===+ Journal of the Undying Overseer – Autumn 162 +===1st MoonstoneA frigid wind sweeping in through the keep’s skylight signals the beginning of winter. Things are slowing down for the season. Now is the time for reflection and preparation for the next year.
Rising stress levels continue to be a serious problem and the dwarf who decided to drag a dead cave ogre from the bottommost cavern up through the entire fortress to put it in our refuse pile certainly didn't help. I’ve put a stop to that, but the damage is done. Auze is still the worst off, but Sigun and Dastot the miller are both doing badly as well. Those two now both have chronic breathing problems from lung injuries. They periodically go into fits of despair over that and I don’t know if there’s anything to be done for them.
At this point, it seems like the best thing we can do is to separate them from the general populace and make them as comfortable as possible. To that end, I’ve ordered some new rooms to be dug out where they can live in isolation.
11th MoonstoneSigun threw a tantrum, gave Iteb, one of our miners, a light bruise, then got winded and crawled away. Worrying, if hilariously ineffectual. Let’s get the asylum up and running soon.
8th OpalSigun attacked Iteb again, this time with some more serious results. What did he ever do to you, Sigun? Well the asylum is almost done and soon we’ll be able to lock these lunatics away and
forget all about them get them the care they need.
13th OpalThere was a loud crash from the construction area. We rushed in and found Nomal and baby Dakost at the bottom of the drain to the asylum’s waterfall, covered in rock dust.
They were both fine, but a little shaken. She’s got to be more careful with that kid. He already got swept down the drain once a few days ago. Might be a good idea to avoid sending her into active combat until he’s grown a bit.
21st OpalThe next set of giant blackbirds have hatched, bringing the total up to eight. The parents are mostly still wild, but the hatchlings should grow up to be fully tame.
28th OpalThe asylum has been opened to accept its new patients. It’s a bit sparsely decorated right now but should have everything they need to relax and destress.
All visitors are allowed for now, as long as everyone behaves.
6th ObsidianA round of beak dog pups have hatched, and there are a
lot of them.
Sadly, most of them will need to be culled, but the rest should provide all the meat and eggs we need.
26th ObsidianI should have known allowing visitors to the asylum would be a bad idea. Auze attacked Sodel, a decently skilled weaponsmith. Something prompted Auze to throw his mug at Sodel, and then he pounced. They’re both on the ground but still fighting more ferociously than any other brawl I’ve seen. Auze seems intent on murder, and Sodel is doing whatever he can to fight back!
Sodel’s just biting at whatever exposed body part he can now. He can’t seem to move the rest of his body, but Auze still isn’t letting up! I don’t like his chances…
27th ObsidianSodel is dead. KingZultan was so horrified that she almost let the murderous bastard get away. He’s in custody now though, getting dragged down for interrogation. Mere days left in my term and I get hit with this nightmare.
1st GraniteThese past few days have been nearly as trying as the entire previous year. News of the murder has rippled through the fort and caused mass panic, mistrust and chaos. Once friendly faces now cringe in terror at my approach. I barely even noticed when Rakust barricaded himself in a jewler’s shop.
There’s a tension here that hangs on Smallhands almost as thick as it did in the bad years. Except now I don’t have the luxury of being an unfeeling ghoul.
Unfortunately, I can no longer attempt to fix this as overseer, even if I felt up to the task. The rules are clear in this matter, and I have already overstayed the normal term limits. I wish luck to my successor. You will need to restore the fragile civility we had here.
I leave the judgement of Auze’s crimes to you as well.
And of course, the decision
…of what to do
…with the body.
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