Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

World activities

2022-11-24T19:11:41Z

Shzar:

{{old}}
{{Quality|Superior|18:11, 5 March 2016 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

After [[world generation]], game worlds continue to develop and advance while time passes in-game, simulating off-screen various activities in the world outside of the player's influence and without their direct input, this is regarded as "world activation".

World activation happens when you start a new [[Fortress mode|fortress]] or [[Adventure mode|adventure]] mode game, then [[calendar]] is advanced by two weeks every time. Otherwise, it happens as [[time]] passes as you play at normal fortress/adventurer speed. You can play many games of [[Fortress mode|fortress]] and/or [[Adventure mode|adventure]] mode in the same world, each building up its history.

==Types of activities==
Types of activities that are simulated during world activation:

===Succession===
[[Historical figure]]s can get married, have children, do their various jobs, and die, and all of their children do the same, as they are also historical figures.

The various positions of [[nobles]] will either be inherited by another historical figure, or assigned to a new historical figure by the parent civilization when the position is [[Fun|vacated]] or they have an [[unfortunate accident]].
Conflicts over succession and illegitimate site ownership can emerge, and armed usurpations and insurrections can take place.

===Site changes===
Existing NPC [[site]]s are conquered, liberated, defended, destroyed, reclaimed and new sites are created[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf//index.php?topic=140544.msg6843526#msg6843526] while playing. Bandits will loot villages, armies will conquer cities, and forgotten beasts will ransack fortresses. Abandoned dwarven fortresses can be reclaimed by the player later.

===Movement===
Consequently, all kinds of creatures and groups travel around on the world map. However, others teleport. No, really.

The following groups teleport:

* [[Caravan]]s
* [[Diplomat]]s
* [[Migrant]]s
* [[Megabeast|The]] [[Semi-megabeast|various]] [[Forgotten beast|beasts]]

The rest physically travel on the map, including:

* [[Bandit]]s
* [[Refugee]]s
* [[Scholar]]s
* [[Thief|Thieves]]
* [[Quester]]s
* [[Religion|Religious]] professions such as [[prophet]]s, [[monk]]s or [[pilgrim]]s
* [[Army|Armies]] like siegers or other invaders

[[File:Df goblins distracted by elves.png|thumb|Screenshot showing Goblin civs prioritizing conquering the Elves down south above attacking the player fort (here highlighted with a yellow 'A' due to the rumour of artifacts.)]]

[[Army|Armies]] move around the map while playing, for various reasons, including site invasion (not just to the player site), harassment, searching for work, reclamation of sites and more. As invaders need to actually travel the world map to get to your site, embarking close to a site of potential invaders increases the chances of an invasion. Other factors that influence the probability of an invasion are the "effective" population of said site{{verify}}, in other words, how many soldiers the site can spare to attack you. While a site may have a high population, it may be occupied with other, more important campaigns than the player's site.

The asterisks {{DFtext|*}} on the fast travel map in adventure mode are creatures and armies moving around on the world map.

===Non-player adventurers===
[[Quester|Non-player adventurers]] will group up in parties and wander around, or adventure alone. They will also go on [[quest]]s to retrieve [[artifact]]s in play, which they receive from [[historical figure]]s that are in power, for example, a lord or noble from another site. For fortress mode, this manifests as [[visitor]]s coming to your fort and requesting you hand over artifacts. If you say no to them, they may try to steal it from you, or outright attack your fort.

In adventurer mode, this is more subtle: non-player adventurers can be found who are looking for artifacts, and may compete with you when you are trying to get artifacts, if they happen to be looking for the same artifact. If you are holding the artifact they seek (even if you are hiding it in your backpack), they will try to mug you (like [[bandit]]s) and may also attack you, follow you around, or vocally demand that you give them the artifact.

==Information==
{{DFtext|Greetings from the mountainhomes. Let's discuss our situation.|7:1}}

In an active fortress session, the player will get information about current events through the [[liaison]]. During the [[meeting]], all information will be implied, while relevant updates will be displayed on the [[Civilization and World Info]] screen.

== Notes ==
* In older versions, any world activity stopped after [[world generation]] finished. This is no longer the case since v0.40.01 and the changing of this is what is usually referred to as "world activation". "Restarting" [[world generation]] is not planned.

{{World}}
{{Category|World}}

Trade depot

2018-02-15T18:04:25Z

Shzar: /* Move Goods to/from Depot */

{{Quality|Superior|18:33, 23 August 2014 (UTC)}}

{{Building|name=Trade depot|key=D
|job=
* [[Broker]] noble (optional)
|construction=
* 3 [[Building material]]s (non-[[economic]])
|construction_job=
* [[Architecture]]
* and 1 of:
** [[Metalsmithing]]
** [[Masonry]]
** [[Carpentry]]
|purpose=
Trade goods with [[caravan|merchants]].
}}{{av}}{{buggy}}

A '''Trade depot''' allows you to trade with [[caravan]]s that arrive at your fortress. Trade depots can be created from almost any building material, and construction requires the [[Architecture]] skill along with the appropriate craft labor ([[Carpentry]], [[Masonry]], or [[Metalsmithing]]). Three materials must be used to build the Trade Depot, with the oldest material chosen serving as the main material.{{cite forum|134816/4867108}} There must be at least 10 spaces between the Depot and the edge of the map. They can be built on top of [[construction|constructed]] floors and walls, allowing you to make a trade depot which is elevated above the surrounding land.

== Depot accessibility ==

Hitting {{K|D}} will tell you if the depot is accessible via a [[wagon]], which requires a three tile wide path from the depot to the edge of the map. Note that this path is measured outward from the depot, so it requires a functional depot to display. ''Warning:'' If the map has an extremely large amount of [[tree]]s (Heavily Forested) there may not be any way for the caravan to get to your depot, unless you chop down a path for the wagons.

Also note that [[trap]]s will block [[wagon]] access (although not merchants with pack animals), so you cannot easily use them to defend your depot.

[[Boulder]]s (the natural kind) and [[minecart|track]]s also block wagons. Boulders can be removed by [[engraving|smooth]]ing ({{k|d}}-{{k|s}}) or constructing and removing a [[wall]]. [[Bridge]]s can serve as an alternative for tracks.

== Depot building options ==

Press {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} to build a depot. Depots occupy a 5x5 area. Once built, press {{K|q}} and move your cursor over the depot to gain access to the following options:

=== Move Goods to/from Depot ===
{{K|g}}: This command becomes active when a caravan arrives on your map. This screen menu is similar to the [[stocks]] menu ({{K|z}} - Stocks). This is where you select what items you want to trade with the caravan. If you have particular items you want to sell to the caravan, you can {{K|s}}earch for it. This is convenient if you want to export all your prepared meals or finished goods. Also shown is the culling on {{K|m}}andate option. The move to depot screen will not show things that violate an export [[mandate]]. By pressing {{K|m}}, it will change to Ignoring {{K|m}}andates, and you can select banned items for export. For example, if your [[mayor]] has a mandate banning the export of iron, this screen will hide bins that contain iron items. By changing this option, all iron items will be shown.

After selecting items and exiting the screen, [[job]]s will be queued to move the items to the depot. All adult dwarves, regardless of [[labor]] settings, can move goods to the depot. Items that have not been moved will show [PENDING], while those that have been brought to the depot and are ready for trade and will be marked as [TRADING].

Items selected for trading will remain at the depot until the caravan leaves. Alternatively you can select the item again. Once no longer required at the depot, items will be available for use or hauling to stockpiles as normal. If you don't want all the items to be returned to their stockpiles, you can optionally {{K|f}}orbid them by looking at the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|i{{K|t}}ems]] in the depot.

(Note that the "Move goods to depot" screen allows mouse controls, including controls like right-clicking on a list to scroll down, and double-clicking on a tab to select all items in that tab.)

=== No trader needed at depot or Trader requested at depot ===
{{K|r}}: This requests a dwarf to come to the depot. To conduct trades with caravans, a trader must be present at the Trade Depot. Once requested, a job will be created for a dwarf to make their way to the depot and remain there until released with this setting, or the job is interrupted, such as by the dwarf deciding to drink, sleep, or eat. The Trade at Depot job is fairly low-priority, so [[labor]]s may have to be disabled in order to get the broker to begin the job, or the broker can be temporarily added to a burrow which covers only the depot.

=== Only broker may trade or Anyone may trade ===
{{K|b}}: This setting determines who will perform the trade. If '''Only broker may trade''' is active, then only the [[Broker]] [[noble]] will respond to the trader request. This can become a problem when the broker is sleeping or otherwise occupied, but dwarves with low [[Broker skills]] will receive poorer deals when trading. If anyone may trade is selected, and someone other than the broker becomes a better [[appraiser]] than the broker, the broker's appraisal skill is still used.

=== Trade ===
{{K|t}}: This option becomes available once the caravan and your trader are both at the depot. It begins trading. If more than one set of merchants is using the trade depot, you will be given the option of who you want to trade with.

== Bugs ==
* Setting a meeting area over a depot, then removing it, will cause dwarves to act as though it were still a meeting area. This is irreversible.

* Merchants in a trade depot who are accosted by hostile creatures may then refuse to trade. If any merchant is unable to make it to the depot, all the other merchants will similarly refuse to trade.

* Dumping items belonging to the merchants will result in the depot thinking merchants are gone but the merchants hanging around

* [[Forbid]]ding a depot, or slating it for removal immediately after causing the caravan trader to be unwilling to do business with your dwarves (e.g. trading wood to the elves) will cause the caravan to leave all their items and embark on their journey, leaving you to claim the items for yourself. Be warned that this will almost definitely strain relations with the trading civilization...

* The game behaves poorly when multiple trade depots are available. Merchants with wagons may path to one depot, while those with pack animals path to the other; then both groups will insist on waiting for the rest of their party to arrive.

* If you slate a depot for removal while merchants are in the process of leaving, the wagons will never leave and eventually the animals and remaining traders will go mad.

{{Buildings}}

v0.31:Skill

2011-04-04T07:51:39Z

Shzar:

{{quality|Fine|23:47, 27 February 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

Skills are used by dwarves to accomplish almost every task. Higher skills allows dwarves to accomplish tasks more quickly, but also more effectively (for example mining and crafting). Using a skill will grant '''[[experience]]''' in that skill, allowing the dwarf to reach higher skill levels.

Skills now become '''rusty''' and eventually '''very rusty''' after a certain period of time. The exact effects of this are unknown, but skills remaining at "very rusty" for prolonged periods of time will gradually suffer '''permanent''' experience loss.

Skill levels are as follows:

:*Dabbling
:*Novice
:*Adequate
:*Competent
:*Skilled
:*Proficient
:*Talented
:*Adept
:*Expert
:*Professional
:*Accomplished
:*Great
:*Master
:*High Master
:*Grand Master
:*Legendary

==Skill penalties==
Dwarves that are {{L|Status icon|hungry, tired, or thirsty}} will work slower and produce lower quality goods. For some tasks like wood cutting or furnace operating this is unimportant, but you may wish to halt construction of {{L|aluminum}} {{L|statue}}s, or remove the designation on those diamond or native aluminum clusters if your {{L|blacksmith}} or {{L|miner}} are famished and hollow-eyed from lack of sleep.

==Skills==

{| style="margin: 0 auto"
|-
| valign='top' |

{{Skill Box|Miner|7:0|7:0|
* {{L|Miner}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Woodworker}}|6:1|6:1|
* {{L|Bowyer}}
* {{L|Carpenter}}
* {{L|Wood cutter}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Stoneworker}}|7:1|7:1|
* {{L|Engraver}}
* {{L|Mason}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Ranger}}|2:0|2:0|
* {{L|Ambusher}}
* {{L|Animal caretaker}}
* {{L|Animal dissector}}
* {{L|Animal trainer}}
* {{L|Trapper}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Doctor}}|5:0|5:0|
* {{L|Bone doctor}}
* {{L|Crutch-walker}}
* {{L|Diagnostician}}
* {{L|Surgeon}}
* {{L|Suturer}}
* {{L|Wound dresser}}
}}

| valign='top' |

{{Skill Box|{{L|Farmer}}|6:0|6:0|
* {{L|Brewer}}
* {{L|Butcher}}
* {{L|Cheese maker}}
* {{L|Cook}}
* {{L|Dyer}}
* {{L|Grower}}
* {{L|Herbalist}}
* {{L|Lye maker}}
* {{L|Milker}}
* {{L|Miller}}
* {{L|Potash maker}}
* {{L|Soaper}}
* {{L|Tanner}}
* {{L|Thresher}}
* {{L|Wood burner}}
* {{L|Shearer}}
* {{L|Spinner}}
* {{L|Presser}}
* {{L|Beekeeper}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Fishery worker}}|1:0|1:0|
* {{L|Fish cleaner}}
* {{L|Fish dissector}}
* {{L|Fisherdwarf}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Metalsmith}}|0:1|0:1|
* {{L|Armorsmith}}
* {{L|Furnace operator}}
* {{L|Metal crafter}}
* {{L|Blacksmith|Metalsmith}}
* {{L|Weaponsmith}}
}}

| valign='top' |

{{Skill Box|{{L|Jeweler}}|2:1|2:1|
* {{L|Gem cutter}}
* {{L|Gem setter}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Craftsdwarf}}|1:1|1:1|
* {{L|Bone carver}}
* {{L|Clothier}}
* {{L|Glassmaker}}
* {{L|Leatherworker}}
* {{L|Stone crafter}}
* {{L|Weaver}}
* {{L|Wood crafter}}
* {{L|Strand extractor}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Engineer}}|4:1|4:1|
* {{L|Mechanic}}
* {{L|Pump operator}}
* {{L|Siege engineer}}
* {{L|Siege operator}}
}}

{{Skill Box|Other Jobs|3:0|3:0|
* {{L|Alchemy|Alchemist}}
* {{L|Swimmer}}
* {{L|Knapper}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Administrator}}|5:0|5:0|
* {{L|Appraiser}}
* {{L|Building designer}}
* {{L|Organizer}}
* {{L|Record keeper}}
}}

| valign='top' |

{{Skill Box|{{L|Military}}|0:1|0:0|
* {{L|Archer}}
* {{L|Armor user}}
* {{L|Axeman}}
* {{L|Biter}}
* {{L|Blowgunner}}
* {{L|Bowman}}
* {{L|Crossbowman}}
* {{L|Dodger}}
* {{L|Fighter}}
* {{L|Hammerman}}
* {{L|Kicker}}
* {{L|Knife user}}
* {{L|Lasher}}
* {{L|Maceman}}
* {{L|Misc. object user}}
* {{L|Pikeman}}
* {{L|Shield user}}
* {{L|Spearman}}
* {{L|Striker}}
* {{L|Swordsman}}
* {{L|Thrower}}
* {{L|Wrestler}}
}}

{{Skill Box|{{L|Broker}}|3:0|3:0|
* {{L|Comedian}}
* {{L|Conversationalist}}
* {{L|Flatterer}}
* {{L|Intimidator}}
* {{L|Judge of intent}}
* {{L|Liar}}
* {{L|Negotiator}}
* {{L|Persuader}}
}}

| valign='top' |

{{Skill Box|Miscellaneous|3:0|3:0|
* {{L|Concentration}}
* {{L|Consoler}}
* {{L|Leader}}
* {{L|Observer}}
* {{L|Pacifier}}
* {{L|Student}}
* {{L|Teacher}}
}}

{{Skill Box|Unused|3:0|3:0|
* {{L|Balance}}
* {{L|Coordination}}
* {{L|Discipline}}
* {{L|Druid}}
* {{L|Poet}}
* {{L|Reader}}
* {{L|Speaker}}
* {{L|Tracker}}
* {{L|Wordsmith}}
* {{L|Writer}}
}}
|}

==Skills, Attributes and Traits==
*'''Skills''':
**are trained by being used in some activity.
**train '''{{L|attribute}}s'''.
**the same {{L|attribute}} can be trained by various skills.
**it's assumed that the skills also use some of the {{L|attribute}}s that they train.
**certain skills are required or important for certain {{L|noble}}, {{L|military}} and civilian professions.
**certain professions require several skills.
**the same skill can be used by various professions.
**are increased by {{L|Preferences}}, but capped, so the dwarf will make items beyond its skill level but won't affect the chances of making more high value items at the highest skill level.

*'''{{L|Personality trait|Traits}}''':
**can not be modified in-game.{{verify}}
**affect which {{L|social skill}}s gain experience ''(if the dwarf has X trait it will not gain experience in X skill)'' at all.
**have other in-game effects that can be useful for certain professions.
**give {{L|thought}}s when performing certain activities.

To summarize it goes like this:
Trait --> Skill <--> Attribute
| ^
v |
effect |
| v
'--> Profession

Since the same skills can be used by various professions, and the same {{L|attribute}}s are trained by various skills, this allows for {{L|cross-training}}.

Being {{L|Personality trait|traits}} the unmodifiable{{verify}}, limiting factor on which skills can be learned or having useful effects, and certain professions requiring various skills, the need arises to:
*avoid appointing a dwarf that will never learn a certain skill to a profession that uses it:
**''appointing a {{L|Personality trait|straightforward}} dwarf as a {{L|broker}} will result in a {{L|consoler}}, non-{{L|flatterer}}, non-{{L|liar}} {{L|broker}}''.
*appoint a dwarf with an useful effect given by a {{L|Personality trait|trait}} to a profession that benefits from it:
**''appointing an {{L|Personality trait|undisciplined}} dwarf to an important job will result in {{L|fun|}}''.
**''appointing an {{L|Personality trait|angry}} dwarf to {{L|soldier}} will result in more {{L|Status_icon|enraged}} bonuses.

The solution comes in the form of a nice sortable reference table:

coming soon! work in progress... please don't delete hidden comments... ;)


==Skills first introduced in version 0.31.01==

Combat:

{{L|Fighter}}, {{L|Archer}}, {{L|Striker}}, {{L|Kicker}}, {{L|Biter}}, {{L|Dodger}}

Healthcare:

{{L|Wound dresser}}, {{L|Diagnostician}}, {{L|Surgeon}}, {{L|Bone doctor|Bone Doctor}}, {{L|Suturer}} ''(stitching wounds)'', {{L|Crutch walker|Crutch Walker}} ''(this is for patients rather than doctors)''

Other:

{{L|Misc. object user}}, {{L|Student}}, {{L|Concentration}}, {{L|Observer}}, {{L|Leader}}, {{L|Teacher}},

==Skills first observed in version 0.31.14==
Combat:

{{L|Military tactics}}

==Skills first introduced in version 0.31.19==

Farming:

{{L|Shearer}}, {{L|Spinner}}, {{L|Presser}}, {{L|Beekeeper}}

Crafting:

{{L|Potter}}, {{L|Glazer}}, {{L|Wax worker}}

{{Skills}}
{{Category|Skills}}

ASCII art reward

2009-07-26T03:36:48Z

Shzar:

If you are sending a [[Dwarf_Fortress_Wiki:Site_support|donation]] to [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/ Bay12Games], they might send you an ASCII Art Reward in exchange. It is a small scene happening in the Dwarf Fortress world. If the same donator gives more than one time, it is also possible that the bits of ASCII Art follow each other and form a story.

Each piece of ASCII Art Reward belong to the donator who received it, but to appetize new potential donators, sharing them might be a good thing :

==[[User:Beefx|Beefx]]==
===(25 June 2007)===
<pre>"++@k@++"</pre>

Zolon and Morul stood near the steel cage. The brown humanoid inside sat with its hands on its knees, rocking back and forth.

"Clearly, the kobold was molded from stone." Zolon stroked his black beard. He then glanced at Morul, raising an eyebrow.

"Not so fast... the yellow eyes glow. Fire was involved." Morul was a slow thinker, but he was not easily moved.

"Stagis! Bacabadabis!" The kobold began to screech in its low tongue. Zolon and Morul observed in silence until the creature quieted down.

"Was that the wind then?" Zolon asked.

"It seems the interplay of the elements is nuanced in this one, even if the final realization is... lacking."

Morul did not disdain the beast so much that he did not feed it, now that the trapper had entrusted it into his keeping. The philosopher had left a few pieces of old venison in the cage and the creature now lifted one and inspected it. After a few sniffs, the kobold pitched it through the steel bars. The dwarves watched as the meat spun through the air and landed a few yards from the cage. When they turned back around, the kobold was inches away from them, its face pressed against the bars.

"Augis," it moaned. "Augis!" Louder and louder it wailed.

Zolon and Morul covered their ears. "And this is a tempest?" Zolon said facetiously.

"Let's adjourn until the storm passes. Perhaps we can find a meal the thing will accept." Morul turned and walked down a nearby corridor, toward the kitchen. Zolon followed close behind.

After they had left, the kobold stopped moaning and sat back on its haunches. Opening its small clawed fingers, the creature smiled. On its palm rested an iron key.

==[[User:Bombcar|Bombcar]]==
===(30 December 2007)===
<pre>++g~~U~~C+++</pre>

Goblins in tattered rags pulled the chains with speed as the whips
cracked. Slowly the gate rose revealing a grotesque creature bent on
destruction. Its three eyes bounced on their stalks as the monster
pulled itself forward on two huge, muscular arms. It came to a sudden
halt as Ameltoss the wizard stepped into its path. Though he had
raised it from a stinking poisonous egg, the wizard knew not whether
he still commanded the beast. This was the final test. He raised his
staff and commanded the monster to return to its lair. The creature's
lips peeled back to reveal ten rows of razor sharp teeth. Ameltoss
swallowed hard and shouted his command once more. Now was the moment
of truth.

===(13 April 2009)===
<pre>c+||@++c+cc+@@||,.,,.U,ggCgggT</pre>

The dwarf Frankle ran through the corridors, chasing after the many
cats that infested the fortress. He stopped when the alarm was
sounded. The captain of the guard shouted orders. The dwarves rushed
to their stations. Frankle, a reserve marks-dwarf, grabbed up a
crossbow from the arsenal and trotted up the stairs to man the
battlements. When he reached the top he saw the other marks-dwarves
standing, shocked by what they saw. Taking a deep breath, he looked
over the side.

At the fortress gate stood an enormous monster, dragging itself upon
its vicious, clawed arms. Goblins stood around it, jeering, and
hurling curses. A feeling of terror gripped Frankle’s chest. In all
his years in the service he had never fired his bow in anger, but no
bolt could take this beast down. The captain put a hand on Frankle’s
shoulder. Below, a robed man stepped out before the creature. A
fresh scar transected his missing left eye. It was the evil wizard
Ameltoss.

“Lay down your weapons and accept a swift death,” shouted the wizard.
A bolt thudded down between his feet. “Somehow I thought you’d
refuse. Release the beast!”

A troll stepped forward wielding a huge axe. With several violent
chops, the chain binding the monster's wrist was broken. The creature
surged forward. Frankle screamed in fright and fired his crossbow.
His bolt, along with a dozen others, bounced harmlessly from the
creatures hide. As the monster beat down the gate. It seemed their
was no hope. That was when champion dwarf Rokwan emerged from the
keep within the castle.

==[[User:Bott Maggot|Bott Maggot]]==
===(03 August 2007)===
<pre>+&=o=@+</pre>

"You've come, Kogan. The Lordaxe. It is said you have a mighty constitution, but can you hold your own at my table?" The demon slammed the great flagon down on to the center of the table. A few dark drops splattered on the stone and smouldered.

"I can take whatever you offer, fiend, and I'll count you a poor host if that brew there on the table doesn't move me half as much as the whiskey of my homeland."

"Ah, your homeland. It will make a fine gateway to the Underworld someday."

"I wish I could say the dwarves would enjoy making a mine of this palace, but alas, your halls reek of filth. It would be difficult to persuade them."

"Less talk, more drink. You call yourself a dwarf?"

Without another word, Kogan seized the flagon with his scarred fist. He could feel the infernal heat emanating from the brew, and the smell was appalling. Even so, he hefted the drink to his open mouth and downed it completely, setting the empty flagon on the table in triumph.

==[[User:Brownie210|Brownie210]]==
===(22 December 2008)===
<pre>+&@\O+||~~~~~~~~~</pre>
Sweat glistened on the hairy dwarf's body as he wrestled the dark lord
Slandar. Above them lay the steel orifice holding back the sea of
lava that was the last defense against the evil army, if only a dwarf
could pull the lever. The dwarf held the evil general's arm in both
hands as the fiend tried to drive his dagger through the hero's heart.

"Slandar," asked the dwarf, "when did you become so hot-headed?"

The dwarf let go of the villain's arm and pulled the lever. As the
fiend drove his blade through the laughing dwarf's heart, the gates
opened above and a torrent of lava fell from the ceiling, incinerating
them both in a cloud of steam.

==[[User:Caeonosphere|Caeonosphere]]==
===(07 January 2008)===
<pre>,.U-.,.GT.</pre>
The mighty barbarian clenched his teeth as he snapped the arrow
protruding from his chest. He laughed as he bounded through the brush
after the cowardly ambusher. Just another scar among many, proving
his manhood like all the rest. The foolish goblin archer tried to
scale a tree to lose him. Smiling with anticipation of the kill, the
barbarian took a throwing axe from his belt and hurled it at his
enemy. The blade struck the goblin in the helmet, splitting it in
two. As the stunned goblin sank to the base of the tree, the
barbarian approached him, grabbing him by the throat.

"Well, my friend," said the barbarian. "It looks as if this game has
come to an end."

==[[User:Davion|Davion]]==
===(28 July 2008)===
<pre>bBbBbBbB####HU*########||+UU+||</pre>

The master thief leapt from the tower, the royal jewels still in his
hands. The pursuing guard ran to the side to watch in wonder as the
burglar plunged to his death. But lo, a giant hawk flew down and
plucked him out of the sky. The aging king stormed out onto the roof
of the tower, still in his bed clothes.

"Curse you Faltrix!" screamed the king as the bird flew toward the horizon.

The rogue had known the hawk since it was a hatchling. It was then he
had pulled an arrow from its wing. Thus began the most famous
partnership of the age. The hawk rider and his steed were known
throughout the land as heroes of the people, stealing from the rich
and giving to the poor.

A dark cloud rose on the horizon. The smile fell from Faltrix's lips
as the evil creatures sprung their ambush. Bat men! How had these
creatures strayed so far from the mountains? The evil beings rode
giant bats and shot poison darts from their blow guns. Faltrix
commanded his mount to dive low. Perhaps he could lose them in the
trees of the forest below.

===(28 September 2008)===
<pre>kbkkbkb,..,..HU,..*.@,...</pre>

Down, down into the forest canopy they flew. Faltrix's heart raced as
they wove through the trees, the bat men close behind. Just when he
thought he lost them, the hawk called out with a piercing cry. A net
of vines dropped from the treetops above, fouling the bird's wings.
They crashed to the forest floor with a thud and slid forward in the
dirt. Faltrix drew his sword and cut through the web. High-pitched
cackling echoed from above. Kobolds! The rogue set about cutting his
avian steed free, but the hawk did not stir from unconsciousness.

"Agron!" screamed Faltrix. "Agron!"

Black shadows dropped from vines above. The kobolds drew their jagged
blades. As they surrounded him the batmen caught up just it time to
finish him off. A dozen poison darts landed at his feet. Why didn't
they kill him?

"Agron," said the rogue, "if we get out of this, you can eat all the
giant rats you want."

The kobolds parted to reveal a short wizard in a glowing red robe, a
long hood covering his face. Faltrix lowered his blade as the
menacing figure approached. The wizard threw back his hood to reveal
the face of an evil dwarf. Faltrix threw the stolen Eye of Atheria at
his feet.

"Take the jewel," said Faltrix, "just let Agron live."

"Touching," said the dwarf, "but fear not, I will have need of the
rider and his hawk to complete the ultimate quest."

"Quest?" asked Faltrix.

==[[User:Ergot|Ergot]]==
===(14 June 2007)===
<pre>""w"w@%"w"w</pre>

Doran shifted from foot to foot as he looked from side to side. Eventually the dwarf's head dropped and he clutched his beard, his wide eyes wild, staring at the dirt. They were everywhere.

"Cave weevils. Cave weevils on my crops. My pig tails, all of my pig tails are gone. But this season will be different, mark my words, by the Lordaxe it will." The dwarf pulled a bulky glove from his belt. The knuckles were studded with iron. Doran slid the glove over his hand, his mouth twisting into a cruel smile. The farmer's eyes grew dark.

One of the foot-long insects crawled in front of the dwarf, and he hammered it into the earth with his fist, smashing the weevil until it was well-ground. "Flat. I'll pound 'em all flat. We might not have cloth this year, but we'll have plenty of meal."

==[[User:Furiousfish|Furiousfish]]==
===(14 July 2007)===
<pre>++@g####</pre>
"Tell me where the child is being taken and I'll let you live!" Kogan yelled down at the goblin, desperation marking his voice. Mul had shot this wretch in the leg, but the kidnapper had escaped. The goblin hanging by Kogan's hand over the chasm was just a bodyguard. The goblin smiled wickedly, taking delight in Kogan's distress. "Even now, your child is approaching the prison where he'll live out the next decade of his miserable life," it spat. "And then, well..." The fiend began to chuckle. "Where is the child?" Kogan asked with finality. The goblin closed its eyes and was silent. Kogan let the creature drop away into the darkness.

===(27 February 2008)===
<pre>","".g%@.",""."..</pre>
Dorol struggled against the coarse sackcloth. The darkness was total,and it smelled even more foul than his uncle's rotten-toothed whiskeybreath. He had been playing with his miniforge by the cave river when everything had gone black. Dorol had heard a commotion shortly after, followed by terrible undwarven screaming, but afterward just the soft footfalls of somebody running quickly along with the rustling of the sack. At once, whoever was carrying him stopped and let the sack drop hard on the ground. There was a rustling, and the sack opened. It was nighttime, and Dorol could see the face of his captor looking down at him. A goblin! The fiend pulled the cloth down far enough that Dorol's head stuck up out of the opening. The dwarf held tightly onto his toy, uncertain and afraid. "Here, eat this," the goblin said, holding out something. Dorol worked one of his hands out of the sack and took the offering. It wasa piece of spoiled meat, crawling with diseased larvae. The child dropped it on the ground by the sack. "Hey, that's good meat," the goblin complained, reaching down to pick it up. "The master gave it to me just for you." The goblin lowered its voice and mumbled. "I'd eat it, but he is always watching me, and he knows when I've been bad. "Now eat up," the goblin drew closer and pushed the meat into the dwarf's face. Like a true smith, the dwarven child struck, smashing the hammer of his miniforge into the goblin's eye! The goblin cringed, clutching his face. After a moment he shook his head and looked up at the sack, but the dwarf was nowhere to be seen. Filling with rage, driven by fear of his master's torments, the goblin shouted, "You can't run, you hairy snot! I'll hunt you, and I'll find you!" Snatching up the sack, the goblin ran off into the wilds.

==[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]]==
===(31 October 2008)===
<pre>.,G,@,,.</pre>

The dwarves buried Administrator Zarhan face down, so that when evil
spirits animated his soulless corpse, as surely they would, he would
dig straight down into the Underworld and away from the land of the
living. For a season after, the fortress was beset by a horrible
howling that filled the corridors. The dwarves of the fortress were
driven to near madness. Eventually the sounds faded.

It was not long after that a young engraver found a floor hatch, which
had not been there the previous night. He opened the hatch and put
his head through. Phantom arms grabbed him and pulled him inside.

"You fools didn't think I'd forget up from down did you?" hissed the
ghost of Zarhan.

==[[User:Hellzon|Hellzon]]==
===(17 December 2007)===
<pre>,.@@~~o~~~</pre>

A rock plopped into the cave river from the platform above. There
Durgal and the dwarf girl sat, above the murky waters. Durgal
explained, in great detail, his plans for the future. When the riches
of the mountain were plundered, he would diagram the plans for a
second fortress himself. How the dwarves would love him!

"But in your haste for riches," asked the girl, "would you have time
for the ones you love?"

Durgal's face became red as a cave turnip. He looked quickly away
from her and stared into the dark water. There, eyes gazed up to meet
him. Durgal reached for his axe, telling the girl to warn the others.
A pale, slimy hand reached out of the depths and pulled the creature
upward. It was an olmman!

===(3 September 2008)===
<pre>ff,@,.@,o~~~~~</pre>

"Back!" cried Durgal, "back to the hall!" The dwarf girl turned and
screamed. Two blind cave fish men blocked the way out. Durgal turned
and swung his axe at the olmman, now completely out of the water. It
deftly dodged his panicked swings. The dwarf girl screamed as the
cave fish men crawled toward her, arms outstretched, feeling their way
along the floor.

"By the power of the Lordaxe!" screamed Durgal, holding his axe aloft.
The dungeon rumbled. The sound of water crashed through the tunnel.
The fighters were swept away. The olmman grabbed Durgal's axe arm as
they were washed through the watery tunnel. The dwarf pulled a dagger
from his belt and jammed it into the monster's guts.

"Gula!" cried Durgal, bursting above the surface of the water. He
pulled the axe free of the olmman's grasp and brought the pommel down
on its head, knocking it senseless. "Gula!" he cried again. With
sudden terror, Durgal recalled where this tunnel led -- the chasm.
Only a few seconds until the ultimate terrible plunge.

"Durgal!" cried the dwarf girl, Gula. With all his strength, he
stretched to reach her in the crashing water.

==[[User:Janus|Janus]]==
===(12 October 2006)===

<pre>BgB
B@g
gBB</pre>
Beak dogs and goblins surround the adventurer! What will happen next?!

===(13 February 2007)===
<pre>gg...
.B.B=
..BB.
.%B@/
.-...</pre>
One of the five beak dogs pounced. Rogar leapt, planting a foot on the beast's head and propelling himself toward the tattoed goblin. Just as they collided, Rogar planted his dagger through the goblin's left eye. They hit the ground hard, and Rogar rolled forward to his feet, spinning to face the remaining eight opponents. The beak dog he had jumped on was still shaking its head, wincing. Behind them stood a wiry goblin with a wild mane of maroon hair, brandishing a scimitar, and a lardy goblin holding an iron-studded club.

The beak dogs charged Rogar in unison. His dagger was stuck back in the twitching goblin's face, but weaponless he stood his ground before them. The first dog to reach him received Rogar's knee under its chin, the long cruel spike at the top of the warrior's half-greave piercing the creature's throat. Two more beak dogs reached him as he twisted his leg in the air, trying to free it from his bleeding adversary. The beasts slammed into him, one getting a hold of his right arm above the elbow, the other gnashing at his face. Before it could tear his nose off, Rogar grabbed it by the neck with his left hand and held it back. The other dog sank its beak deeper into the flesh of Rogar's arm. Could this be the end?!

===(5 May 2007)===
<pre>|+@g+++</pre>

Rogar awoke in pain, his wrists in chains, his wounded arm throbbing. He opened his eyes only to be greeted by an all-encompassing darkness. This must be Shalthidon's dungeon, which meant that he was locked inside the Tower of Hate from which no man had ever returned.

A dim light flickered some distance away, and he could see the silhouetted bars of his prison. Beyond them, shadows danced, and he heard a grating sound. The bars slid aside, and the lardy goblin waddled into the chamber holding a torch.

The foul creature stood below Rogar where he hung, an idiot grin perking up the otherwise sagging jowls of its bloated face.

"The master says you are to be entertained," it croaked as it continued to smile.

"I do not desire such pleasures as Shalthidon has to offer," Rogar answered. "Be off with you. The larder has grown lonely."

"The master says you are to feel the fire," the thing chortled. The goblin lifted the torch and took a step toward Rogar.

It was enough. Rogar lashed out with his legs, hooking them around the goblin's neck. In a feat of strength that would become legend, Rogar strained against the chains on his arms, lifting the massive goblin and all its corpulence from the floor. There was a sickening crack, and the fixtures in the ceiling gave way. Rogar fell into the goblin's lardy folds, pushing away desperately until he regained his feet, ready to fight, but the goblin was already dead with a broken neck.

Fortunately, the torch had not been smothered. The warrior picked it up and held it high. There was nothing else in the cell. Aside from the chains, the torch was his only possession. Now it's the master who'll be entertained, Rogar thought, as he strode out into the passageway.

===(7 August 2007)===
<pre>@+++"E"</pre>

Rogar strode toward the great iron doors, leaving a trail of blood that was not his own. In his hand he held a scimitar and from each of his wrists the chains still hung. All of the servants of Shalthidon that lurked within the Tower of Hate were now dead, save whatever was in this room at the pinnacle of the tower. The sword he had seized from the maroon-maned goblin, who had led the goblins in the tower barracks.

The warrior pushed hard on the iron doors and they opened inward with a groan. There, surrounded by brightly colored flowers, was an elf. The sun shone down on the tower top through windows in the elegant curved ceiling. The entire room sparkled.

"Are you a prisoner here? Where is Shalthidon?" Rogar asked urgently.

The elf chuckled pleasantly. "Child, Rogar, I am Shalthidon. My parents named me Lilarilqua, but my attempts to hold the goblins under my sway with that name met with disaster. Are you cold? Let me fetch you something warm." Shalthidon fished around under a dresser and pulled out a plush cloak with lacy frills. "The material was all offered freely from the feather trees, Rogar. You don't have to worry about the animals."

Rogar was still stunned. Shalthidon, the Bringer of Ruin, murderer of his parents, lord of the evil of the creeping wastes that had engulfed half the world, was an elf. Dispelling the cloud over his mind, the warrior focused. That will only make killing him all the more satisfying, he thought. Rogar lifted his blade and advanced.

==[[User:Kosmos|Kosmos]]==
===(11 September 2007)===
<pre>T+TT@C +</pre>

"Twist my arm, why don't you? You louse," Doran had complained as Bomtek continued to bother him.

"Come on, Doran! It's just a bottle of whiskey. The Baron won't miss it. When you deliver his table, just take a little something for yourself. And share it with me."

Now Doran was standing in the Baron's dining room. It already had a fine granite table at its center; the noble had just wanted an obsidian corner piece as an accent. As the dwarf set the table down, Bomtek's repeated needling suggestions still echoed in his mind. It was just one bottle. There are so many in the cabinet. The Baron won't miss just one of them.

The dwarf had to pass the cabinet on the way out. With every step toward it, he felt the whiskey within calling in his heart. Doran's face flushed hot and his stomach felt as if it were being squeezed and twisted. Maybe I'll just look, he thought. Just look and go. He reached out his hand and gently opened the cabinet's door. There was only one bottle inside. Bomtek, you fool, he thought. Yet the whiskey still beckoned him forward, and he continued to gaze on the bottle in silence as it drew him ever closer.

==[[User:Laod|Laod]]==
===(15 October 2006)===

<pre>T..o..T

Trolls are playing dodgeball with a boulder! Who will win?!</pre>
--[[User:Laod|Laod]] 15 October 2006

==[[User:MacGyvers_Mullet|MacGyvers_Mullet]]==
===Rognar:(11 November 2007)===

<pre>%%%@%%%,../.,\</pre>

The sword slid through the goblin's throat and the dying creature fell
to the ground sputtering. Rognar had been born into a world of
violence, and he would not share it with these stinking beasts.
Striding upon their unnumbered broken bodies, the warrior reached the
summit of the corpse mound and surveyed the carnage. The siege had
been broken. Here and there, a wimpering slave of darkness put up
resistance or simply clung to life, but soon they would all be
vanquished and the sun would bring a glorious dawn to the blood-red
battlefield. Rognar smiled. It was a great day to be a dwarf.

-Tarn

===Neandar Begin:(3 July 2008)===

<pre>!!()!!,k,...@,..#######||</pre>

He would never let the fiend escape again. That was what Neandar the
dwarf thought before he flung himself into the black air of the chasm
after the skulking kobold thief. For many seconds they fell, time
enough for Neandar to recall his short life and short career on the
Fortress Guard. Wet matter slammed into the dwarf's face and gave
way. The dwarf smashed through a dozen giant spider webs and hit the
ground running, hot on the trail of the kobold scum.

A huge standing ring of fire dominated the floor of the chasm. The
kobold made for the hell portal with all speed. Neandar stopped in
his tracks. It was one thing to plunge to certain death in order to
retrieve a granite puzzle box. It was quite another to cast oneself
into a dimension of ultimate evil. Yet these kobold cowards could not
be allowed to run about as they pleased. Lifting his axe over his
head, the dwarf charged into the portal of doom.

-Zach

==[[User:McDoomhammer|McDoomhammer]]==
===(6 May 2008)===

<pre>T,.ggUggg..TT------,TT,.T.U.UU.,..TTT</pre>

The three chosen warriors left the Citadel of Hope, strapped on with
all manner of magic weapons that the Council of Elders had presented
them. Shizenbubin was the tracker of the group, always hot on the
trail of danger. Shizentubin was her sister, skilled in the ways of
the blade so that no enemy neck was safe. Azoul Buck was the leader.
She ran her fingers through her short blond hair, her muscular arm
flexing, covered with the crude tattoos of her tribe.

This would be a short quest indeed. A party of goblins had ambushed
the prince on his way to the castle. All the heroes need do is return
him unspoiled. It would be easy to intercept them then on their way
to the Black Fortress, given Shizenbubin's incredible skill. However,
time was not on their side. Goblins grew bored easily and might make
sport of the prince's bodily members. Azoul set the pace, a quick
trot through the woods. She smiled at the easily-won glory that
awaited her squad at the end of the journey.

==[[User:Md5i|Md5i]]==
===(12 May 2007)===
<pre>##.,.||+++@+|</pre>

"That ought to keep 'em out," Doran said confidently, patting the granite
block which he had just slid into place. Ever since the Baron had insisted
on mining out the gold vein in the wall, Doran had been dealing with the
rats. It couldn't be helped. Gold was gold after all, but it was just
Doran's luck that the miners had broken through to a large chasm not far
from the craftsdwarf's room.

The dwarf laid down on his bed and began to think about the next project. A
puzzlebox, perhaps, something challenging. Just as Doran was drifting off
into dreams of the design, he heard a scratching on the block.

"Ha! Keep trying you little demons," the dwarf chuckled. The scratching
continued. It was irritating, but the dwarf could block it out. Then there
was a grating scrape as the block moved an inch. The dwarf sat up and
stared at the wall in amazement. Impossible, he thought.

The block slid forward further. Small, clawed fingers worked their way
around the stone until a gray, furry hand grasped one corner of the block.
The stone turned slightly.

Doran seized his chisel from the nearby table and leapt toward the block,
stabbing downward. The tool grazed the hand, leaving a spatter of blood on
the stone. There was a shriek, and the bleeding hand disappeared into the
dark crack.

The craftsdwarf pushed the block back into place and backed away, chisel in
hand. After a moment, the scratching began anew.

===(07 Jun 2007)===
<pre>##.,.||%r%+@+|</pre>

"Leave me be, you fiend!" Doran yelled, his chisel held toward the stone
block. The scratching became louder and more persistent.

Once again, the block moved, but this time no fingers poked through the
crack. The beast had learned. The slab of granite was being pushed
directly from behind, and it glided slowly toward Doran. The dwarf backed
toward his bed.

The block stopped sliding. There was now enough space to allow something to
pass through the hole in the wall, but the block was large and Doran could
not see behind it. For a long moment, nothing stirred. The craftsdwarf
knelt and opened the chest by the foot of his bed, muttering.

At once, a creature leapt from behind the block and faced Doran. It was a
ratman, ravening, its long yellow incisors surrounded by froth, its
patchy-furred flesh stretched tight over its starved body. The thing
hungered and would have Doran for its meal.

The dwarf stood, a vial in his hand. The ratman lunged forward and Doran
hurled the vial at the beast's face. The glass shattered, and the creature
clutched its black protruding eyes as they steamed. Doran rushed forward
and stabbed the ratman repeatedly with the chisel until it stopped moving.

"Pity about that. I was going to ask Mul to do some etchings for me."

===(15 Jul 2007)===
<pre>##===@=D####</pre>

"Yes, I'm sorry, Mul, it would have been a thrilling project," Doran said,
pausing to take another swig of whiskey. "I can't believe how much trouble
we've been having with ratmen lately."

"Perhaps there's a larger beast down in the chasm riling them up," Mul
replied. "Kogan's child was taken not long ago."

"Yes, surely something unusual is afoot."

Meanwhile, Kogan stood with his axe by the chasm bridge. Ever since the boy
Aliz had been lost, the soldier had tirelessly patrolled the walkways along
the deepest parts of the rift, killing dozens of ratmen and a few large
spiders. He would not be satisfied until the depths were devoid of life.

A foul wind blew up from the chasm. Kogan leaned to the side and peered
down over the edge of the bridge. The impact was sudden and the dwarf was
knocked on his back in the middle of the bridge. Kogan heard the sound of
stone being scraped without respect, and he.found himself staring into the
rotten eyes of a giant decaying reptile.

==[[User:Midelne|Midelne]]==

===Fish Dwarf Begin: (6 August 2007)===
<pre>~~@~~X</pre>

They called him Fish-Dwarf. He was the only worker in the outpost willing to brave the depths of the cave river in order to service the floodgate mechanisms when they became clogged with the seasonal muds.

It was that time again. The farming gates weren't operational, and the planting had to begin immediately. Fish-Dwarf had his tools, and the special fins he had manufactured were secured to broad feet. Everything was ready. The frightened faces of the onlooking children would not dissuade him. Fish-Dwarf understood that this was his calling. He was the only one that could save the outpost. The dwarf inhaled, and his chest swelled to nearly double its original size. Clearing his mind, the dwarf dove into the water.

===(8 November 2007)===
<pre>~~~@%X</pre>

Fish-Dwarf swam down the narrow tunnel to the gate mechanism. The water was murky and even with his superior vision he could only just see his hands sweeping ahead of him.

The upper portion of the mechanism appeared suddenly before him. The dwarf inspected the machinery quickly, mindful of his air, yet confident that he had at least a few minutes left. The top assembly was clear, so the mud must have worked itself into the lower gears. Fish-Dwarf pushed his way down.

The swollen rotting face of a lizardman greeted him, twisted into the gears. Not again, Fish-Dwarf thought, dejected. It would take at least three trips to dislodge all of the chunks. The dwarf removed the chisel from his tool case and began working it into the sticking jam.

===(10 December 2007)===
<pre>+@@+@@@+~~~~~</pre>

"Fish-Dwarf, you have saved us!" the children shouted as the wet dwarf
pulled his way up on to the bank. He had finished his last cleaning
run, and already the floodgate was rising, ushering in the waters that
would prepare the way for the summer harvest.

"Truly, Fish-Dwarf, your mastery of the murky depths never ceases to
amaze us. You are a hero," the Mayor Kogan said, offering Fish-Dwarf
a mug of the outpost's best.

"I am glad I could help," Fish-Dwarf said, draining the mug in one
motion. "If only the river waters were whiskey, my life would be
complete."

"I fear we would never see you again if that were the case!" the Mayor jested.

Fish-Dwarf pondered a moment. "Indeed. Yet the search for the
Whiskey River is a quest for the young, I'm afraid."

"We here at Gladanvil are happy to have you," the Mayor replied as the
crowd dispersed. As the others left, the mayor pulled Fish-Dwarf
aside.

"-- and yet, I fear you cannot stay long. I've received word from
King Dorazar. He has heard tell of your talents, and our liaison from
the Mountainhome has conveyed his request for your presence at the
capital."

"My presence? Surely the engineers of the Mountainhome can manage the
mighty floodgates and channels of Steelpoint without my help."

"It isn't farming trouble, Fish-Dwarf," the Mayor said, lowering his
voice to a whisper. "Many fisherdwarves have been lost to the waters.
There is something lurking in the Lake of Columns."

===(18 January 2008)===
<pre>~~~@/~~%OB%OO%%%~~</pre>

Innumerable stalactites hung from the ceiling of the expansive gem-lit
cavern, many dipping down through the still surface of the black
waters. This was the Lake of Columns, the source of life for
Steelpoint, and now a place of dread.

Fish-Dwarf fit the blades into place on his fins. The citizens of
Steelpoint did not know what the creature was, but no fewer than seven
fisherdwarves had been lost at the shore. No matter, thought
Fish-Dwarf. King Dorazar had charged him to slay the lurking threat,
and that is what he would do. Still, the nature of the creature
eluded him. It had been years since his last combat with an aquatic
beast, and then it was only the cave crocodiles and lizardmen that
occasionally harassed his own community. Steelpoint would not have
sent for him over such a triviality. Hefting his mighty trident,
Fish-Dwarf nodded to the gathered onlookers before leaping into the
lake.

The water was clear, and he could see the broad columns well ahead of
him down to where they joined the submerged floor of the cavern.
Behind any of these formations, the beast could lurk.

There! Nestled between three columns was a gigantic bloated form on
the lake bottom. Fish-Dwarf swam closer, almost drifting. What
manner of beast was this? Great tentacles it had, and a toothy maw
which flopped open as it slumbered, surrounded by half-consumed bodies
of the dead.

Fish-Dwarf was almost upon it now, his trident lifted above his head
as he sank slowly toward the sleeping fiend. As he prepared to
strike, the lurid thing's lone eye flashed open.

===(15 May 2008)===
<pre>------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~@/~%~~~~~~~~~
------------------------</pre>

Tentacles lashed out, looping around Fish-Dwarf's torso and pinning
his arms to his chest. A force stronger than any he had ever
experienced crushed his ribs and a stream of bubbles shot from his
mouth as the breath was squeezed from his body. Fish-Dwarf
desperately slashed at the tentacles with his fin blades and as his
vision faded to black he saw that the water was thick with curling
purple ribbons of the foul beast's tainted blood. The monster's grip
loosened and Fish-Dwarf was able to free his arms. His sight had not
returned, but when he stabbed his trident downward, he felt it sink
deep into the creature. The monster's body convulsed and it raced
into the open water, Fish-Dwarf still clinging to the imbedded weapon.

I cannot let go so long as I cannot see, or I will surely be devoured,
Fish-Dwarf thought, though the beast continued on into the depths at
such speed that the diver could not maintain his bearings, and
suddenly in the back of his mind arose a strange sensation... it was
the need for air, such as he had not experienced for many years. A
tingling came to his throat and nose, and his head began to feel numb
as he became more desperate for breath, and yet slowly, his vision was
returning.

The beast slowed, its energy spent, and it settled on to the lake
bottom, unmoving. Fish-Dwarf jammed the trident into it a few times;
the thing was dead. Now, the surface! Fish-Dwarf pulled his weapon
from the monster and swam upward, but he stopped immediately. As far
as he could see in the now-dark water, a smooth ceiling of limestone
greeted him. The monster had fled into a great crack in the lake
bottom, so far and so deep that the light from the gem lamps was no
longer visible. Just the endless water and rock of the submerged
tomb of Fish-Dwarf, he thought, as he chose a direction and swam.

===Fish Dwarf End: (1 July 2008)===
<pre>,@!,.~~~~~~~~</pre>

He had chosen the wrong direction. Either that or the beast had
dragged Fish-Dwarf so far into the mountain that the fires of the
underworld were closer than the light of the lamps. His breath was
long since gone -- moving forward was all that could keep him from
panicking. After every few kicks, the dwarf would reach up to feel
the limestone. If anything, the rock was closing in. No... what's
this? His hand curled up around a sharp corner. Fish-Dwarf grabbed
it firmly with both hands and pulled, launching himself upward.

The dwarf fully expected to meet a wall of rock, but instead he glided
freely until at long last he broke the surface of the water, gasping
for air. As the dwarf calmed down, he realized that he could still
see nothing. He felt walls close by in all directions, as if he had
just swum up a shaft, though there was a ledge overhanging the water
on to which he could haul himself and rest his weary body. Fish-Dwarf
passed in and out of consciousness for a time, perhaps an hour, before
he sat up and assessed his situation.

He could dive back into the water with his lungs full of air and try
to find the lamps, now unmolested by great underwater beasts, but he
did not relish the idea of leaving the entrance to the shaft behind in
total darkness as he explored the crevice below. The only alternative
was to feel his way along the walls from this ledge above the grotto.
These limestone mountains were laced with natural caverns and after a
brief exploration of the surrounding stone he found this hollow was no
exception -- there was a mud-slicked passage that ran into the
mountain. Without hesitation, Fish-Dwarf struck out into the cavern.

-- How long since he had started on this dreary journey? Though the mud
was often thick, Fish-Dwarf had not trudged through so much as a
puddle these many days. He thirsted for spirits, nay, even water, and
he longed to swim again. The dwarf had long since abandoned his fins
and other equipment as they encumbered him too much on the march.
Every so often, he imagined he saw the gem lamps ahead, though it
could just as easily be the cooking fires of a goblin encampment, or
some darker torture, as the lights of the capital he sought. There
they were, even now... lights! Or light at least, the barest speck
in the distance ahead. Fish-Dwarf moved swiftly, no longer plodding,
still careful of the stalactites but driving forward rapidly all the
same. The speck became an opening, and he could see the mud of the
passage floor illuminated in the distance, with stone walls further
beyond. Only a few more steps...

The cavern opened out upon a rocky river valley in a canyon sheer to
the greatest heights yet welcoming the noon-day sun. The entrance
where Fish-Dwarf stood was at the bottom of the cliffs a short walk
down pebble-laden slopes to the stream below. Instantly, Fish-Dwarf
could tell that these were no ordinary waters. They were the color of
honey, yet the current flowed rapidly. And the aroma! The
intoxicating aroma! There was no question in his mind. Whether it
fell from the throne of some inebriated sky god and vanished into the
underworld to besot the armies of hell made no difference, for here,
in this world, in this very mountain range, ran the slightest stretch
of the Whiskey River. His mind unencumbered by thoughts of duty or
home, Fish-Dwarf made his way down to the riverside to drink his fill.

===Hunger Begin (11 June 2008)===
<pre>,..,.++U+,.+,.+U~U||</pre>

Suffering blighted the land with cruel hunger. Wagons brought foul
fungus from the dwarven mountains. It was barely enough to sustain
those base enough to eat such filth. The rest died. Paldadar rested
against the hilt of his great sword. He looked over his shoulder at
the dark stone castle. Turning his back on mud brick huts, the knight
passed by the scraggly bearded guards and entered the keep.

Form a high window, bright, mocking sunlight shone across the dark
wooden throne and the troubled king that sat upon it. The old man
reached for his cup, and after taking a sip, spat the vile dwarven
brew unto the stone floor. A herald in a mud-smattered tunic rushed
to wipe up the spill, but seeing the knight, rose to confront him.

"You were not summoned, Sir Paldadar," spit the herald. "Go ask the
peasants instead of begging the king for scraps from the royal table."

"Silence, Rodger," said the king.

The herald jumped away like a whipped dog. The king motioned the
knight to come forward.

"The gods have abandoned this place," said the king. "Only through
their glory will the days of bounty return. It is for this reason you
must smite the heathen Farthlings where they dwell across the river.
When their land is in ruin, the gods at last will favor us."

The knight ground his teeth. This was obviously High Priest Igland's
doing. But perhaps there was wisdom in punishing the arrogant
Farthlings for their many insults. Death by the sword was much
preferable to slow certain death by starvation.

===(17 June 2008)===
<pre>==?T?====,.UH,.U</pre>

As Paldadar walked away from the keep, peasants averted their hungry
faces. He was still a knight, even if he represented the most
wretched of kingdoms. A frail sissy approached from behind, leading
two horses. Paldadar swung around, drawing his sword. There stood
Rodger, wearing the snottiest of faces, his nose in the air.

"By the will of the king," he hissed, "I am to be your squire."

Paldadar prayed to the gods for mercy. Would that a Farthling's bolt
find his heart soon that he be saved from further tortures. Together
the pair made their way to the Temple of Love, where High Priest
Igland waited to bless their holy crusade.

The temple was built on a tall hill, a ring of marble columns
surrounding an enormous stone stele, pricking the sky with its
majesty. All around the temple, peasants scrambled to snatch at the
scraps donated by the monks that poured rotten food down the hill. As
Paldadar entered the temple, he was surrounded by fat priests and
priestesses that danced around him in a grotesque, undulating display.

The knight refused a cup of offered wine, which Rodger snatched up
and drank freely.

At the center of the temple, High Priest Igland stood, wearing nothing
save a red loincloth.

"When you wake in the morning," said Igland, "consider Love."

"Many happy couplings," said Paldadar as was the prescribed response.

"You must put an end to the Farthling menace," said the priest,
growing angry. "If their God of Suicide spreads his faith to our
kingdom, none of our desperate peasants will survive. You must strike
the heart of their kingdom and burn their temple to the ground."

Paldadar made the gesture of obedience and departed, pulling Rodger
away from the cavorting priests.

The kingdom of the Farthlings was separated from the kingdom of Love
by the River of Sorrow, whose wide fast-moving waters could only be
crossed in one place. This was the Bridge of Destiny. As the riders
approached, Rodger twitched with fear and apprehension, for it was
said the bridge was guarded by an evil water troll. At the bridge,
Paldadar held up his gauntleted hand. The horses stopped, and the
knight dismounted. Paldadar drew his sword and walked out onto the
wooden planks.

===(3 July 2008)===
<pre>%,..%,.|%.,.UH,%..%%UH,,%.~%,..(%).,.%|,..%</pre>

Green flames shot up from beneath the bridge. Horrid laughter pealed
across the blighted landscape. The knight turned to see Rodger making
tracks back to the temple with the speed of a spooked hare. Slowly
Paldadar looked over his shoulder to see the enormous bloated troll,
dripping with slime and black pus.

"You seek to pass into the land of suicide bearing the message of
love," said the troll. "What will you tell them, knight? Is slow
certain death by starvation superior than the final empowering
choice?"

"Where there is life, there is hope," said Paldadar. "Love will
overcome all obstacles!"

"Spoken like a true student of Igland," said the troll, assuming a martial pose.

As Paldadar cut the monster down, his mind was wracked with doubt.
Was the nation of love superior? He hailed from a place where young
people sold themselves for scraps of bread and yet he sought to bring
hope to a strange country. He found Rodger hiding in a nearby bush
and hauled him, protesting, across the bridge.

The land of the Farthlings was lush and green compared to the land of
love. Cherry blossoms rained down on the two riders as they wound
their way through the hills. Even in these pleasant surroundings, the
demented nature of the Farthlings soon became evident. Bodies dotted
the road here and there, swords plunged into their own guts. Corpses
hung in the trees from hastily-tied nooses, over eager to take their
own lives. As the riders passed, skeletal bodies lifted themselves
from the grass to watch them saunter on.

"Make babies, make babies, make babies," babbled Rodger, madly
reciting the Charm of Making.

At last they reached the capital of the Farthlings. The wind blew red
rose petals through the cold, dead streets. Even the cheerful sun
seemed dim in the vast tomb of a city. Rodger stared straight ahead
as they made their way to the keep, careful not to look into the dark
doorway, behind which ominous rustlings could be heard.

The flag of Farthlingland flew above the ramparts of the citadel. At
the base of the wall lay the piles of bones of those who had
hopelessly thrown themselves over the side. A wide moat circled the
castle. As the two riders approached, a draw bridge was lowered over
the water. Paldadar thought he could see a crowned figure on the wall
beckoning them inside. As they crossed the bridge, Rodger made the
mistake of looking down into the water. The currents were filled with
the souls of those who drowned themselves in desperate sorrow. Eyes
shut tight, Rodger hugged the neck of his horse, and followed Paldadar
into the gate.

==[[User:Onodera|onodera]]==
===(01 November 2008)===
<pre>"",",.@,.T,"""</pre>

"Don't let the sun set on you in the Dark Wood," said the dwarf
crones. "Ole Brick-a-Branch will get you." Nonsense, thought young
Davik as he rode his mule along the twisting green deer path. The
darkness came quickly as the sun slipped behind the trees. As he set
about making a fire, Davik pondered the dark tales of Brick-a-branch
and his mischief.

Not even the elves dared enter the Wood at night. Something older
than time haunted these cursed trees, but this valley was the quickest
way to Port City, saving at least a month of travel. As the night
grew darker and colder, Davik fumbled in his pack to retrieve the
charms and idols he had nearly refused as the journey began.

A great shape emerged from the darkness. It was a gnarled troll, as
old as the hills. It picked up Davik by the ankle.

"Not much meat here," it said.

"Please, Ole Brick-a-Branch, don't eat me," said Davik.

Having said his name, the troll was force to lay the dwarf down.

"I will not eat you," said the monster, "If you can answer me these
riddles three."

==[[User:Peristarkawan|Peristarkawan]]==
===(16 May 2007)===
<pre>=@()++@</pre>

Doran stirred the bubbling pot of syrup. It was ready! "Pour, pour, pour!" the dwarf sang. Into the molds the syrup flowed. "Another batch," the dwarf said, satisfied.

Just then, he noticed somebody standing in the doorway. "Ah, Glornol. What brings you to the kitchens this early? Come to try a sticky treat? I have some Anvil Drops cooling now. Just a moment."

Doran turned to the tray on the table when he was startled by Glornol's shouting. "What is the meaning of this? Isn't there a war on?"

"Even soldiers need sticky treats, Glornol!" Doran picked up two chocolate goblins and began to speak in a high-pitched throaty voice.

"Ooo, it's Glornol!" the first chocolate goblin said.

"Glornol's scared of the mean, mean goblins!" the second chocolate goblin observed.

"Let's eat the dwarf! Yummies for tummies!" the first chocolate goblin offered.

"The dwarf might eat me instead! Oh no!" the second chocolate goblin replied. Doran held the goblin out to Glornol.

Glornol was not amused, but he snatched the candy from Doran's hand. "Hrmph," he grunted, and biting the goblin's head off, he walked out of the kitchen.

==[[User:Qwip|Qwip]]==
===(05 December 2006)===

<pre>...@T@..###S#</pre>

Taking a break from their duty, the two guards sat at a table with a scenic view of the chasm.
They did not notice as they drained their mugs that they were being watched from the shadows
by clusters of pale eyes. A table by the chasm?!
--[[User:Qwip|Qwip]] 05 December 2006

===(09 February 2007)===

<pre>.@......####
...T@@~S####
.......#####
</pre>
Dolan was chatting with Aliz about the health benefits of dwarven beer when Aliz disappeared.
Dolan sprang to his feet and saw that Aliz was being dragged toward the chasm, a thick rope of
translucent silk wrapped around his left ankle. At the lip of the chasm, a bloated form slowly
reeled the line in with her spindly legs.
Dolan knew immediately -- it was the Wolf-Mother of Darkness.
He grabbed his axe and ran toward Aliz, who was now only a few more pulls from the beast.

As he was hauling ore to the magma smelter, the peasant Kogarak saw the situation, screamed,
dropping his load, and ran toward the barracks. As he heard the sound of an axe ring against
stone behind him, he wondered if he would make it in time.
:— [[User:Qwip|Qwip]] 08:40, 9 February 2007 (EST)

===(18 April 2007)===
<pre>@@@...@.####
@..T..@S####
.......#####
</pre>
The axe had scored the stone floor where it had severed the silk line. The Wolf-Mother chittered
angrily and pounced at Dolan, moving with surprising quickness. Dolan was knocked to the ground,
the enormous body of the foul creature pressing him into the stone. His axe clanged some distance
away. The blunt knobs at the end of the Wolf-Mother's forelegs dug into Dolan's ribs as her
dripping mandibles drew closer to his face. He grabbed her head with both hands, trying
desperately to keep her at bay. A foul-smelling spittle dripped on to his cheek.

Aliz, still dazed from his initial fall, slowly made his way to his feet. Seeing Dolan's desperate
struggle, he drew his sword and hacked at one of the Wolf-Mother's legs. The bumpy skin was
incredibly tough, but the steel blade left the appendage hanging by tatters. The Wolf-Mother
belched a grating rasp and rolled away from Aliz and faced the dwarves. Dolan crawled toward his
axe, but the nauseating venom drenching his face and beard had left him almost powerless. The
Wolf-Mother hesitated, her wound oozing white ichor as Aliz stood his ground.

There were several sharp cracking noises, and the Wolf-Mother crumpled, several iron bolts
protruding from her many eyes. In the distance stood Bomtek and the other marksdwarves,
accompanied by Kogarak. Aliz rushed to Dolan. The dwarf was breathing heavily.

"My body feels like gravel. I need a drink," Dolan said.

"The Wolf-Mother is dead. Brace up. I'll bring you your mug." Aliz fetched Dolan's mug from
the table and brought it to the dwarf where he lay on the stone floor. The mug was almost empty.

"The brood," Dolan whispered. "The night brood will come."
:— [[User:Qwip|Qwip]] 12:28, 14 May 2007 (EDT)

==[[User:Rewolf31|Rewolf31]]==
===(13 April 2007)===

<pre>.B@.~~~
</pre>
And so Alor, a wrestler of renown, found himself between a great boar and the wide river. For six days they struggled, and as the sun descended behind the hills on the evening of the seventh day, Alor finally collapsed in exhaustion. The boar spoke and said, "I too am tired. The sun has fallen. Let us rest." And so Alor and the boar slept, and the sun arose on the morning of the eighth day.

===(21 July 2007)===
<pre>,.,B@~,~,~</pre>

"Whiskey?" Alor asked the boar, holding up his flask. The wrestler had not spoken for a week.

"Gladly," the boar said, taking the flask up in its mouth. "You block my path to the river, and now you offer me your flask. Strange are the ways of your people."

"Your path? I was seeking to cross the river and found myself menaced," Alor said.

"The squirrels tell me I am a terror to behold when I am thirsty," the boar said as it drained the flask. "Do I menace you now?" The boar looked mild and plump. Indeed, the gentle creature reminded Alor of his daughter.

"No, I am not menaced. I am reminded of home," Alor said fondly. At that moment his stomach growled, for he had not eaten in some time.

"Hopefully I do not remind you of your dinner table," the boar laughed, "though it remains to be seen who would have the final mastery in our contest." Alor smiled broadly and the boar guided Alor to the ford, where they parted as friends.

===(12 September 2007)===
<pre>++@a@+
</pre>
"Daddy! Daddy!" the little girl cried happily as she ran toward the mighty dwarf where he stood under the archway.

"I missed you, sweet pod!" Alor crouched down and lifted the child up to his shoulder, where she sat, beaming. "Have you been good while I was away?"

"I made a puzzle box. See!" The girl held out a soapstone box. The master craftsdwarf always started the young ones with the material since it required little strength to carve, though it crumbled easily. Even so, the box was quite exquisite.

"That's beautiful. Now let me see here..." Alor pressed a button and the lid popped open. There was nothing inside. "Hey, where's my treasure?" he said in mock indignation.

The girl took the box and made a series of complicated motions along the inside of the empty compartment. A second lid opened, revealing a piece of dwarven sugar candy. The child giggled and smiled broadly.

Alor scratched his head and laughed. Coren was only six, but she was already beyond him.

"Did you win, daddy?" Coren asked.

"Ah, the tournament? Yes, sweet pod, there hasn't been a dwarf born yet that can beat your father," Alor looked at the puzzle box. "At least not at wrestling. And you know what else?"

"What else, daddy? What else?"

"I met a talking boar and we became friends."

"Again?" Coren complained. "I want to meet your animal friends soon."

"I'll invite them over for your party next month. Until then, you have to work hard. Do you have a lesson today?"

"Yes. Mr. Goldlocket says he'll let me try marble today."

"Marble, eh? That's amazing. You really are your mother's daughter. I'll walk you to the shop." Together they strolled down the passageway. Alor admired the carvings and architecture, occasionally pointing an engraving out and explaining its history, though his daughter had heard it all before. It had been two months since he left for tournament, and the wrestler had missed his home very much.

"The three of us should have a feast tonight. What do you say?" Alor asked. Coren did not respond.

The dwarf looked down. His daughter was not there. She was not in the passageway. There was no sign of her.

"Goblins!" A scream echoed through the tunnels. "Goblins in the fortress!"

===(18 September 2007)===
<pre>,..|mBL@+++++++g+</pre>

"I'm sure she's in there," Alor said from his place behind the boulder where he looked down upon the rusted iron doors of Chatteltomb.

"We must act now, while there's still time," the boar urged. This was the same boar that Alor had befriended by the riverbank, and it now came to aid Alor in his time of need.

"The door is locked. Even with our combined strength, I doubt we can force entry," the leopard observed. This was the same leopard that Alor had befriended in the high grasses, and it also came to aid Alor in his time of need.

"Don't worry. The guards were drunk in the ravine below," the marmot announced as it scampered up the slope with the key in its mouth. This was the same marmot that Alor had befriended on the mountainside, and it came to aid Alor after promises of food.

"I've only challenged the depths of this black pit once in my life. It is a memory I have longed to forget, though it will serve me now," Alor said. "It sickens me that my daughter is kept there. The way to the dungeons will not be heavily guarded, as fear of this place keeps all but the foolish at bay. That said, the tower above is garrisoned with unnumbered horrors. If the alarm is raised, escape will be impossible."

The group made their way down to the entrance. With some effort, Alor forced the key into place. The great doors swung open with a grating noise, exposing a palpable darkness that hung heavy in the stale air like a fog of soot. The thick shadows were penetrated from beyond by sinister red lights which gave vague form to the smooth obsidian corridors.

Once all had passed into the tower, they closed the door behind them. "We can only hope it is not unusual for the doors to sound. Do you see anything?" Alor whispered to the leopard.

"Several doors down, a goblin is standing," the leopard spoke softly. "It has turned to face us. I don't think it can make us out yet, but its night eyes are almost as strong as my own. It is coming this way."

Indeed, Alor could barely make out twin spots of crimson shining in the distance. The dwarf felt the leopard slip from his side. In a moment, the crimson spots disappeared from view. No sound accompanied their departure. Alor and the others padded quietly forward, approaching the stairway and the dungeons below.

==[[User:Senso|Senso]]==
===(29 April 2007)===
<pre><+@?++&~~</pre>

The wayward manager Aliz stepped quietly down the last flight of stairs into the lowest depths of the abandoned halls. The air of the room was stale and warm. The light of the dwarf's torch illuminated a stone pedestal, on which rested a gray book.

"The Tome of Suffering," Aliz whispered. In its blood-stained pages, the collected wisdom of countless outpost managers waited for his perusal. Never again would his charges starve. Never again would they complain for want of whiskey. Never again would Aliz have to consult the half-baked scribblings of his uncle Toran.

The ground shook and Aliz's ears were assailed by a deafening crash. When the dust cleared, the entire chamber was illuminated by a sinister red glow. In place of the far wall was a yawning pit filled with bubbling magma and flames. From the inferno came a betusked fiend, ravening, its slavering maw belching foul vapors through which stared its cruel bulging eyes. Its clawed hands kneaded the lardy folds of its corpulence as if it sought to make room for this latest morsel.

Aliz was terrified. The dwarf clutched the Tome to his chest. The horrific beast crouched by the magma pool, muttering in a grating whisper:

"It will be eaten. It will be eaten, the dwarf. Eaten. Eaten alive."

==[[User:Shanty|Shanty]]==
===(30 June 2007)===
<pre>@@+U@</pre>

Rogar spun again and again, staring into the darkness. The scraping had begun all at once and it seemed to come from every direction. Nothing could be seen beyond the limit of the flickering torchlight.

There! A shadow moved slowly out of the darkness. It had the stature of a dwarf, but Rogar knew the outpost had been abandoned for decades. After a moment, the warrior could see clearly. The shuffling thing had no flesh. The bones of its feet clacked and slid across the stones. The dead were walking in this place.

There were more, many more. Rogar was completely surrounded. He held up his sword and turned from threat to threat. The dwarves were unarmed, with tatters of cloth hanging over their skeletal remains. Bits of beard were still visible stuck around their garments and their skulls. The dead stopped short of Rogar's weapon and stood completely motionless. There was no way the warrior could pass without forcing his way through.

The skeleton he had seen first raised its bony hand slowly, curling all of its fingers save one into its palm. Its index finger pointed toward Rogar. From somewhere within its skull, it emitted a long, low moan which ended in a hiss and faded into silence.

==[[User:Spelguru|Spelguru]]==
===(19 November 2006)===
<pre>
..@.M.~~~~...
</pre>
The adventurer, transformed into a ghoul by strange forces, crawls toward the Everlasting River of Curing, barely clinging to his life, such as it had become. Suddenly, from the ceiling dropped... Adamantine Man! Is there any hope?!

===(19 December 2006)===
<pre>
...M.~~~~..".
.....@~~~~...
...."~~~~~...
</pre>

Adamantine Man spoke and said, "Unfortunate stranger! You wish to cast off your affliction? Drink then, and be blessed."

So the adventurer drank. The soothing warmth of the water spread from the center of his body, out to his deformed fingers and toes. Without pain, they shifted and were set in their proper places, along with the other marks of the affliction. All was well.

The adventurer looked at Adamantine Man in awe and asked, "I am grateful, Adamantine Man, for I had been without hope. For years unnumbered, my people have deemed the River unapproachable. 'Adamantine Man is there', they said, and yet, I have found naught here but a generous host and the cure to all that ailed me. Tell me Adamantine Man, why are you so feared? I am humbled by your graciousness, but am I truly free from danger?"

Adamantine Man spoke for a second time and said, "Indeed, be not afraid. Your people regard me with terror, for they do not understand me, and verily, who among you can understand Adamantine Man, who does not understand himself?"

The adventurer bowed his head and said, "It is true. Even now I am unsettled, for though you have granted me renewed life asking for nothing, still, even now, I wish to leave and never return."

Adamantine Man spoke for a third time and said, "So it has always been. Go now in peace."

The adventurer left without looking back. Overjoyed, his family accepted him, no longer an outcast, and soon all in the land had heard that he who had once been tainted was made whole by the River.

Some years later, a man, broken in body, came to the adventurer's abode. "I seek your aid, for it is said that you who were once tainted were made whole by the River. Tell me, where is the River, that I might be restored?"

The adventurer looked at the man, and he said, "Adamantine Man is there. Be content now, as I shall never be again." The man departed, and the adventurer remained.

===(25 March 2007)===

The adamantine man story ended.
<pre>
@-***=.T
</pre>
The Pulson-9000 seared the sky trailing ion-energized purple lightning. The XZ-Trollmech Mk7 didn't stand a chance. Another contract, another payment. Rogar was the last dwarf of his village, and after many hardships had fallen into the tough life of a mercenary warrior. He had stolen his first fighting bot, but after three years he had enough money to build and repair his own. He spent his offtime tinkering, which soothed his still-dwarven heart.

For now though, he was in enemy territory. True, the contract was complete, but he had fought his way deep into the personal citadel of the vile cyber-modded troll Vanquidor in order to blow his Mk7 body to pieces, and now he had to laze through the bodyguards and sentry droids he hadn't already obliterated. The dwarf had very little ordinance remaining. Rogar put on his shades. Things were about to get hot, but he was cool as a sonic-fan. Time to fire it up! Yeah!

==[[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]]==
===(19 April 2007)===
<pre>+R@%+@+%</pre>

"Hya! Hya!" Kogan screamed as he careened around the corner astride Lomrin. He had acquired the giant rat from the dungeon master for a vial of liquid fire. It had been a barrel of laughs, especially after a mug or three.

As they passed the foodpile, Lomrin stopped suddenly to inspect a large plump helmet biscuit. Kogan flew over the rat's ears and landed on his beard, sliding to a stop at a pair of black leather boots. Kogan waited a moment for his head to clear, and then he rolled back on his bottom and stared up at the face of Mul. It had to be Mul.

"On a bender again, are we Kogan?" Mul admonished.

"We? I swear I haven't given Lomrin a drop!" Kogan said indignantly.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Mul said, indicating the food stockpile with a nod of his head.

Kogan turned his head. Lomrin had pried the lid off of a whisky barrel. Only her rear legs and tail were now visible.

"She takes after her uncle Kogan!" Kogan beamed proudly. Mul knocked him down to the ground with a push from his foot.

==[[User:Syndlig|Syndlig]]==
===(18 May 2007)===
<pre>oU++@@</pre>
The man struggled against the chains. The dwarves stared at him, smiling in satisfaction.

"That should ward you off our treasures, human. Be glad we don't send for the Hammerer."

The human scoffed. "Ha! I may be a thief, but at least I'm not a dwarf. See how I tower above you! I may not have a trade, I may not have any notable achievements whatsoever, but I am still a man."

The blackbearded dwarf turned to his companion. "You know, Mul, I suppose we could call for the Hammerer. The Baron will understand. After all, it was the Baron's goblet we found in his pack."

The dwarf named Mul considered this. "The Hammerer could certainly give him a new perspective on life. From two or three handspans lower down, at that. Start at the ankles, perhaps?"

"I always preferred the kneecaps, myself," the blackbearded dwarf said as they turned to leave. "It's really up to Rashok to decide though."

Mul hummed in disappointed affirmation. "Hmm, Rashok gets to have all the fun doesn't he?"

"Wait! Don't leave, my little friends!" the man screamed as the dwarves disappeared through the iron gate.

The blackbearded dwarf poked his head back into the dungeon. "We'll spare some whiskey, don't worry!" He disappeared again.

"Watered down, of course..." Mul could be heard saying as their footfalls faded away.

==[[The Toad Preservation Society]]==

Toady One and ThreeToe are continuously working on Dwarf Fortress since 4 years ago (well, when that was that written, in early 2007). On the same Idea, the Toad Preservation Society is trying to bring a very modest but continuous support. One result of this support is that ongoing series of art rewards. Slowly a story unfolds. Of course, the main target for the donation is not to get the reward, but to show the [[Bay12Games]] team that we love their project and value their effort. So let's consider each bit of that series as a nice present.

===(11 October 2006)===

<pre>.M.@$.</pre>

Deep in the fortress, a lava man springs an ambush on the treasurer, who is happily
counting coins. Could this be the beginning of the end?!

--The Toad Preservation Society, 11 October 2006

===(12 November 2006)===
<pre>
######.....M#~~~
@..@@@......M~~~
######..M%$.#~~~
</pre>
Hammered and burnt by molten fists, the treasurer collapsed. That will teach him to
count coins near the magma flow. More lava men erupt from the magma as a fortress patrol
enters the room, one of them the treasurer's wife. Fighting back tears, she screams in
wild rage as the soldiers charge the beasts. Will vengeance prevail this terrible day?!

--The Toad Preservation Society, 12 November 2006

===(5 December 2006)===

<pre>
..=# #############~~~# %
[@.#########.%-.%.#~~~# '
.=..........@.-....~~~#,
############..@%-.#~~~####
` '###########.=====........##
% #############~~~####
</pre>
Indeed, vengeance did prevail, though it was bought with the lives of soldiers.
The Axedwarf Aloran, wife of the treasurer, grieves now over the charred body of her
husband, her grief-stricken face shining red in the magma's light. Yet the lava men
were only driven forth by rumors deep within the earth, ever rumbling now, ever
approaching the lip of the glowing pit discovered by the miners not long after the
bridging of the magma. The sound reached even the heart of the fortress, where
Regukar the Mason has begun a mysterious construction. What fey mood has possessed
Regukar?! Will Aloran's mourning be troubled by even greater dangers?!

--The Toad Preservation Society, 5 December 2006

===(10 January 2007)===

<pre>
##.##
#..=# #############~~~# %
###[@.#########.%-.%.#~~~# '
...@=.@..........-....~~~#,
###############...%-.#~~~########..
` '###########.=====....@.&.##
% #############~~~########..
</pre>

A great crash echoed down the inward passageway.

"More beasts deeper in the mines?" said Narol fearfully, a recruit, the only member of the patrol save Aloran to survive. His right arm was burned horribly and he now held his axe in his left hand, weakly.

"Tell the Baron that lava men have entered the mines. I'll remain here." Aloran unmoving eyes stared over the bridge toward the mines. There would be no discussion. Narol stumbled up the opposite passage to the workshops.

Regukar was in the lower mason's shop, gazing into his hands, his face aglow with the light shining upward from his palms. The Baron was there as well.

"What is this? Did I not commission an obsidian throne? Why was this workshop built so near the magma flow if I'm to be seated on granite for the rest of my days?" The Baron sounded annoyed, but he was also trying to stare over Regukar's shoulder to see the treasure. The Baron reached for Regukar's wrist, and the mason turned violently and spat in the Baron's face just as Narol careened into the chamber.

"The Stout Wheels have held the bridge, but lava men are in the mines! Many are dead... Aloran is guarding the mine entrance alone..." Narol collapsed, breathing heavily.

-

Narol was gone, but Aloran did not notice. "I will kill them all," she said, and she walked down the bridge into the mines, leaving the bodies of her husband and the recruits behind. As she descended into the mines, the magma's light faded and she was engulfed by the dimness in which she had spent most of her life. Yet ahead she discerned an eerie glow. The miners had located these pits not long ago as they hunted for hematite. The lava men must be using them, accessing the mines away from the magma flow, Aloran thought, though she did not dwell on it long. Soon her mind was focused again on death.

Suddenly the light was blotted out, followed by a shaking that almost knocked Aloran from her feet. "COAH! So long I have waited for my master... only to find this sweet hairy dumpling. It must be time for the Great Feast." Aloran could discern its corpulence through the darkness. A lardy bloated creature, like those that made raids from the river, yet more grotesque, covered with translucent boils -- and many times larger. The thing croaked, "I sense... COAH! You have lost someone recently... your husband. Worry not, little dumpling! You will be reunited in my innards when I am done feeding."

Aloran did not speak. She would not entertain the creature -- she would have it dead.

--The Toad Preservation Society, 10 January 2007

===(11 February 2007)===

And it keeps going and growing !!

<pre>
##.##
#..=# #############~~~# %
###[..#########.%-.%.#~~~# '
...@=.@.........@-....~~~#,
###############...%-.#~~~########&.
` '###########.=====@.@@.@%&##
% #############~~~########.&
</pre>

Aloran hacked at the thing's wide belly with her battle axe. It lurched backward, avoiding the full force of the strike, and crashed into the cavern wall. Immediately, as if its lardy mass had bounced off the barrier, it leapt forward and knocked Aloran to the ground, pressing down on her shoulders with its great slimy hands. Its mouth opened, and a slick lolling tongue poured out like thick syrup and covered Aloran's face. It was going to swallow her whole! Unable to breathe, Aloran fumbled around in her boot and pulled out a small pointed hammer. Struggling to maintain consciousness, Aloran swung the hammer from her elbow. The point pierced one of the great creature's eyes, which popped and drained a viscous pus over the dwarf. The thing backed off of the warrior's body, its fat tongue dragging on the ground, leaving a broad swath of spittle. Aloran stood, breathing heavily, her axe secure in her right hand. She advanced on the retreating beast, her weapon lifted over her head. She wound further backward, then brought the axe blade around in a sweeping arc down on the bloated fiend's tongue, forking it.

Two more silhouettes appeared in the eerie glow above the beast's quivering form. As they approached, she could see they were gray and glistening, partially encased in shimmering pale shells, each walking on four stumpy legs. They look like cave oysters, Aloran thought. She raised her axe.

"Aloran!" Three recruits with swords rushed down the passageway. "The Baron sent for us. Are you all right?" Aloran did not turn to face them as the demonic oysters crawled over their bleeding companion.

--

"How dare you spit on me! You'll receive two hammerstrikes for this!" The Baron was livid. He had called for a peasant to notify reinforcements for the mines, of course, but now he was free to chastize Regukar. Narol was still only semi-conscious, resting on the floor.

"I created it! It is mine!" Regukar's eyes were glowing with a fierce light. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and held his arms close to his body, the light of his creation showing through his interlocked fingers.

"Nothing is yours! You used stone from the miners, the miners carved that stone out of the mountain, and the mountain belongs to me. Now hand the object over for inspection, and your past transgression might be forgiven." The Baron held out his hand.

Before the Baron could react, Regukar grabbed his chisel and brought it down into the Baron's forehead. The Baron crumpled, hitting the stone floor hard. Regukar chuckled and ambled off down the passageway toward the mines.

--The Toad Preservation Society, 11 February 2007

===(13 March 2007)===
Even if Toady is now deep into its work and the malor works on maps/moving armies, he took time adding a new part to these now ongoing story...

<pre>
##.##
#..=# #############~~~# %
###[..#########.%-.%.#~~~# '
...@=.@..........-....~~~#,
###############...%-.#~~~########..
` '###########.=====@.%%%-&%##
% #############~~~########..
</pre>

Aloran, still winded, faced the two oyster demons. The recruits stood by her side in a line blocking off the passageway. The beasts slid down the toad's massive body, landing before it with a splatter. The fiends moved slowly, but they had almost reached the dwarves.

Two of the recruits, Roal and Daron, cousins who had just began sparring two weeks ago, lifted their swords and assailed the creatures. Roal brought his weapon down hard on the shell of one of the beasts, but it was deflected. From the space between the shell plates, a massive slimy appendage burst forth, ringing Roal and dragging him inside. His lower body dangled from the creature. Daron grabbed his legs and pulled, but Roal would not budge. The other oyster demon raised up on its back legs and came crashing down on Daron. The dwarf's head slammed hard against the passage way and he went unconscious. Roal's legs twitched as the second demon turned back to the remaining warriors.

Aloran had regained her breath and charged with the other recruit, Nlan, a dwarf from the north burrow. The recruit stabbed at the demon's body, sinking his sword deep into its flesh, while Aloran aimed low and hacked off one of its stubby legs with her axe. As it toppled, the thing spit out a stream of goo onto Nlan's face, which began to steam. The recruit chortled and fell to the ground, unrecognizable. Aloran finished off the creature by hacking into its soft body repeatedly.

The other demon had completed its meal. Roal's lower body detached and fell to the ground, and the oyster beast let out a belching noise. Another sound emanated from its shell soon after. "I sense... loss... your husband... reunite..."

"Silence, beast," Aloran spat. "The toad made the same promise and failed to keep it. Your kind use hollow words." At that moment, the toad demon's bleeding body quivered, as if it were laughing.

The oyster spoke again. "Daron... reunite... Roal..." The slimy appendage slid out and looped around Daron's right leg. Aloran ran forward, swinging her axe down on the oozing tentacle. It was cloven asunder and fell to the tunnel floor, pouring out a thick white paste.

As the oyster backed into the toad demon's still quivering form, the entire tunnel filled with a blinding light. Aloran turned and saw the vague form of a dwarf raising its hand, from which the radiance emanated. The light faded just enough for Aloran to make out the details. It was Regukar, the mason. In his hand, he held a glowing schist mini-forge.

--The Toad Preservation Society, 13 March 2007

===(16 April 2007)===
All right, the Reward continues (this is the same story):

<pre>
@@.####
.@@++d+
@.@####
</pre>
Captain Kogan stood with his dwarves on the stone road before the great arch, beard dripping from the drizzling rain that had been falling since the early morning. No word had been sent from the Baron concerning the deep mining operation for nearly two weeks. The King had grown impatient and the Captain had been sent to investigate.

The soft patter of rain on stone was slowly drowned out by a series of whirs and chirps coming from within the fortress. It was like nothing the Captain had heard before. He had his soldiers position themselves before the entrance with the marksdwarves kneeling in front of the others. The sounds drew closer, until a small shape could be discerned emerging from the shadows beyond the archway.

It looked like a lizard, twisted into that form from rusted iron strips, but it walked on its rear legs with a jerking and uncertain gait. In the center of its head, visible through the metal frame, was a drooping lump of granite that appeared to be molded around the iron. The stone glowed with a faint red light.

The dwarves watched awe-struck as the metallic creature continued advancing until it finally stopped under the great arch. Its head swiveled back and forth, eventually settling on the group. The lizard's body grated against itself, and from somewhere within, it emitted a piercing whistle and charged.

"Fire, Bomtek! Now!" Kogan ordered.

The marksdwarf shot a bolt at the creature. It hit the granite lump, shattering it. The iron strips collapsed into a pile.

"W.. what in the name of the Lordaxe was that?" Nunon stammered. "Where are the guards?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Kogan. He walked forward and pushed the remnants of the creature about with his hammer. "Something sinister is afoot. We'll scout as far as the upper meeting hall."

Captain Kogan and his dwarves passed under the arch and disappeared into the dimly lit fortress.

--The Toad Preservation Society, 16 April 2007

===(10 May 2007)===
<pre>
##################
#++++++++++d+++++++..
####+@+O++O++O+dOd+&#
+++++@+++++++++d+++@#
####+@+O++O++O++Od++#
#++++++++++d+d++@#
##################
</pre>

"Get out of there!" Kogan screamed. It was too late. Lokar was lost. Only Bomtek, Nunon and Captain Kogan himself remained. The rest had been mauled beyond recognition by the metallic beasts. The passage to the upper hall had seemed clear, but it was a ruse. The walls had come alive. The lizards were everywhere.

Now Kogan and the others were running for lives, pursued by the iron fiends. They could outrun them if they didn't stop to fight. The dwarves were approaching the meeting hall, though Kogan held little hope for that place now. The only way out of the outpost lay behind them, through a maelstrom of metal fangs.

"The upper hall!" Kogan shouted when he spotted a light ahead. The torches were still lit? Perhaps the guards were able to stand after all! Kogan and the others ran on, the din of whirs and chirps behind them driving them forward. At last, the tired soldiers crossed under the arch and entered the upper meeting hall.

"I'm so pleased you could join us!" a voice boomed from the back of the chamber. Kogan looked out between the pillars. There on a granite throne sat a dwarf, his face twisted in madness. In his hand he held a glowing object. The stone floor before him was crawling with the metal lizards. On his right, a fire burned in the shape of a tall man, lighting the entire hall. On his left, a dwarf woman was tied, struggling against her bonds, hatred in her eyes.

"Do you like my little friends? Arshosh and I will make more, many, many more. The miniforge is all-powerful!" The crazed dwarf cackled. "With it, I enslaved the spirit of fire, bound stone and metal to my will, and soon, soon! Oh, yes. Soon I will use the power of the miniforge to create a new race of dwarves! Aloran will be the first! Then all of you will join her! And you shall call Regukar your master!"

--The Toad Preservation Society, 10 April 2007

===(June 2007)===
<pre>
##################
#+d+++++++%++++++++..
####d@dO++O++O%%O+%&#
++++d@d+++%%++++%%%%#
####d@dO+%O%+O+%O%%@#
#+d+d+%++%%%+++%@#
##################
</pre>

The soldiers had been quickly subdued, lashed to the floor by a writhing mass of metallic lizard bodies. Regukar walked slowly to the place where Aloran was restrained.

"Now, Aloran, let us begin the ritual of transformation." Regukar held the shining miniforge near to the dwarf warrior's face as she continued to strain against the ropes. The crazed mason lifted a tiny hammer and struck the minianvil once. The fires of Arshosh rose to the ceiling of the great hall and twisted around its many granite pillars. A tongue of flame engulfed the miniforge and the anvil began to glow even more brightly.

Aloran felt her skin breaking. The unbearable pain spread throughout her entire body. Metal blades tore through the flesh of her arms and legs, and she felt a force trying to subdue her will. "Regukar is your master. Regukar is your master," a voice in her mind whispered. The ropes snapped as the blood-covered blades continued to rise. The voice became louder and louder until it was all she could hear, drowning out her own screams.

Through her tears she could see Regukar had buckled over, laughing uncontrollably, and the sight filled Aloran with an all-consuming hatred. This contemptible dwarf could never be her master. The pain and the voice faded away, and her animosity began to manifest itself in the power of her limbs. The metal was part of her body now, and she felt its presence as surely as that of her own hands.

Looking up, Regukar noticed Aloran's steady gaze, and worry crossed his face. "My slave, the transformation is complete. Call me master," the mason stammered. Aloran said nothing and punched Regukar in the face with her metal-bladed fist. The knives stuck in his head, and the full weight of his dying body hung limply from Aloran's straight arm. Regukar's mangled face slid slowly backward, and free from the blades the dwarf crumpled to the floor and lay unmoving on the stones.

The tongue of flame slowly lifted the miniforge from the mason's clinging hand. As the glowing object slipped from his grasp, his raised arm fell back to the ground, and he breathed his last. The spirit of fire withdrew its flames, bringing the miniforge to the center of its translucent body. The demon turned to Aloran and faded from sight. There was a sudden crash as the metallic lizards fell to pieces.

--The Toad Preservation Society, June 2007

==TomTheHand==

===(20 February 2007)===

<pre>
..g#o@.%
</pre>

Shrolnak glared through the rusty iron bars.

"Eat yer meat, ya hairy maggot," the goblin snarled as it pushed the bowl back towards the dwarven child. "It'll make yer beard longer."

Aliz kicked the bowl away again. "I'm not eating until I get my mini-forge!" Aliz crossed his arms above his plump little belly and turned away.

"Minnn.. what's yer mini-forge?" The goblin was confused. The only toy it had ever owned was a cracked elf skull.

The dwarf child's eyes lit up. "Uncle Kogan made it! It glows in the dark!"

"Glows in the dark, eh... I'll poke around." The goblin scrambled away from the prison and disappeared around a corner. In a few minutes, it returned, its hand cupped around something that glowed purple through its bony fingers.

Aliz moved toward the bars, his wide eyes reflecting the eerie light. The goblin held its right hand through the bar and dropped the glowing object into the child's waiting palms.

"Now eat yer meat." The goblin wandered off.

Aliz was still staring into his hands. A sinister smile spread slowly over his face.

===(12 March 2007)===

<pre>
.T.g..@..
</pre>

"Where is the Soul of the Dark Power?!" Arugor was screaming now. He had fooled a dragon to obtain the wicked gem, and now it was nowhere to be found. Shrolnak groveled before him.

"Master, I.. I don't know..." Shrolnak had never truly adjusted to kneeling before the troll, but it couldn't be helped. His master had been gifted with a cunning far beyond others of his kind, and Shrolnak was powerless before him.

"Lies! Your hands still shine with its aura! Where have you hidden my treasure?"

"T.. that gem? I thought that's all it was. I... I let the dwarf child play with it."

"What?! Fool! I must reclaim it before it is too late." Arugor was bothered that Shrolnak had somehow managed to avoid the intricate traps in the Soul Chamber, but he would leave that matter alone until the gem was reclaimed.

Just as Arugor turned to leave, a plump dwarven child floated into the throne room, trailed by a billowing mist. In his hands, he clutched a deep purple gem. The hovering child had a wicked grin twisted into his bearded face. Arugor and Shrolnak shielded their faces, helpless before the radiance of the wielded Soul.

The child levitated higher, close to the ceiling, and looked down upon the quivering monsters. "With my power, I shall build the greatest mini-forge the world has ever known!" The dwarf was enveloped by the purple light and passed through the ceiling.

==[[User:Trukkle|Trukkle]]==
===(25 June 2007)===
<pre>%%@##B#</pre>
"There it goes!" Doran hollered as the bit of plump helmet sailed out into the darkness. The mason had been at the whiskey all morning, and now he was dangling his legs over the chasm with his lunch, throwing mushroom pieces to the gray fliers. One of the bats sailed silently into view and snatched the food as it fell.

"A bat's a bat, and bats like mushrooms!" Doran slurred as he took another swig from the flagon. "Let's try something a little larger."

The dwarf ripped the cap from one of his plump helmets and tossed it out into the abyss. It dropped out of view, without any sign of the fliers. Doran pouted.

Suddenly, a great shape flew up from the chasm, right by Doran's face, blowing the braids of his beard back over his shoulders. It looked like a gray flier, but many, many times larger, as large as one of the brown bears out in the forest. He watched as it disappeared off above into the distance.

Doran looked down at his lunch. "I... I guess I'll finish the rest myself."

==[[User:Xarph|Xarph]]==
===(20 February 2007)===

<pre>###=@=##</pre>

Kogan hurtled through the darkness, the two long braids of his golden beard streaming behind him. It was too much weight! The wings tied to his arms, made from stretched frogman skin and giant cave spider legs, fluttered uselessly as the chasm walls rushed by. He had been nervous the night before and, as usual, had gorged himself on plump helmet biscuits and dwarven rum. Now he was falling like a granite block. Kogan wondered if the philosophers were correct -- were these chasms were bottomless? He would be able to survive for several days without food or alcohol. Seeing nothing but blackness below, Kogan resigned himself to the journey ahead and began to sing his favorite drinking song.

===(19 May 2007)===

<pre>*###*****##**
#*#*##*##**##
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#*#*##*##*#*#
#*#*##S##*#*#
#*#*#*#*#*#*#
#*##*###*@#*#
##**#***##*##
#*#*******#*#
*###########*</pre>

It had been two days. Kogan was dehydrated, and he had begun mumbling to himself. "Whiskey... my dear whiskey..."

Suddenly his fall was arrested by a force which seemed to hold him by the arms and legs. He still fell, but slower, and slower still, until he stopped entirely and hung in space. The dwarf tried to spin, but he was unable to move. Thick, translucent ropes held him. The reality of the situation dawned on him, and he felt sick. It was a giant web. He had been ensnared by one of the dark huntresses of the deep.

As he strained his eyes in the near-total darkness, Kogan could see her. A bloated many-legged creature, her body clear, her organs visible within. She was already moving toward Kogan, deliberately picking her way along the lines that were safe for her to grasp with her cruel claws. The creature chittered in anticipation as the dwarf struggled against the webs.

===(20 September 2007)===

<pre>*###*****##**
#*#*##*##**##
##*#*****#*##
#*#*##*##*#*#
#*#*#####*#*#
#*#*#*#*S*#*#
#*##*###*@!!!
##**#***##*##
#*#*******#*#
*###########*</pre>

The spider was upon him. With what little motion Kogan had in his arms, he tried to bring the wings between himself and the voracious beast. He flailed helplessly, marshalling a defence that would embarrass even a child of his people.

Yet the spider stopped. She looked upon him with her many emotionless eyes. The dwarf could discern nothing. The spider's head bobbed up and down slowly, and she lifted several of her legs and waved them in simple patterns above the web.

A sudden realization struck Kogan -- the spider legs in the wing frames. She thinks I'm trying to speak to her! Kogan continued to wave his arms around as best he could, and she responded in kind. Giant cave spiders are solitary creatures, Kogan thought, so it must be a mating ritual. "But giant spiders eat their mates after breeding with them," Kogan muttered in horror. "I can't think of a worse way to die!"

===(13 November 2007)===
<pre>+g++%@%%+</pre>

The movement of the spider's legs had ceased. Now she simply looked
upon Kogan with her cold, glassy eyes. Her sinews tensed -- she was
ready to pounce! To what end, none dare say, though many a gruesome
and unseemly scenario had played themselves out in the recesses of
Kogan's strained mind.

A moment passed, and the bloated thing leapt forward! As she landed
on Kogan with the full weight of her body, the dwarf felt himself tear
free, and the web and spider passed up and beyond his sight as he
plummeted downward. Oh, what happy chance is this! Kogan thought.
He was free from fear now. If his body was broken into a thousand
pieces on some protruding rock, what would matter? At least he would
no longer sire an army of evil.

Soon enough, Kogan sensed that the walls were closing in. He could
not see well enough in the oppressive darkness of this deepest part of
the earth, but he felt their nearness. The dwarf said a prayer to the
Lordaxe to grant him a swift death.

Kogan felt his bottom smack hard into a smooth slope and he slid
disoriented into a twisting tunnel. The friction burned, but his
descent was slowed, and Kogan found himself gliding down an obsidian
tube. Out of a hatch he fell, landing face first in a pile of stone
trinkets. Uninjured, but sore, the dwarf stood. It still felt as if
the air was rushing by him, but he was teetering on solid ground.

The chamber was lit by torches. It was almost cheerful. The trinkets
were all finely crafted. It wasn't dwarven work, but each object had
its own peculiar charm. Kogan picked up a slate carving. It was a
rabbit wearing a jester's hat.

"Hey oh, what are you doing in the figure room?"

Kogan looked up. A mountain gnome was peering around a doorway. Only
its tilted head was visible.

"I fell," Kogan said, indicating the hatch.

"Oh my!" the gnome said with an equal measure of elation and surprise.

"You're our first visitor in years!"

"Visitor?" Kogan asked.

"Yes, my friend! I'm Largee Pottums! Welcome to Toy Land!"

===(27 February 2008)===
<pre>+g+@+%%%%+</pre>

"Toy Land," Kogan said flatly, utterly dumbfounded. The sheer
implausibility of the situation managed to drive all feelings of
hunger and thirst from his body.

"Yes, Kogan, it's Toy Land!" Largee Pottums exclaimed, jumping out
into full view. "Where do you think all of your toys come from? Your
crafts shops? Hoy hey! That would be the day!"

"Yes, our cr... wait, how did you know my name?" Kogan scratched his head.

"Do you remember the miniforge you got when you were six?" Largee Pottums asked.

"Th.. yes," Kogan finally resolved to think a little less about his situation.

"Gnomes!" Largee Pottums said proudly. "And the toy axe you got when
you were eight?"

"That too?!" Kogan exclaimed. He had such fond memories of the axe.
He used to beat his friends with it mercilessly.

"Gnomes," Largee Pottums replied, nodding in satisfaction.

"What about the puzzle box I got when I was nine?" Kogan asked.

"That was your uncle Dorol. And you just hated it didn't you? Oh
ho!" Largee said.

"Y... yes," Kogan said, disappointed. He had hoped to have somebody
to blame after all these years. At least he could confront Dorol
should he ever return home.

"Gnomes make the best toys!" Largee concluded. "Mountain gnomes for
the dwarves, garden gnomes for the humans, and dark gnomes for the
goblins. Toys, toys and more toys!"

"Gob... what about the elves?" Kogan asked, not knowing why he cared.
Like any able-bearded dwarf, he held elves in contempt.

"The elves? Hey oh! The garden gnomes used to make their toys. But
they're so finicky! One deer bone figurine and they found us out.
Humans can appreciate a deer bone figurine. The garden gnomes are
much happier now, if I do say so myself. And I do! Oo hoo!"

Kogan grunted in affirmation. He could emphathize with the garden
gnomes. Elves were nonsensical creatures.

"Now, my friend, it's time to talk to the Boss," Largee Pottums
announced, clapping his hands.

"The Boss?" Kogan asked.

"You can't make toys without a Boss. Let's go! We haven't had a
visitor in so long, he'll be excited to see you. Oh yes he will, sure
as sweet pods!" With that, Largee Pottums skipped through the
doorway, with Kogan following after him.

===(1 July 2008)===
<pre>##################
###.........%....#
###....%.......%.#
###..............#
gg@+++g+=g%g=%/=|#</pre>

"Now tell me, Kogan," said the white-bearded gnome from his plush
gaudy chair, "why you leapt into the chasm in the first place." The
Boss's coat was nearly bursting at the buttons; the red fabric made
his belly looked like one of his puffy cheeks.

"It was my dream. I wanted to fly," Kogan said sheepishly, "like a
bat, soaring through the still air free as a spark, but my
calculations failed."

"Ho ho ho," the plump gnome merrily laughed. "What a brave dwarf you
are! Now that you're here in our secret workshop, I was concerned
about letting you return home, but perhaps you wouldn't stay up above
very long before daring the chasm again."

"The chasm... the spider..." The dwarf shuddered at the memory.

"Largee! Largee Pottums!" the Boss of Toy Land shouted. "Our friend
Kogan needs some ease for his troubled mind. Why don't you show him
around Wimble Wizzer's workshop?"

"Hoo hey! Right away!" came the familiar voice from the doorway.
Kogan bowed awkwardly to the Boss and followed Largee out of the cozy
room.

--

Kogan was awestruck. It was like a scene out of his wildest
imaginings during one of those late nights at the drawing table.
Airborne contraptions looped and soared beneath the high stone ceiling
as gears turned and wings flapped or rotated according to the whims of
a particular design. Down below, three gnomes repaired and tinkered
with the devices on creaky wooden tables.

"Wimble-wee, Wimble-woo!" Largee shouted into the workshop. "I have
a guest for you!"

One of the gnomes inside turned toward the door and smiled weakly
while shaking his head, "Largee, my boy, who ever taught you to speak
in such a manner? Surely it was a gnome no less exuberant than
yourself."

Largee presented the still-stunned Kogan to the master of the
workshop. "This is Kogan, a dwarf, as you can see (hoo-ee!), and a
fellow maker of flying machines. The Boss has sent him down here to
have a look."

"Ah? So it's to be an inspection, is it?" Wimble replied gruffly.
"Well, you won't find these topside, but we're planning to sneak a few
of the truest models in during the next festival. The timetable is a
strict one, and we're still struggling with accidents." At this,
there was the sound of metal grinding on metal above as one of the
machines lurched and crashed into a table below. "The Boss is jolly
as they come, but he is also a grueling taskmaster."

"Ho ho ho," came the laughter from the doorway. "Wimble Wizzer, you
grumpus, is that the way to greet a new worker?"

Kogan turned toward the Boss, who was now standing beside him. A new
worker? The dwarf's eyes were wider than ever, and he turned slowly
back to the workshop, wearing a smile more full of unabashed joy than
any he had worn in his entire life.

"Well, you know, Largee," the Boss said, turning to the other gnome
standing at the door. "If he wants, we could just let him go back
home, if we found a way to make him forget all about Toy Land."

"We could bonk him on the head! Hee-whoa... bonk!" Largee yelled,
snapping his hand at the wrist.

"Ho ho ho," the Boss chuckled. "Don't you remember? Sometimes you
have to bonk them again and again, and they still won't forget!"

Kogan missed all of this banter, bent over the tables as he was,
looking over the damaged machine with Wimble and the others. After a
moment, Largee and the Boss slipped out of the room, leaving the new
worker to his workshop.

The End

==[[User:Darksaiyan|Darkie]]==
===(14 September 2008)===
<pre>,.,.O@T,...</pre>

Surrounded by a troll on one side and an ogre on the other, dwarf
master Alrin knew these could be the last seconds of his life. As he
gripped the handle of his axe he recalled the teachings of Azrom, god
of war. Matters of great importance should be given the slightest
thought. It was only the minor matters that must be given the most
delicate care. So, without conscious thought, Alrin slammed his axe
handle into the ogre's toe. Swiftly, the dwarf ran between the
monster's legs and delivered a swift kick to its backside. As the
ogre toppled over, the hairy troll launched over the fallen monster
and leaped toward Alrin. As time slowed in an adrenalin rush, Alrin
readied his axe.

==[[User:Draigh|Draigh]]==
===(13 Augustus 2008)===
<pre>.@@|,-.-.kk,k,.k,.</pre>

Malgar, warrior dwarf woman, fought on against the onslaught of
kobolds, her newborn baby still strapped to her back. She lifted her
shield to block another volley of poison darts. She had been hunting,
far from the entrance of the fortress, when she stumbled upon the
skulking trash, no doubt planning a cowardly raid on the fortress
vault. She had to warn the others. With one hand she held the bugle
to her lips, while with the other she parried another deadly strike.

==[[User:Minion21g|Minion21g]]==
===(28 December 2008)===
<pre>&||,g.g,gg....,.UU</pre>

Fiends pounded the trail, hunting Belmir and his thieving partner.
The two had stolen into the dark goblin tower in the dead of night and
taken the vial that held the demon king's essence. By destroying it,
they could stop the war and put an end to the demon forever. Why
destroy it, thought Belmir, when it obviously held so much value? He
and Gal would be rich men. Or, he thought, looking at Gal with
murderous intent, perhaps just me.

==[[User:NoNotTheBees|No Not The Bees]]==
===(29 December 2008)===
<pre>.M%,..U.,</pre>

The lonely cottage stood underneath a great hill of snow that had been
born of the great blizzard. Wind and sleet kept the pioneers indoors.
That, and the promise of hated predators searching for meat in the
frozen wastes. But as his family grew hungry, Fram knew that he must
join the hunters outside.

Almost immediately Fram saw the danger. Bloody footprints of a great
creature circled the cottage as if a monster sought a way inside.
Grimly, Fram gripped his spear. He must persevere lest his family
starve. He followed the monster's tracks away from his home as he
pulled his furs tight against the freezing winds.

Ahead he saw a shape, a black mound against an ocean of white.
Cautiously, Fram approached. It was the half eaten body of a black
bear. But what could kill such a large beast. As if to answer, a
monster loomed into sight, its body covered with long icicles. A
blizzard man!

==[[User:Scrollhaven|Scrollhaven]]==
===(28 December 2008)===
<pre>""@,.UE,."</pre>

With one mighty swing, Alfonso knocked away the prone elf's sword and
placed his boot on his wrist. Many moons had past since the vile
creature had killed poor Jim and ate him. Even now the elf looked up
in defiance. Finally, in these haunted woods far from home, vengeance
would be served. Alfonso held the tip of his sword over the
creature's heart, wondering vaguely if it had one.

"Back off, human," came a voice from behind, "this is my kill."

The human ranger turned to see a dwarf holding a crossbow. By the
state of his boots and armor, Alfonso could tell the dwarf too, had
been on a long quest. The elf saw its chance and snaked its way out
from between the ranger's legs and was off into the brush in an
instant. Alfonso cursed and charged after him, the dwarf close
behind.

==[[User:ToonyMan|ToonyMan]]==
===(16 January 2009)===
<pre>DDDDDDM,..@EU@@EU@UE,.</pre>

Sword and axe clashed again and again as the fighters struggled to
best each other in mortal combat. Arrows rained down on the field of
battle as man, elf and dwarf fought at once to win the day. Randar
took up the sword for the dwarves. With his mightiness he tried to
kill Giltra of the elves, but the champion was too fast. The battle
seemed endless. Roars of terror and pain were everywhere. Just then
a squadron of dragons appeared, lead by Madnar the Evil. Could there
be any hope?

==[[User:AbuDhabi|AbuDhabi]]==
===(5 February 2009)===
<pre>CCCCCCC,.,.,.|||@+@+></pre>

Fires burned at the edge of the vast grassland, holding back the
darkness before the dwarf fortress. All night baleful howls could be
heard on the plain, undead cows brought back to life by the evil
wizard Maxelman. He had allowed the dwarves to live in his domain of
evil, if they but bestowed on him one artifact a year. Nothing,
however, could measure the greed of a dwarf. Nothing, that is, save
his thirst for strong whiskey.

A dwarf stood atop the battlement, laughing drunkenly. "Get down
Twan," whispered his fellow guardsman. "The night-wings will snatch
you off the wall!" Twan threw his stein off the wall in defiance.
Such was his vanity that he thought that they only need live through
the night. Little did he know, the dawn would never come.

===(24 February 2009)===
<pre>DgDgg%@@%@~~++++++>>>>^+^+^+^+^%%%%%@</pre>

Twan held his helmet over his eyes and screamed. Fireballs smashed
into the walls, shot from the gullets of a dozen dragons circling in
the smoke-choked sky. Marksdwarves dove from the walls and smashed
into the courtyard below. "Stand and fight!" shouted Captain Krandle.
"Fear no devil!" Twan reached the courtyard just as the gate broken
open wide. Pike-wielding goblins poured through the opening. Captain
Krandle threw his great braided beard over his shoulder and called
forth his squad of elite axe-lords, The Chosen.

Pike and axe clashed again and again as Twan crawled between the legs
of the combatants. A head dropped onto the ground before him. It was
the head of Captain Krandle. Twan pressed on. He would not be
paralyzed with fear. It seemed that the power of Maxelman knew no
bounds, but not even he could breach the inner mines. Dodging the
deadly weapons, and slithering over the bodies, Twan made his way the
center of the fortress.

A dark tunnel lay beyond the entrance to the keep. Twan danced down
the corridor in the intricate steps that avoided the complex mass of
triggers and tripwires that guarded the entrance. Inside were the
mines, stocked with enough dwarven wine to keep them in the cups for
ten years. Twan reflected for a moment on those above who had died.
It wasn't important. He was alive, and would remain so, so long as he
avoided the king and any quests he might have in store.

===(13 May 2009)===
<pre>%@/%+++@+@@@</pre>

“That blasted wizard Maxelman,” came a booming voice. "He shall not
have my artifact staff!”

Curses, thought Twan from his hiding in the cellar, the king! The
dwarf lord paced back and forth, followed by a pleading train of
aristocrats, tears of rage streaming from his eyes. The staff, the
cause of all the suffering the dwarves now endured, was only ten short
steps away. In near berserker rage, the king threw the staff down,
startling the nobles. Twan saw his chance. He shot between the
nobles and snatched up the artifact.

“Scoundrel,” roared the king, “unhand the magic staff!”

Twan leapt onto a keg, holding the staff high.

“Maxelman will burn this fortress to the ground to gain this staff,”
said the rude dwarf. “I will have this power for myself!”

The king growled, plucking the gold rings from his fingers. He hurled
them at Twan, one striking the dwarf in the teeth. “Seize him!”
shouted the besieged ruler. Twan jumped from barrel to barrel as the
purple clad nobles chased him. As he ran from the cellar he heard
king’s cry, “Guards, guards!”

In the enemy camp, the vile wizard Maxelman puzzled over his battle
plans. A dwarf fortress is always a hard nut to crack. One of his
generals, a skeletal shade from the netherworld, summoned him from his
tent. The wizard straightened his aching back, brushed his long black
beard, and stepped to the door. There, standing between two fierce
goblin guards, was Twan, holding the king’s staff.

==[[User:DaWarMage|DaWarMage]]==
===(8 February 2009)===
<pre>@@@@||~3--~~U~gUGUUG~~~</pre>

Dwarves howled as the gladiators fought and bled. They were men and
goblins, imprisoned since the great siege. Now, with the promise of
freedom, they fought. Hanson knew the goblins could not be trusted,
but he had included them in an escape plan with his fellow humans out
of necessity. The dwarves had been foolish to wait so long to condemn
them. It had allowed them to organize.

Once out onto the sand, the gladiators fell in behind Hanson. The
dwarves grew quiet. The Baron stepped to edge of his platform. "What
is the meaning of this?" cried the dwarven noble. Hanson took his
trident up and ran toward the platform, hurling the weapon with all
his might.

==[[User:.Jim|Jim]]==
===(29 December 2008)===
<pre>,.U\U,.....M,.UUH..</pre>

So unsteady was the rule of the land that no one walked the halls of
Castle Sanazar alone. It had become fashion for the lords to stab
each other in the back, or perhaps poison each other's beer steins.
Not even a squire was safe. Rumors of war spread as did the news of
Sanazar's weakness. The king called an audience of all the knights of
the realm. A quest was called for -- something to prove the kingdom's
legitimacy.

The tables of the great hall filled with mighty knights as squires
rushed back and forth filling cups. The king looked on silently
through sunken eyes, having recently lost his ability to speak. He
motioned his consort to stand forth to deliver his proclamation. She
was a handsome woman, recently bound to the king, from a kingdom far
to the north.

"The flower that is Sanazar," she said, "is wilting and sick. While
we fight amongst ourselves, hungry jackals vie for their part of the
carcass. What we need is a hero, and what better to prove a hero than
a mighty quest! Far to the east lays Forgotten Quilts, an ancient
dwarf fortress abandoned long ago. It is said that within can be
found Gilded Lunch, the golden artifact boot. Return with the boot,
and return a hero! Who will take the challenge?"

"I shall!" boomed a voice from the end of the hall.

Through the door came Bram, mighty barbarian warrior, a squire
following behind, eyes downcast. The hall erupted into Chaos. How
could this outsider be given the quest? The king's consort looked on
the barbarian, heart racing. "What makes you think you are up to the
task?" she said.

"May I know thy name Madame?" asked the barbarian.

"Scandala," said the consort, brushing a blond hair from her face.

"Lady Scandala," said Bram, "I have slain dragon, cyclops, and ogre.
There is nothing under the sky that I fear."

That same day, Bram found himself on a horse on the road to Forgotten
Quilts, his squire Dolphin on a mule trailing behind. The lords of
the realm had not taken it well. Without the Mandate of the King,
returning with the boot would be useless. Bram must die. No knight
knew this better than Crusier, cruel black night of Petoun. That very
night he left the castle with his squire, taking the fast roads to
arrive on the trail before the hero.

"Help!" cried the boy, "Oh help!"

"Don't trust it Bram," said Dolphin. "I recognize that boy, a squire
from the hall."

"A countryman in distress is just that," said the hero dismounting his
horse and drawing his sword.

As he approached, he found the boy laughing. "Let's see how fast you
can complete your quest without horses!" yelled the boy.

Bram spun around to see Crusier leap upon Dolphin and, a knife to the
boy's throat, ride away on Bram's horse. The evil squire laughed
until Bram turned and brought his sword across the boy's face, leaving
a deep gash in his cheek. "I have marked you," said the barbarian,
"for you are mine now. Lead me to your master's den. Know that if he
harms a hair on Dolphin's head, there won't be enough of you left to
fill your god forsaken tomb!"

== [[User:NobbZ|NobbZ]] ==
===(16 February 2009)===

<pre>@@$@,.~~@,..</pre>

The dwarven toughs stood around the curve in the corridor, taunting
the dwarf lasses as they passed. A particularly vicious young dwarf
fingered his crossbow as he saw a dwarf he knew.

"Hey, Moody," said a thug. "There's the dwarf that owes you that coin."

"Yes," said Moody, stepping up to the dwarf, pointing his weapon.

"You owe me," said Moody. "Hand over the purse."

"I don't have your money!" said the dwarf.

The dwarven outlaws piled onto the dwarf, beating him near to death.

"I'll be back," said the blood-soaked dwarf over his shoulder as he
ran. "I'll be back!"

"You're never coming back coward!" shouted Moody.

==[[User:crash2455|crash2455]]==
===(22 June 2009)===
<pre>"@++@>>>+++@gggggggggggg"</pre>

Torin felt the prick of blade in his spine. It was his curse to guard
the gate to the lower reaches. He had been chosen because of his
great size. The dwarf’s expansive belly was enough to block the
portal by itself. You were wrong, thought Torin. Someone braver must
protect us, not a fat waste of flesh like me. Sharp claws reached out
from the gate and pulled the heavy dwarf back inside. With a whimper,
Torin disappeared into the darkness.

“Where is that ogre of a dwarf?” asked Malak the guards-dwarf.
“Captain, Torin’s late again!”

The captain set his shiny metal cap forward on his head as he
descended the stairs. Another day begins in the fortress, and with
it, another failure in discipline. The captain brought his rod down
onto the table where Malak had been munching on a chicken leg. “See
to it, dwarf!” shouted the captain. “Are you a member of the castle
guard, or aren’t you?”

Malak descended the stairs to the dungeon, axe in hand. It wasn’t
like Torin to miss a meal. Below, in the darkness, were a dozen
shining red eyes. Goblins! The guard knocked a flying blade out of
the air with the hilt of his weapon. He reached for his whistle, but
before he could put it to his lips, they were on him, clawing, biting,
evil!

== [[User:Shzar|Shzar]] ==
===(July 16 2008)===
<pre>&D###ggggggg,.|@@</pre>

The demon king rode high on his dragon as his vast army assaulted the
dwarf fortress below. Catapults smashed the battlements with huge
balls of fire. Bolts and arrows filled the air in a deadly exchange
of fire. Armored trolls ran into the stone gates, smashing into the
rock and sending shards flying. Not one space above ground was safe.

"How could it come to this?" cried Durkan, hands over his ears.

"Courage," said the warrior dwarf Glamsfir.

Pebbles fell from the ceiling as another bombardment rocked the
fortress. Glamsfir stood and peered out of an archery portal. The
situation was fatal. He lifted his crossbow and put down a goblin
archer in an act of defiance, though it mattered little.

"We have not long to live," said Durkan, "do we Glamsy?"

"I told you not to call me that," said the dwarf hero.

[[Category:Humor and stories]]

40d:Equipment and encumbrance

2008-12-14T03:00:32Z

Shzar: Added weight information for waterskins.

Depending on what '''equipment''' you outfit your [[soldier]]s with, they can easily become [[encumbrance|encumbered]]. A new recruit with no strength [[attribute]], for instance, can only carry 2000Γ before being encumbered, which is less than the weight of a full suit of chain mail, not even including a weapon. A crossbow plus a full stack of metal bolts can weigh as much as 1000Γ by itself.

== Armor weight ==

To begin with, dwarves wearing [[armor]] will wear most pieces of a normal dwarven outfit underneath it. These civilian clothes can total as much as 171Γ (if everything is made of leather), or even 247Γ if they are wearing a coat. Figure on 165Γ given that silk and cloth items (which weigh 20%-30% less than leather) are typically intermixed with leather items.

A suit of leather armor (consisting of leather armor plus leather helm, leggings, and high boots) weighs 450Γ (this includes the civilian clothes dwarves will wear underneath it). Even when combined with a steel shield (392Γ), steel crossbow (314Γ), and a stack of 30 steel bolts (725Γ including quiver), any dwarf can manage this without movement penalties.

A full suit of steel or iron chain mail (mail, leggings, gauntlets, helm, and shield) plus regular clothing weighs 2322Γ; add a typical metal weapon and your draftees will only be moving at 75% normal speed.

However, if you limit the availability of certain types of armor, either by not producing them (or forbidding them, as outlined in [[Military#Swapping weapons and armour|swapping weapons and armour]] on the [[military]] page), you can force your dwarves to wear hybrid suits which offer excellent protection while still being fairly light.

A steel-bone-leather chain suit, consisting of steel chain mail and helm, leather high boots and shield, and bone or shell leggings and gauntlets, weighs 1180Γ (including clothes). Even when carrying a steel crossbow and 25 steel bolts (921Γ), a non-Strong dwarf can still move at 95% of normal speed. Leather leggings can be used instead of bone, although they weigh 32Γ more. A wood or bone crossbow instead of steel would bring the total down to 1835Γ or less, which would allow you to add a steel cap and leather armor for additional protection (see [[#Armor layering|armor layering]], below).

Another possibility is to set your dwarves to "plate" armor level but not make plate armor available. This will allow them to upgrade from bone leggings to bone greaves, which only weigh 22Γ more but offer 40% more protection for the legs.

A steel-bone-leather plate suit, consisting of steel plate mail and helm, leather high boots and shield, and bone or shell greaves and gauntlets, weighs 1791Γ. Even when wielding a typical melee weapon (314Γ), a dwarf will still be able to move at 95% of normal speed. A Strong dwarf, with a carrying capacity of 3000Γ, can afford to add a chain suit underneath this, or to upgrade a few pieces of leather or bone to steel, or even to carry a crossbow ''and'' upgrade a few pieces of armor.

A full suit of steel plate, greaves, gauntlets, high boots, helm, and shield plus clothing weighs 3068Γ. Add to this a melee weapon, and you're at 3400Γ; any non-strong dwarf would have his or her movement rate reduced to about 59% as a result. A quiver full of bolts and additional layers of armor can add 1400Γ+ more, resulting in a dwarf reduced to 42% normal speed. Such equipment should not be assigned to any but Strong or Very Strong dwarves, or those with sufficient [[armor user]] skill.

Using a buckler instead of a shield is not recommended. [[Shield user]] skill is probably gained only when an attack is successfully blocked with a shield, and bucklers theoretically block only half as many blows as shields. Although the exact game mechanics are unknown (and unlikely to be linear when skill is factored in), the important point is that dwarves using shields instead of bucklers will gain shield user skill more quickly, and high shield user skill makes dwarves very resistant to damage, even against bolts and arrows.

Always put your dwarves in the best helm you can; a steel helm weighs only 157Γ and neck and brain injuries will effectively end a military career. A steel cap adds another 78Γ, and offers about 30% more protection.

Backpacks add a negligible amount of weight; 19Γ, plus 5Γ for each unit of food.

Waterskins weigh 5Γ. With three units of water, they weigh 32Γ.

== Armor layering ==

It is possible for dwarves to wear multiple layers of armor; specifically, they can wear leather armor under chain mail, and both leather ''and'' chain under plate mail. They can also wear either a leather or cloth cap and a steel cap under any kind of helm. (They will not combine any kind of leggings, greaves, or gauntlets.) Dwarves will only layer armor in this manner, however, if they are already wearing the "under" layers when they are switched to a higher armor level. A dwarf already wearing chain mail, for instance, will not remove it when putting on plate. However, a dwarf wearing regular clothing, if switched straight to "plate" armor level, will generally put on a plate suit straight away, and never add anything underneath it. The same dwarf will put on a chain suit if no plate is available, however, and will add a plate suit to it later on if one becomes available.

A steel cap and leather armor will add 173Γ to a chain suit. Cap, leather, and chain under a plate suit will add 761Γ.

== Weapons and ammunition ==

[[Weapon]] weights range from 235Γ for a steel short sword to 628Γ for a steel battle axe. Most dwarf-usable weapons made of steel, including crossbows, weigh 314Γ. [[Obsidian]] swords weigh 80Γ, and wooden weapons you can buy from the elven [[caravan]] typically weigh 30Γ or less. Wooden or bone crossbows weigh 48Γ or less.

A stack of 25 iron or steel bolts weighs 588Γ; quivers weigh between 13Γ and 19Γ, depending on their material. Dwarves will carry a stack of metal bolts in their quivers if any are available, meaning a fully outfitted marksdwarf will be carrying 650Γ-900Γ worth of weaponry, depending on whether their crossbow is metal or bone/wood. Dwarves carrying crossbows and metal bolts should be carefully outfitted with light armor, such as a steel-bone-leather chain suit as detailed in [[#Armor weight|armor weight]], above.

If you have no bone or wood bolts available, marksdwarves will [[sparring|spar]] (using their crossbows as hammers) instead of practicing at the archery range. You are better off at this point switching them to other weapons (or "unarmed") and giving them better armor. Conversely, if you have no metal bolts available, marksdwarves will put wood or bone bolts in their quivers, which weigh 90Γ or less per stack of 25; under such circumstances, you can potentially outfit any non-Strong marksdwarves in steel-bone-leather plate suit without encumbering them.

== Material weight and protection ==

Steel and iron items have the same the same weight and are interchangeable, in terms of encumbrance. Bronze (and bismuth bronze) items weigh about 5% more than steel or iron. Copper items weigh 14% more. Silver items weigh 34% more (silver weapons, due to their low damage, make good sparring weapons). Bone and shell items weigh about ''14%'' that of steel; leather items weigh 24%; and wood items weigh anywhere from 15% to 1.3% (in the case of feather tree wood). More specific comparative weights can be looked up in the [[raws]].

[[Item quality|Top-quality]] bone or leather items offer as much protection as no-quality iron items, so having a legendary bone carver and leatherworker in your fort should be quite welcome. Copper, in addition to being very heavy, is only about 33% better than bone or leather, so in general, you should not bother making armor items out of copper unless you are using it to train up an [[armorsmith]].

== Armored civvies ==

A number of civilian pieces of clothing offer a fair amount of protection, especially when of very high quality. These can be used to protect non-military dwarves, or to boost the protection soldiers normally get from the clothing they wear under their armor.

Since these items must be made of leather or cloth (this is also true for leather armor, incidentally), their rated protection is cut in half, although very high quality items can double protection, mitigating the problem. A bigger problem is their tendency to [[wear]] after a few years (unlike leather armor, leggings, boots, and helms). It is not known if wear reduces their protection value. After about 10 years, they will wear out completely and disappear.

Getting dwarves to put on specific items of clothing is not necessarily easy. Your best bet is to mark an item for [[dump]]ing that you want them to exchange; once the item is stripped off them, they will seek out an equivalent item. Make sure you have forbidden any low-protection items that are lying around the fort, or they may pick up those items instead.

Coats offer 15 points of protection, only a little less than leather armor's 20 points. This protection apparently extends to the entire upper body (unlike all other forms of armor), potentially making them even better than leather armor. Dwarves will wear either a robe or a coat, but not both, although they will happily wear both a coat and leather armor (and chain, and plate).

Gloves, shoes, and even socks, amazingly, offer 60 points of protection, the same as that of gauntlets or boots (although gauntlets also protect the forearms and high boots protect the lower legs).

Caps offer 20 points of protection. A cloth or leather cap can be worn in addition to a metal cap and any kind of helm. Finally, trousers offer 20 points of protection to the legs.

Although silk is the lightest possible material for making these items, it doesn't really matter what material you use; the difference between a full set of civilian clothes (including coat) in leather versus silk is only 78Γ, and the difference between plant cloth versus silk is only 26Γ. If you have a high-skill [[clothier]] use cloth; if you have a high-skill [[leatherworker]] use leather; otherwise use whatever material you have in abundance.

== Recommended combinations ==

To avoid excessively slow soldiers, you must ensure that your weaker dwarves carry an appropriate amount of equipment. The following are a set of recommended combinations of equipment and dwarven abilities.

"Steel" means iron or steel (both weigh the same); steel/bone suits have steel for all pieces except for greaves/leggings (plate/chain) and gauntlets. (Other worthwhile substitutions for specific pieces of armor are outlined in [[#Non-steel equipment|non-steel equipment]], above.) Steel plate+ means a normal full set of steel plate plus leather armor, steel chain, and a steel cap underneath.

"Effective weight" is the weight of all armor plus 165Γ worth of clothing, plus weapon (if any); armor user skill reduces the weight of clothing and armor, but not weapons or ammo (or shield?), as outlined at [[armor user]]. No-strength dwarves can carry 2000Γ worth of equipment; Strong, 3000Γ; Very Strong, 4000Γ; and so on.

If your equipment is bronze instead of steel, encumbrance penalties will be a few percent worse (provided the dwarf is already encumbered); copper equipment will be about 10%-15% worse.

A steel or iron shield is assumed (and recommended) for all configurations.

{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
|+ '''Unarmed or with light weapon'''
! Strength !! Armor user skill !! Equipment !! Effective weight !! Speed
|-
| none || none || Steel/bone chain || 1715Γ || 100%
|-
| none || none || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 2325Γ || 86%
|-
| none || (no label) || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 1962Γ || 100%
|-
| none || Talented || Steel plate || 1908Γ || 100%
|-
| none || Expert || Steel plate+ || 1904Γ || 100%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel plate || 3088Γ || 96%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 3849Γ || 71%
|-
| Strong || Competent || Steel plate+ || 2985Γ || 100%
|-
| Very Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 3849Γ || 100%
|} 

{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
|+ '''With metal melee weapon (~314Γ)'''
! Strength !! Armor user skill !! Equipment !! Effective weight !! Speed
|-
| none || none || Steel/bone chain || 2029Γ || 99%
|-
| none || none || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 2639Γ || 76%
|-
| none || Proficient || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 1914Γ || 100%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel plate || 3402Γ || 83%
|-
| Strong || (no label) || Steel plate || 2897Γ || 100%
|-
| Strong || Proficient || Steel plate+ || 2867Γ || 100%
|-
| Very Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 4163Γ || 92%
|} 

{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
|+ '''With battle axe or 25 metal bolts and bone/wood crossbow (~650Γ)'''
! Strength !! Armor user skill !! Equipment !! Effective weight !! Speed
|-
| none || none || Steel/bone chain || 2365Γ || 85%
|-
| none || Competent || Steel/bone chain || 2034Γ || 98%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 2985Γ || 100%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel plate || 3738Γ || 73%
|-
| Strong || Skilled || Steel plate || 2896Γ || 100%
|-
| Very Strong || none || Steel plate || 3738Γ || 100%
|-
| Very Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 4499Γ || 80%
|-
| Very Strong || (no label) || Steel plate+ || 3851Γ || 100%
|-
| Extremely Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 4499Γ || 100%
|} 

{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
|+ '''With 25 metal bolts and metal crossbow (921Γ)'''
! Strength !! Armor user skill !! Equipment !! Effective weight !! Speed
|-
| none || none || Leather || 1763Γ || 100%
|-
| none || none || Steel/bone chain || 2636Γ || 76%
|-
| none || Adept || Steel/bone chain || 2074Γ || 96%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel/bone chain || 2636Γ || 100%
|-
| Strong || none || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 3256Γ || 89%
|-
| Strong || (no label) || Steel chain ''or'' Steel/bone plate || 2883Γ || 100%
|-
| Very Strong || none || Steel plate || 4009Γ || 99%
|-
| Very Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 4770Γ || 72%
|-
| Very Strong || Competent || Steel plate+ || 3905Γ || 100%
|-
| Extremely Strong || none || Steel plate+ || 4770Γ || 100%
|}

== Individual item weights ==

;Clothing:

* Most regular pieces of clothing weigh 19Γ (if leather), 15Γ if cloth, or 13Γ if silk.
* Trousers weigh twice as much (38Γ in leather).
* Coats weigh five times as much (95Γ), as does leather armor.

;Armor (in steel)

* Plate armor weighs 1177.5Γ
* Chain armor weighs 588.75Γ
* Greaves weigh 471Γ
* Leggings weigh 314Γ
* Gauntlets weigh 392.5Γ (pair)
* High boots weigh 314Γ (pair)
* Low boots weigh 235.5Γ (pair)
* Helms weigh 157Γ
* Shields weigh 392.5Γ
* Bucklers weigh 117.75Γ
* Caps weigh 78.5Γ

;Weapons (in steel)

* Battle axes weigh 628Γ
* Spears, maces, hammers, and crossbows weigh 314Γ
* Short swords weigh 235.5Γ
* Bolts weigh 23.55Γ each

Consult the figures in [[#Material weight and protection|material weight and protection]] for weights of the above items when made of other materials, or [[Armor#Weight]] for additional figures. For the curious, the "base weight" of any of the above items can be found by dividing by 7.85 (steel's weight multiplier).

{{Military FAQ}}
[[Category:Military]]

40d:Sand

2008-12-14T01:59:22Z

Shzar:

'''Sand''' is a naturally occurring granular material composed of small bits of [[rock]] and minerals. There are five different colors of sand – tan, yellow, white, black, and red – but their only difference is their appearance on the ground, as there is no difference between them for purposes of [[Glass Industry|glassmaking]]. Sand typically appears in [[desert]]s and along [[ocean]] beaches, but is occasionally found in other [[biome]]s as well.

Sandy clay, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, and loamy sand are not considered sand by the game and thus cannot be used for glassmaking.

Due to a bug, stone floors where a [[tower-cap]] or shrub grows will turn into a random soil type, which will sometimes be sand.{{verify}}

== Sand in fortress mode ==

Sand is used in the production of [[glass]] items at a [[glass furnace]]. Dwarves with the item hauling labor turned on use [[bag]]s to collect sand from sand tiles if there is an [[activity zone]] that has sand collection enabled on them. There is no other way to obtain sand. To get bags to fill with sand for your fortress, create a [[leather]] bag at a [[leather works]] or a [[cloth]] bag at a [[clothier's shop]], or buy the bags from a caravan. While the bags are being procured, press {{k|i}} at the main menu to bring up the [[activity zone]] designation screen. Find some sand on your map and draw the zone over it. Once this zone is constructed, make sure to turn it into a sand collection zone by pressing {{k|s}}. Next, construct a [[glass furnace]]. You cannot do the collect sand task without a glass furnace to activate the task at. Once the building is constructed and your bag is finished, queue up a sand collection task and your dwarves will begin collecting sand.

It may be useful to construct several glass furnaces (non-magma is easier) and have several "collect sand" jobs queued on them at the same time, so that you have enough filled sand bags on hand to keep your glassmaker(s) supplied. Collecting sand requires the "item hauling" labor. Moving filled sand bags requires the "furniture hauling" labor. To have sand bags stored near your glass furnace, create a furniture [[stockpile]] with only "sand bags" enabled (this is selected via the {{k|u}} key in the furniture/siege ammo submenu of the stockpile settings menu).

Sand bags are stored in [[furniture]] [[stockpile]]s. When customizing stockpiles, the option to include or exclude sand-filled bags can be found in the lower right corner of the Furniture sub-menu. You will need to set the stockpile to accept the quality of the bags themselves. Collected sand is listed under [[powder]] on the [[stocks]] menu.

== Farming ==

As all sand types are [[soil]]s, [[farm plot]]s can be built on them without need for irrigation.

[[Category:Materials]]

40d:Giant cave spider

2008-04-06T23:36:18Z

Shzar:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Giant Cave Spider|symbol=S|color=rgb(192, 192, 192)|bones=0|chunks=10|meat=10|fat=1|skulls=0|skin=Yes|biome=Subterrenean chasm}}
[[Image:Giantwebedited.png|right|thumb|100px|Web in the open]]
[[Image:GiantSpiderAttack.png|right|thumb|100px|Web inside a pit]]

These eight-legged beasts are not your ordinary harmless [[cave spider]] (those were just treats for your [[cat]]). '''Giant cave spiders''' are bigger than [[horse]]s and will make treats ''of'' cats, other [[dwarf]] [[pet]]s and the average careless adventurer. It is rather easy to know when a giant spider roams in the area, for they usually build a huge spider web, sometime spawning several screens wide (pictures to the right).

Unlike most monsters in the world, giant spiders rely on more than just brute force. Using sticky web projectiles, paralyzing venom and powerful jaws, the giant cave spider has multiple methods of incapacitating its prey before going in for the kill. They do not feel pain or remorse or fear and cannot be stopped unless killed. For this reason, it's suggested that you engage them at a distance, bring plenty of [[Drunk|drunks]] to distract it in adventure mode or simply try to overwhelm it with a high number of attackers.

Most giant spiders build their web over cliffs of some sort so caution should be taken against dwarves or the spider itself falling down to their death or into a big [[chasm]].

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:SPIDER_CAVE_GIANT]
[NAME:giant cave spider:giant cave spiders:giant cave spider]
[TILE:'S'][COLOR:7:0:0]
[MODVALUE:10]
[LARGE_ROAMING][FREQUENCY:20][DIFFICULTY:3]
[EXTRACT:giant cave spider venom:7:0:0]
[EXTRACT_VALUE:100]
[EXTRACT_PARALYZE][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC]
[EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE:giant cave spider antivenin:7:0:0:100]
[WEBBER][THICKWEB][WEBIMMUNE][AMBUSHPREDATOR][PARALYZEIMMUNE]
[LARGE_PREDATOR]
[GENPOWER:4]
[BLOODTYPE:W][CHITIN]
[PETVALUE:2500]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:10]
[CARNIVORE]
[NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOSTUN][NOEMOTION][NOSKULL][NOBONES]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:1]
[NOFEAR]
[PREFSTRING:mystery]
[BODY:SPIDER:2EYES:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[SIZE:10]
[MAXAGE:20:30]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH][SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:50:100]
[FAT:1]
[NO_SLEEP]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:15:30]
[BIOME_SUBTERRANEAN_CHASM]
[HOMEOTHERM:10040]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Challenges

2008-02-01T01:06:48Z

Shzar: /* Segregation */

''This article was originally taken from the DF forums thread [http://www.bay12games.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=001269 "Goal-Based Dwarf Fortress"].''

The general goal of [[Fortress Mode]] is to survive, acquire wealth, defend your wealth, and become the capital of your civilization. However, many players eventually experiment with [[Starting builds#Challenge builds|challenge builds]] or other goals. These are some goals to attempt or use as inspiration.

== Howdy neighbors ==

Build your fortress on a site with a [[goblin]] fort or other race. Dig in and take over their town.

== Human "alliance" ==

Start a game centered on a human town. Build a wall around the town in stone, using a mine under the town. Do not take anything from the town, though the human guards will probably help with any sieges. For an extra challenge after finishing the wall, dig down to the [[aquifer]] and flood the town.

== Stealth ==

Create a hidden outpost close to a goblin lair. Impact the outside as minimally as possible - dig down right away, and deconstruct the wagon ASAP. No building outside or even going outside. Once your army is ready, launch a surprise attack.

== Temple ==

Designing a temple to Armok. Aesthetics count - the god will be very angry if there are no stained-glass windows and domed ceilings carved with frescoes. To gain more favor, make regular sacrifices and keep the fountains and rivers red with [[Blood|blood]].

== The great brewery ==
Disaster has struck the kingdom. A strangely glowing [[Fire|‼]]<nowiki></nowiki>peasant[[Fire|‼]] visited the greatest brewery of the empire, and as a result the whole thing exploded. No time for weeping — create its successor, a fort dedicated to alcohol production, and get the alcohol supplies flowing! Try to make the widest variety possible, and give or trade it to the dwarven [[caravan]] each year.

== Wealth ==

The kingdom's coffers need lining, so hop to! Found a fort and start accumulating wealth as fast as possible. Attain as high a fortress value as possible, and make most of your wealth into coins for the vault. Try to beat your record for one year, two years, or five years.

== Artifact ==

There are rumors that a haunted locale was once home to a legendary artifact crafter. No one has returned with any of his artifacts, but they were not as dedicated as your dwarves - you're staying until you can claim an artifact! Found a fort in a haunted or terrifying location and survive until a dwarf successfully crafts an artifact via possession.

== Assassination ==

Your group of seven has been chosen to assault a goblin fortress - and you're not getting any backup. Turn off immigration, and try to slay the goblin leader and escape without casualties. For extra challenge, bring no picks.

== Biodome ==

All material, seeds, food, tools, and dwarves must be in the fortress within one year. Then, seal up the entrance. Any new immigrants, well, they might be in trouble. Survive for as long as possible!

== Retirement resort ==

Build a dwarven paradise, free from labor. All peasant immigrants should be removed from every job, including hauling, and given a great place to live. Make sure to include fun activities and plenty of parties.

== Sparta ==

Maintain a military of at least 50% of your dwarves; only use bronze melee weapons (no crossbows). Use no traps, and kill any maimed dwarf. Seek out military conflict with all non-Greek...er, non-dwarves.

== Commune ==

All your dwarves have all labors enabled. Dwarves sleep only in barracks, and no dwarf, including administrators, can be assigned any personal rooms. If the nobles find this upsetting, don't hesitate to make the corridors run red with the [[Blood|blood]] of the bourgeoisie. Obviously, don't mint any coins either. (Dwarves can take turns with wood cutting and mining, since they can't have both at once.)

== Glass fortress ==

Anything that can be made out of [[glass]], will be made only from glass. Doors, tables, chairs, floodgates, bridges, stairs, workshops (except the first workshops needed to make glass), you name it. Extra points for clear and crystal glass. For even more challenge, build it entirely above ground with glass walls and windows.

A similar challenge could be done with metal or wood.

== Underwater fortress ==

Encase your entire fortress in [[water]]! Your fortress should be watersealed, and surrounded by water against all [[wall]]s. Water should be covering the top of your fortress as well.
You can achieve this by diverting a lots of water, or digging into a frozen lake. 
Bonus: Build all water-touching walls/roof in clear glass! 
Alternative: Use [[magma]] instead of water!
Alternative: Build it in the [[Ocean]]

== Mountain audit/core sample ==

Start in a mountainous area and strip mine everything down, down, down to ground level. Stockpile everything, and calculate the mountain's composition. For kicks, try not excavating one tile on each z-level. You'll be left with one enormous core sample.

== Single dwarf challenge ==

One dwarf. Bring only a set of [[armor]], a [[weapon]], and a few meat. Spend time working on fighting skills. Fight off enemies by yourself. No [[workshops]], pets, [[farming]], [[fishing]], gathering, or digging.

Also known as "[[Adventure Mode]]".

== Hippy challenge ==

Peace, man. Don't harm any plants except those you plant yourself. Don't cut down any trees, and don't trade for logs with the filthy humans or dwarves who do. You can trade for plants with the elves, they understand your environmental code. Don't burn any coal, do you know what that does to the environment, man? Never cause any creature's death, so no military, and no lethal traps. You can use cage traps, and either tame the creatures you catch, or release them back into the wild, far from your fort.

For an extra challenge try this in an area with a goblin fort or cave.

== Segregation ==

Make two separate,working, independent fortresses. All the men go in one, all the women in the other.

== No singles ==

As soon as you get a married couple with an immigration wave, kill all single dwarves. Continue to do so with all immigration waves. Try to lose no children.
OR: kill all children and try to deal with the tantruming parents. In that case: no legendary dining rooms/statue gardens/zoo's allowed.

== Santa Claus ==
Get ten thousand toys built and offered to caravans yearly. Optionally, build ten thousand toys, fetch them in adventure mode and deliver them to every single city of the world.

== Unwelcome Guests ==
Live in a goblin tower without being noticed by the residents.

== How high can you go? ==
Construction, construction, construction! Just how big a tower can you build? Out of glass maybe, crystal glass? Steel? Pump water to the top? Make your tower a ''pinnacle'' of achievement and stun humans, elves and goblins alike- for they know nothing of construction and engineering like dwarves do!

== Computing ==
Can your dwarves build the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism Antikythera mechanism]? Can you program the fortress to play tic-tac-toe? More details at [[computing]].

== No Rocks ==

The new king has decided rocks and metals can no longer be used in construction. He'll be overthrown shortly, but in the meantime construct your fortress using only wood.

== Amusement Park ==

Everyone knows to get rich you need tourists. So make an amusement park for adventurers. In the usual dwarven fashion. Meaning, deadly.

== Rescue Facility ==

Make a rescue facility for dogs and cats. Meaning, amass a ton of them and use them as your only trade good. No war/hunting dogs either.

[[Category:Guides]]

40d:Combat

2008-02-01T00:41:36Z

Shzar: /* Bows and Crossbows */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

Lopped off limbs are gone forever. They do not grow back, even in Adventure Mode.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning damage as well. Falling off a cliff also counts as slamming into an obstacle.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves, humans, and goblins; bows are used by elves, humans, and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, and are unlikly to remove limbs, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Potash

2007-11-15T22:25:39Z

Shzar:

Potash is used for fertilizer on the farm plots.{{verify}}

Potash can also be baked in a [[kiln]] to make [[pearlash]], which in turn is used to make clear and crystal glass.

[[category:Stub]]

40d:Potash

2007-11-15T22:25:06Z

Shzar:

Potash is used for fertilizer on the farm plots.{{verify}}

Potash can also be baked in a [[kiln]] to make pearlash, which in turn is used to make clear and crystal glass.

[[category:Stub]]