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[neblime]

Gloveloved year 3 Winter

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Journal of Neblime Queen of Rock 24th Moonstone
In light of the recent news of the goblin threat I have ordered some more of the prospects to serve in a local militia force. I told them they will be defending their families, but ultimately anything that gets killed in defense of the prospects first won't reach the mountain
a variety of less dangerous creatures were also caught from the caves.  I shall commence my training on them as soon as a proper room for the purpose is constructed

26th Moonstone
I have spent some time in the neutral zone pointing out where I want the animal slaughtering training room, and I smelt the most abominable smell I have ever smelled in my life.  It seems that dog I saw trailing pus everywhere earlier hasn't healed, he has in fact gotten worse
Also a turkey with rotten body parts spreads the smell

I ordered them to be slaughtered immediately.  The butcher told me that they were already in the line to be butchered, along with several other puppies and other extraneous animals. I suppose I will just have to wait.  and hold my breath while I'm outside the mountain.
30 Moonstone
Some of the more useless mountain dwellers are complaining about the peasants in here.  I told them that if they do some ACTUAL WORK this wouldn't be necessary, and brandished my pick.  They seemed to quieten up a bit after that but it seems they will harbor resentment about this.
Who cares though, I'm the one wearing the armor and holding the pick.
2nd Opal
The new captain of the guard, Ultramagnus, approached me today.

he and the other two remaining thugs are having trouble administering justice due to their reduced numbers, understandably, since it is 3 dwarves to watch over nearly 60.  I ordered some warhammers made for them to help keep the unruly peasants down.
5th Opal
In light of the likely goblin threat I have ordered a watch tower constructed to watch the crossing over the river.

It will be defended by prospects, who will be the first to die in defense of the mountain if necessary.  It will also serve to watch over which dwarves are passing into and out of the neutral zone, and if the panics of this year are repeated it may be necessary to open fire and hold the peasants back.
6th Opal
I had my first training session with a chained up troglodyte today.  The thing didn't put up much of a fight, but it's armok-damned exhausting fighting.  I think I will rest a couple days before I continue training
8th Opal
We captured a giant olm today. I look forward to training against it
12th Opal
Ultramagnus caught some prospects attempting to steal wood from across the river today.  They will be punished severely of course.  The shortage of wood in the prospects may cause trouble in future...
16th Opal
I killed the giant olm today, and exhausted the supply of animals I had to train on.  I hope some more are captured soon.  I must be as strong as possible when the goblins arrive.
24th Opal
The work parties continue to prove effective, especially under command of the new foreman, Sionnach.  It seems he arrived at our mountain in the first year of our settlement, but until now had not distuingished himself.

27th Opal
The tower overlooking the river was completed today.  I feel somewhat safer, but all the day to day management of the settlement makes it difficult to focus on training for war
12th Obsidian
Sionnach spends so much time in the mountain working I have decided to construct some modest quarters for him here, to the outrage of the other mountain dwellers.  I care not for their opinions, if we want to live like the kings and queens that we are, we will need subjects to do the work.  Our mountain is still a fairly ugly and plain dwelling for dwarves of our status.
As for sionnach, as with all prospects, he probably wishes he could take our place.  I am hardly concerned that he could threaten me however, once again, I am the one who wears the armor around here.
20th Obsidian
The giant cave spider was FINALLY situated in a deep basement today.  We cannot begin silk farming until we capture another animal.  perhaps I shouldn't have used them ALL For training.
25th Obsidian
The prospect miltia have constructed their own tiny lookout tower over their settlement.  I can't help but feel it is also to watch on us partially.
1st granite
The first day in the new year, 253 has come
the last year saw our queen killed, and our own settlement become the last bastion of the floors of secreting.  It has seen more than twenty dwarves perish at the hands of mighty beasts.

And yet, the new year brings with it a sense that the legendary battles of the past are but mere stories now, and our time will be mostly spent in inglorious and petty conflicts, not hunting great creatures of myth.

I have reached a decision that will probably greatly upset the mountain dwellers.  Not that I care.
Sionnach has proven himself an adept manager, and I will allow him to oversee all the day to day work in the mountain.  The peasants are doing all the work anyway, might as well put a peasant in charge of peasants.
Of course I am still in charge of him (as is any proper mountain dweller) but I will not waste any time on the minutiae of the mountain anymore, I must prepare for war.
There is no telling when the goblins will arrive, but I have no doubt that they WILL come.  I have no time for politics, nor for writing this journal, at least for a time.  I return to my training.

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, Winter of Gloveloved's Third Year.

Be polite. Be efficient. Above all, be useful. Give them everything they ask, and soon they'll be giving you their weapons and trusting you with their lives, never even considering how easily you can bring it crashing down around them. My old friend's words ring in my ears, and it's all I can do not to burst out laughing. The other Loyalists were determined to stage a military coup, and here Neblime is pressing control of the entire mountain into my hands as though it's a distasteful task to be undertaken by servants! Nothing would give me greater pleasure than rooting them out of their decadent halls as soon as the fortress is officially mine, but the needs of the people must come first. The greenskins are even now turning their gaze towards us, and I cannot risk everyone's lives by turning them against each other. No, we shall take the route of cunning and guile. Now begins the year of the fox.

[Chimerat]

Seventeenth Entry: Another Year

Seems we're seeing the restrictions lifted little by little each year. Perhaps this is Lord Armok's plan to free us of this madness?

I have not made progress speaking to his Priests and start to despair that they're simply to sort to speak without acting...

Neblime has taken to threatening the others trapped in the mountain with her, and she still sees herself as in charge simply because she is armed...

I shall speak to Sionnach as soon as possible to ensure I can provide all the aid to our fellow Dwarves that they might require.

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, New Year's Eve

I am to take control of the fortress officially tomorrow. My predecessor, Omeganaut, had an iron morningstar that he used in battle. I'd like to take it up and wield it against his foes, but it's at the bottom of our river at the moment and I never learned how to swim. Instead, I've armed myself with a bronze axe that one of the woodcutters dropped some time ago. I'd prefer not to have to use a weapon at all, but I need to do my work without interference from Skulls' thugs. They've gotten more unruly than ever since their master's death. On the subject of weapons, if the goblin horde descends on us any time soon, we will in all likelihood lose a large portion of the slums to their blades. Not that this matters to the mountain dwellers; they'd probably just wait for the goblins to serve them dinner after the massacre. There are three silver swords lying around that I could arm a militia with, for all the good it would do them. Anyone foolish enough to join the militia with what's available to us would have to be suicidal, the best we could hope for would be to give our marksdwarves enough time to snipe the greenskins.

With this in mind, I'm going to have to find some way to expand our walls. We haven't enough wood to build with, but with a little luck we may be able to use the clay to save us. And then the goblins will climb the walls and we'll die anyway. The joys of leadership. One of the mountain-dwellers tells me that she wants to help us, but I'm sure she doesn't mean in any way that'll get her hands dirty.

[Tacomagic]

Excerpt from the journal of TacoMagic Rigņthigėr,

Late Winter, 252,

In a strange turn of events Neblime has handed over the management of Glovedloved to one of the prospets; a woman by the name of Sionnach whom I often saw under the tutlage of the late Omeganaut.  Given the great works and dilligence of her predecessor, I have high hopes that she will be instrumental at helping the prospects of Glovedloved find the Path once again.

As Spring is among the busiest time for the prospects, I will delay seeking an audience with her until the Summer.  Indeed already orders are coming down that a new defensive wall needs to be constructed before the goblins turn their gaze to Glovedloved.  All will be busy with that endevor for the forseeable future, so, loathe as I am to admit it, the needs of the spirit must give way to the practicality of survival.  At least for now.

Perhaps a summit meeting between the leadership of the prospects, the Followers, and the Priests of Armok may be called for.  A meeting between all of us may be just what we need to cure this spiritual sickness that has ben spreading among us since that damnable werebeast attacked.

I will need to discuss this with Kaladin to see if the teachings of Ordin mention anything about such measures.  If not, it is high time that we blazed a new trail.

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, Granite 253.

It took some manoeuvring, but the denizens of the mountain eventually decided to allow some residents of the slums into their lovely abode rather than stewing in their own filth. They're officially being designated thralls, and even if it does grate against everything I stand for, at least it's some form of progress. Part of the conditions of them being allowed into the mountain is that they be allowed to do no work other than hauling, so they've been chosen from among the less skilled of the slum-dwellers. Perhaps they might be able to pilfer some weapons or armour for the Civilian Defence Force once the mountaineers have stopped watching them like hawks.

2nd of Granite.

...

I had a plan. Omeganaut had used the river that separates our slums from the mountain, so I thought that I could use it to prevent any goblins from breaching our town while we finished the wall. The goblins were not considerate enough to consider my plans, though. The invasion force is small enough, as you can see. The note I received on their arrival was suitably laconic as well:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I am attempting to mobilize our tawdry excuse for an army as I write, though I dread to think what I will have to write if I survive until the night.

5th of Granite.

The goblins have fallen, with no casualties on our side, somehow. The goblins came unarmed and unarmoured for whatever reason. I can only assume that they displeased their overlord in some way. On one hand it's fortunate that we came out unscathed, but frankly we're in dire need of whatever salvage we can get from the greenskins and I doubt they'll be sending a single squad again. As I was going back to the main camp, I came across this baby, who appears to be rotting where she crawls.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Perhaps once she learns to walk (and we actually get a doctor who's willing to try to cure our injured) she'll be able to... get some rotten flesh cut off, I suppose.

10th of Granite.

The mayor came to me today, demanding a brass door in his dining room. I punched him in the face.

22nd of Granite.

Our baby has died. I'd make a joke, but I have a... rotten sense of humour. In happier news, we have begun to fill the moat. We'll have to build a wall behind it anyway to prevent archers slaying our residents, but it's a good start.

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, Slate 253.[/b]

26th of Granite.

I grew worried on the news that one of Skull's thugs had thrown everyone out of a craftdwarf's workshop and was refusing to allow anyone else inside, but it turns out that the so-called thug is nothing more than a child, the daughter of one of our holy men, in fact:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Her mother Ber was another follower of Omeganaut, so perhaps I should speak to Maskwolf about Litast's behaviour for her mother's sake.

28th of Granite.

I've finally managed to get the doctors to start treating Kaladin for her fractured hip. They're reluctant to treat the tax collector, which is understandable, but on the other hand it would be immoral to leave her in pain, drinking nothing but water.

17th of Slate.

Litast emerged from her workshop carrying this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Were this any other fortress, she would be immediately inducted into the stoneworker's guild with a scholarship. Instead, Kaladin limped over on her crutch and demanded it as tribute for the Mountain. I should have left her in the hospital.

A group of migrants arrived as well. They're nothing much to look at, though I did find a few worthy recruits for the C.D.F. among them. One of them, a wench by the name of Nokzam, already seems familiar with the plight of the slum dwellers and has some familiarity with weapons and armour. We outnumber Skull's thugs now, so keeping the peace should be easier than before. I've had some leather armour and such produced for us, though I'm not sure how effective it would prove against the hammers of the thugs should it ever come to open violence.

23rd of Slate.

Well, it seems that Litast's inclination towards bad behaviour is an inherited one. Her father has several counts of disorderly conduct under his belt already:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'm unwilling to actually convict him of the charges though. These religious types can get pretty stirred up when you arrest one of their members for things.

In happier news, the construction of our wall has finally begun. It encloses all of the slums aside from that room full of puppies that we have for some reason. I hope to include a depiction of it on its completion.

[UltraMagnus]

The Journal of UltraMagnus, the Gentle: Granite
Division, power, hopelessness... In the short time that I've shadowed Skulls and her ruffians I've gained her favor in secret. It's been a while since Skull's death, and all of her plotting to keep her gang alive after her demise has gone... swimmingly, albeit a little earlier than she would have wished.

The mountain residents have made a grave mistake in sending the same representatives to deal with our gang now. While our mutual allegiance to service seems genuine, the dwarves from the east side of the river seem to be bulking up.

So in my short time in this shithole, it finally starts to go into motion.
The local enforcers loses its power in a large conflict. The mountain must coordinate either an expansion of the enforcers to compensate for this or to create a new force of power. Such is simple, no? I stand here with my small amount of thugs, for lack of a better term, pondering if the mountain has planned either for us to lose our pitiful power over the western bank or to integrate us into the new militia once it is created. Either way, our pitiful band stands no chance at maintaining power in our current state. Which is unfitting, since the dwarves that run the east bank are soft, weak, and very fragile to the ways of hard work and the law.
They will be useful, but for now the gang's primary operation should be to rebuild our ranks, regardless of whether or not we do so in the name of survival or loyalty. The mountain will most likely heavily support this narrative; more dwarves serving their own interests of greed and ambition under the careful watch of the mountain means less dwarves willing to risk their lives for the good of the slums in any revolution.

[EinsteinSatDown]

The Journal of Nokzam Oddomdakas

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

17th of Slate: A New Beginning

After a harsh trek, we have arrived at Glovedloved, the last bastion of our civilization.
I am not impressed.

Upon arrival the leader of the western side, Sionnach, gave us the bad news.
She told us that we have come here, to this mountain, not to live within it, but to live at it's foot.

Upon further query as to why we dwarves could not grace the stone halls with our presence, she said that some buffoons
have claimed the mountain for themselves, casting out their brethren to toil under the sun.
I immediately expressed my disgust at this state of affairs, but she simply said that nothing can be done, we would have to wait.
She then instructed some of us to take up the task of protecting the so called "peasants", another insult hurled at these poor souls.
 
Those I have arrived with also do not seem content with their fate, yet they stay.
We all stay, for we have nowhere else to go.
The damned goblins made sure of that.

For now, I shall hone my skills and defend this place.
But in time I wish to be part of the crusade against those softbellied, wine-sipping sods who lord over us.

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, Summer 253.[/u]

13th of Hematite.

One of the thralls was hauling Umidasiz to the Mountain as per Kaladin's 'request', but got interrupted by some form of animal. She promptly forgot about it and went off to do something else, dropping it in the grass. One of the local birds seems to have noticed it sparkling on the ground, because the thing has vanished entirely. In any case, a human caravan has arrived, though apparently their goods are the purview of the mountain dwellers.

23rd of Hematite.

I've had a stockpile dug inside the mountain for any other artefacts that we may produce in the future. It may be infested with worthless layabouts, but they shouldn't fly away with our earrings.

26th of Hematite.

Today marks the completion of the slum walls:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

No sooner had the final brick slid into place than Tacomagic requested a meeting with me. He claims that we have strayed from some path. It took me a moment to grasp that he meant this metaphorically rather, luckily before I asked where we were supposed to have been going. In any case, he wants to arrange a meeting between myself and the religious leaders of this place, probably to eke some more tribute out of a few new followers. I've never seen the use of religion myself, but on the other hand morale has been low of late and the support of the local cults would likely strengthen my position among those who still think I'm nothing more than Neblime's pawn. United, we stand a much better shot of overthrowing our oppressors.

[UltraMagnus]

The Journal of UltraMagnus, Hematite.

There has hardly been a day that Tacomagic has not preached the goodness of the Path, though the only paths that I see laying round here each lead straight to the gateways of our confinement. Our being a collective term for the slum dwellers, as the local training post has been kind shelter to us. The Loyalists' charity work is something to be desired, but what of Tacomagic's recent discussions with Sionnach? It would, perhaps, be worth a word with Maskwolf to try to make sense of this situation for the good of the gang.

[neblime]

Journal of Neblime Queen of Rock
Today Sionnach announced completion of the wall around the prospects.  Completely encapsulated on all sides by a moat and a wooden or brick wall, it seems much safer now.
And yet he has done Nothing for the defense of the mountain.  we may still be beset from north east and south, and what does he do?  he holds a meeting with who else but the disgraced queen of wood!
Perhaps I made a mistake in giving a slum dweller so much power.  Though this does not seem like treachery yet (so I can't simply smash his face in and be done with it) he certainly has no love of the rightful mountain dwellers

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, Malachite 253

8th of Malachite.

I was hoping that Skull's gang would peter out of existence after her death, but it seems as though they're simply under new command. The new leader seems too clever by half if you ask me, and he's been talking to Maskwolf a lot lately. I can only guess that he's worried after Tacomagic's meeting with me, but the last thing I need is to engulf the place in a religious war. Perhaps there's some way to reconcile our differences before they spiral out of control. And then I can drop him in the river. That seems to solve a lot of problems.

In any case, Kaladin's been acting oddly lately, taking command of a hammer and anvil and screaming at anyone who tries to use them. Tacomagic claims that it's a blessing due to Kaladin's adherence to the Path, though I'm more inclined to believe he's insane. We'll see how it works out.

20th of Malachite.

Some migrants arrived today, in spite of their fears of danger. I've also built some walls around the entrance to the mountain after enduring Neblime complaining to me about the rights of the layabouts. We should be able to add a drawbridge to cover the trader's entrance once I find out how to make the necessary mechanisms without and stone.

Kaladin is being remarkably uncooperative about her creation, claiming first that only gold was good enough for it and now refusing to gather anything at all. I went to see her today, and from her ramblings the best I can pick up is that she needs either more leather or more stone. She definitely has access to the stone she's using, but she took the only piece of horse leather we have as well, so I'm having another horse slaughtered just in case that's what she wants. This is definitely not in keeping with the teachings of the Path.

4th of Galena.

I finally got Kaladin to start working again by throwing some leather at her. She seemed satisfied by it and is now using it in whatever it is she's making.

17th of Galena.

Meng Dikelures, one of my followers, has been elected mayor. It may be a byproduct of the new feelings of security given by the walls, or perhaps he's just a more persuasive fellow than I gave him credit for.

In other news, Kaladin has created this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I was hoping for a war hammer. In any case, it's the first item to go to the new artefact stockpile, so we should hopefully be able to hold onto it long after the kea migration routes take them over our fortress again. It's apparently worth 140'400 crowns, or half the total wealth of Glovedloves to put it another way. Doubtless Neblime will want it in her bedroom.

10th of Galena.

I've decided to make use of the room full of puppies by training them as guard dogs. They should hopefully go some way to making up for our lack of adequate defences.

[Tacomagic]

Excerpt from the journal of TacoMagic Rigņthigėr,

1st Malachite, 253,

It has been a busy Spring here among the prospects, but finally our toil has payed off.  The wall stands complete, a testimate to what can be achieved through the labor and perserverance demanded by the Path.

The meeting with Sionnach last week went far better than I'd planned. She seems open to allowing the meeting of leadership, so I have been busy preparing a list of topics for discussion for our symposium.  Top of the list will be a request for a joint chapel that both The Followers and the Priests of Armok could share for providing service.  Given the skill at which the prospects constructed the cob wall that now protects us from the beasts of the wild, I imagine that it would be of little consequence to dedicate a few builders toward the construction of a modest chapel.

The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Fall, so there is ample time for Maskwolf and myself to meet with some of the architects to discuss the matter.

5th Malachite,
Kaladin and I have been arguing again.  Ever since the arrival of the Priests our relationship has become increasingly strained.  She does not seem to accept that the Followers need whatever allies we can get at this point and wants me to cut ties with them.  She also distrusts the new overseer for reasons I can't even begin to fathom.

She left the argument screaming at me that she would do something to make me understand why the Followers need to walk the Path alone. She is my best pupil, and yet, I can see something happening within her.  Some kind of stuggle that I cannot see or understand.  I want her to follow in my steps to become the next preistess, but I am troubled by this change in her.  For now, I must be content to observe her and hope the Path makes its plan for her clear.

8th of Malachite,
I got word from Sionnach's aid that Kaladin has sealed herself in a forge within the mountain and is screaming for materials, some of them overflowing with corruption.

Is this what she meant?  What could she possibly think exposing herself to gold will accomplish?  I am truly distraught by this turn, but am entirely without power to do anything about it.  I must let this run the course and be there to pick up the pieces when it is over.

17th Galena,
It is worse than I feared.  Kaladin made an item positively overflowing with corruption.  Such a vile creation has never been seen in Glovedloved and yet it was forged by hand that ostensibly follows the Path.  She will not see me or even talk to me.  She has locked herself in her room and will see none.  What is she playing at?

23rd Galena,
I now understand. Kaladin, why? 

A recieved a letter from Kaladin today.  She says I am unfit to be sacrifice or priestess for the Path, citing that my amiable acceptance of the life a prospect has made me unsuitable as either.  I do not suffer enough to be blessed by the Path, so I must be cursed as one who has wandered from the teachings of Ordin.  She has declared herself as both and will seek admission to the mountain in the next cycle of voting.

I will pray for her.  She cannot see the flaws in the teachings of Ordin, she follows them blindly.  Too blindly.  He was but a dwarf that saw that Path and tried to interpret it, but his words were still the words of a mortal dwarf and not the Path itself.  He was bound to be wrong on a few points.  Her literal interpretation of his teachings has led her astray of the Path and corrupted her.  Is this what it is to be sacrifice?  Is it arrogance that makes a sacrifice worthy?  I don't know anymore.  The more I ponder these turn of events, the more lost I feel.  I think I shall spend a few days in seclusion meditating among the dogs again.

27th Galena,
I came here to meditate, but I have noticed some strange happenings.  Several of Sionnach's aids have been in the kennels teaching the dogs to be more viscious.  They have assured me that the dogs will serve with the defense force to fight off the goblins when they show up again.  I shall take them at their word as the heavy losses within the civilian force do make a compelling argument to have some canine support.  But, I cannot help but feel strangely uneasy to see the dwarves training these dogs to kill.  Maybe it is my emotional attachment to them that is driving me to distraction.  I need to distance myself from this.

Stranger yet, one of the puppies I have grown fond of, a little runt I have been calling Spritebrush, disappeared for a few days.  Earlier this morning he emerged from a strange crack hidden in the north part of the kennels.  He was covered in cave-spider webs and hungry.  Where did he go?  And why was he covered in webs that should only be found deep in the earth?  Sionnach's aids tell me that the crack has always been there and that I should pay it no mind.  And yet...

28th Galena,
The crack had been sealed up this morning.  The worker I found finishing up the job said that they didn't want any more puppies getting lost down there so they put in some temporary cob to seal the crack while they work on getting a door installed that they can lock tight.  He assured me that a door would serve as a much better long-term solution to sealing the crack away and preventing the dogs from getting into mischief.

I'm not sure I follow that logic, but I've learned not to question the stone crafters too deeply about their work lest I get a full, detailed explination.

Unfortunately this stay has not been as meditative as I'd hoped.  With all these distractions, I am no closer to answers than I was when I arrived.  Worse yet, I think Sionnach's aids may be up to something.  I must warn her to keep a close eye on them.

[Deus Asmoth]

Sionnach's Journal, Limestone 253.

2nd of Limestone.

We held a preliminary meeting today, for myself, Tacomagic and Maskwolf. They both agreed that there should be a chapel built to worship in. I can provide them with a building- we certainly have enough clay- but any other decorations will be up to them. As we left, Taco grabbed my arm and warned me that my aids were not to be trusted. I can hardly say I'm surprised. They were sent to work for me by Neblime, there's no reason why her gifts wouldn't be poisoned. Doubtless, they're hoping to increase their chances of gaining access to the mountain by doing her bidding. One dwarf a year. One chance in a hundred of getting picked, yet that chance is somehow enough to keep everyone in line, hoping that they'll be able to escape the poverty if they get lucky. I gave Tacomagic a dog as thanks. She seems to like them.

5th of Limestone.

I'm worried that we'll end up with a religious war on our hands no matter what I try to do. Ever since she made that grate, Kaladin and Taco have been having... 'spirited debates' over the nature of their Path. The Followers are splitting apart, and I can't intervene on either side, since if I do I have no doubt that UltraMagnus or Neblime will immediately take up the cause that I don't. Instead, I've put the C.D.F. on full alert. The first person to throw a punch is going to end up with all of the jailtime I can manage for them.

14th of Limestone.

Work on the new chapel continues, and at least both Kaladin and Tacomagic are in favour of it, though Kaladin insists that only Followers of the Path should be allowed to use it. I've told her that it's dedicated to any god who cares to manifest in it, but she doesn't seem too happy about that.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The fact that the building doesn't have a roof yet hasn't stopped the locals from stopping by to worship and even put up some statues of their gods (and a forgotten beast for some reason). Someone tried to include a statue of Neblime as well, but it somehow ended up in the river.

16th of Limestone.

The trade caravans have arrived. I have an idea.

20th of Limestone.

I sent my aids to oversee the trading with the caravans, which kept them away for a while. In the meantime, myself and Nokzam went to have a look at that crack in the puppy room that Tacomagic mentioned. It is certainly not a natural fissure, but more than that I can't say. Stairs stretched as far as I could see, deep into the earth. I couldn't investigate further, since I wasn't sure how long my helpers would be gone, but I may need to have another look at it as soon as possible. We've resealed it in the meantime, which should hopefully prevent anyone else from using it.

27th of Limestone.

I managed to catch the traders before they left. Some of them were sympathetic to the plight of the slums, and I managed to secure some proper armour that the C.D.F. will be able to use. We've had to hide it beneath old cloaks and ragged clothing, but it'll give us an edge in battle should the goblins come again, or - and I hope it doesn't come to this - if Ultramagnus decides to try eliminating us. The only people who witnessed the deal were the new migrants who arrived on our borders while we were negotiating, but hopefully they won't tell anyone.

29th of Limestone.

The arrival of the new migrants has made me realise that we have next to nothing in the way of accommodation for them. I'm searching for a place we can put some more rooms, but it's becoming apparent that the walls are going to become a limitation in the expansion of the slums, necessary though they are in furthering our efforts to not get murdered in our beds. The creation of more living quarters is probably going to be limited by the fact that we have little to no wood available, made even more irritating by the amount of trees that the mountaineers have available to them but aren't using.