Dwarf Fortress:Coalluster:250
èrith Athelfer's log
Granite
15th
We have arrived at the location for the fortress Coalluster. The area is dense with natural resources - wood, dirt, clay, stone and metal. Even as our wagon rolls to a stop, it is trivially simple to find nearby hematite ore, the iron eager to be extracted.
I have set our weaponsmith to work preparing the tools we will need to live off the land - two picks and an axe. First priority thereafter? Farming. Without food, the colony dies.
19th
Already our first piece of good news! Dodók has already produced a masterpiece, realizing her lifelong ambition! Now she can die!
Slate
12th
Already tragedy has struck. While felling a tree, Melbil was struck by falling logs, badly injuring a leg. The leg is mangled beyond recognition and, if we are fortunate and can prevent infection, he will walk with a crutch for the rest of his life.
Perhaps with his new necessity for crutch-walking, he will learn how to value hard work. Meanwhile, I have instructed Erib that she is now our doctor and set up a triage unit in what will someday, hopefully, be our great hall. Hopefully, she can put Melbil back together. Right now, she's diagnosing him, which is apparently what one does with those who are injured. That's enough learning for today.
Felsite
7th
In what I must admit is a surprising turn of events, Melbil is back on his... foot. The point being, he's once again contributing to labor. If infection doesn't take him, he may continue to be an asset!
Hematite
1st
A lot of the preliminary setup for the fortress is complete. We have temporary workshops, a fully stocked hospital, and both indoor and outdoor farms with a perimeter fence. Now we begin the period of refinement. Hopefully, we can get things set up before the first wave of migrants shows up. Fledgling fortresses are like flames to the moths that are migrants. So many migrants. So few skilled migrants...
Malachite
9th
Busy, busy, busy. Coalluster prevails. Our people have a relatively steady supply of vegetarian food, our stocks of wood and stone are strong, and we delve deeper than our initial shallow holdings. With any luck, we will be able to begin construction of temples and taverns within the year. No sign of pesky migrants thus far. We may be fortunate enough to not see them until autumn.
20th
Spoke too soon. Migrants have arrived. Some of them bring useful skills. Some, perhaps, not so much. A couple of children came with them. Whatever possesses parents to think bringing children to the edge of society is beyond me.
Galena
24th
The halls of wood and stone, great crafthalls dedicated to great craftsdwarfship, have been completed, and production of wooden and stone goods has been moved there.
Limestone
1st
Preparing food for our soon-to-arrive guests. The mountainhome should soon be sending a caravan laden with goods to help our fledgling fortress. We prepare the way for them and make certain to have legendary meals to serve to them, the better to exchange for their goods. After a long journey, nothing hits the spot like a warm meal.
13th
A caravan from Etostrith has arrived. They have made requests for us to have certain goods available when next they come by. If we are fortunate, we may be able to accommodate them. No news, however. The world is, I'm told, the same as it has ever been.
We were able to trade some of our more impressive goods for a large amount of food for the winter (and, as much as we have traded for, also the spring, the summer, the fall and possibly several years depending on factors such as migration, fecundity, and other population issues).
Sandstone
7th
Progress is being made on the first of many watchtowers, to be manned by brave dwarven crossbowmen. These will be our first line of defense against the goblin hordes, and the first opportunity to spot their vicious raids. Next year, building a military will be a high priority.
11th
More migrants! Very few especially useful ones among them. One engineer, which is nice. The rest will be good for hauling if nothing else.
Timber
11th
The fortress is a bustling community and everything appears to be running according to plan! I'm amazed at how well disparate dwarfs with little to know skills are able to work together to create a harmonious community. We are securing a bridge to prevent unwanted access to our fortress. Currently, there's nothing to stop climbing enemies from scaling the walls, but this should work to break the earliest of sieges.
Moonstone
1st
Winter is upon us. We are comfortable with our food supplies, our farms. We need to increase our security - perhaps traps would help - but apart from concerns of attacks, our fortress is well-stocked and prepared for the harshness of winter.
We are focusing on housing now. Hopefully, we can set up a housing block as a burrow for dwarfs to hunker down into should there be a premature attack on the fortress. We will set up a location for fully prepared meals to be stores and housing for nobles.
Year in Review
A lot of things were accomplished in our first year, which is good. We have no military, which is, perhaps, not so good. With determination and careful skill, we should be able to get things fully formed.
A few notes: the drawbridges aren't yet set to controls. Both should be set up so we can close off the entrance and remove the bridge if and when necessary. The housing block has been started, which is great, but there are still improvements that can probably be made. Large spaces have been set aside to ensure that there is space for nobles to grow.
We currently have no graveyard. This will, hopefully, not be an issue for quite a while, but it's something that we should be addressing when possible.
As is the way of our people, we hope to put a beautiful waterfall in the middle of our dining hall, and have prepared a potential space for it. The space should, when complete, be 4x4 with a 2x2 square of floor in the middle held up by pillars. This allows for maximum drainage to prevent any chance of the dining hall being flooded.
