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Author Topic: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)  (Read 22510 times)

DS

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             Correspondence from Syrupurns
                      a Dwarf Fortress tale

                      introduction:

    Simply put, this thread is an in-character narration of my current fortress, Syrupurns, presented in the form of a collection of letters, delivered to the capital whenever a dwarven caravan successfully leaves the map after trading. While it is primarily an independent work and not a community fortress in the traditional sense, I am leaving the fort open to community involvement. In these early years of the fortress, participation is limited to writing correspondence to Syrupurns. Once the thread has developed into a more traditional narrative (i.e. when the queen migrates, and there is no more need for written correspondence), I suppose community involvement could also become much more direct.

    In many ways, Syrupurns may be considered a sequel to Weatherwires. The grand scope of an excavation megaproject lies at the center, although I predict (and hope) that the emergent storyline in Syrupurns may prove to be very different in nature than Weatherwires. I am aiming to improve upon a number of "mistakes" I made while narrating Weatherwires - most notably including my decision to begin the narration from the very beginnings of the fortress, and also my unwillingness to use DFHack and other third party applications, besides Therapist and visualizers. By doing the former, I hope to finally follow up on a promise I made to another forumite to produce a "guide" of sorts for those who wanted to do projects of a similar scope as the great dome of Weatherwires. As well, I hope that beginning the story at the beginning will prove to be more compelling. As far as my abstinence from DFHack, Runesmith, etc., there were certain bugs which arose over the course of Weatherwires' 100+ years of gameplay. These bugs became parts of the story, it is true, but I could not really report them to Toady, since I'd used mods of a fairly invasive nature. With Syrupurns, I will be able to report any strange bugs that occur - certainly based on observations in Weathewires, there may be some very interesting ones. The only exception here is that I have and will continue to use alternative save files and DFHack to glean extra information about the world and the characters, for strictly storytelling purposes.

    Lastly, I'd like to point out that, except for a few arbitrary decisions here and there, I will try and let certain systems already in place in the game - justice and military training, primarily - serve their purpose without any help from me. That means no danger room type exploits, and no punishing of nobles or other dwarves due to my own knowledge as the player. If a vampire is in the fortress, it's up to the captain of the guard to figure out what's going wrong before it's too late.

    Enjoy reading,
      DS
« Last Edit: August 26, 2013, 04:01:37 pm by DS »
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Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
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DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2013, 06:31:10 pm »

    prologue:

11th Sandstone, 100, Mid-Autumn

    Her Royal Majesty
    Ùshrir Eldersalve
    Queen of the Dagger of Wards

Your majesty,

    Firstly, let me humbly thank your majesty for your kind words concerning my accomplishments here in Workgold. Due to your majesty's preference to remain in Sacksquid, I feared you might never view my architectural designs in person. It pleases me greatly to know that word of the designs I have implemented here has reached you in the capitol, and that you were so impressed. Let me assure your majesty of the essential truth of the reports, but I have a few corrections. The ceiling of the great hall here in Workgold is fourty-seven urists high, although I understand how one not trained in building design might have underestimated the distance. What was reported to you concerning the baroness' quarters is correct, assuming that there was nothing else aside from what you included in your last letter.

    Concerning my appointment, I will of course serve as your faithful architect-in-chief and leader of the expedition. I have already begun to draw up plans for a new fortress that will fulfill your majesty's impressive guidelines. The scope of what you describe is feasible, but I will need as many workers as the realm can devote to such a project. In the end, what I envision will dwarf Workgold in size, and shall serve as a grand improvement upon ancient Sacksquid. This new fortress shall be, as your majesty put it, a utopia.

    I will need the talents of many workers. Of course, a few dedicated miners will be necessary for digging out a self-sufficient staging area near the surface from which we will manage the excavation. Two farmers, for food and alcohol production. A woodworker, of course, but I would prefer our miners to handle any stoneworking that might be necessary during the first months. That ought to suffice, until we can safely provide for more.And now, your majesty, I must confess some reservations regarding the location of the fortress, which you detailed in your last letter. As I examine my map, your coordinates seem to be directly between the elven forest retreats Fecicièbire and Vaficeepeve, in our tongue Glitterraced and Drunkensparkles. The elves may not suffer our presence lightly, although they have always been friendly to us in the past. Now, we tread on holy ground for them - the Jungle of Suns is a blessed place, with herds of unicorns and feather trees.

    There is a worse danger that far south as well. You must be aware that foul necromancers reside beyond the Jungle of Suns. Esminzostra lies within the cold Forest of Selling, not far from the icy southern shores of the Windy Oceans. Once they become aware of our presence, they will besiege us with countless undead. For such a project as this, there is too much at stake, and every additional enemy - let alone the armies of the damned - is an unnecessary hazard that could jeopardize huge amounts of the realm's resources. Why not relocate? The foothills of the Mortal Spine lie a short walk to the north. We have built our fortresses there for a hundred years, and the Dagger of Wards has flourished. The wealth of the Jungle of Suns will still be at our disposal, but we would have our ancestral home at our back! I will, of course, trust your majesty's wise judgement in all matters, but please consider my appraisal of the situation.

    Please find attached my requisition for supplies.



    I will make arrangements for a replacement manager here at Workgold who can oversee the completion of my last projects here, soon after which I will depart for Sacksquid. Expect me to arrive early in Moonstone.

    Praise Doren,
      Reg Labormurder
      Grand Architect
      Mayor of Workgold

« Last Edit: August 18, 2013, 09:18:16 pm by DS »
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Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2013, 09:03:49 pm »

18th Timber, 101, Late Autumn

    Her Royal Majesty
    Ùshrir Eldersalve
    Queen of the Dagger of Wards

Your majesty,

    Greetings from Syrupurns!

    In these past nine months, much progress has been made. The three miners I selected have proven most useful - they have completely excavated a preliminary fortress beneath the surface, containing bustling stone, wood, and food industries. The dining hall is dug out of a large cluster of magnetite, complete with a long table hewn of raw magnetite. Before you grow indignant of our wanton use of iron ore for base furniture, be aware that we have no shortage of raw metals at our disposal. Ber Rungworked, a talented dwarf with a good skill at mining, masonry, and mechanics, assures me that there are no less than two full magnetite clusters nearby, and possibly a few more further beneath.




    Syrupurns promises to be a wealthy fortress indeed. The uppermost cavern layer, which has already been explored by the careful carving of tunnels and fortifications, is laced with native gold. We have dug shafts through layers of rock that contain malachite and tetrahedrite, ores of copper and silver, respectively. We beg that your majesty may send a metalcrafter, so that we might mint valuable coins for your royal vault. Rest assured that the wealth of Syrupurns remains at your personal disposal, and will remain unclaimed by any of your obedient thralls, in accordance with your wise edicts.



    Our new bookkeeper, Îton Weightfences, has compiled this year's annual census, as I hope he will be able to continue doing from now on. A fisherdwarf by trade, Îton shows great promise as a record keeper, and I am sure his patience will serve you well.




    Now, there is a grave issue of which I must inform you.



    This past Galena, several undead dwarves wandered into the area. We tried to seal the fortress in time, but one of the rotting corpses managed to get past the drawbridge before it could be raised (although one foul creature was caught between the rising blocks and was crushed). Good Ber Rungworked took his pick to the monster and saved the fortress, the others left the map before they could be dealt with. It is the business of necromancers to speak to the dead, and so I feel sure that at least one of the sorcerers will return in force to lay siege to Syrupurns. If you have any brave warriors to spare, we could certainly use their skills.



    Winter fast approaches. We have food and drink to last until the spring, when we are sure the elves will finally deign to contact us. I eagerly look forward to informing you of our progress in the coming year when you receive my next letter in the autumn.



    Consider Doren,
      Reg Labormurder
      Grand Architect
      Expedition Leader of Syrupurns
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2013, 12:00:49 pm »

1st Opal, 103, Mid-Winter

    Her Royal Majesty
    Ùshrir Eldersalve
    Queen of the Dagger of Wards

Your majesty,

    I can only hope that Ast Walldimple, your faithful servant and outpost liaison, will survive the return journey and see this letter reaches you. He assures me of his skill as a ranger, so I do not think my hope is misplaced. We shall see.



    Your majesty is, of course, curious as to why this and last year's caravan have failed to return from Syrupurns. Last year, in mid-summer, a goblin ambush forced us to close our doors. Not too much trouble, of course - I had recently overseen the construction of a trapped corridor, designed to cage any foe who sought to enter your majesty's fortress. While we were reloading the traps, the caravan arrived from the mountainhome, and that was when the foul sorcerers struck. Their hordes of undead - the animated corpses of your own slain subjects, your majesty - tore the caravan apart just outside the entrance. We could hear the entire affair, echoing through the raised bridges, until there was no sound besides the shuffling of feet and the damned incantations of those necromancers raising the merchants and their guards into unlife.

    I am pleased to report - however bittersweet such a report may be - that we have captured those sorcerers that laid siege to Syrupurns. Four necromancers now lie caged in a dark corner of the fortress, where they may be put to your majesty's judicious use. Please advise.









    I can assure your majesty that all of the undead dwarves will be given proper burials. We are still dealing with those in cages, but our refuse stockpiles are overflowing, despite our masons churning out coffins. In time, each one of your subjects will receive their deserved respite.



    As for this year's caravan - well, Ast himself can give you an eyewitness report. He watched with his own eyes as two goblin ambushes descended upon the merchants, slaying several. A handful of caravan guards survived, however, and may live to tell you the tale in person.

    More joyous news - the Scoured Spider laid siege to us this past year, but their strength was not enough to pierce the walls of Syrupurns. The entire army was captured in cages, and even now the warriors are being stripped of weapons and thrown down into a deep pit. No goblin yet has survived the thirty-six Urist drop, although we suspect a few of the undead we threw down there may have "survived," in their own way. I was surprised to see that no trolls accompanied these goblins - instead, they brought with them several monstrous blizzard men from the far south. I will save these exotic creatures for your majesty's menagerie.




    Unfortunately, the trap corridor can only do so much. A squad of crossbow goblins holed up inside the corridor, refusing to move further in or to leave entirely. Most of our meager military was sacrificed to rout these remaining foes, which nearly resulted in a tantrum spiral. Praise Doren, we are lucky that did not happen, or I may not have been here to write you this letter! In any case, work has been directed towards a new defense system, which will seamlessly integrate into my grander architectural plans. Ast was here to see some groundbreaking progress - I hope he will relate the details to you, if you are interested.



    Regarding those plans, the proportions have been set and surveying completed. I fully expect to begin excavation within three years. Things are still too hectic in Syrupurns to move into the initial stages of the project - with these necromancers and the goblins laying siege to us every year, not to mention ambushes, it is necessary for me to ensure the complete safety of every dwarf in Syrupurns.

    On an unrelated note, has her majesty tasted unicorn? It is utterly delightful.



    Walk with Doren,
      Reg Labormurder
      Grand Architect
      Mayor of Syrupurns
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2013, 09:12:15 pm »

13th Moonstone, 104, Early Winter

    Her Royal Majesty
    Ùshrir Eldersalve
    Queen of the Dagger of Wards

Your majesty,

    Please accept my sincerest apologies concerning my previous misunderstanding. I had assumed that, since your majesty had never shown any objection before to the shared dormitories of Workgold, the same sleeping arrangements would be acceptable here at Syrupurns. I shall endeavor in the future not to make bold assumptions concerning your majesty's will. Please know that, as I write this, fully forty new bedrooms have been dug out and furnished, and I am ordering the placement of over a hundred more. I will not rest until your majesty's wish has been fulfilled, that each and every dwarf in Syrupurns has a bedroom to call their own.



   Perhaps the joyous news I now report will placate your majesty's righteous anger. I am pleased to reveal that during the Scoured Spider's recent siege against Syrupurns, all of their number was captured - all of their number, including Nagnod Mountainpulp himself! The Granite Crystalline Iron has ruled as master of the Scoured Spider for these forty years gone, but now he is ruler over naught but a cell of smooth chert and a few rough onyxes.




   There is also at least one necromancer still terrorizing from Esminzostra, in our tongue Perfectbalanced. While Nagnod and his army were prowling about the countryside, searching for a weakness in Syrupurns' defenses (I assure you, there are none), the sneaking sorcerer continually reanimated corpses and directed them against the goblins.



   This past year I have worked hard on completing the plans for the great cavern. As I am sure you are aware, there are a great number of very complicated calculations to be made, but I can assure you that excavation will continue as planned within two years. Once the defensive chimney is completed, a large portion of the workforce in Syrupurns can be redirected away from hauling. Currently, a great deal of those who reside here spend their days hauling trash from one point to another - the worst, I hope, is past.

   I have given Tulon Crowdedcanyons, your new liaison (what happened to the old one?) the grand tour, including a close look at my plans for the excavation project. Please refer to her for any specific questions regarding the details, as they are too numerous for me to include in this letter.

    Praise Doren,
      Reg Labormurder
      Grand Architect
      Mayor of Syrupurns
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2013, 09:16:58 pm »

20th Opal, 104, Mid-Winter

Your Majesty -

    I have safely returned from Syrupurns, and am prepared to give a full report on Reg Labormurder's exploits there.

    You may find some aspects of her fortress planning to be quite... interesting. I'm inclined to say she's rather eccentric, but I am not one to second-guess your majesty's decision to appoint her.

    Please advise a time for us to meet.

    - Tulon Crowdedcanyons
      Outpost Liaison
      Sacksquid

P.S.
    What happened to Ast Walldimple? I suppose I can ask you when we meet in person.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2013, 10:21:41 pm by DS »
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Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2013, 12:33:10 am »

3rd Moonstone, 106, Early Winter

    Her Royal Majesty
    Ùshrir Eldersalve
    Queen of the Dagger of Wards

Your majesty,

    Glad tidings from Syrupurns! In spite of the complete destruction of last year's caravan, these have been a highly productive - if tedious - last two years in what is shaping up to be your majesty's finest fortress.

    Where to begin? Every industry in Syrupurns excels. Working together, our mechanics and animal trainers have captured and tamed local populations of wolves and skunks. Just this past seasons, two litters of nearly docile wolf pups were born! We fully expect litters of skunk kits soon, but I must admit that I am more excited about the prospect of packs of trained war wolves than I am about swarms of tame skunks.



    Additionally, we have captured no less than thirty-one unicorns! Since the capture of three separate herds, no more have arrived - our trainers, who fail in every attempt to train the wild-spirited creatures, seem convinced that these may be all the unicorns that lived in this area, and thus the last that Syrupurns is likely to ever see.

    One of our training armorers, Tun Lashtool (a lad of fifteen!) was taken with a fey mood mere days ago, and just yesterday produced a marvelous brass breastplate, The Luck of Passing. The armor is emblazoned with a piece of art in your majesty's honor!



    As mayor, my regular mandates for more shields is met with great ease, thanks to our skilled leatherworkers. Recently, however, my demands went unheeded. Your majesty will be happy to know that her harsh but fair justice is being executed here in Syrupurns to the highest standards of dwarven satisfaction.
   



    And of course, as promised, excavation of the eventual grotto itself has begun this year. All that remains now is the arrival of more migrants - yet, as of recently, few have come from the mountainhome. I beg your majesty's understanding in the matter of providing a necessary task force for a project of this magnitude. As of yet, many dwarves have died - I do hope that Syrupurns is not spoken of in poor words back in Sacksquid.

    Sadly, I must report the passing of Ber Rungworked, our captain of the guard. In a horrible misunderstanding, Ber ran outside during a necromantic siege while the rest of the fort remained burrowed inside. The horrific monsters struck him down, but not before he slew a few of their number.



    The new captain, Lorbam Flanktrades, who came to Syrup urns in 103 when he was only 11, is already a competent fighter. He is leading his squad of his peers, all recently come of age and unskilled in anything outside of fighting, with using whips we gathered from goblin sieges. These monstrous weapons will serve our fortress well, although we do not know the secret of their construction.

    The defensive chimney, complete with four layers of retracting bridges has been completed! It performs its function - precisely speaking, the dropping of enemies thirty-four urists down into solid rock - extremely well. We have only tested the device once - against a necromantic siege. The undead destroyed this past summer's human caravan, and we captured another of the foul sorcerers in our cage traps. With no need to muck up our traps with useless undead, we opened instead the newly completed chimney.



It worked against most of the monsters.



But some proved more... resilient.

 

And... I regret to inform your majesty that the defensive chimney, at this time, had not been recently completed.



No perimeter had been constructed to prevent something from entering the fortress in the event that they made it past the bridges at the top of the chimney. In addition, the far lower exit of the chimney led into the mine network we had dug. In the confusion, some of your majesty's subjects perished... a few of no reputation.

The captain of the guard (by this time, Lorbam Flanktrades had replaced Ber Rungworked) and our militia commander (Unib Lancerpassage, a marksdwarf) mobilized inside the refuse stockpile and dining hall, respectively.



They successfully held off any undead from breaking free of the maze of tunnels beneath Syrupurns. Shortly thereafter... another threat appeared in the depths.




The monster scared off a handful of masons, then returned to sit smugly atop our lone emergency water source.



The militia commander bravely led his squad of marksdwarves into the mines, and all it took was a single precise shot to make the forgotten beast collapse into a pile of snow.



I am of course aware of the incredible gravity of such situations. Things could have gone much more poorly than they did - but let that be a testament, if your majesty pleases, to my skill as a fortress mayor and manager. Let me personally assure your majesty that I will take great lengths to continue to ensure the safety and happiness of each one of your servants here.

Our latest census.



    Give yourself to Doren,
      Reg Labormurder
      Grand Architect
      Mayor of Workgold

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 26, 2013, 12:36:36 am by DS »
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2013, 01:15:56 pm »

This is excellent!

I can't wait for more!
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DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2013, 10:30:15 pm »

Thanks! Things will be going rather slow from now on, as the semester has just started for me.

For those who are interested, I took a few Stonesense pictures - here's the magnetite hall in Syrupurns. As indicated in an earlier post, the tables and chairs are also hewn from magnetite.



Here is the workshop area and the highest level of bedrooms. Also visible is the trapped demon master of the goblins.



And the exterior of the fort, including the curtain wall and the current primary entrance. The vegetation is all bubble bulbs and feather grass, hence the rather pleasant looking landscape.

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Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2013, 01:49:15 am »

14th Timber, 107, Late Autumn

    Her Royal Majesty
    Ùshrir Eldersalve
    Queen of the Dagger of Wards

Your majesty,

    It is wonderful to be able to welcome your majesty's liaison to the outpost with rather increased capacity for safety than last year. The flaws in the defensive chimney have been sealed and successfully tested for success. Another goblin siege came - presumably, the idiot creatures hope to liberate their cruel master, who lies sealed deep beneath the fortress. Curiously, a number of the invaders - a speardwarf, mace lord, a troll, and two blizzard men, to be specific - managed to survive the long fall from the bridges.



    The fortress guard sprang into action. With a deft assault down the steep up and down staircase that leads to the mines just above the caverns, Lorbam Flanktrades managed to slay the troll in a curious chain of events. The troll grabbed Lorbam up in one fist and threw him mightily - up into the air apparently, because Lorbam came crashing back down onto the troll. The troll lost it's footing and fell down the staircase, bruising its stomach as it landed further down the staircase. Lorbam continued to fall, and connected with the troll again, who lost its footing... and so on, until the troll landed skull-first on the rough hewn mineshaft floor. Our plucky captain of the guard, only fifteen years old, presumably remained uninjured because he was repeatedly landing upon a troll, not a rocky staircase.



Curiously, the whips wielded by the Fortress Guard failed to break through the skulls of the blizzard men. These monsters crawled about with broken bones for days while the guard lashed their heads repeatedly, to no avail.



Finally, the Fair Axes were sent to deal with the blizzard men. The militia captain Îton Sunkstandards, wielding the Mean Threat, the artifact steel battle axe, decapitated both with a single hack. He is now known by his fearsome battle name, which will be borne on forever, inscribed upon the indestructible haft of the Mean Threat.



    As for the safety of the caravan, a new airlock chamber has been dug out and connected to the fortress near the crafts area. In this way, the depot can be made freely available to those who choose to travel to Syrupurns. Once they enter the area of the depot itself, the outer bridges are raised, and the inner ones can be lowered so that goods or words may be exchanged.



    Work continues upon the upper tip of the grotto. We are digging from the top down, excavating the roof bit by bit as the miners go deeper. As I'm sure you could expect, we can only dig a short ways down before having to dig out everything on that level - otherwise, we run the risk of a collapse. There is no fast way to do this, but it is the method we used in Workgold, and it is proving very safe.



    Unfortunately, no coins have been minted yet here at Syrupurns, though I may yet have reason to do so. Ustuth Abyssglaze tells me that you have decided to raise Syrupurns into a barony - what wonderful news! As we have these early years, we shall continue to unceasingly expand and grow, facing each disaster with the great caution I assured you I would maintain.





    Of course, I can think of no better dwarf to serve as your true servant and leal lord of what will become your capital. I have overseen the project so far, but my duties extend beyond that that of the job I have fulfilled so far. I must continue to plan and manage the construction of your majesty's greatest fortress, a massive and vast endeavor which will serve as the home of our race until the end of the world. Let the duties of mayor fall to some dwarf with a true heart, but more time.

 - - - -

18th Opal, 107, Mid-Winter

    I hope that Ustuth will properly update you on the state of Syrupglaze in the most detailed of details, once she returns to Sacksquid. For two months she has followed me about the fortress, discussing the state of our trade agreements during my few moments of free time. As such, she has gotten to see many more parts of the fortress than her predecessors - including a new contraption which we hope will capture a useful forgotten beast or two for a project I have in mind.



    Since Ustuth has joined us in her stay, the pair of cougars we captured in traps have given birth to triplets. As well, many of our wolf cubs and skunk kits have grown into completely tame adults. Once we have enough tame breeding pairs, the animals can be set loose in the fortress as a kind of automatic, auxiliary defense. I will admit that I am not excited at the prospect of having dozens of skunks running about the fortress, tame or otherwise.







    In two months we have made progress on the great project. One urist and a half. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but I assured your majesty in the beginning that it would take time.



I must admit, however, that the method is not completely safe. For young dwarven children, even the shortest of drops can be dangerous.



At least four have died from these short falls of a single vertical urist, where the rock is dug out from under them and they tumble down onto the rubble. No sacrifice is to great for the glory of your majesty's royal decree.

    I offer my deepest gratitude, as always, for your continued support of our grand cause.

    Speak the praises of mountains,
      Reg Labormurder
      Grand Architect
      Mayor of Syrupurns
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2013, 02:44:31 pm »

4th Obsidian, 107, Late Winter

Your Majesty -

    It is good to be back.

    As we speak, I am going over the notes I diligently took during my month in Syrupurns. Have you read Labormurder's letter? Please let me know if she left anything out that you're curious about, and I will of course fill in the blanks. I saw much of the fortress, and am prepared to describe in complete detail.

    Ustuth Abyssglaze
      Outpost Liaison
      Sacksquid
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Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

Russell.s

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2013, 11:03:17 pm »

DS, I love reading your updates. When I was quite new to df I read through Weatherwires obsessively. I've played quite a few forts now, and have survived several of the harder challenges, but I still get that new-game-thrill reading through your posts. You manage to bring your fortress to life so well. I'm inspired to embark on a treacherous biome somewhere and chronicle the events of the fort.
What exactly are you going to build this time?

Keep up the great work :).
« Last Edit: August 30, 2013, 11:06:14 pm by Russell.s »
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DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)
« Reply #12 on: August 31, 2013, 11:24:39 am »

DS, I love reading your updates. When I was quite new to df I read through Weatherwires obsessively. I've played quite a few forts now, and have survived several of the harder challenges, but I still get that new-game-thrill reading through your posts. You manage to bring your fortress to life so well. I'm inspired to embark on a treacherous biome somewhere and chronicle the events of the fort.
What exactly are you going to build this time?

Keep up the great work :).

Many thanks! One of the greatest things about Weatherwires was how inspired other people were to work on grand projects of their own, so I'm glad this story has the same ability.

As for what I'm going to build in Syrupurns... well. There's a good portion of it I'd like to remain silent about - I will say that I spent some time in legends mode, as well as prospecting for an interesting site with DFHack and an alternate copied save file, to find a site where I could reasonably expect certain eventual outcomes. In more general terms, I'm designing another subterranean city, but I haven't actually planned it out just yet. In the end, I aim to have a megastructure that spans nearly the entire verticality of the map.
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.

Russell.s

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)
« Reply #13 on: August 31, 2013, 04:47:51 pm »

Many thanks! One of the greatest things about Weatherwires was how inspired other people were to work on grand projects of their own, so I'm glad this story has the same ability.

As for what I'm going to build in Syrupurns... well. There's a good portion of it I'd like to remain silent about - I will say that I spent some time in legends mode, as well as prospecting for an interesting site with DFHack and an alternate copied save file, to find a site where I could reasonably expect certain eventual outcomes. In more general terms, I'm designing another subterranean city, but I haven't actually planned it out just yet. In the end, I aim to have a megastructure that spans nearly the entire verticality of the map.

Let me guesssssssss... your queen is actually an amphibious turtle woman, and you're building a giant aquarium to house her!? :P

Sounds exciting. I'll be reading your updates!
I started on a fort of my own too and began taking story notes. There's already been disaster and a reclaim though.
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DS

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Re: Correspondence from Syrupurns - A Dwarf Fortress Tale (picture heavy)
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2013, 02:11:41 am »

Many thanks! One of the greatest things about Weatherwires was how inspired other people were to work on grand projects of their own, so I'm glad this story has the same ability.

As for what I'm going to build in Syrupurns... well. There's a good portion of it I'd like to remain silent about - I will say that I spent some time in legends mode, as well as prospecting for an interesting site with DFHack and an alternate copied save file, to find a site where I could reasonably expect certain eventual outcomes. In more general terms, I'm designing another subterranean city, but I haven't actually planned it out just yet. In the end, I aim to have a megastructure that spans nearly the entire verticality of the map.

Let me guesssssssss... your queen is actually an amphibious turtle woman, and you're building a giant aquarium to house her!? :P

Sounds exciting. I'll be reading your updates!
I started on a fort of my own too and began taking story notes. There's already been disaster and a reclaim though.

Your guess is half right. Or maybe one quarter right. I'd say two fifths, to be perfectly fair, give or take.  8)

Good! I'm eager to see what you write up. I do love reading stories.

And no update today. Things will be getting sparse here as the semester gets into full swing and the amount of time spent paused in game increases. Rest assured that I intend to continue this fort to its grinding, bitter end.
Logged
Finished: Weatherwires, the Last Mountainhome. A tragic mix of Children of Men, City of Ember, and, uh, magma.
Stymied: Correspondence from Syrupurns, a prematurely ended narrative, told through annual updates.
In Progress: Roomcarnage, a fortress clinging to life beneath a haunted glacier.
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