Ok, this might be kind of a mess. I played this session over both days of the weekend, and due to a new job, I just now got around to writing up. Oh well, hopefully I can get more coherent as I get into a more proper swing of things.
Start off by picking up on the gravity blender work. It's boring as all hell, and not at all worth documenting.
One of the soldiers crafts an artifact stone figurine of some dwarf. I'm seriously busy managing the blender project and doing so safely, so I don't pay attention to any of the details.
Hilarity with caravans. About every other caravan gets jumped by sizeable goblin killsquads. Risking the lives of our citizen-tropps for the sake of shiny trade goods is for chumps. Our airlock security system keeps Peakwind safe, at least.
At some point, CommanderDJ crafts an artifact Pig Iron battleax. Pig Iron is a merely passable weapon material, so a soldier wielding it will be banking on the weapon's quality. Also the Rule of Cool!
At another point, a dwarven diplomat drops by and makes a very interesting offer: shall Peakwind become an official Barony of its parent civilization? I say "not right now". Though of course the fact that I'm BUSY WITH DIGGING STUFF didn't influence my decision at all. No sir.
Later on, a Cyclops shows up with remarkably good timing. I have to condemn a few nameless to death to save the fort, though one armed citizen did manage to hurt the invader a bit. In a spot of good news, I finally finish off the enhancements to the gravity blender, and direct the monster to the upgraded trap.
....It didn't work as well as I had hoped. Though the trap -> fall system works just fine, the enhanced fall didn't seem to add any more damage. Frustration. I think about the matter while I manage clothing, food, and drink supplies.
Another child decides to stick it to the elves with a wooden pimpcup.
During the course of some various maintenance and cleanup, some citizens "leak" outside to track down socks or whatever. Three goblin killsquads show up sequentially to ruin their ****. Nothing I can do for them, though I do direct the goblins to the gravity blender for additional testing. As I feared, the fall STILL hadn't gained any damage. Clearly something needs to be added on.
Classical answer to everything- pour magma on it. This'll require some additional work, though. I put in orders for iron (magma-proof) screw pump components. What the components are for, you will see soon enough.
A dwarven diplomat comes again next year offering a Barony position once more. This time, I decide to say "yes". As a followup to Peakwind's new status, we need a Baron. Esarai! I choose you! This results in an acceptable division of powers: esarai had been the ruling Mayor for quite some time, but PhantomHoover just recently succeeded her (dorf-esarai's a girl, remember). Of course, esarai does fuss a bit until I carve out some "noble"-level quarters and a tomb for her and hubby, but it frankly isn't much hassle.
Right around the same time as our new Barony goes through, I decide to unveil my latest project: a magma-fuelled enhancement to the gravity blender's floor that's driven by an affront to physics. Ref the
Dwarven Water Reactor. This writeup is getting too long already, so I won't explain the DWR.
As I finish off the excavation for the magma spray, another dwarf gives in to old age. Scotty proves himself one of the baddest-assed, gravel-****ting survivors I've ever seen. I suppose dying of old age counts as "winning" for a dwarf. Since Scotty didn't make any funerary requests, he goes into the common burial chambers in the Hall of History. Hats off to you, Scotty.
And as my patience for this long yet uneventful session draws to a close, another child cranks out an artifact-level weapon: a warhammer made of dog bones. Well whatchu gonna do?
Actually I'm going to cut this mess short here. I'll try to put some more effort and focus into the next session. Until then, try to stay alive, yo.
Litany of the Fallen:
Scourgeson, slain by a goblin ambush
Polpolionson, drowned after falling through melting ice (body unrecoverable)
redsniperson, slain by a crazed fellow dwarf
Borin "Balrogbait", died of old age
Hobbie, slain by a goblin swordsman
Kobrarson, slain by a fellow dwarf with anger management problems
Scotty, succumbed to old age