Migrants

Some migrants arrived today. This is the second batch we've gotten this year and it's only mid summer. Our population now nujmbers forty-four souls and we seem to be thriving. We can certainly use the extra hands, there's a lot of rock to be dug, and soon, a lot of melted to be made. We've found hematite, with which we can make iron. With iron, we can make steel.

And with steel we can unlock the power of magma.

Soon we shall enter the glass age. All of us in the cavern home await this day with anticipation.

We also eagerly await the arrival of beds. I've been sleeping on a muddy floor lately, and I'm quite unhappy about it.

I understand that chopping trees is dangerous, as the carpenters tend to stray into elephant territory, thus bringing trampling death thundering down upon us all. But we've made little effort to set up underground forests near the cave river. And even when they go in, it'll be three years until there's mature tower caps to harvest. Three years without a bed! A man can't live like this.

Fortunately, the frantic part of our digging is over. We've safely entombed ourselves across the chasm in the mountain. When the bridge is raised, our fortress will be impregnable.

We've carved out a location near the river for farming, the floodgates and channels are slated for construction and should start whenever someone gets around to it. The still, kitchen, butcher and tannery have been build and our alcohol stockpile grows daily.

The free flow of booze has raised our spirits a bit. Sleeping on the ground is not so bad if you're nice and drunk. We've also found riches beyond imaging in this mine. We've got an entire roomfull of cut gemstones with more being found everyday. We've discovered significant deposits of gold, silver and platinum. And We beleve there's enough hematite in a hitherto undiscovered vein that we can supply our steel and glass civilization for years to come.

A location has been sited for construction of our grand dining hall. A promontory overlooking the chasm. It will certainly become legendary once it's done. Although I don't know who will see it. After this growing season we cross the chasm permantly and shut the door to the outside.

We plan to set up a trading post to maintain some contanct with the outside world, but we can't do that until we have sufficient elephant defenses. This involves magma chutes and glass terrariums.

A peasant has just been taken by a fey mood. He's taken over a craftshop and is screaming for shells and stones. I'm going to go look, but I've not seen any shells in this cavern, and the fishers sayh the cave river is barren.

I fear the end of this strange mood will be not masterpiece, but madness.