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Safe inside, the two adult migrants quickly introduced themselves. They were a couple, it seemed: Likot Raptorcrafted and her husband Kogan Inkname. The two had accomplished little during their long lives in the underdark, they explained, and sought a better life for their their two children-- a life of glory, a life of mighty deeds and great labors.
Daedalus did not question this strange ambition, for he too believed in the splendor of his Vision. It is in the nature of dwarves to crave glory, and so Daedalus simply asked: "And in what work do you take skill? How will you aid us?"
"We have... little skill in the crafts," said Likot. "I have dabbled in various labors, but am mere novice in all but butchery. Kogan took... what was it dear?"
"Correspondence course," grunted Kogan. "Correspondence course in carpentry and interior design."
Daedalus squinched his eyebrows. "Corr-e-spon-dence course? What is this corr-e-spon-dence course?"
"I didn't much like the look of it at the time," said Likot. "It *was* very economical, though."
Daedalus found this "economical" thing highly suspicious. It sounded like a goblin invention.
"We-e-ell," he said, his brow wrinkled, "can you fight?"
Likot nodded solemnly. "I can fight. You learn a thing or two about breaking bodies down in a lifetime of butchery."
"That settles that, then," said Daedalus, smiling. "You two can be a squad. Try and teach Kogan a bit of wrestling, and I'll see about preparing a couple hammers. We can always use more hammers."
The two made their way to the barracks in silence. Solitarian haggled off Vindcara's latest creations for more metalwork as they drilled.
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13th of Sandstone, 1050
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Now there was a nice supply of brewing plants to draw from, Adil could set about stocking up the fort's alcohol reserves. With quick and skillful hands, she began the juicing of the plump helmets, squeezing the liquid out into a rock pot. It was a messy job, but somebody had to do it-- and Adil did it well.
As Adil worked, she thought about all the names she'd heard since she arrived here. They were strange names. Daedalus. Enemy Post. Methylatedspirit. Solitarian.
They were very strange names.
But they were nice names.
Maybe Adil could take a nice name too. Something they'd remember. She was an important dwarf, after all-- what fortress could survive without its drink? Surely an important dwarf should have a name worth remembering.
There. That was a nice name.
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16th of Sandstone, 1050
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The forge glowed. The furnaces burned. The metalworks were ready.
Rejoicing, Daedalus took up metal goods bought from the merchants and set down the stairs, Chibi and Enemy Post following. They would work the cheap equipment of the merchants into far better things.
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17th of Sandstone, 1050
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"Oi! Hammerdwarf!"
"Hnng," grunted Atir, turning. "What."
"We're behind schedule!" said the merchant, tapping one foot in a way Atir did not like. "We need to be going! Now!"
Atir peeked out the hatch a moment.
"Is not safe. Must wait."
"But we're behind schedule!"
"Is not. Safe," Atir growled. clutching her hammer tight.
The merchants believed her.
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22nd of Sandstone, 1050
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Scourge had been greatly displeased when she learned of the smoke in the forges. Together, she and Dodok sought to plug it at the source, blocking over with slate the lowest point of the stairway so that the smoke might not come through.
The blocks held. The smoke dissipated; the forges cleared.
Daedalus would approve.
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Bored out of their minds, the merchants had taken to wandering the dining hall.
With their animals.
Atir found this most irritating.
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25th of Sandstone, 1050
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Once more, Atir peeked quickly out the hatch. The weasel was far away; it didn't seem to be looking. Throwing open the hatch, Atir descended into the dining hall, grabbed a merchant by the sleeve, and pointed to the stairs.
"Out. Quickly."
The merchants left. The weasel did not give chase.
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Apparently some reindeer calf Likot had brought with her thought following the merchants would be a good idea.
It was not a good idea.
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2nd of Timber, 1050
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It was about time, Solitarian decided, she see about fulfilling her duties as a bookkeeper.
The work was slow and tedious, but at least it wasn't so boring as carving rock pots. That had really been getting tiresome.
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8th of Timber, 1050
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The fortress proper was fully carved, and so Scourge took it upon herself to investigate futher the deposits of divine metal she'd struck when she dug the great stairwell.
The metal was... weird. It resembled iron, but rusted to the point where any iron would crumble. It was metal, but split like rock. You could knap a blade out of the stuff. What would happen when somebody tried to melt it down, Scourge could only guess.
They'd be finding out soon enough, at any rate.
I've done some testing, and the dwarves will indeed melt rusted metal boulders into bars, the same way they'd melt any other metal object. Furthermore, because of the weird way the game classifies metal boulders, dwarves will
also use divine boulders to make rock short swords! Whodathunkit, eh?
,
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9th of Timber, 1050
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After weeks of hauling, Daedalus, Enemy Post, and Chibi had prepared enough metal to begin forgework. The iron and steel they would save for armor, perhaps... but the bismuth bronze? That would make fine warhammers.
Dodok's carpentry had perhaps held thus far, but Dawnthunder could not hide from its enemies forever. Stronger enemies would come soon enough... but when they did, they would find Dawnthunder ready to meet them.
It was good.
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So... I really burned out these past couple days. I'm running out of time to finish this, so I'm just going to smash these out quick as I can; no time for pixel art. I can maybe try and go back to re-illustrate later? We'll see.
Sorry guys.
Author
Topic: Dawnthunder: !!Fun!! with RAWs (succession game) (Read 103603 times)