Dwarf Fortress Community Fort

[ISGC]

Alright, guys, this is something I've wanted to do for a while, an Accursed Farms Community Fort. For those of you unfamiliar with the game of Dwarf Fortress, here's the website where you can download the game:

http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/

How this is going to work is we're going to create a list of players and each play for a single year (from spring to spring) and try to keep the fortress alive (you must be at least familiar with the game mechanics to be allowed to play, but being 'good' is not a requirement). While doing so, you're encouraged to keep a journal/report or tell a narrative about the year that you had. I'll name the starting dwarves after prominent community members (and myself), but the names you put in in your year don't matter.

PLAYERS:

1) ISGC

2)

We're embarking here:

The whispering jungles, a temperate coniferous forest thick with vegetation, ready to be carved by axe and pick. Adventure and glory awaits, my fellow dwarves!

Here are the character sheets for each dwarf so far. I apologize for any incorrect gender assignments, they were done randomly.

ISGC:

Spoiler

Alyxx:

Spoiler

Rarity:

Spoiler

Bill Ludwick:

Spoiler

BTGbullseye:

Spoiler

Blue:

Spoiler

Axeldeath:

Spoiler

Here's a map of the general area:

Spoiler

I'll start my tale in my next post.

 

[Alyxx Thorne]

I loved the description of my character.

 

[ISGC]

A deep peace rested upon the Whispering Jungle as the last of the snow faded away. And high up on the boughs of the great oaks, birds basked in the late-day sun which laid so daintily upon the peaks of the nearby mountains. And though the light grass tickled their feet and songs of animals serenaded their trek, the beauty of the forest was lost upon the seven dwarves who marched from Olon Urrith, the Gears of Scarring. Ignorant of its majesty were those whose hard leather boots trudged ever forward and wide brimmed caps made the strongest efforts of the fading sun futile. For beauty, to these folk of the ground, was found only within the light of jewels which rest in the palm of their hands and the glimmer of steel as it flows effortlessly through wood and flesh.

And so the dwarves came to the Whispering jungle, eager to tame it and carve upon its natural peaks their mark of glory, as was their nature to do so. Their picks, effective against the soft clay that dominated the landscape, quickly caved out an area below their wagon. A small, but homely hovel where one might find a safe haven from the dangers of the world above.

On the earthen walls, they hung their traveling cloaks, seven begrimed hides with muddy black tails. They rid themselves of their traveler's boots, worn and ragged as they were, and tossed them with pleasure into the wagon, for all were glad to have finished their journey. Though the real toil had only just begun.

And the dwarven axes began to sweep across the valley. The trees, some hundreds of years old and dozens of feet tall, were only a nuisance to the dwarves (persistent, they find, in that once cut down it may again regrow) and were much more useful separated from their roots.

In this way, the seven dwarves began the foundations of their fortress, as many had before. A lonely handful they were then, but one day they hoped to thrive.

--------------------

incredibly dry start, I know, but there's not much to it yet, really. It'll get more interesting as the fortress grows.

 

[Lord Sinister]

I have never played this before, but it's been on my list to try for a while. However as I have no gameplay experience at all I guess I'd better play the game a little before I qualify.

Is this multiplayer or people with their own single player games with dwarves named after forum members? Just how is this working exactly? In the mean time, guess I'll be trying this out...although I gather it's fairly hard to get in to.

 

[ISGC]

I'll upload the save file once my year is done (well, I've already completed my year game-play wise), but once I finish my story I'll put it up and all you have to do is place it in the right folder and you can play the next year.

 

[ISGC]

The spring drew on without event and summer soon held the valley in its grips. Few remained above the ground these days, as the sun was lay waste to the landscape like a plague and only badgers, with the audacity of hawks and general disregard for dwarven kind, remained to dominate the valley. Though badgers were little cause for alarm, as sturdy boots were weapon enough to destroy the population.

And on the milder days, the dwarves would emerge to work on their various projects. Herein lies the report of the miner, Bill Ludwick, who was left in charge of the project.

Hematite. Day 14.

The initial lines of the moat have been drawn. I hope to complete it by limestone, but if the heat persists, it may not happen until moonstone. Luckily the clay ground is easily dug through.

Hematite. Day 26.

The moat is going nowhere, so I've doubled the work time of the working dwarves. They complain, but there is still plenty of water to be had and a well is being erected nearby. If we continue at the pace we are going now, we may very well finish by limestone.

Malachite. Day 3.

New workers have arrived. Migrants, seeking refuge in our newly dug halls. Because of the new hands, I have redoubled our efforts. Fresh workers should push the deadline up to the end of the month. The dwarves have been restless, but I believe it is just because they are anxious to finish the moat.

Malachite. Day 19.

The dwarves are complaining that it hasn't rained for months. They say the ground burns as lava; one even showed scorch marks to prove it (though I'm inclined to believe they were fake). I've told them to keep working, the moat has almost been completed and it would be a waste of time were we to wait for better weather.

Galena. Day 2.

It's finished! In the recent days, I've had the dwarves work night shifts as well, but we were able to complete the entire moat! It still has not rained (and there aren't any clouds on the horizon), so we will need to tap into the nearby brook for water, but the moat is dug and the dwarves seem truly appreciative of their hard work. I hope they will forgive me for pushing them so hard the past few days, but it was necessary if we wanted to make the fortress look presentable to the liason who would soon arrive. They even invited me to a party by the well which will start later tonight. I'm quite proud of my work here, and it seems that the dwarves are as well. I was saving this for later on, but I think I'll announce my plans for a quarry at the party. I'm sure they're all eager to get back to work!

And so Bill fell victim to a tragic accident. The first loss of the fortress is always rough, though life quickly moved on and the quarry was eventually made, but at their own pace.

--------------

I apologize again for another boring entry. The first year of the fortress never gives me much to work with, narrative wise.

 

[ISGC]

And time marched on for the dwarves, faster then, as the sun hung low, and well blistered hands reaped the rewards of shelter and food. But while the dwarven fires grew ever warmer, winter's raspy gale hunted like a hound for any nook or crack to slip through, and it shook upon the stiff stonework gates like a host of death's spectral captives, rattling the foundations of the strong dwarven masonry in a desperate attempt to escape the frigid outdoors. Few dwarves left the earthen warmth of the tunnels, and even those that did returned before the ungodly frozen breath could solidify the sweat on their brow.

The quarry was worked on, mostly, since the moat had been finished, however at a pace far more suitable to the dwarves.

Spoiler

The moat was dry for now, but it would soon be filled to the brim with water and help to protect them from all manner of evil.

Spoiler

And against all odds, for the weather had been brutal that year, migrants picked their way across the frozen lands to join the fortress. And their tales of wraiths and demons that stalked the barren snow fields found ears among the workers as drinks were shared around the fire.

Spoiler

The winter blew on above the toiling heads, and the first year of their humble fortress grew to a blustery close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright, I've decided to just finish this off and see if anyone wants to give it a go. Nothing exciting or noteworthy really happened in my fortress, so maybe I'll be able to craft a tale really worth reading later on, after others have taken their turn. Here's the save:

http://www.mediafire.com/?7sen6uxn6ae8vez