1st of Obsidian, Late Winter

Dumat, that lazy dwarf, refuses to leave his level of the fortress, so I've set him to smoothing the stone on the residential level.  He might as well do something useful, right? 

I also started trade discussions with the emissary from our homeland.  I'm thinking that we'll mostly need leather and animals for the next shipment.  I don't have any hunters yet, so neither do we have a real source of leather.  More wood could also be beneficial.  I don't want to cut down the whole forest just so we can have enough beds for everyone.  It will also help out with making charcoal, if I can ever find the rapscallion that I've put in charge of making charcoal since Dumat doesn't seem to want to pull his weight around here.  I need to tell him not to do anything else.  We need to start making metal armor and weapons, I'm tired of all the wood and stone.  We're dwarves afterall!  Metal is in our blood!  Quite literally, actually.  I've heard from the latest research from our science dwarves that we have more iron in our blood than any other race known to dwarf-kind.

Nothing left to do now but look for that good-for-nothing chum who isn't making charcoal.  I guess it's a good thing that I'm starting to not be able to recognize everyone.  It means we're growing!


? of Obsidian, Late Winter

Ugh, I don't know why, but apparently this diplomat wanted to meet outside, and so we did, and discussed every little detail about our trading.  Apparently he is going to pay best for earrings, splints, and cloth next year.  Who knows, maybe there's a shortage of these things worldwide... or maybe getting injured and wearing jewelry is really in now.  Who knows, I just know that I lost track of the days and am going to spend the next two or three in bed.  I've asked one of the passing dwarves to come shake me if I'm not out in four days.  I don't think I could stand to be away from my drink much longer than that, even if I am just sleeping.  No one loves a sober dwarf, and I can't blame 'em.


5th of Obsidian, Late Winter

Apparently, I only needed a day of rest to recuperate from my days in the sun, which is good, I guess.  At least I don't have to worry about getting sun sickness for awhile now.  Speaking of which, I'm setting up a statue in the front entrance, though it's the only entrance, so that people will gather there and sit in the sun at least a few times a year.  This will hopefully keep them from getting allergic to the sun's rays.  I think the only one I'll have to worry about is Ulstuth, since he'll be the one in charge of digging deeper and deeper for better ores. 

Oh, I should also mention that I've set up this statues identical twin in Ulstuth's room for his great service to us.  None of this would be possible without all his hard work and good experience.  He digs out rooms faster than you can say bottle of mead, and trust me, us dwarves can say that mighty quickly. 

Apparently he's also been really chipper as of late.  He and Eral, our mason, seemed to have hit it off really well, which I suppose happens when one supplies the necessary materials for one's work.  It's good to see happy dwarves though.  Happy dwarves are hard working dwarves, after all.

PS, I still haven't seen what's his face to do more charcoal making.


26th of Obsidian, Late Winter

Apparently, no one wants to work the wood furnace, it's haunted or something, but everyone finds something better to do than make charcoal, even if it's just sitting around doing nothing.  I really want to lock some people up, but I don't have enough hands to do that, so I'm going to instead destroy the old furnace and see if I can't convince these dwarves to work at a new one. 

However, everyone is enjoying their new bedrooms, which now mostly sport nice, smoothed stone walls.  The next thing I want to do is get them engraved with epic tales of the history of our fortress, it will be truly epic, bringing in many more dwarves, I'm sure.


4th of Granite, Early Spring year 8

Well, out of sheer boredom, the militia asked for my permission to go on a hunt, so I sent them all away to kill the wombats, badgers, and snakes in the area.  I hope they don't get injured, but the likeliness of that happening shouldn't be too great, seeing as their all wearing pretty solid armor.  I've even caught them sparring in the barracks, hopefully that sparring will be put to good use here.


9th of Granite, Early Spring

It would seem that the new wood furnace is up, hopefully the dwarves won't see this one as being haunted and actually work in it.  We need charcoal so badly to continue our good trade.  What good is a dwarf trading post that can't make it's own metal!?


19th of Granite, Early Spring

It's official, no one wants to make charcoal.  Maybe I should start bashing in some heads.  I'm trying one more place for the furnace, but it's in with the other workshops, which seems like it would make the whole level quite smoky, especially with the blacksmith's shop and the smelter on the same level, but hopefully being closer to their shop will help entice them to work.  I've also called off the hunt for the various critters around the area; it seems 10 days is long enough for a hunt for my men.


27th of Granite, Early Spring

Well, more migrants today, and wouldn't you know it?  Three more children, just what we needed, as if the twerps weren't taking up enough room as it were.  At least there haven't been any goblin snatchers yet.  That's why I set up all the precautionary wardogs at the gates.  With a little luck, the children will all be safe.  I should get some more cages built, though, so I can set up more traps. 

The new furnace is up as well, hopefully I can convince someone to work it.  I swear these dwarves are driving me crazy, not wanting to work with wood.  It's enough to make me shave my beard!


2nd of Slate, Mid-Spring

Well, apparently these dwarves just didn't understand what I was trying to tell them to do.  Apparently telling them to go work the furnaces isn't the same as telling them to burn wood.  I'm glad I got that figured out, now I just have to figure out what I want everyone else to do. 

Also, and I should shave my beard out of shame for not noticing this, one of the new migrants is a suturer.  We need a head medical dwarf, so she's the new head medical dwarf.  I suppose that means I should clear out a spot for her and a hospital.  Oy!  I need to get some more beds for these newcomers!


16th of Slate, Mid-Spring

The engravings of our great residence hall is coming along great!  Of course, I am in several of these engravings, but on top of that, the craftsmanship is quite stellar.  I'm sure dwarves far and wide will want to come to be a part of our great story in the settling of our world!


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and with that, I'm afraid i must call it quits for tonight.  Hope you all are enjoying (at least a little) and I look forward to writing more soon!