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World 3: Athira Liceva "The Plane of Legends"
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Adventure Mode
note: I don't remember the name of this character the exact place this happened, just thought it was ironic.

-Twist of Fate-

 A strong human axeman spotted the cave he and his comrades had been tasked to search. They were to find a
giant named "lightningclaps" and slay him. They hade already killed a ratman that had ventured outside the
cave, presumably searching for food to carry back into its dark home. The axeman was heavily burdened by his
iron armor, but he stood solidly against any questions about the matter; he was strong enough to handle it;
surely if they got into trouble, the others would be wishing they had thought to prepare themselves so fully
against injury.
 The party of six entered the cave and the axeman - elected party leader by the reluctant consent of the
others - led them down a wide hallway to the left.
 After not too many steps an antman stepped from the shadows into the feeble light that the torch provided.
The axeman had said it before; he was strong enough to handle these things. He walked toward the insectoid
creature, raising his axe as the antman's armored claws rapidly taped and scraped the ground, bringing it
forward to meet him. The creature had no chance; before they were even within attacking range the axe had
begun its downward swing. It fell upon that thin connective tissue that connected the antman's abdomen to
its main body; splitting it in two like a woodcutter through a rotten branch. The creature emitted a high
pitched series of clicks and skrieks that even one of another species could  recognise as swearing. Then
the antman twitched its last. The party looked at the axeman with a bit of newfound respect; maybe he
actually was as talented as he claimed.
 The stone corridor was not long; a good thirty or so steps found them at the end, looking into a fairly
large room. Then a terrifying voice boomed, "I AM EROD LIGHTNINGCLAPS-PREPARE TO DIE!!!" The voice was so
deep and loud it caused their bodies and armor to vibrate, and it left their ears ringing afterwords, but
even so, they had to fight this terrible monster; it was why they were here. The axeman fought and overcame
his fear; he would back up his claim to strength and show the others that he was worthy to lead them! He
charged towards the giant, whom one of his comrades was already fighting desperately against. He could see
his friend's hammerblows glancing harmlessly off of the savage brute's thick muscles. While the giant was
occupied, he once again raised his axe and then brought it dow with it's full weight, but then the giant
shifted. Had he been able to comprehend it, he still might not have believed it; even if the giant moved, a
sharp axe couldn't possible glance off without leaving so much as a shallow cut; yet that was what had just
happened. He may not have harmed the monster, but it had felt the blow; he had not even the time to
comprehend what had just happened before the giant had spun around with unnatural agility and brought a fist
the size of a small boulder down upon the warrior's head. It was smashed, the iron helmet crumpling against
the raw force of the blow. In a strange twist of fate, the party's leader was struck down.

 The surviving members of the party would never know that what the man who had boasted so boldly of his
strength had actually been telling the truth...

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In short, just after cutting an antman into two clean pieces on the first hit, I was confronted by a giant, who deflected my first attack and responded by turning my head into homogeneous slush. These were this warriors first two battles ever; he was wearing iron from head to toe.

I very much agree! I'm not sure, but from what I've seen, running perpendicular to an archer's aim doesn't decrease your chances of being hit. If it did it would add a much needed tactical aspect to fighting against projectiles.

I had a thought earlier. One addition to the current armor that would improve some aspects of play would be a tower shield. It could be considerably heavy but give you full protection from projectiles in the direction you were moving. It's weight would slow you down so it would still be balanced. Maybe while you were holding up the shield your frontal vision would be limited? If you were hiding behind a big shield so that you wouldn't get hit by arrows, I don't think you'd be poking your head around to look at the one firing them at you... but maybe having it block your vision would be going overboard.

It wasn't really gruesome, but it was a funny coincidence. I've posted the story in this thread;  http://www.bay12games.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000214

Using the vaporizing stones, something interesting might be possible. Could one make a type of stone that only vaporized when it hot air? So you could be mining along, when suddenly[!] the stone you just revealed begins to hiss and deadly vapors burst forth! If one was clever, it might even be possible to close in the vapor, using it as a trap for any sieges in the future.

I don't know if this is possible, but I think that mad dwarves would make good protection from sieges. If one could somehow get them into rooms near the entrance to the fortress, keep them fed, then open the doors when a siege started, they would make very capable instant defenses.

Could this be done, and how?

I know what you mean about the lack of comments. My story, "The Chronicles of Pickseals", sort of got postponed when I noticed no one was commenting. Then when I went back yesterday to check the topic, I noticed that people had suddenly started commenting, asking me to keep doing it. So just because no one comments at first, it doesn't mean they aren't watching.  

Now, all that is left is to preserve it for the times to come. The wiki awaits with open arms.

I usually tend to avoid stories like this, but I mean it when I say I enjoyed it. You're doing pretty good job when you can get someone who tends to dislike the type of story you're writing to stick with it through the whole thing.

I have admired a fine ☼Story☼ recently.

Here you go, as promised (although a day later than I'd hoped)!

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CH. 4, striking hope
Finally, truly good news greeted the ears of the dwarves as Tobul described the underground river he had
found. But it was already late fall, so perhaps farming would have to wait... and what was that peculiar
color in the stones across the river? Tobul recognized some copper; the shaft he had just dug was
positively lined with blue-green malachite, but there was something else... the light shining down through
a crack in the mountain above reflected temporarily against the wall in question and there was no doubt in
the experienced miner's mind. Tobul was overjoyed; raw galena ore! He was convinced now that that was where
their future lay. He had struck more than water; he had struck hope. But first... would they be able to make
it through winter?
 

CH. 5, of highs and lows and Dwarven honor
In preparation for winter, the first and most important thing to do was take inventory of the food stocks;
32 measures of meat (18 of which they had recieved from the traders), plus 2 of turtle and 4 plump helmets
left over from the initial supply. So it seemed that they didn't need to worry about being fed in the cold
months to follow; news that greatly lightened the spirits of the dwarves, making them temporarily forget that
they had no ale. There was one dwarf who was not so joyful, however. Erib (the injured carpenter) was not
coping well with being stuck in bed. He was a worker, and being active was how he usually dealt with
hardship. He couldn't even enjoy his sleep, as shooting pains in his leg would interrupt any form of
unconscious state he managed to achieve.
 

Meanwhile, as the other dwarves rested in preparation for the cold season to come, Mistêm was restless as
well. The carpenter's situation weighed on his conscience, as he felt that somehow Erib's injury was
partially due to his failure to watch his comrade's back. So while the others were still asleep, he got a
drink from the well, grabbed some tools, and made his way toward Kol Vabôkrazot's tomb, as was his recent
habit.

Since a few days prior he had tasked himself with smoothening the walls of the tomb, allowing him time to
think by himself as well as pay his respects to the metalsmith; a task which in the dwarven world was
carried out by action, not words. Blood by sweat, sweat by blood; that was how real respect was given, and
how the dead were repaid. In time the room, fully smoothed, would be etched with engravings, as was customary
in dwarven tombs. Then it would be sealed off permanently for the duration of the fortress' life.
 
One bed empty...
 
Mistêm sneaks out to work since he can't sleep.

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I've been following the actual events very closely. I think it's pretty neat how Mistêm has brought himself forward as a sort of main character; he's just ended up in the middle of the action. I've sort of "adopted" him as my personal dwarf; the one that stands above the rest.

The next chapters will cover the dawning and survival (or not) of Winter. Since I'm writing by simply recording each event as it happens and while I play, I'm just as much in the dark as the readers as to what might happen next. I'm actually feeling rather confident about winter, but I'm not going to drop my guard; any experienced dwarf knows that food doesn't ensure good times when there is an unhappy dwarf in the fortress.

I will not begin the double-detailing of Kol's tomb until spring; the artworks upon its walls will record Pickseals' first year (if engraver be willing).