Unreasonable Demand

Pop. 181, Late Autumn of 365 (Year 114)

Mosus II Lanterngaze-Anguishedpages, once universally popular, has fallen out of favor due to her recent greed. When her demands for a GOLD BED were ignored, she had Datan Goodhatchet-Dippedtowers and Asmel Channeltree beaten by the Hammerer, Stakud II Roughwhips-Lanterngaze. Datan and Asmel both perished as a result of their sentence. With the deaths of a highly regarded military captain and a member of the prominent Channeltree family, King Urist II stepped in. While Mosus II was allowed to keep her position due to her otherwise stellar record, the position of Hammerer was removed.




Leadership of Datan's squad, the Trade Watch, passed to the hammerwidow's young lieutenant, the macedwarf Besmar Graniteright.

Gloomytamed

Pop. 185, Late Summer of 361 (Year 110)

Six year old Sakzul was possessed by an unknown force!  The youngest member of the prominent Channeltree family, he created quite a work of art.

Pass in Peace

Pop. 188, Early Spring of 358 (Year 107)

Better records are now being kept for when citizens pass away. The news of death is now flagged for immediate perusal, whereas before, it was usually buried under a heap of non-essential correspondence ([CITIZEN_DEATH:A_D:D_D:UCR_A] was changed to [CITIZEN_DEATH:A_D:D_D:UCR_A:BOX:P:R] in announcement.txt so that citizen deaths cause the game to pause).



Catten Workmyth and Unib Flagblaze passed away just a few yards from each other. Both were well-known in the fortress. Catten worked for decades in law enforcement alongside the late Captain of the Guard, Urdim Channeltree, while Unib Flagblaze, who officially started the Centennial Games, was the fortress's best miner. Both died peacefully of old age, with Unib falling in the middle of brewing booze, a truly fitting way for a dwarf to pass on to the afterlife.

Channeltree Surprise

Pop. 145, Early Autumn of 355 (Year 104)

To the surprise and delight of the fortress, Urdim Channeltree's widow, Meng, gave birth to a baby boy 7 months after her husband's death. Sakzul's birth was a glimmer of hope after his father's tragic death.

The New Captain

Pop. 139, Mid-Spring of 355 (Year 104)

Catten Workmyth, Urdim's deputy for many decades, was the first choice for taking the reins of the Fortress Guard. However, at 163 years of age, Catten politely declined. Zan II Socketinked was on the short list of other potentials. Her calm, professional demeanor during the four-way courtship of Edem IV Claspletter didn't win any hearts, but it did impress those looking for an impartial, unemotional upholder of the law. She accepted the nomination and was bequeathed Urdim Channeltree's treasured artifacts, Stretchedwarnings, a tower-cap crossbow, and Bitetrotted the Dimpled Mine, a suit of alpaca leather armor.

Captain of the Guard

Pop. 139, Late Winter of 354 (Year 103)

The citizens of Relicshield were shocked and struck with grief when Captain Urdim Channeltree fell in battle while defending the western trade tunnel.



Urdim Channeltree migrated to the fortress in 253, 2 years after it was founded. He was appointed to the position of Sheriff in 255 when he was only 26 years old. He was then promoted to Captain of the Guard in 269 at the age of 40. With 99 years of service in law enforcement, Urdim was well-respected by all.

Upholding the law was only one of Urdim's passions. He also had a legendary flair for cooking. When he wasn't busy bringing criminals to justice, he could be found in the kitchens, busily churning out masterful meals with blazing speed. Urdim, late patriarch of the Channeltrees, will be sorely missed.

The Bachelor

Pop. 140, Early Spring of 354 (Year 103)

The population of Relicshield has been in a slow, but steady decline over the past few years. To combat the trend, Mayor Regent Mosus II Lanterngaze-Anguishedpages has offered several benefits to courting and recently married dwarves, including paid leave from work and exemption from military service.

The most eligible bachelor of the fortress is Edem IV Claspletter, the 22-year-old grandson of Relicshield's first dragon battlemaster, Edem II.



The four bachelorettes currently vying for his affections are Endok Anguishedpages, Lolor III Earthenbreaths, Zon Channeltree, and Zan II Socketinked.



A holiday suite all to their own and plenty of time to socialize, bets are being taken all around the fort on who will win Edem IV's heart. With all four bachelorettes considered beauties, it's their traits that set them apart.

Endok, a 22-year-old traditionalist from an influential family, is a favorite among older bettors. Still, Endok is far from stodgy and still enjoys trying new things.

Zon is another frontrunner with a fine pedigree. Friendly and modest, the 23-year-old is nearly as popular as Endok.

Zan II is a calm and collected 24-year-old, who is rarely moved to anger and able to handle stress. All admirable traits, though she comes across as a bit dull and aloof for most bettors.

Finally, there's Lolor III who often feels discouraged, has a lack of self-discipline, and doesn't go out of her way to help others. Still, she's almost as assertive as Zan II. This 26-year-old might prove to be the dark horse of this courting competition.

Don't Touch the Booze!

Pop. 145, Mid-Spring of 353 (Year 102)

There was an alarming reduction in the booze supply due to the new lavish meals being churned out. Especially with the legendary cooks Sakzul Fissuretour and Urdim Channeltree finishing meals in the blink of an eye, the brewers simply couldn't keep up. Booze has been removed as a cooking ingredient, but larger farms are being considered. For now, the tweaked recipe consists of rocknut press cake, flour, and dwarven syrup along with a filling of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or plump helmets.

Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness

Pop. 149, Winter of 351 (Year 100)

Amidst the festivities of the Centennial, melancholy struck Dastot Earthenbreaths. She had complained about being uncovered, though additional clothes had been created.





Dastot perished in the dining hall after refusing all food and drink, leaving behind her lover, Morul Channeltree, who had already suffered through recent tragedy. Ghosts and goblins, fey moods and creatures from their worst nightmares stalking the caverns below, it's a testament to dwarven willpower that more of their people haven't succumbed to madness and melancholy. Dastot's death was a stark reminder of dwarven mortality, causing many to turn to the Centennial games with even greater fervor in celebration of life.

Channeltree Tragedy

Pop. 152, Late Autumn of 350 (Year 99)

Tragedy struck the Channeltree family with the death of Nil, the youngest daughter of Relicshield's Captain of the Guard and most experienced cook, Urdim.





Nil and her older brother, Morul, were caught outside by trolls during a siege. Morul would have died, too, if not for the help of fellow reservists before the arrival of the fortress's elite troops.



Unfortunately, his wounds were quite grievous and his attending medic, Sarvesh Channelelder, informed Morul that he would never walk again :(.

Final Judgment

Pop. 161, Early Spring 341 (Year 90)

Atis the Vampire languished in prison for 7 years before an appropriate sentence was decided on. While some dwarves pointed out that she would be perfect for the position of bookkeeper and manager, the family of the vampire's victim, Morul Anguishedpages, saw nothing less than death as a satisfactory punishment. As one of the largest families of the fortress, second only to the Channeltree clan, there was little hope for a merciful outcome. The current mayor, Mosus II, had married into the Anguishedpages family and thus recused herself from the decision. Dishmab Shootwondered-Vesselbrain, heiress to the throne, made the final judgment and carried out the sentence with the legendary mace, Drumseer. The fact that the victim was only a child sealed Atis's fate.

Dragon Legacy

Pop. 165, Early Winter of 339 (Year 88)

The Dragon Etog Ngobsulo Slakga Zangu has come! A gigantic reptilian creature. It is magical and can breath fire. These monsters can live for thousands of years.

A new dragon was captured! Not only that, but it was discovered that Etog has strong connections to three of the four dragons that perished during the Rampage of Tob. He is the former mate of Ibmat, the fortress's first dragon, the father of Slusa, the youngest adult dragon, and the son of Istrath, Relicshield's largest dragon.





Meng II Lanterngaze-Channeltree has her work cut out for her in training Etog. Hopefully she and Etog will live up to the fine legacy left behind by Meng Roughwhips and his dragons.

A New Apprentice

Relicshield, pop. 170, Early Spring of 336 (Year 85)

The legendary dragon trainer Meng Roughwhips has worked alone for over a decade. His first apprentice was his daughter-in-law Nish Anguishedpages-Roughwhips, but she died during the Tantrum Spiral of 323. At 114 years of age, Meng knew it was time to find a new apprentice to pass on his skills. Many dwarves clamored for the position and the chance to work with the fortress's dragons, but only one was chosen. Meng found the perfect candidate in Meng II Channeltree-Lanterngaze, an unrelated 33-year-old dwarf with no prior experience, but high potential. As prep work for working with the dragons, Meng II was tasked with training a new generation of war grizzlies. With the plague of stunted growth a thing of the past, war grizzlies have returned to service as trade network guards.

Background Checks

Pop. 169, Winter of 334 (Fort Year 83)

The population of the Mountainhome has continued to surge. Migrants were welcomed with open arms and the usual background checks were completely forgotten about. Disaster struck when a toddler was found drained of blood in the middle of the kindergarten! There were no witnesses, but Urdim Channeltree, Captain of the Guard, immediately checked through the written histories of every recent migrant. He found inconsistencies with a spinner named Atis. She was arrested and jailed without food or water.

Seasons passed and when Atis showed no signs of hunger, it was confirmed that she was the vampire. The kingdom's previous vampire was executed on the spot, but most residents of Relicshield felt this was far too kind. The creature has been placed in a secure prison until such time as a fitting punishment has been devised.

Meanwhile, Zefon III of the noble Taxeddagger clan was recently inducted into the military. His great-grandfather, Phyllite I, was the a member of the Original Seven and was the Duke of Relicshield before it became the capital of the Ancient Gravel. The young soldier performed well during his first siege. Though surrounded by legendary soldiers who led the battle in a crimson tide, Zefon III managed to get a killing blow before all the goblins of the Evils of Spray were vanquished.

Law and Order

Pop. 76, Autumn of 324 (Year 73)

Urdim Channeltree, Captain of the Guard, has continued to sift through clues relating to the murder of his son and former Hammerer, Urdim II, during the Riots of 323, where 61 dwarves lost their lives. In the course of his investigations, Urdim solved three other murders from the same time period. With the fortress only just recovering, Mayor Mosus II worried that three executions might plunge the fortress back into chaos. However, Urdim was adamant that the criminals be brought to justice, including the fortress's manager and broker, Thikut Neutraloiled. Given the extenuating circumstances, and how so many deaths were in retaliation for other slayings, a full pardon was considered. After much wrangling between the Captain of the Guard and the Mayor, a compromise was struck. Each of the accused was given a commuted sentence, substituting the death penalty with 195+ days in prison.

The Young and the Restless

Pop. 133, Spring of 321 (Year 70)

The Mountainhome has been at war with the Tattooed Confederacy for the past 2 years. Even with their warhorses, the human forces have been decimated each time. Dishmab Shootwondered-Vesselbrain, wielder of Drumseer, successfully chased down several mounted humans, her lead mace quickly sending them to the boneyard.



There was a huge upswing in the number of marriages once the memorial to Sphalerite, Edem II, and Tirist was opened. With the tales of valor engraved on the tastefully arranged slabs, it quickly became a popular venue for marriage proposals. The memorial also led to a shake-up of the political landscape.

Edem II's widow, Solon II Anguishedpages-Claspletter, rode a wave of sympathy and was voted in as mayor soon after her husband's death. However, the former mayor, Olon II Treerooms, staged a comeback during the next term and regained his seat. This started a cycle of razor thin voter margins and trading places as mayor, until a third party candidate, Dumat Neutraloiled defeated both in the most recent election.

The Deep Forge has been a success, processing goblinite and satisfying the frequent demands of King Urist Shootwondered with ease. The second cavern, while not yet completely walled off, remains under the watchful eyes of six dragon hatchling guardians.

There has been trouble in the Dragon Den. For the past several years, Ibmat's eggs have failed to hatch. At only 177 years of age, the dragon was still well in her prime egg-laying years. She had become increasingly restless of late, reverting to semi-wild just after being placed in a cage as a precaution. She went completely wild soon after, but Meng Roughwhips, now a legendary animal trainer, quickly got her back under control. Luckily, a second adult female dragon, Mistrum Brandjade, was captured recently.

Urdim Channeltree, the Captain of the Guard, has kept the fortress's justice system running smoothly. Carrying on the family tradition, his son, the legendary soldier Urdim II, was recently promoted to Hammerer.

Mad Mandate

Pop. 78, Late Winter of 269 (Year 18)

8 citizens faced justice for defying Duke Phyllite's mandate forbidding the sale of all bolts (oops). With only 7 (very posh) jail cells available, justice was also served with fists. Shorast Earthenbreaths, a speardwarf, thought she was relatively safe, since she was still in her armor when the sheriff marched up to her, but he then gave her compound fracture in her left hand :(. Meanwhile, Lokum Meshpapers, Relicshield's 2nd best weaponsmith, refused to drink or eat due to being separated from her newborn baby, Tulon. Thankfully, Sheriff Urdim Channeltree was in a merciful mood when he released her from the cell. She suffered some bruises, then brushed herself off and went looking for her child.



Meanwhile, the general malaise that seemed to slow time itself has finally been lifted (Thank you DFHack "clean all" function! Goodbye 80 fps and hello 100).