Part 116: Globofglob: Update 9
27th Slate, 146, Mid-Spring
Well, that was fast! Within a day of my announcement, I had 7 able dwarves for my "New Guard".
Although I only really know two of them, they'll all be perfect. They are :
Kgummy- Child
Jazzimus Prime- Former Clerk
Val Helmethead- Former Craftsdwarf
Perfect Potato- Former Captain of the Royal Guard
Smuggins- Former Brewer
TowerofOil-Former woordworker
Spermy Smurf-Former Champion of the Fortress
All are excellent, well-respected members of the fortress. With their support, hopefully I can crush any whisper of dissent before an actual riot begins.
Also of note- Weaponsmith Freudian Slip has recently locked himself in one of the forges. Any attempts to extract him have resulted in minor injury.
The base of the tower and the moat are now complete. Of course, now I have to deepen the moat and fill it with lava, but one thing at a time. The second floor of the tower has now been planned out :
Silento's quarters are coming out fine, but I have to admit the de-stoning of the fields is going a bit slower than I would like, as are the irrigation channels. I did give the miners a lot of work though, so I guess it's alright. I'm afraid I won't be able to start plumbing the true depths of this adamantine vein until early summer.
On the subject of the new guard, they will also be getting new chambers in the depths, along with me and Silento. Their primary purpose is to guard the adamantine vein and myself against any and all who would seek to sabotage production.
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Yeah, sure, "guard me". I don't need any damn guarding. Neither does the adamantine. Anyway, my plan is basically to kick out all the old members of the fortress guard, and put these guys in their place. This is after their initiation, of course. After I make sure Freudian Slip's sorted out, they'll all be taken down to the adamantine chambers. Silento says he's going to perform the same procedure on them as he did me!...With a few differences, of course, seeing as they aren't dead. Somehow, he has a device that can produce a hot enough fire to refine adamantine!
Kgummy throws a wrench in the works. I really don't think a kid should be exposed to that, you know! Hell, I don't even want to give these guys the full procedure. If anyone else has this power, they could seriously challenge me in this whole "Overseer for life" thing. So I'm just going to... tweak Silento's plans a bit. Hell, he isn't the overseer, I am!
And as for Milev... well, ever since Silento revived me, I have been wanting to do some experiments on my own!
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"Kgummy, I have a job for you. It's a very important job, and noone else can do it but you."
"What is it, Mr.Globofglob?"
"Every night, I need you to sneak up to Milav's room. Do whatever you want then. Make creepy noises, bang rocks outside the door, and most of all do not get caught.Also, I want you to put this adamantine idol under her bed."
"Why?"
"Because I said so. And because if you do it, you get first pick of toys from the caravan, and all the ale you could want."
"Okay, Mr.Globofglob."
"Also, you don't have to call me mister, kid. Just call me Globofglob, alright?"
"Okay!"
"Also,-"
"You say also alot, M-,Globofglob."
"This will be the last also for today Kgummy, I promise. If you notice any of the other people in the New Guard acting strangely, tell me, alright?"
"Okay, Mr.Globofglob!"
"Good boy. You can leave. But before you do, bring this tablet to Silento and he'll let both you and your mother take 3 toys each from the finished goods stockpile."
"Thank you Globofglob! Goodbye!"
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"Hello Jazzimus Prime! I haven't seen you in awhile! Hell, I'm surprised you can bear to keep yourself away from your numbers for so long."
"W-Well, it's hard but I really think I have to stop y- then numbers I mean. They've been taking over my thoughts, making me a little crazy."
"Don't worry about that Jazzimus. Anyway, what would you like in your new bedroom?"
"New bedroom, Glob? What are you walking about?"
"All members of the New Guard will be given new bedrooms, down in the depths with me and Silento. It's a little isolated, but I've almost got the basic faculties up, so you shouldn't have to walk too far. There's also so much more space down here, so we can afford to have everyone live like nobles!"
"Won't Queen Sankis be angry?"
"Sankis barely ever leaves her room, much less comes down here. It'd dirty her robes. She can't be angry if she doesn't notice. Anyway, any requests, Jazzimus?
"Not really Glob. I'm sure I'll be content with whatever you give me."
"If you insist. But before you leave, here."
"An A-A masterwork adamantine idol? Decorated with Spawn of Holistic bone and spiked with Obsidian?"
"Yeah, I've heard you've been having nightmares lately, and also that you liked idols. If you keep it with you when you sleep, you'll find it much more peaceful at night."
"Thank you, Glob. But if you excuse me, I really must get back to my desk. I'm still the clerk."
"Oh yes, I will ahve to change that, won't I? It'll be hard to get you away from numbers if your job forces you to be around them so often. Farewell then, Jazzimus Prime."
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"Greetings, Val Helmethead. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Globofglob. So, why am I down here?"
"It's just an interview. I'm giving them to all members of the New Guard."
"Well, alright then. If you're giving them to everybody."
"Excellent. First, what would you like in your new room?"
"A Frost Giant."
"A Frost Giant!?"
"Yeah, a Frost Giant. I like their beards. Also, I like Silver and Sard."
"I'll be sure to tell the dwarven liason to bring some Sard, then. You can rest assured that your demands will be satisfied, even if they take awhile."
"Thanks!"
"Anyway, about your new job. You know that certain denizens of the fortress have been speaking out against me, correct?"
"Yeah, but I can't fathom why. Your the best damn overseer we;ve had in awhile."
"Most of them are founders and early migrants who are unwilling to get up power to us new arrivals. Anyway, I have sufficient cause to fear civil war might erupt, especially since adamantine production has resumed.
Your job is mainly to keep your ears open and tell me if you hear anything that might hint that someone might defect. We have the spawn, frost giants, and sand raiders at our doors, and I truly doubt that the fortress can withstand a threat from within as well."
"Of course,Globofglob. If I hear anything suspicious, I'll let you know."
"Excellent. I see those rumors about you were quite unfounded. I'll order the cage traps set up at once."
"Rumors?"
"While I was sparring the other day, Milev was spouting the most vile rumors about you. She seems to have a grudge."
"Milev! I'll beat that bitch into the GROUND! Er, which one's she again?"
"She's a champion of the fortress, and uses a mace. Though I suggest you don't try and fight her. She's quite the temper. Nearly took my arm off the other day for looking at her wrong!"
"Dammit...Well, I'll think of some way to get her back. Thanks for the tip! Just how widespread are these rumors, by the way?"
"Not very. She spends most of her time in the barracks, so the only ones that had even a chance to hear them were the guard and the military. If you stop her quickly, I doubt many more will hear. Fare-"
Damn, she didn't even let me say goodbye. I hope she won't do anything rash.
I didn't even give her the idol yet. Whatever, I'll give her one next time. Or maybe I'll just tell Kgummy to plant one in her room.
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I'll be doing the other four interviews too. I would have done it in this one, but I haven't released an update in awhile, and didn't think you guys would want to wait another few hours or so for me to get it done.
Chance II wrote :-
The whispering seems constant now as adamantine mining continues. I don't know if I can do anything to halt the events already in motion but I must try. I have enlisted the aid of the dwarf "DarkHorse" in the fabrication of some of the more esoteric devices required by my latest project. DarkHorse expressed interest in a collaboration with me in developing more effective armor against the perils we all face daily here in Syrupleaf. I, of course provided all the information I have gathered, seeing a chance to perhaps save even a few of our number from the destruction that I know must soon come. Our discussion and study has yielded possible designs for bone armor constructed from the adamantine rich bones of the Spawn which, in theory, should provide both the lightness of normal bone armor with the durability of raw adamantine. I also contributed a few notes on Darkhorse's designs for Essence embued Obsidian armor. I tried to discourage the use of Spawn Essence but I fear that this advice will be disregarded. Leaving him to this work, I will put to use some of the devices that I asked Darkhorse to build. Of the eigth subjects I have gathered and carefully hidden from the rest of the fortress population, subjects 4 and 5 seem the most responsive to my adamantine and Essence infusions. I must remember to find a butcher and bone carver that I can trust to provide me with a few more "items" required for this experiment.
Chance II wrote :-
I have gathered enough rudimentary mechanisms and harvested enough organs from slain moledogs and sand raiders to complete a handful of my experiment mining homunculi. I would have preferred good dwarven bones and organs but the secretive nature of this experiment barred me from such a high profile action as grave robbing. Units 4 5 and 7 of the 8 seem most responsive and are closest to completion. If successful, these homunculi should prove to be valuable miners, capable of working in hazardous environments like the adamantine seams. If i can convince this mad overseer to use them, I can control the mining operation and have a failsafe in place if things get out of hand. I, I need a rest. The whispering is growing stronger lately.
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As I walk back to my lab from the great hall, I am rudely shouldered aside by a dwarf I recognize as Spermy Smurf. "Time to decide who you work for, Professor" the dwarf calls over his shoulder with a sneer. Hurrying back to the my quarters, I find my notes strewn about and a number of the pieces of equipment my apprentice Darkhorse had been working on broken. Frantic, I checked that the hidden room containing the homuculi had not been opened. To my relief, the seals were still in place. I push open the door only to see the back wall of the chamber dug out and one fewer homunculi in its rig. Quickly scanning the numbers engraved on the remaining homunculi's skulls, I realize that 5 of 8 is missing. Dirt 5... is alive!
Bobbin Threadbare wrote :-
The "accident" occurred soon after Boborachi foretold Globofglob's doom. In spite of this, the overseer returned soon after apparently dying, and in full health, although I could sense the same other-worldlyness that had seemed to infect Mr. Boborachi himself. No other seemed to notice this difference, however; I believe my experience in the room of adamantine sensitized me to the difference. Even now, I find it hard to describe--there is a certain shadow, an afterimage that remains on the eye after the individual has left, a harsh brightness that shines from within, dispelling the shadows that should have been cast upon their person. And yet this effect is subtle, the dwarves affected barely different from their companions, and while others seem to be ill at ease in their presence, they do not realize why.
The Weskerdwarf began to appear in public soon after Globofglob's apparent resurrection. Though all were curious as to what had happened to Boborachi, few were daring enough to ask, and those few who did were met with only silence, quickly withdrawing their questions in the face of his bespectacled glare. He was also known to meet with the new Globofglob, who had undergone a significant change in personality after his renewal.
It wasn't until the call for a new fortress guard that the reason for these meetings became apparent. Seven individuals would be selected to form a police force, and no secret was made of its goal: to weed out insurgents and traitors. There were no such dwarves, of course, which meant that it was truly built to destroy any who opposed Parasol, Boborachi, the Presence in the room. My careless acts had come back to haunt me, and now that they knew of my existence, I had no doubt but that they would not stop until I (and, likely, Sirocco) was dead.
I could not allow my knowledge to die with me. Others would need to know the depths of evil I had witnessed. Perhaps we could destroy the darkness. Perhaps we could escape and warn the greater dwarven community. Perhaps we would lose and become corrupted ourselves, but at least we would fall fighting. Whatever the purpose, I knew my time of silence was at an end.
Dirt5o8 wrote :-
Initializing Start-up...Complete.
Steam Engine...On-line.
Alcohol Pump...On-line
Peripheral Hardware...On-line
Engraving Operating System: ChanceIIsoft Fortress Explorer XP
Unit Five of Eight Cancels Action: Engraving Operating System. Interrupted by:...ERROR: Record Keeping Off-line
Unit Five of Eight Cancels Action: Engraving Operating System. Interrupted by:...ERROR: All Craftdwarfship Not Exceptional
Disabling Prime Directive...
...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!...Strike the earth!
I...Function...
Drakenel wrote :-
Hm. Reading over and not missing a page for a change, I've been thinking up a little bit. We'll see.
The adamantine, while the greatest and most sought after material in the world, holds it's own secrets the careless miners do not realize. The lines that hold the threads for the metal are not random. In fact, it is one of the few ways for the spirits to leave their marks on the mortal plane. Years after Syrupleaf's mining shafts have finally silenced, one such thread that is still intact can be read.
Some dwarves are lucky when they die. Their spirit leaves this realm to whatever hell or paradise awaits them. However, there are certain things that can keep them here. I broke a rule in my death, and I now stay here. I inscribe my journey upon this single strand, left behind by the miners in their frenzic digging for the metal.
My broken law? I slew the spawn, who are creatures born of the etheral realm, given physical life for purposes known to the Detective. But not by blade, hammer, or axe. That isn't what killed them. In fact, as far as I know, it's just a shedding of their bodies. It wasn't the sharpness of my blade that broke it, it was the soul entrapped within it. Thanks to that, my blade clove through not only their bodies, but their spirits as well, denying their return to their dread mistress. And for that, I have been denied my ascenscion.
After my spirit found itself still bound to my rotting corpse, I cried out to whatever god or demon was listening. Who should answer but the Demon Detective herself? Without my mind to attach to my soul, my will was nonexistant, and I too became a pawn in this spiral of madness. But not like the spawn, no. I am to remain trapped to my mortal remains. For what reason, I did not understand at first.
But then my head was taken, locked away in the chambers of the dwarf who is responsible for the abominable weapon that has earned me my torment. I do not know how, but he can commune with my spirit. The Detective whispers things to me. Secrets, facts, intruiges... and warnings. At first, I thought what she was making me warn him against was the exact opposite of what the Detective wanted to happen. The mining would have to continue in order to unleash her unholy wrath, would it not?
But then I realized something. This dwarf.... He had the ability to learn what we had planned on his own, and in due time. So why would she make me tell him sooner? Because we needed action from him, not for the purposes of the whether or not the mining would continue, it would regardless, but to make sure his threat to the Detective's plans would be snuffed out. If he were allowed to prepare, and to then enco-
The thread reaches it's end at a dug out piece of the adamantine wall. Whatever message was written is gone now as the material was undoubtedly mined, woven, and smelted for whatever dwarven greed called for it.