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[Nordinkel]

CHAPTER FOUR

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As i see the maniac having his way with the remains of the "butchered" puppy (really, the look on Dhoors face after she left the butcher's workshop was maybe a little... too... satisfied... and... longing? at the same time? Wow, woman. just, wow.), my attention immideatly switches to the next maniac. It's the doctor lady, njneko. I kind of forgot about her lately, because i had other things to worry about than having my aching body parts attended to. This is probably why she tries to get my attention now of all times.

You see, if a dwarf of a certain profession gets bored because they do not have the means to show their expertise, they start to come up with things completely different from what they should be asking for.

Knowing this and the fact that njneko has grown more and more unpatient, i work up some plan to at least get one of the women to like me again.

"Listen, njneko, i know Life is kinda miserable for you right now. But you see, nobody has gotten hurt yet and i don't think you want to cure any mental diseases - if i'm wrong, you can start with any dwarf you find."

"Don't worry about it", she answers to my surprise. "It's my own fault."

"What does this mean now", i inquire, trying to figure out what this woman is thinking.

"What it means? It means that i should have known that nobody really cares about me."

Aaaaahh, now i see what this is. More passive aggressiveness. More dwarfettes being bitches. What did i expect.

"I mean", she continues with a bitter voice "I can sleep in a good room and all, but... but... nobody attends to my needs! You won't build me the hospital, Dhoor won't let me talk to her about giving me patients, i have no work to do whatsoever... And Chimerat only plants what she wants. Nobody cares about what i want. I'm BORED, man, and it's basically all your fault."

"Would you be quiet for just a second please", i interrupt her little speech.
"First: didn't you just say that it's YOUR fault, not mine?"

"WHAT? I- You little-"

"Second: Let's forget that you are bored and have a drink."



Yeah. It's the peasants again, trespassing. But this time i allowed them to.

I allowed them in because Tacomagic and Chimerat are not the only ones who can plot things.

You know, this might sound weird, but i seem to be here for some greater purpose.
Those times when i stood there, holding speeches, i felt it, deep down somewhere, that i'm not alone. Somebody is helping me, pushing me in a direction, and it's sure as hell not tacomagic.

I will show, them. I will show them all that Only Nordinkel draws the straws here.



Here they are, rolling their barrels up the mountainside besides the Miasma Depot like it's a goddamn race. They really DO want in, do they?

"You see", i explain to the doctor with a smile on my face, pointing to the group of ragged bums carrying the barrels to Glovedloved. "I'm a King, you know. And you are, too. Soon, you will have everything you ever want. But for now, let's start with enough Potato Wine to get us both wasted for a whole fucking week."

As the idiots stockpile the wine barrels i had made specifically for njneko and i sent them away again, i see her expression towards me turning into something completely different.

To figure out what happened after that is up to everybody's personal interpretation.


[Some days later]


Digger has finally let go of the wokshop he stole from us.
I gotta say he made some impressive shit with that wolverine corpse.

Never mind the fact that i had a perfectly fine puppy slaughtered by Dhoor, but tonnot thought it was funny to make me waste time by shooting down a wolverine first.







I tell everybody that yes, this is in fact a bin made out of puppy bone. I answer more detailed question with "Well, it's Dog bone, so who gives a shit if it's puppy or wolverine."

The important thing is, it won't leave Glovedloved. Digger however WILL LEAVE GLOVEDLOVED. He wasted enough of my time.

As soon as The Mountain was Peasant-free again, Tacomagic approached me with a serious look.

"EIGHT."

"EIGHT WHAT", i scream back at her because i was just busy watching the valley from above the Forest and she scared the EVERLOVING SHIT out of me.

"Eight trespassers. In only 2 months. We can't have this anymore."

"Look, maybe next time YOU try to prevent a mentally unstable dwarf from looking for bones in our fortress."

"This was a holy procedure! There is no stopping an inspired dwarf from creating a legendary artifact!"

"It's a stupid crate made out of puppy bone."

"I'm speaking about the other eight. The ones just walking up, carrying barrels."

"Oh. Those. Yeah, you're right. What heresy. Dhoor can smash their heads for all i care."

"That's not Dhoors responsibility. We need a wild card. Somebody independent."

And that's where everything snaps into place.

[Chimerat]

Fourth Entry: Suggestions for the Lazy

It seems Njneko might have an issue with the crops I've been planting. Unfortunately, I had come to this Fortress expecting to lead the culinary efforts of a new settlement. Nordinkel's little speech means that I'm a one she-Dwarf operation and if any other Dwarf would like something planted they can learn the fine art of putting a bloody seed in the ground!

If we didn't have this restriction, those who wanted to volunteer to be injured in some sort of minor way (maybe a fight with captive beasts or short, controlled falls) could also be allowed in the Fortress.

Unfortunately, we do have those restrictions, and I'm not of a mind to get stuck out in the rain and away from the Kitchen and Still which have been set up just right for my purposes here...

[Timeless Bob]

Musings of Doc Timeless, Gentledwarf Adventurer!

   The rumors about this place were truer than I had imagined.  I've arrived incognito, to find the weaknesses in these evil overlord's plans, but it seems they have several and aren't really worth my time at the moment.  I mean, who would ever brag about my exploits if I could rush into a supposedly fortified position yelling "BONES!" and be given entry without a second glance?  I'd be the laughingstock of the Orion Club if I ever told that story.  No, best to quietly set up a dojo in an inconspicuous area on a low hill somewhere and continue practicing my dwarf-jitsu.

[Tacomagic]

Excerpt from the journal of TacoMagic, Wood Queen of Glovedloved:

1st of Granite, 251,
That whole affair went far better than I expected.  This morning I cornered that little rat Nordinkel about allowing the prospectives into the mountain.  He threw a tantrum about the woes and trials of leadership and then told me that if I didn't think he was doing a good enough job, maybe I should spend a year in charge and see how difficult it truly is.  I think my glee at his proposal took him off guard; he locked himself in his room shortly after I accepted and has refused to do anything since.  As if him being useless was some kind of surprise or punishment to the rest of us.

Even so, I'm left in the delicate position of having to allow an additional dwarf to be sacrificed.  I've gone over the list a few times and have concluded that there are only four dwarves who meet the criteria.  I'm loath to allow this, but the damage is done.

The first candidate is obvious.  The sheriff, Skulls, is already a corrupt, violent, and shallow soul who would be little loss to the project if she were included in the sacrifice.  However, Skulls does serve a useful purpose out among the citizens, so she may be better kept as a tool we can utilize for molding the prospects.

The next is Digger.  While ostensibly a master craftsdwarf on his way toward true ascension, his recent willingness to allow himself near the corrupting force of the mountain disturbs me.  I cannot help but think his sudden mastery of bone work may have more to do with coveting the trappings of luxury than it does with wanting to further the Path of our race.  It may be better to sacrifice him before these potential aspirations are allowed to taint the others.

There is also MedicInDisguise who recently closed himself into the jeweler's workshop near the bedrooms.  I find it very suspicious that a self-proclaimed practitioner of the medical arts would be so quick to allow exposure the corrupting force of gems.  Even if his desire to master the art of gem cutting happens to be sincere, allowing such a dangerous skill to be practiced among the prospective would be unconscionable.

Finally, there is Onud Itlud.  Her bizarre insistence that dying clothes is somehow a worthwhile venture is ludicrous.  The very idea that something so vain could be part of the Path is absurd in the highest degree!  Even so, her name is known to me from the mountainhome as one of the foremost dyers in the land.  Such opulence within the mountain would increase the effectiveness of the sacrifice, so she is worth considering.

The rest are currently unskilled enough that I can safely exclude them as dwarves the others would view as candidates.  Hopefully the more disreputable members will make themselves known to me so that I may start 'awarding' them positions of power within the outer precinct.  That should make it easy to start rewarding them with fake accolades.  I must make a note that, whatever happens, I need to rendezvous with Skulls before the week is out.  It should be a simple matter of bribery to secure her as an agent among the prospects.

I will call a meeting of the founders this evening so that the choice can be made.

[Skullsploder]

Excerpts from the diary of Skulls, Sheriff of the Slum of Glovedloved

1st Obsidian 250
New month. New job. Only been here a couple days and some dwarf claiming to represent the Mountain came to me and offered me the chance to inflict pain. Dunno if he was genuine, but I'm taking it none the fucking less. These idiots in the slum here don't know their place.

8th Obsidian 250
Kill kill kill why won't anyone do something that lets me KILL.

20th Obsidian 250
Some trouble-makers went up into the Mountain carrying barrels. Claim to have been summoned by Nordinkel himself. We'll just have to punish them for their lies now won't we? Oh yes we will.

25th Obsidian 250
Heard rumour of someone training peasants to fight. Probably nothing, but must remember to investigate. Apprehended some children with fine toys. Obviously stolen from the caravan. Broke one of their wrists, will teach others not to steal.

2 Granite 251
The Wood-Queen wishes to speak to me. Congratulations unlikely? The peasants do not yet fear the Mountain as rightly they should. First they must fear me. They will fear me. The eight who brought barrels into Glovedloved will not try their stunt again. But it is not enough. More blood more pain more screams.

[Chimerat]

Fifth Entry: Random Voting?

We great the new year and...a change in leadership? When did that happen exactly?

Either way, we've been asked to select from four (seemingly completely random) migrants to include in our rather small workforce. At the meeting I got my vote out quickly as I was munching on one of my better made roasts, but not the best. It had meat and plants but no eggs or cheese. Not quite bland though, what with the various tiers of mincing I used while crafting it.

I think my choice will be helpful, having already proven his worth in making something useful. Also... Also, he's a male. Which means we'd have more choice in here than Nordinkel.

I just hope that doesn't create its own problems.

---


VOTE: Digger

[dwarobaki]

Silver Hammer Diaries 2

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So it looks like Nordinkel gave up his rulership. I'm not really happy about that. Now Taco's in charge. She can do whatever she likes as long as she leaves me alone, so I can practice and have some 'one on one sessions' with Nordinkel. And she wants us to choose someone to join our Mountain. How she managed to find four candidates among those dwarves?
For me there's only one interesting candidate, that boner-guy...

[Tacomagic]

Excerpt from the journal of TacoMagic, Wood Queen of Glovedloved:

7th of Granite, 251,

It has been a week and yet the others have not made their decision; some have chosen but others continue to beg more time.  I say let them have it; I've already come to terms that somebody must be admitted, and any of those four are the same as the others in my mind.

While they ponder, and while I wait for the 14th when I will address the prospects and officially take command of the project, I decided to take stock of the current situation of Glovedloved by looking at our books.  Or at least I would have if Nordinkel had thought to appoint anyone to the task of keeping records.  Since there were no records, I decided to approached the manager to see if he had any estimates of our stocks by way of outstanding jobs. As it turns out, I found that I couldn't approach the manager because, once again, we lacked one.

I will remedy both these issues immediately by appointing a Tax Collector to keep and enforce the books.  But, first I need a corruptible soul who can do this job.  I originally considered Skulls for the task, but I fear she may not be stable enough for bookwork.  I will have to think on this more closely over the next week.

The state of the Mountain and "the slums" (honestly, that is a poor name for the area devoted to the prospects, I shall have to change it as part of my stint as overseer) are a shambles to say the least.  The Mountain is barely more than some bedrooms, a farm, a storeroom, and some workshops; all of which are simply open to the world.  There are no less than two entrances to our holdings, neither of which can be secured against entry in any way.  No wonder Nordinkel couldn't keep the peasants out.  We'd have a hard time keeping anything at all out of the mountain as it stands.

I also found that, despite our agreement on the laws, Nordinkel saw fit to appoint Skulls rooms in Eastern Glovedloved.  There are to be NO exceptions to the doctrine!  To compound his crimes, I caught Nordinkel leading a team of engravers who were finishing the rooms.  The absolute nerve of that man!  I intend to cancel these illegal orders and hold Nordinkel accountable for his flagrant acts of lawlessness.  But that is for later.  For now I will placate him with comforting words and vanishingly few references to our engagement.  It is likely I will need to tap his skill with metals before too much longer, so punishment will have to wait until after he has outlived his use to me.

If it can be believed, the "slums" are in an even worse state.  A shamble of stockpiles surrounding some open-air workshops and a single hut outrageously claimed to be a dojo, whatever that is.  Ordin Tredlek's "The True Path" is somewhat vague on the particulars, but I am almost certain that righteous suffering of divine adversity does NOT require this level of squalor.  Certainly the rank odor that wafts across the mountain when the wind shifts cannot be an integral part of the Path.

Overcoming both of these design shortfalls will be my first work once I am appointed overseer next week.  It should not take much time at all given the preponderance of idle dwarfs that are plaguing us.

Finally there is the issue of food and drink.  Though I cannot know exactly how we stand until the new tax collector finishes tallying the books, it appears from the piles of libations and preserved roasts on the various stockpiles that there is more than enough to go around for the time being.  As such, I intend to order our hunters to reign in their blood-lust until further notice.  They are better used to put some order to this mockery of civilization.

I will of course leave Chimerat to her devices.  Between her gardens, still, and kitchen, I am confident that she will be able to keep up with the demands of the mountain for the foreseeable future.  Though I will mention that I would appreciate it if she spent a little less time fishing.

[Chimerat]

Sixth Entry: The More Things Change...

The transition has begun by degrees and Tacomagic came by the Fishery the other day and asked a few questions about our stores. I answered honestly that I'm not quite sure how much we had stored.

...I wonder if this is due to the fact that I'd offered the engravers who passed through some refreshments?

Oh well... Once we get a few more males and have a few moments to relax we'll have the pitter-patter of little boots, which means more hands at harvest time and more mouths to feed and throats to keep...un-parched!

[Skullsploder]

7th Granite 251
The Wood-bitch stopped me from accessing my bedchambers in the Mountain. Kill her? Torture? No. Otherwise, she informed me that I was near the top of the list for introduction into Mountain. Chambers back, but no more justice. Madness, despair. Polite no. She wants me to spy on other candidates instead. Eager yes. More power in exchange for easy work. Opinion on Wood-Queen-bitch? Good-bad. Knife edge.
Eyes open, ears down, fist raised.

8th Granite 251
I've found my new bedchambers. Someone built a hut in the middle of the Slum. Sign outside said "Dojo." Nonsense word? Must investigate, interrogate. Regardless, occupants will be evicted, this will be my new residence. Only larger. Dungeon will be added first...

9th Granite 251
One occupant of hut escaped without questioning, will find him later. For now, others are providing good fun information.

[Tacomagic]

Year 2: The rule of TacoMagic, Wood Queen of GloveLoved.  Preliminary Report.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

13th Granite, 251
Nordinkel finally turned over the reigns of leadership to me this evening.  About two weeks later than I was expecting at first, but I'll have to deal with a few missing days as best I can.

The first order of business as the new overseer is to take a full look at the two settlements as they stand now.

The Mountain:
Currently the Mountain of Kings (Peh, such an ignoble name) is divided into two sections.
The first is the two-story area that serves as the craft area on the upper level and the bedrooms on the lower.


The bedrooms are serviceable enough, though they could be more corrupt.  Without adequate corruption, the sacrifices will be worthless. The craft area is less impressive.  Currently it exists as a hodgepodge of shops and stockpiles, some of which are set out on the face of the mountain, open to both the world, and the prospects.  There's also a small dining area there with a random door.  I won't hazard a guess as to why the door is there  It's immediately serviceable, but a more organized shop area will be necessary at some point.

More disturbingly, there is no separation of this area.  Not so much as a lockable door keeping the prospects safe from the corruption.  This will be among the first things I remedy.

Lower down there is a chamber dedicated to forging metal placed just adjacent to the farmland, food shops, and trade depot of East Glovedloved.

This area is likewise open without any way to isolate it from the prospects.  It's also small and remote from the rest of the Mountain proper.  Once the new rout into the mountain has been established, all facilities in this area will need to be moved.

The "Slums":
This area is a complete shambles.  So I suppose it deserves the name.

Randomly placed shops, stockpiles sitting out in the open, and general squalor are the best things I can say about this area.  I would leave it as is were it not for the truly demonic smell wafting off of the area.  No.  The prospects must be taught to respect order!  If they are to become the epitome of all this is dwarf, they must learn how not to offend the nose!

Skulls Quarters:
There is also this area that I found.

It is beyond comprehension that Nordinkel would not only allow one of the prospects to live within the domain of the sacrifices, but also personally lead a team of carvers in making it among the most corrupt quarters in either domain!  Skulls was receptive, if not happy, to the idea that she move back in among the prospects.  I offered her the Dojo and the freedom to expand as she sees fit as a concession for the inconvenience.  And as a way of establishing a relationship of bribery.

What I could determine of the stocks is... not encouraging.  Mostly because nobody seems to know the full extent, or lack thereof, of the holdings of Glovedloved.


We have a number of animals, mostly dogs, that are largely running amok.  Kenneling, stabling, and whatever else one does to cage animals will be an important part of keeping the smell at bay.


The actual stocks of Glovedloved are a mystery to everyone.  The few things we know for certain is that we're almost out of doors, there aren't many weapons, and we're down to the last few pieces of cheese.


But, there's plenty of food.  So no-one is in danger of starving.  Though I'm told by Ordin Tredlek's "The Peak of Right" that a little hunger can go a long way toward purging the soul of corruption.  I will have to see about instituting a plump-helmet and water diet later along the Path.

The dwarves themselves are also a shambles.  With no manager to keep the prospects on task, many of them are wasting their potential.  Between both precincts, we have a full twenty-two dwarves, full half of which are doing nothing at all, and another five who are carrying items around the disheveled stockpiles.  This idleness will stop IMMEDIATELY.  I have told my sisters, and to a lesser-extent Nordinkel, that as of right now only Tonnat98 will be allowed to move anything to the stockpiles at all!  If you need a rock or a piece of wood or some other item to do a task, get one from wherever you can find it.  There are plenty of both laying around so it should not impact our labors overmuch.

I've similarly ordered Skulls to form a small squad of laborers to haul things around the slums.  Mostly drawing from the dwarves who have no real talent for any of the artisan labors we will need to build the Path.  Since they will be handling all manner of objects, some of which may contain the taint of wealth, Skulls is the obvious choice to oversee this group.  I'm sure her need to collect the taint will help remove any of these objects that make their way into the possession of the prospects. 

From now until completion of my reign, all will show dedication to fulfilling the PATH!

[Chimerat]

Seventh Entry: Paving Stones

I'm not quite sure why TacoMagic (she insists on the capital in the middle) is so set on paving a road. I suppose that'll help the trade caravans, but would our time not be better spent on making sure everyone has what they need to survive in this environment?

Maybe it's a new kind of Mood?

At least she's advised me to stick to my job and not pitch in on the lugging of the heavier items. The time wasted bringing just one lump of stone to a stockpile might cost us half a dozen Roasts! And she's also going to make things more practical, it seems. Maybe my new bedroom will be beside the farmland with the Still and Kitchen nearby? One can hope.

Still no news on the results of the voting though, which is a little odd. Oh well, back to letting the random comment slip about the cheese supplies being related to female animals that I can milk... A single Ewe will not do the trick. Especially if I need to share her with the other "half" of our population.

[Skullsploder]

13th Granite 251
Queen-Wood-bitch met me again today. Wants me to oversee haulers in the Slum. Says I can take what I want off them. Seems fair. Good deal. Orders are fun to give. Perhaps I should consider using them for more than just labour? Yes. Information, enforcement, many hands. Too few dwarves though, too little anonymity.  Must wait. Enforcers later, quiet bodyguards now. And so many shinies in the meantime.

[Timeless Bob]

12th of Granite, in the 251st year:

Journal of Doc Timeless, Gentledwarf Adventurer!

  That great oaf, "Skullz", has taken over my training dojo as his residence.  This won't do, not at all!  That dwarf is a stoolie and bully-minion if ever I saw one, which means that the "Nordinkel" who was supposed to be ruling the villains was, in fact, merely a figurehead!  I see now that it was TacoMagic that is the shadowy power behind the throne, and who has stepped to the fore as all such types are wont to do, to show her true hand!  As my nemesis, she presents a much greater challenge, and greater status at the Orion club once all's said and done.  Defeating the High Priestess of some Dark and Terrible Cult... that makes for a much greater tale!
  First, however, I must either defeat the minion, or co-opt him to my aid.  I shall see if one such as he can be goaded into a bout of fisticuffs, throw the match to "show him that I am not his equal", then "attempt to regain my honor" by offering to spar with him regularly and thus allow myself to become one of his confidantes and "errand boys".  By such subterfuge I should be able to continue my training and also become more fully able to infiltrate the evil conspirators inside the mountain.

[Tacomagic]

Gloveloved Year 2: Spring

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Year 2, Spring

Excerpt from the journal of an anonymous Dwarf:

14th Granite, 251,

This morning we gathered for the new overseer to give her speech.  Just as the late-morning sun crested from behind the mountain to stream its light down upon the opening of Mountain, we saw her.  She, resplendent in her pig tail finery, glistened like a fine, rotund gem in the light.  It was from this perch she announced herself to us.  This is my attempt to faithfully capture the entirety of her oration:

"Greetings to you, the prospects of Glovedloved!  I am afraid I am rather poor at speaking with the same engaging ferocity as my predecessor, so please bear with what humble words I am able to draw forth.

Today, I would like to talk to all of you about the strong smell!  We need to do something about it!  Seriously, it is making my eyes water and I cannot enjoy my breakfast if the wind picks up from the West!

Otherwise I think all that has been said to you previously should cover your needs for inspiration, if you indeed have any needs.  The Path lies before you, so chase it down with vigor fitting of Armok's chosen race!

But it is time to make the announcement you all have gathered for!  One has been chosen to join with the sa- denizens of the Mountain! I proclaim that Digger has been inducted into the Mountain and will henceforth reside there!  The first of you now walks among the Kings! 

And, finally, I would like to remind you all to not forget about bathing!  I know that we do not have soap yet, but even just a dip in the brook every other day would help things!"

I still quiver in remembrance of these words; they still echo in my soul as I put them to page.

Excerpts from the journal of TacoMagic Rigņthigėr, Wood Queen overseer of Glovedloved:

14th Granite, 251,
I've finished reworking all the labors.  That took longer than it really needed to.  Among the more important changes are the new Tax Collector, Kaladin, and Foreman, Omeganaut.  They will be handling the tasks related to book keeping and work management among the peasantry.  That should help alleviate all the idleness I observed in my overview of the precincts.  Both are very eager to see our way along the Path, so I expect they will prove to be valuable agents for our great work.



That settled, the first order of business was ordering Neblime to start working on our end of the neutral area that will serve as the separation between the two precincts. Meanwhile, I've passed orders to Omeganaut by way of Skulls to assemble some miners among the peasants and start digging on the western side of the same.



I also passed orders to Skulls to have the areas west and north of the shambled slums to be clearcut.  Trees disturb me greatly and I would like if there were far fewer of them among the prospects.  I've told Omeganaut that he may use the lumber to construct whatever buildings and furniture he thinks necessary to deal with the odor problem.  He has assured me that the olfactory offenses will be dealt with swiftly.

Indeed, I already see the outline of buildings and scaffolding springing up in West Glovedloved this very evening.

Finally, our zealous engraving crew was told to halt their work on Skulls' old quarters and instead to focus on producing rock blocks and stone furniture for construction.  There is a project that the Path will require that we must prepare the materials for.

Nordinkel is a special case among the engravers.  I have assigned him the task of smelting the pile of tetrahedrite that has built up over the past year.  The copper and silver will be necessary for fortifying the Path in the coming months.  As for me, I must endure his close proximity for the time being.  These metals will require large amounts of charcoal, and the wood furnace is directly next to the smelter and forge.  Armok strengthen me and stay me from throttling that man.

18th Granite, 251,



I saw Dhoors wandering by with a puppy under her arm and sickeningly gleeful look on her face.  Knowing her history with puppies, it did not take long to figure out what was in store for it.  I quickly snatched it and let Dhoors know that there were two male horses near the trade depot that wished to test her in combat.  Disappointment in the loss of a puppy to slaughter quickly gave way to a terrifying battle cry of joy.  It is fortunate for that puppy that we had two useless pack animals just waiting to be turned to meat.



I also saw that damn, pointless bridge again while watching the prospects toil.  Tomorrow morning I'm telling Neblime to take a large hammer to it.

19th Granite, 251,



Another puppy was born today.  Yet more wandering animals to add to the horrendous smell.  Once the neutral area is complete, I shall have to bend my mind to solving the issue of our overflowing puppy problem.  Preferably a solution that doesn't involve Dhoors.

20th Granite, 251,



Truly there is no end to the number of crimes Nordinkel is prepared to commit against the Path!  Once he is no longer of any use to me, I will see that he pays dearly for this.

And yet, perhaps this kind of frivolous engagement is merited.  Indeed, the pure corruptions of such an ostentatious event would go far in preparing the sacrifices.  I think I may have judged Nordinkel too harshly; perhaps he is more dedicated to the Path than is outwardly evident.  I shall have to keep an eye on him.

4th Slate, 251,
The digging continues on the new neutral zone.  I'm told it will be a full 3 weeks before the digging is finally finished and we can move to the next phase of the construction.  Omeganaut has complained that they lack the picks required to do the work faster on his end.  I understand his concerns, but I cannot allow even more corruption to flow into West Glovedloved.



I've also seen a curious structure spring up just north of the slums.  Omeganaut has assured me that it is nothing to worry about.

18th Slate, 251,



More prospects arrived today.  Many, many of them.  All told there were 23 new bodies for the Path and they were quickly and unceremoniously added to the slums.  I forewent the dramatic speech that Nordinkel usually makes.  I do not care much for speaking in front of others and the works of Ordin Tredlek make no mention of speeches being necessary for the Path.  It is a formality better left behind us.

1st Felsite, 251,



Medicindisguise finally finished the item he has been working on for the past two months: a ring he calls Priceclinched.



It was overflowing with tainting opulence, so I had it confiscated immediately.  I still ponder what madness drove him to carve an image of the ring onto itself.  I will need to keep my eye on him for further evidence of corruption.  Should he show the signs, I will need to create an important sounding position for him and lobby for his inclusion in the Mountain.

5th Felsite, 251,
The work on digging out the neutral zone is progressing slowly.  So very slowly.  There has been much confusion among the dwarves about who is allowed to hold a pick and who isn't.  Omeganaut once again approached me and begged for more picks.  In order to stop the squabbling and appease Omeganaut, I have ordered that all picks to be kept in the neutral zone from here forward.  That should prevent at least some of the infighting among the prospects.




Meanwhile the large building that most of the prospects are working on is nearing completion.

20th Felsite, 251,
This place is complete chaos.  Those 23 new prospects have overloaded the slums and there is little for them to do.  I've ordered Skulls, Omeganaut, and Kaladin to find something for all those dwarves to do, but they seem at a loss.  It may become necessary for me to take a more active role in the development of the Path if those three can't think of something.  I fear that any direct meddling from me will corrupt the work and cause everything we're striving for to fail, but failure is already lurking at the door even without my hand steering the Path.

21st Felsite, 251,




With spring drawing to a close and the neutral zone still unfinished, I finally acquiesced to Omegenaut.  I've told Nordinkel to turn out a ten-count of brand new copper picks to be placed in the neutral zone for distribution.  While I am loathe to allow the prospects to have access to these metal tools, the Path is in danger of failure so it must be allowed.



The dog problem is getting out of hand.  They've taken to eating and sleeping in our dinining room.  The smell of more than a dozen dogs and puppies has made it nearly impossible to eat anywhere near the dining area.  I will be requesting that Omeganaut fix this problem by coralling the dogs in West Glovedloved.

Excerpts from Omeganaut, Foreman of West Glovedloved's secret journal:

22nd Felsite, 251,
Everything is going according to plan. I have won over that zealot of a "Queen" and she has provided me with a position of power among the dwarves of West Glovedloved. I also have her ear and thus have garnered some minor influence within the Mountain.  I've already utilized my position by ordering the sacrosanct construction of a set of quarters to house everyone.  I've made the excuse that keeping a living creature inside at night keeps the smell from spreading, so the Queen has left us to our devices.  My brethren are already happier at the prospect of sleeping in beds protected from the elements, so the morale issues that have been endemic to Western Glovedloved have already begun to ease.



The construction of the first dwelling went so well that I've already started a second across from it in hopes of housing even more.  The lack of carpentry workshops has hindered furnishing, so I've added two more to the shambles that represent the old slums.  Slums indeed, I'll turn this into a city worth writing legends about before I'm done with it.

I've continued to badger TacoMagic about the lack of picks, claiming that we cannot make good progress on her "neutral zone" without more of them to cut through the rock.  She finally caved on her stance against providing more, so it is only a matter of time before we have them.  I intend to devote half of the picks we receive to some digging projects I will have ratified by the mountain.  One I will secure for a clandestine project far away from the prying eyes of the mountain.  The rest will be handed out to a new civilian protection force that will train in secret to protect us against anything that might show up.  I don't trust that Skulls woman, and I have a feeling that I won't be able to count on her or her toadies to keep the city safe should an attack occur.  The squad won't be a lot of use without any armor, but one step at a time.

28th Felsite, 251,
The digging of the "neutral zone" is all but completed thanks to the addition of a few picks provided by the forges in the Mountain.  I hope this sudden burst of productivity convinces the "Queen" to continue to provide the things I ask of her.  I will have to be careful not to play my hand too quickly, though.  She is a suspicious one. 

I'm expecting to see a lot of work coming our way to restructure the entire wealth distribution and storage system, and do not doubt these changes will be to the detriment of the town.  Even so, kowtowing at this point is important to keeping up appearances.  I've talked to my people and they have agreed that this labor will be necessary to make life better for all of us.



On a more positive note, one of our little side projects has successfully started.

This little unassuming wood shack, nestled among the trees and gathering fields far afield from the town will be the start of everything.  I have told Skulls it will serve as a kenneling and breeding area for all the puppies.  I know Skulls hates puppies, so my hope is that will serve as sufficient deterrent to her snooping around.  Since it would be a pretty obvious lie otherwise, I will be having the miners dig out a sizable area so that I can actually round up the puppies and put them in there.