Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The History Of Phantomdaggers, Chapter VIII

1 Moonstone

My name is Udil Kollerteth, a humble Minesmith of Phantomdaggers. I began this diary as a sort of tribute to Komut. The written word is a form of speech, is it not? As my youthfulness fades daily, I feel that this is the only way to properly pay obeisance.

I have had trouble in making friends here in Phantomdaggers, and so this diary is also a way to make a friend, as it were. The dwarves here seem put off by my love of pig iron - it was not until I learned how hard fuel and raw materials are to come by here that I realized why. I have since tried to steer the conversation towards cabinets and harps, other areas of interest for me, but to little avail.

Finally, I understand that the histories of Phantomdaggers have been, thus far, writ by the great and powerful. I am not so self-centered as to think that anyone would ever hold my works in high regard, but if the world ever needs the true story of Phantomdaggers, it shall lie within these pages.

In case you were wondering, the story involves lots of miasma. Evan's disastrously lax prisoner policies have left the lower tunnels swarming with lizardmen, snakemen, and olmmen, and we struggle desperately to smoke them out.

7 Moonstone

The queen has gone quite mad. Her room overlooks the statue garden of the Great Hall - she leapt off of her balcony today, hurting naught but her pride. She seems ready to do it again.

We are desperately engraving her walls in hopes of bringing her cheer.

13 Moonstone

The largest task currently facing us is sorting and storing the equipment stolen from the murdered human caravan. Almost every dwarf has been set to this task - we work tirelessly, but the goods are endless.

A fellow miner killed what may be the last lizardman - for now, at least, things have quieted down.

The queen has entered into a deep debate with a kitten. I fear that the kitten is winning - he has successfully framed the context of the debate in his own terms, which is itself half the battle, as every dwarf knows.

14 Moonstone

We finished an addition to the crypts, and began laying even more dwarves to their final rests, Komut have mercy on them. During the funeral ceremonies, the queen began to cry out, "Ia! Ia! Cthtulu fthaghan!"

Needless to say, we were somewhat perturbed.

28 Moonstone

During a game that involved bashing her head against the floor and then drowning herself in the resulting puddle of blood, the queen has died. Evan has declared a month of mourning, but the work of Phantomdaggers shall go on.

Dastot Onulromek bore her body to her tomb. Many wept, but I believe that many more were glad to see her go.

8 Opal

The fortress is, for now, free of miasma. Praise Komut for small blessings. This seems to be the end result of an aggressive public relations campaign, fronted by Evan, embodied by the catchy phrase, "Food goes in barrels, not on the floor / Dead dwarves go in coffins, but not if they're poor".

23 Opal

Zulban Olilkubuk has created a magnificent ring. It is beautiful, if somewhat single-minded.


1 Granite

Spring has arrived! We have been hard at work. The trade depot is finally, blessedly clear. The farms have been enlarged in preparation for a diversification of crops (not that I was complaining; I love plump helmets). The storage areas have been expanded and cleared, and the fortress is nearly free of piles of dead goblins' former equipment.

26 Granite

Libash Ducimtastrod, a lumberjack and carpenter, has begun to take his meals in the late queen's private dining hall. If she were alive to see this... well, seeing as her madness was the result of Evan's impudent opulence, I imagine it would have driven her... madder?

17th Hematite

Evan has been re-elected; no surprise there. In fairness, he has done wonders with the place.

We are in the process of installing a waterwheel-powered millstone to grind some of our newly grown crops - namely, sweet pods and longland grass. (And now that it is summer, perhaps cave wheat as well? My mouth waters at the thought of cave wheat beer...) We have also begun a new defensive installation, one that will hopefully bring the might of our siege weaponry to bear.

19 Hematite

We traded the humans some crafts and gems for an enormous amount of precious metals, lumber, and food. Evan seemed to initially favor a more flooding-focused negotiation, but was dissuaded.

24 Hematite

Operations were briefly interrupted by a goblin ambush - several dwarves were caught outside, so The Bent Tools were dispatched to intervene. Some nearly escaped, but Eshtan Gimmelbil Edanison Deleth, the Captain of the Guard, struck the sole survivor with his mighty adamantine hammer, and sent him flying several hundred meters.



With the loot from the goblins, and the haul from the trade depot, I imagine we will be quite busy for some time.

3 Galena

It seems that we can expect no new migrants this season.



17 Galena

Evan has thrown the captured goblins into the Pit of Dispair. Even as I loathe them, I must pity them, a little.

17 Limestone

A beseiging force of goblins arrived on the same day as the dwarven caravan. Methinks we can use this to our advantage.

19 Limestone

The foolish goblins hoped to exploit a "weak spot" in our defenses - the flood gate to the south of the trade depot. Unfortunately for them, this weak spot was actually, well, a strong spot. The caravan guards slaughtered them mercilessly with crossbows.

A stray puppy valiantly held off the second wave until The Broken Tools could arrive - when they did, they drove back the invaders ruthlessly.

The survivors fled.

19 Sandstone

After so much careful preparation, we were careless enough to leave one of the doors to the Pit of Despair unlocked after releasing the goblins. Two were contained, the other two quickly put down by The Bent Tools. The ones which were contained were killed almost too quickly - those whips can be deadly when they put their minds to it.

27 Sandstone

The fortress has attracted migrants - some mutter that they must be suicidal masochists, but their presence is welcome as far as I'm concerned.



1 Moonstone

As winter sinks her icy fingers into Phantomdaggers, I reflect. It has been a quiet year, and after the chaos to which we have all grown accustomed, I think this is for the best. The fortress is in a better place now than it was a year ago, and migrants are beginning to return. What lies in store for the future of Phantomdaggers? Only time, and the wisdom of Komut, will tell.

And the trainees all have bone crossbows. Why would anyone have bone crossbows?

No comments:

Post a Comment