10th of Limestone, 126The outpost liaison has arrived, the gold lust clearly evident in his eyes. As an escort is sent out to take him to 4maskwolf, a few of us watch him depart. "I don't think we can hold the word back, even if we wanted to." I said.
Mastah Cheese scoffed. "They're just here to take our wealth."
Jim frowned at this. "Will they attack us? Take it by force?"
Shakerag steadied his grip on his pick. "It'll cost them their lives."
Several others voices started up, until I slapped the wall a few times. "Enough! They are dwarves! Of course they chase after gold! You lot would probably come too! Be sensible and keep your beards on your chin and not in your ears!"19th of Limestone, 126One of the glassmaker suddenly dropped what she was doing, got a vacant look in her eyes, and walked off without a word. Odd. I asked someone to keep an eye on her.
4maskwolf requests the obvious things; dogs to train in defense, booze, coal for where we can't get the magma, and various other sundries. In the meantime, I trade for several nanny goats, another hen, lots of booze, and a cat. Tired of all these vermin.
The liaison presents us with a list of requests.
The stonecrafts are our best bet to impress them. I offer a couple gold nuggets to have the purity tested at the mountainhome, but we can already tell the quality is good.
That glassmaker, Tun Vabokothos, has claimed a glass furnace and is gathering ingredients, all without changing expression at all. It's quite unnerving.27th of Limestone, 126The glassmaker must have found what she wanted. Whenever anyone tries to see what she is doing, though, she stares at the intruder with a soul-piercing gaze until they leave.3rd of Sandstone, 126The glassmaker wandered in to my office today when I was checking the books, holding something. "Hello, Tun. How have you been feeling?"
She just looked at me in confusion. "I have no idea. What's this?" She holds up what she is carrying.
"It's absolutely exquisite. Is that what you've been working on?"
"Did... I make this? It's... nicer than anything I could hope to make. I sure don't remember... huh." She put it down and walked off. Who knows?10th of Sandstone, 126A lookout woke everyone up screaming. "Flee! Shut the gates!
I rally up every dwarf who knows a crossbow. "Jim, take these troops, rally up, and slay the beast!" Jim looks shaken, but rallies herself and grabs her crossbow. They are our best hope.
The ones able (Jim appears to have passed out in fear) go out to slay the beast, who has already claimed many lives.13th of Sandstone, 126Just as quickly as it began, it is over.
After killing many of our livestock and several dwarves that couldn't escape, the beast turned back into a human before our squad could get there. Our brave soldiers took no risks and slew the thing. My wife, tonnot98, struck the killing blow, smashing its head into gore, but the report she brings back chills me. "It begged for mercy; as if it didn't understand what was going on. I'll never forget the fear in its eyes." She shuddered, and began to sob. No one will sleep well tonight.
All told, we lost three dwarves and nine animals. I didn't personally know any of the dwarves. One was a simple clerk, who probably died in fear. A fish cleaner was out there as well. Finally, one of the soldiers was caught out of position and struck down before ready to fight back.
Kogan Kizbizavuz was a Town Militia.
Bembul Oddomudil was a Town Fish Cleaner.
Melbil Mebanstakud was a Mafia Informant.The next morning, Mastah Cheese woke me up roughly, shaking my entire bed side to side. "Get up! You have to see this! NOW!" I stumble out of bed and follow him down to the crypt.
Several dwarves are there, loudly shouting and arguing. "What's going on?" I bellow over the others. Mastah Cheese shoves a paper into my hand. "Read this! Melbil had it!"
I look down. It's torn and bloodied, but the meaning is clear. Melbil was here to account for our gold! Someone DID want to take it from the fortress! Even worse, it looked like someone was involved from the beginning; maybe even one of the first seven to come out here! There were at least a couple others here now that were in on this, trying to get our gold siphoned off for the wealth of others. Clearly, this was no going to stand.
Jim was sitting down, her head in her hands. I'm not even sure she should be in the militia; her heart simply isn't in conflict. Shakerag and 4maskwolf were practically shaking with rage; Shakerag in particular had a little froth on his beard. The Dark Star was shaking her head, saying "I knew it" over and over. Tonnot98, who had followed me down, tried to comfort little Onul. Than402 and Deus Asmoth looked concerned. Radio Controlled was trying to calm people down.
But we all knew what this meant.
There was a rat in the fortress. And we must find it.
Stopping here because of dramatic tension. Shakerag, congrats on being our first non-mood Legendary; you are a miner beyond compare. May your name blink ever gloriously.
Jim, you really have a terrible personality for battle. You were actually asleep when the attack happened, but it's my narrative, so there.
Also, this is taking a lot longer than I expected. I keep getting distracted.
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Topic: WIFOM Fortress - Night 4 - "Peerless visionary" floods fort with GCSs (Read 58361 times)