Part 160: Intermission
Applied the new Stonesense to the new save, let's take a look
The journal of Baroness's Consort "FebrezeNinja" Estilimush:
I haven't gotten very many friends at Syrupleaf. I must be doing something wrong. I seem to have quite aggravated Daeren before he sacrified himself, but I really needed those grates for... well I won't go into that now.Well these people may not like me, but I bet I can make friends with some immigrants! I'll make something cool to impress the next ones.
I had all these spare rocks in my rooms so I asked a stonecrafter to make some fancy toy bricks out of some. I hope he didn't hate me for it.
So I'll use these to make a scale model of Syrupleaf! Got dye and everything! I'll draw the view in here, journal. I added some of my tour quotes I'm planning.
"Your first step into Syrupleaf is through this bridge defense system! Keep clear when they lower! To the north you can see where our magma pipes have melted the river for a bit."
North is the top-right corner
"Here's the welcoming gatehouse! Unless you're a Frost Giant. Then tehsid kills you."
I couldn't get real gold for the roads, journal.
"Here is the main gathering place for eating and partying. Plenty of tables for all!"
I need to get some giant mole blocks made here. I put ? blocks in for them for now.
"Here you can see the Syrupleaf concert hall! The instruments they make here are top-notch."
I keep a top booth on reserve.
"The Syrupleaf industrial center. Main stockpiles are to the southeast. You can also see the war mole training to the southwest."
I don't have nearly enough blocks to show all the items laying around!
"These are the main forges of Syrupleaf, producing all sorts of crafts and military equipment."
I never see anyone in there, though.
"Most of the Syrupleaf dead lie in these chambers. Please pay your respects."
I don't know how many of those are 'used', but I'm not about to check.
Now some outdoor features:
"Here is the tribute to the fallen heroes of Syrupleaf. That bridge swings for as long as we shall live here. Keep it in mind, this is a nasty environment."
It was built before I got here, so I can't say much about its construction.
"The mighty sacrificial tower ordered built by overseer globofglob! It has some ballistas set up at the base (yellow blocks)"
I don't know why they're facing south.
I don't know what this means.
"Sirocco's wonderful gazebo. It's got a very nice view, just get inside fast when you hear the bells"
I think I'll set this up in the entry hall.
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Q: Are there any actual meeting rooms designated? Didn't see any.
Sarcose wrote :-
The air swirled and danced and moved thick and heavy, a silent tempest unfelt roared from the artifice and screamed into intangible being. It stood in shock for a second and gathered its vaguely familiar surroundings, to find itself surrounded by a milky, smoky substance the purest white.
"What's going on here?" Globofglob said bemusedly, addressing the sudden figure before him.
It was a dwarf-shaped skeleton, cloaked in a black robe and carrying a black, menacing scythe. I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME THING.
"I'm supposed to be haunting the fortress, driving that damn hammerer insane. What happened to the Weskerdorf?"
The squat robed skeleton wasn't interested in answering his questions today, as it was too busy observing the swirling nonmaterial around them both. THIS STUFF IS MADE OF SOULS. WHAT HAVE YOU PEOPLE BEEN DOING?
"Who are you!?"
I AM DEATH. I HAVE COME FOR YOU, AS YOU HAVE DIED. Very briefly, Globofglob saw an hourglass in Death's bony hand. All craftsdwarfship was of the finest quality. It was adorned with bands of spawn of holistic leather. It menaced with spikes of obsidian. All the sand had fallen to the bottom bowl. QUITE A WHILE AGO, I MIGHT ADD.
"Why haven't I seen you before?"
SOMEONE HAD HIDDEN THIS ENTIRE FORTRESS FROM ME. THE SPELL HAS FINALLY BROKEN. With that, the Death of Dorfs' head swiveled in a direction that Globofglob recognized was where the hammerer had taken up his new pet project. I CAN FIND IT AGAIN.
"If you're going to take me away now, where's Silento?"
Death looked back at Globofglob. Those hollow sockets made him feel as though he should shiver, but he had no ability to do so. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THERE IS ONLY YOU LEFT, AND THIS, Death swirled a bony appendage through the milky substance. It furled through his phalanges. I'M DONE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. YOUR TIME IS UP GLOBOFGLOB. COME WITH ME NOW.
The Death of Dorfs was slightly more irritated than usual. This mucking about with soul business was unnatural, and he didn't like it. This is the first time anyone had hidden from him after death, but he recognized it wasn't even their doing.
Globofglob made one last, pathetic attempt to salvage it all. "What about his soul?" he said, pointing off toward Daeren, who he'd just now realized was dead. "It needs to come with all of us too!" he hoped Death would see reason, would dispense with all this lighthouse foolishness and bring Daeren's soul with them all. He hoped...
Death of Dorfs looked up, and so did Globofglob. All Globofglob could see was the stone roof of the fortress, but Death was looking into the sky, beyond the mountain. There hovered far, far off, a massive winged shape. It soared and dove and screeched in a way that only the dead could hear.
SOMETIMES THE GODS MAKE EXCEPTIONS.
Crackmaster wrote :-
Opal 15th, 147
It's not enough that BlobboSlob the Slumlord stuck me in this molehole he has (well, had) the Prickle berries to call a room. It's not enough nobody ever picked up the muck left over from the excavation and I trip over piles of gabbro whenever I try to get to my bed. It's not enough there's no door, and from what I can tell no plans to install one. No, our Flavor-Of-The-Month-But-Still-Supposedly-Glorious Overseer Daeren decided it was time for me to join the military.
It's not all bad, to be sure; the training is going rather well, I find the sessions invigorating. I just notice the alarming rate at which we go through recruits around here, and the particularly violent means of their elimination. I worried this place would be the death of me, and this turn of events is a step in the wrong direction.
Thankfully I'm holding it together for now. It's almost two years into my stay at Syrupleaf, but by the amity of Avuz I've managed to avoid getting sucked into a friendship with any of these drama queens. Dwarves may die left and right in the old 'loaf, I'm nonetheless quite content. Who can stay gloomy when greeted with the sight of a trade depot like ours? I've long since abandoned any hope of getting these gold stocks back to Lanterntool (I'm not too broken up about it, either), but my admiration for gilded architecture remains intact, and ours is a sparkling testament to dwarven commerce.
Just thinking about it is lifting my spirits, to be honest. Maybe military service isn't as bad as I thought. Hell, with some training under my belt I'll probably last longer than most. The draft isn't the end of the world, right? What's the worst that could happen?
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Globofglob, I don't know if you selected my diminutive avatar carefully, but thanks! My dwarf recently admired the golden trade depot since apparently she has a love of said metal. Even if it was coincidental, it's a pleasingly appropriate fit for the character background I worked up.
And holy christ it takes a lot longer than I thought it would to read twenty pages of this thread. I need to keep up to date, so much exciting stuff happens when I'm not paying attention. Bravo all around!