Aaaanndd, with that, I really should be passing the save already. Would be unfair to hoard it forever when there’s fun and web-spitting beasts to share with the next player.
Good luck Otto! don't drop me a !!save file!! when ur done
the records do not lie..
all will know this was a setup.
playing now! ======
diary of Salmeuk II
9th Felsite, 163
I have suddenly been informed that I have become Expedition Leader.
Otto_K II came screaming down the stairs and pointed directly at me, stated "This is your problem now," then ran off to perform some menial task very, very far away from the surface entrances.
Curious. Yet, not out of character for Otto_K, who has been leading this fortress of Earthenjungles the Forest of Burning for the past year and, in doing so, revealed a certain number of eccentric character traits.
For instance, Otto_K II is bad with words
his dwarf sheet literally states this
, as demonstrated by his curt phrasing during this moment.
Regardless, the burden of leadership now fell upon my (oh so broad) shoulders. I had recently turned 60, yet felt like I was 30!
I decided to take a tour of the fortress and review the various elements of defense and labor.
The surface was a complex array of wooden structures, with a single doorway and gate to the south. Through the gate led to our trade depot, a modest meeting hall for non-citizen visitors, and then another room which led into an inner courtyard full of livestock and various workshops.
Taking the eastern path led you into the 'drowning trap', as it had become known - a haphazard set of bridges covering a soggy pit full of old clothing, that could be filled and drained as desired. Usually, you wait until the goblins are inside.
One floor below are a series of drainage canals and also an underground fungal field, which houses a number of geese and a budding herd of war elephants.
Two more floors down was a small facility for producing textiles.
Five more floors and you enter into what might be described as the 'main hall.'
A number of glorious artifacts sit upon pedestals, and hallways branch off into a series of bedrooms, food stores, furniture piles, and a somewhat chaotic dining hall.
Finally, another five or so levels down was the first layer of caverns. We had not dug any deeper - yet.
***
It was during this tour of the fortress that I discovered the horrible truth of my sudden promotion.
There, beyond the southern door, towered a horrible beast: "Omba the Lavender Woods" was a huge humanoid composed of coral with a long, swinging trunk and careless movement.
It was also a webslinger........
At this moment, 'Bruce Willis', Local Hero and Legedary Woodcrafter, rounded the corner and was immediately webbed, picked up, and kicked in the head. This exploded the head, and 'Bruce Willis' was no more.
Nearby, a skink looked on in horror.
What was Earthenjungles to do about this 'Omba'?
We had only a handful of experienced fighters, including 'Maloy II' and others, but it seemed far to risky to take on this websliger in a melee.
Perhaps it would drown, or could be trapped.
A plan was hatched to goad the monster into a trap.
Meanwhile, 'Omba' seemed content to camp outside our doorway. The skink had calmed down and the two had struck up a conversation, thought I'm not sure what shared topic of discussion might occur between these two creatures.
A hapless bard interrupted - and was quickly mush-ified by the fearsome 'Omba', whose coral limbs proved deadly.
A small hallway, spiralling in the sand, was dug, and two bridges built and linked to nearby levers. A third backup bridge was also constructed.
The plan was to dig a ramp, let 'Omba' walk into the hallway, slam shut the bridges, and then laugh and laugh ..
Cacame Grizzleswamps the Monster Slayer arrived only to discover the corpse of 'Bruce Willis' decaying in the hot jungle air.
"What had happened . . .?" thought Cacame.
Turning around, the hulking form of 'Omba' lurched out of the forest, slowly but surely pursuing Cacame.
Yet, 'Omba' then broke off pursuit, seemingly interested in that southern doorway exclusively. It was then that I discovered a completely unprotected staircase led directly into the heart of the fortress! Yet 'Omba' cared not to use this staircase, and for that I was thankful.
The spiral trap was prepared, and the ramp dug, when all of a sudden - goblin war horns!
A siege had arrived. What would happen now??
Well, first things first: Maloy II decided to madly rush out of the fortress in pursuit of ... what exactly? Literally nothing? No one understands that dwarf, yet, they were the most capable fighter, so perhaps they felt the urge to rush out and fight.
Who knows. It was an uncontrollable event.
Meanwhile, 'Omba' did not care in the slightest. What a strange creature...
Maloy II was a superb fighter and quickly destroyed the goblin attackers.
'Omba' took this moment to ... attack a hapless wild echidna?
We used this time to recover the bodies of the fallen. A dwarf named 'Folgsam' had also fallen to 'Omba'.
The next month was uneventful. 'Omba' was sequestered to the northeastern corner of the map, trying to punt an echidna and failing horribly..
I ordered the end to this training of keas. Keas are horrible creatures and to think that we might waste good food on their appeasement, or even attempt to cultivate goodwill between our species.. not on my watch!
More important creatures like the red pandas would be trained, instead. This is the dwarven way.
On the 26th of Hematite, a giantess arrived. 'Thab Seridgirus Sestah Omthu' had approached from the eastern forests, yet she too stood transfixed before the southern door.
Something was curious about this place, that attracted these creatures so.
The squad was assembled, yet before most could arrive 'Gordonfreeman' was distracted by a flock of wild keas and chased them right into the view of the giantess.
'jimbusKhan' rushed to help, and the two dwarves smashed the attacking giantess to pieces.
Quick! Back into the fortress before 'Omba' finished that echidna.
I decided to construct a proper dining hall in the underground. The walls would be made of stone blocks, and it would be centered near to the artifact display hall.
Our forges were halted for the time being - free hands were needed for cleaning and constructing.
In mid-Summer of 163, I took stock of the steel weapons and armor.
Thankfully, my predecessors wrought many a useful item from the dwarven metal.
Our fortess contains:
9 steel war hammers
16 steel picks
100 steel bars
and enough armor sets to equip 18 fighters.
I've heard echidnas carry strange diseases... maybe Omba will catch one. Echidna-pox or something.
The new dining hall / dance floor is almost complete.
Copper and jet tiles arranged in a circle designate the proper space for performances.
Soon, tables will be installed in the wings of the room.. and a food storage is planned as well.
Autumn has arrived. 'Omba' continues to batter the poor echidna, but for now, it is distracted.
Except, what's this? 'Omba' is back!
Orders were put in for a full set of steel mail (extra protection for the squad) and ten steel battle axes, which would equip the next group of trainees.. whenever that occurred.
The ultimate purpose of Earthenjungles was to build up a professional squad of fighters to assault nearby enemy positions.
Instead, we cower in fear of a coral beast inside our fortress of wood and ... more wood.
Something MUST be done about 'Omba'!
A sickly wolf was spotted wandering past the jungle pond.
Yet, our greed for wood (we had mismanaged the smelters, you see, and run out of fuel) led us to venture out .
I thought I told the dwarves to stay to the west, beyond the range of 'Omba'. but they must have strayed, or 'Omba' finally decided the time was right, for the creature had killed 'Lanix7' the weaver and was threatening to take more lives as it approached the western entrance.
So too did 'Anthoric' the weaver, 'Trellis' the doctor, 'MusicalMet' 'anObserver' 'dubAstley'
also fell.
The others, including venerable 'Otto_K II', escaped inside.
However, 'Drolnogard' the furnace operator had been locked outside, and now faced 'Omba' alone.
"How fragile are we... Begone fear!" he shouted.
Suddenly, he was overcome with a great strength and scrambled up and over the wooden walls separating the jungle from the safety of the fortress.
It was on the 7th of Sandstone, 163, when 'Omba' finally learned how to climb walls.
The hulking beast used its long trunk to vault over the wooden walls.. directly into our hall of traps! HaHA!
And yet, this hall of traps contained only a handful of traps on the far side. . but it could be easily locked.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and ensure these doors were locked.
Somehow, I became lost in the turning hallways and walked in to the hall of traps from the wrong side entirely. A sharp turn in the room prevented me from noticing 'Omba' before it was too late.
'Salmeuk II' was killed by 'Omba' in much the same way as the dozen or so that had died before . A swift kick to the head
As is customary, the dwarves of 'Earthenjungles' held an immediate vote to decide the next expedition leader.
'JimbusKhan' was chosen.
If you recall, 'JimbusKhan' was the slayer of 'Thab' the giantess this previous summer.
On the 21st of Sandstone, some migrants arrived.
'Nimtike' and 'Brungle' were among the new dwarves, who carefully snuck into the western doorway, past the lurking 'Omba', who had continued its door camping activities, but this time it was somewhat blocked in by walls.
'Brungle', one of the migrants, claimed to have minor combat experience. When questioned further, he revealed it was a fight with a hoary marmot woman in Gateheaven.
Any dwarf who survived Gateheaven must be tough.. or lucky.
'Brungle' was promoted to Spear Captain and new weapons were forged. Four others would be assigned to fight under this command.
The dwarves spent the late weeks of Autumn smoothing the bedrooms.
Cabinets and chests were still needed - the clothes were starting to pile up.
A new hospital was constructed near the artifact hall. It was named after the late 'Trellis', who was one of the fortresses main doctors.
Nowadays it was 'Doc Mitchell' who took care of most of the patients. Though it must be noted, no patients have survived long enough to make it to the hospital as of late.. 'Omba' has made sure of that fact.
On the 7th of Moonstone, goblins attacked.
The dwarves met them in the spiral sand hallway. 'Neblime' arrived early on and fought valiantly.
The claustrophobic walls worked against the bowgoblins, who could not find a shot in those twisting passageways.
Everyone had a chance to engrave their own artwork on the floor of the new tavern. 'Drolnogard' chose to draw an image of a cheese.
Nothing else. Just .. cheese.
Poll
5 (83.3%)
Author
Topic: The Forests of Burning: Building the largest world conquest fort series (Read 16086 times)