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Author Topic: Strongtown: Community Castle Project  (Read 1438 times)

hedgerow

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Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« on: July 02, 2023, 08:44:39 pm »

Strongtown: A Castle to Keep

      

Is anyone there?  I'm stuck!

In this Community Build, each player reserves three years for their turn, in under two weeks.

Strongtown, a military expedition of 26 dwarves, sends out a herd of cattle and a posh station of hens to erect one chalk stronghold to bulwark against sinister forces such as the necromancers.  The reserve is strong, with thirty enlisted soldiers as of the second year.  Over 80% of the working adults are conscripted into the platoon at a young, adult age and many immigrants will eventually be mandated to survive.

Underneath the current plotting for Strongtown is the real foundation for a castle.  Ten levels deep into canyon, the countryside provides everything needed to stave off the surrounding evil forces.

Please place your turn here, and be put a list.

The end goal is to be as structurally safe as possible.

                                     The Land
                                     
Across the chalk hill lay undeserved trenches, greedily rat into and upon the surface, the dwarves have picked at the earth until it lie nothing but hallow and dust-filled.  Masons chisel out months out of the year, endlessly arranging and stacking heaps of chalk blocks to make up the wall.  Garrisons commonly malinger the various nooks and crannies, and unemployed dwarves typically rest near the many ledges.

The Bailey                                     
                                     
Underneath the grass and soil, on the lowest level of bedrock, lie the inner workings of most of the stone and masonry work that will gradually make up the outer walls.  The hall also serves as a loitering ground for The Staves, the less severe garrison reserved to archery and siege equipment.

To the West is the outer bailey, a wooden perimeter that can serve as training grounds and entry into the heart of the keep.

To the North lie three levels, a casual dyer's den dug out and inhabited by various wood burners, an entrance to the sewers, and a small dorm.

                                     The Outer Bailey and the Creed of Torches
                                     
The Outer Bailey encompasses quick garrison space and store room for any encamped dwarves.  Along the back is a fine encrapture, letting deft rogues and desperate dwarves alike to escape to the Dyer's Den and the main supporting wall of the castle.  The most heavily armored squadron is regularly scheduled to train at this location.

And remember, Stay Near The Light.

Command Center, The North Jade Chapel                                     
                                     

Even further within the rock itself is the Command Center, an isolated and faroff flung command room for various oldtimers and treasurists to work out the mandates passed from the Mountain Home.

Further still, downstairs, resides the Fisherman's Wharf.

                                     The Wharf
                                     

This final level escavated inclines itself to the Fisherman's Clan, and also serves as a wealth hub for trade.  Currently the room runs hot with two smelters and an anvil, which continuously churn through copper and iron for a full fit.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2023, 03:21:10 pm by hedgerow »
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Salmeuk

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2023, 03:43:48 pm »

sign me up - always ready for some constructing
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hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2023, 08:50:06 pm »

sign me up - always ready for some constructing

First dwarf was Sarvesh.

 ::)

hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2023, 07:42:56 am »

sign me up - always ready for some constructing

Okay: World Save.

I am using 47.05 LNP.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2023, 07:44:52 am by hedgerow »
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Salmeuk

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2023, 01:36:03 pm »

beautifully done. I'm really digging (haha . . kill me) the orthogonal foundations .

edit: place is a bit chaotic but the layout is intriguing. lmk if you have any qualifications for improvements or, like, a style guide for the architecture..

===

The map at game start. So peaceful. Look at all that flammable wood lying around.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This is what it looks like after only three months. Want to know what happened? Read on....
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Deep underneath the castle's foundations, and within a great layer of dark slate, Olon Channelmerchant lay on the floor of the guildhall waiting to die. It had been weeks since someone destroyed the ramp leading to the surface, and no one had bothered to give the order to rebuild it. So Olon and about 20 other dwarves were stuck here. The dwarves were too fearful of the many violent captains that ran the show here at Strongtown. These insolent leaders led their squads of ruffians all about, helping only when they felt like it, and mostly just 'training' or loafing about the grassy knolls and hidden meadows.

The many squads of Strongtowns.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Only 200 units of dwarfbeers, further proof of negligent leadership.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

At any given moment, a large portion of the fortress was occupied, talking about fish, .
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


It was time for an uprising!

Olon seized the pick from one of the unconcious miners and dug a new path, a path to the surface, and released the almost-dead dwarves to freedom. Most of the freed dwarves then rushed straight to the boozepile and drank themselves into a stupor...

Leaving the dungeons...
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The topside booze pile was full of drunks.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


Olon had plans. Crazy plans. While taking long sips from a wooden mug of wine, which was being constantly refilled I might add, he shouted for the captains to assemble.

"The end of your negligent rule is upon us. It is time for the craftsmen and builders to take control and get things done. My first decree is that no dwarf should go without drink!"

And so it was done, with Olon taking great care to ensure the brewers were always crafting, and that this great stock of drink was accesible at all times.

Further, Olon thought up a much improved technique for foundation building.. great ladders and stairs of wood were built, down to the stone, and would be used to support and stack a great number of blocks.

===



It was summer when the beast arrived, in the caverns.. the dwarves had not thought to build gates.

"We can take anything the caverns will throw at us." Well, this fire-breathing theropod was about to test that theory.

The commander takes a hit.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Commander Lightceilings was first to dash towards the rally, and experienced a great burning explosion immediately upon turning the last corner to the cavern ramps.. the commander fell, screaming from the flames.

The ogre takes one for the team.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

But whats this? A random blind cave ogre, also happened to be lurking in the stairwell, and fights the creature. Enemy of my enemy . . .

The ogre was crushed in the creatures fists, while Lightceilings bled out, alone. The remaining military took their sweet ass time and the fire-breather retreated below, to the seconds caverns.

The dwarves were bloodthirsty, however, and strove to hunt the beast and take it down for good.


All our squads, more than twenty dwarves in all, grouped near the lake's edge. Surely the firebreather wasn't beneath that oh-so placid surface? And surely it could not swim out of fear of extinguishing its eternal flame?

No. Folly, it was, to enter the creature's territory. Great waves erupted from the cavern lake as the towering theropod rushed towards the unsuspecting patrol. Then, it paused, only to release a great breath of stinking gas, which sunk low into the fungal undergrowth and around the ankles of the dwarves.



 "Take cover!" screamed the Captain, but it was too late as the flammable gas ignited. The resulting explosion killed a whole squad outright, and the rest scattered from the flame.

Unfortunately, this ambush placed As right between the dwarves and the staircase to safety. A retreat was called, but it was too late for most, and the creature made quick work of the dwarves (who lacked shields to protect from the flames). Many were enraged at the beast and ignored the call for withdraw.

Not much was left of the dead after the fire.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

===

A plan was put in place to lock the basement, trap this horrible creature below, but the dwarves had no sense of urgency.

Äs heaved its great shelled frame beyond the doorway and into open air, the first time in history that this creature felt the sun's glorious rays, and it recoiled. But Äs smelled blood above, and soon learned the sun was no great danger,

and thus began the complete destruction of Strongtowns. Flame, violence, terror...

===

Astoundingly, the creature killed damn near every dwarf in the fortress, 50 total, before deciding enough was enough. The bloodied hulking form was seen retreating down into the foundations, the basement, and the cavern lakes, and finally the darkness beyond.

The only two dwarves left alive were terrified, but alright. Alath Crowdroofed the Wax Worker and Captain Rooffires, the uhm Captain. Both had been topside when the beast invaded and were spared during the subsequent bloodbath.

The two dwarves looked at each other. "So . . . what now?"

===

ooc: yet another destroyed succession fortress. wuhhhhh I can only blame the summer haze for preventing me from noticing the large openings to the caverns below, and not installing doors in time. the subquent battle was also less than tactically ideal but the soliders severely underperformed in the most critical moment, that is, the opening charge, when the fighters are fresh and stand a chance at hitting the beast during a distracted moment.

could I save this? perhaps. what say you hedgerow? are these foundations, now soaked in blood, baked in flame, smothered in cinder... is this the story you wanted for Strongtowns, or is a retcon in order?
« Last Edit: July 04, 2023, 06:19:02 pm by Salmeuk »
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hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2023, 09:55:09 pm »

could I save this? perhaps. what say you hedgerow? are these foundations, now soaked in blood, baked in flame, smothered in cinder... is this the story you wanted for Strongtowns, or is a retcon in order?

I'm gonna go drink a soda.

hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2023, 10:04:54 pm »

You mean to tell me that forty oufitted soldiers got one upped a firebird.

That's pretty bad man cause that's a cave-dwelling, fire-breathing, mud-slicked chicken.

Be sure to upload the save and I'll just take care of the chicken.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2023, 10:28:59 pm by hedgerow »
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hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2023, 10:10:10 pm »

I'm currently rendering an actual image of the forgotten beast in question.  If you see it, be sure to report it to the proper authorities.

hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2023, 10:15:09 pm »



Also bringing some Alka Seltzer because sodium bicarbonate is the cure for birds anyway.

Salmeuk

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2023, 12:24:19 am »

uh.. close enough. a fearsome rendition.

 slow down on the wine and selzters - full sanity will be needed to pull this fortress back from the brink.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

save here: https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=16776

please note, I uninstalled the graphics pack so you will need to re-install it.. pm me if this causes trouble
« Last Edit: July 05, 2023, 12:26:18 am by Salmeuk »
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hedgerow

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Re: Strongtown: Community Castle Project
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2023, 01:38:54 am »

Edit: Well, I finished up everything four a two years.

It uh, it was uh, uh, uh.

I used Soundsense and found the caverns and it's good.


Was drunk last night too.

Uh.

Uh.

One of the dwarves had a child, and she told me everything it liked, and it liked bee demons.

So I dug a hole to hell and guess what I found.

Bee Demons.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2023, 01:47:34 am by hedgerow »
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