need to be prepared."
"Well we need to be able to do it with what we have around. What are you thinking?"
"For now we need a way of sealing ourselves off from invaders. After that we can look at traps, fortifications and more advanced defenses."
"Sounds good, I'll leave you in charge of it."
Tau left to instruct the mason dwarves, and I went back to digging.
19th of Limestone
More Immigrants... What kind of crazed dwarf gets down to this horrid glacier and thinks, "What a lovely home this will make." Every one of them should have turned and run while they had the chance. Oh well, more hands means lighter work.
Male:
Nomalabod - Fisherdwarf turned Speardwarf - Married to Ushrirsholid, Son of Dodoksolon & Liktotrisen
Limarzasit - Waxworker turned Marksdwarf - Married to Linemmeng
Female:
Ushrirsholid - Farmer turned Axedwarf - Married to Nomalabod
Linemmeng - Gemsetter turned Marksdwarf - Married to Limarzasit
More families... More couples... What kind of place was the mountainhome spinning this as?
==========================================
Was the world genned so that the caverns are water-free? Or will you be able to set up a well?
This cavern may not have any water, not sure yet, we just havent seen any yet. But we'll have a well eventually. I can bring up some magma to melt some of the glacier to get some water that way. This is still dependent on surviving to see magma of course.
22nd of Timber, 100
The caravan arrived as promised. My report to the King is not a good one, I have yet to get any research at all done. The caravan has a special request, seems that there's a high demand for dwarven cheese and noone has been supplying it. I suspect if we corner this market we could get whatever we want from the caravans. We need to get into the caverns for farming anyway, might as well trap a few purring maggots while we are down there.
4th of Opal 100
"Troglodites! Troglodites in the caverns!" Some dwarf came running up from the mining "Just thought you might like to know." Then fell asleep.
"Do they have a way into here?"
"No, we haven't gotten a stairwell all the way down yet, but the stairwell is open to the cavern so we can see them." Talvieno reported.
"Well just for extra protection we need some hatches set up to ensure the safety of the town. And would some dwarf get the bedrooms finished? I think we are all a bit tired of sleeping on the ground... and stepping over others who are."
1st of Granite, 101
One year in, and the town is shaping up reasonably. We have bedrooms up for every dwarf, we are getting closer to breaking into the cavern, and preparations have begun for creating some water in case anyone gets injured long enough to need it. The entire stock has been moved down to the proper level, and we have enough to last us a few seasons longer.
20th of Slate, 101
Even more migrants, seems the warning I gave about the difficulties did reach some ears. Only two this year. Lady took the tally.
Male:
Zuntirmozir - Hammerdwarf - Married to Oltarlurit
Female:
Oltarlurit - Waxworker - Married to Zuntirmozir
25th of Slate, 101
A wereiguana ambushed the new immigrant couple. The new waxworker tried to fight it off. She was beaten to death then the creature turned back into a human and ran off. We are creating a burial ground now. The husband volunteered for military duty.
7th of Felsite, 101
The first daughter of LostPages was born today. A happy note after the last entry to be certain. I doubt she will be the only one though. This many couples around, I suspect we are in for a deluge of children.
I say go for both: have a small standing army of 2 dwarf melee squads (so they spar a lot and stay happy) and draft everyone but the miners, hunters and woodcutters into permanently inactive militia squads, preferably equipped with bone/wooden crossbows and bone (for now) bolts. Settings: wearing uniform when inactive, carry any drink, carry no food (food from backpack doesn't give dining room happy thought). Danger rooming the standing army to skill levels where they don't bitch about duty anymore would be useful, but dangerous without metal armor- but bone and leather might suffice for that. Shields are mandatory for everyone, and can be made of anything.
Before you draft people full-time, make sure they have good attributes (can be improved by a screw pump gym, but the danger room will boost them too, except regeneration and disease resistance) and are at least Happy, but preferably better. Before you draft me full-time, I could make some leather armor, or if we don't have much leather, keep it for waterskins (those are a must-have for everyone, saving time) and quivers.
Have one designated bone carver so he can be trained up with plenty of masterwork totems and doesn't get melancholic about a masterwork cat bone bolt hauled off-map in a goblin's ass.
We will need a meat industry for all that leather and bone. Ask the Outpost Liaison for a breeding pair of dogs and pigs, both are non-grazers and don't adopt owners uncontrollably.
As we don't have metal armor, taking on the first ambushes would be suicide. Let's just kill or capture them with traps, take and equip their metal weapons and armor.
As for trap design, I say do ALL the suggestions! http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/187/321/xallthey.png
Have the top few levels dedicated to all the trap layouts. The trade depot should stand in a big room empty of traps, where the army will be able to meet siegers on it's home turf, and the help of any caravan guards present at the moment. This room is surrounded by airlocks: raising bridges at all entrances, and an unarmed half-goblingrinder (citizen-only entrance, build this first!) leading to the fort like this:
W-wall F-floor X-stairway H-hatch cover over empty space P-pressure plate linked to hatch cover D-door B- raising bridge C-cage trap T-weapon trap
WWW WW
FFFFWWWW
XXXFDHPBFF
XXXFWWWW biiiig room with depot where hostiles are killed, and can be sealed off to recover wounded and goblinite safely.
XXXFDHPBFF
FFFFWWWW
WWW WW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWBBBBBBWWW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFW
FFFFFFWWWWWWWWWWWWWHWHW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWPWPW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWCWCW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWCWCW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWCWCW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWCWCW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWFWFW
WWWWWWWWWWWWFFFFFFWFWFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWFWFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWFWFW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWTWTW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWTWTW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWPWPW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFWHWHW
FFFFFFWWWWWWWWWWWWWBWBW
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
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Tirion, Do you realize that your design fully consists of dozens of WTFs and FFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUs? :D At least that's what I see when look at them.
I think that's the reason why we should build it!
Yeah, the whole mapping with letters thing is better in theory than practice... but hopefully also how the goblins will vocalize their opinion :P I'll upload a graphic description momentarily.
14th of Limestone
Ushrir is dead. We all knew it, but still, seeing her body is shocking. It could have been any of us.
We have to prepare some defenses.
15th of Limestone
I drew up some trap designs and training schedules for Our Beloved Leader. It's sufficient by itself, yet leaves space for further additions. I hope she can read it, the parchment was a bit moldy and the cat spilled some ink on the plans.
this is what I'd have you build: http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/120827/trapdesign_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg
examples for the goblin grinder, and the success of the glacier ice+cave-in=water method:
z=0 http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/120827/grinder_z0_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg
z=-1 http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/120827/grinder_z1_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg
OOC:
Source from the wiki: http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Trap_design#Goblin_Grinder
Ideas #1 and #4 tested and found to be working. Bridges at the end are my addition, to close it down once building destroyers rush in, as they'll destroy the hatches and strand the siege in front of them. Also, if you carve the wall like in the example, dig an 1 tile wide tunnel accessible only from the inside of the fort, AND close the bridges* once goblins have filled the grinder's cage traps and jammed the weapon traps, you can order your marksdwarf squads to safely** kill the goblins. Then you can open the fort-side bridges and have your civilians collect the goblinite.
There are a couple of useful ideas for the other trap tunnels on that page too. I suggest building minde first, as it requires little to no metal and can be built gradually, being fully armed and operational all the while.
* if military dwarves or war dogs or caravan guards see&can path to the goblins in the grinder, they'll rush in and probably die screaming, especially as goblin weapon lords tend to be alive and kicking after crossing the weapon trap.
** bowgoblins will shoot back. If it's a siege, try to divert that squad elsewhere, let other people's traps deal with them. If it's an ambush, wait till all the cages are full and all the traps are jammed, then rush them with everything you have.
Oh, and for weapon traps: large daggers brought by snatchers work very well.