Hiram “Helmet” Meerkmalker 

Fortress Management Consultant

Underhill Consortium Consulting Group

 

Mr. Meerkmalker’s Log

 

1st Granite 1059 (Early Spring)

 

After two weeks of hard travel arrive at the outpost Skullsseal. Morale seems low among the employees. Checking the food stores I see the reason for the aforementioned displeasure. 2 plants, 2 drink and 90 other. Will investigate what “other” entails on the morrow. This evening the manager wishes to meet “over drinks” to discuss the outpost business.

 

2^nd Granite 1059 (Early Spring)

 

Late start this morning. Last night toured the interior of the outpost with the manager. Past an underground river and a deep chasm his mining crew has discovered numerous veins of gold and other precious metals. I inquired throughout the evening concerning the populations seemingly low morale. At first my inquiries were met with evasions but after a substantial amount of the manager’s homeade brew he become despondent. Before he disappeared into the recesses of the cavern he mumbled something like “nothin’ to do but eat the stew.”

 

Today, performed employee surveys. Results were extremely poor. Whilst interviewing a trapper he flew into a tantrum. Some nearby employees pulled him away before anyone came to harm but it left me shaken. Questioned the employees about possible of cause of the trapper’s behavior. One made a gesture at the soup the trapper had splattered on the floor during his fit. Stepping over a corpse I Examined the contents of the soup more closely I found what appeared to be a piece of rat’s tail.

 

Went immediately to the kitchen and made inquiries with the cafeteria manager. She was defensive. A large woman, she physically attempted to remove me from the kitchen. Resisted. In the ensuing fray a barrel marked “Other” was knocked over revealing a hacked and badly chewed dwarf corpse. Promptly vomited. Cook fled and hasn’t be seen for the remainder of today. Put in an order with the stone mason for a coffin. Hope there won’t be need for anymore.

 

14^th Granite 1059 (Early Spring)

 

Over a dozen dwarves have died since my arrival two weeks ago. The stone masons can’t keep up with the supply so I’ve designated an open burial on the grounds outside of the fortress. Hopefully the wild beasts will get to the corpses before the fallen’s comrades do.

 

17^th Granite 1059 (Early Spring)

 

Effort to start farming continue to be stymied. A small by workable plot complete with an irrigation system exists. The problem lies in a large piece of malachite jammed under the door.  Would rather avoid flooding the entire outpost. Spent the last week vainly attempting to get in removed. Unfortunately, the employees seem too involved in their other hauling duties to be concerned. Brought it up with the manager who said that union rules forbade him to order removal of the malachite without having a designated pile for it. Inquired if a pile could be created for it. The manager said that he would file a work order in for it but with the current rock hauling backlog it would be at least six months until the ore could be removed. Asked him to put in the work order. Will continue to seek my own means.

 

18^th Granite 1059 (Early Spring)

 

Encountered a miner (I believe he said his name was Dan) who told me that while ore hauling was not in his job description he was willing to dig a channel to prevent water from spilling out of the plot when the flood gates opened. Asked him to please proceed. He worked quickly despite the alcohol drought that has hobbled the the outposts productivity. After he finished ordered the lever pulled. All seemed to be working well until the surge of water pushed over the edge of the channel and flooded the flood gate control box. Checked with the research and development department. They said they believed that rebreathers would be available sometime in the early 16^th century.

 

10^th Slate (Mid Spring)

 

Received word this morning that one of the outpost's metal smiths had ceased work and gone into seclusion. Took nearly half a day to found him in a gold vein near the magma river. He stood in the middle of the shaft, babbling to himself. Couldn’t understand what he wanted. Left after an hour. Returned with some pamphlets for the company’s mental services. Unfortunately, the outpost’s staff psychologist was the half eaten dwarf that was earlier found in the barrel in the kitchen.

 

The population has dropped under forty and the food and alcohol shortage has brought the outpost’s productivity to a standstill. There simply aren’t the resources to find the metalsmith what he needs to free him of this mood. Departed for good after another hour leaving the metalsmith the company's depression hot line number. Also, for safety, put in work request to have stone door installed in the entrance to the gold mine.

 

24^th Felsite 1059 (Late Spring)

 

New farming plots are dug and there is all of summer and autumn to work. Plant gathering and hunting has held the outpost together thus far. No losses since the beginning of the month except for the recent, mysterious disappearance of the manager.       

 

18^th Malachite 1059 (Mid Summer)

 

The metal smith’s mental resolve broke this morning. From the fields heard screams echoing down the hall. Thought it was another antman attack but soon which much dismay discovered it was the lost metalsmith, bedraggled and emaciated. He was charging through the main hall swinging a piece of stalagmite. Ordered the marksdwarves to put him down. They made quick, albeit bloody work of it.

 

19^th Malachite 1059 (Mid Summer)

 

Yesterday evening there was a burial ceremony for a peasant that had been murdered during the metal smith’s rampage. Also the soldier who eliminated the crazed metal smith commended. At the reception afterwards suggested that she seek counseling to help overcome any trauma. Gave her the depression hot line number.

 

Was unable to sleep after the festivities. Went for a walk. Soon, found myself at the entrance of the mine shaft where the metal smith had been in seclusion. Felt that something wasn’t right. Remembered that a door had been commissioned over two months ago. At that moment, a dwarf peasant came laboring down the main passage lugging a large block of moonstone. Stopped him. The conversation went as follows.

 

“Who’s assigned to furniture installation?”

“We all are,” the peasant said.

“Who are we?”

“Us haulers. I reckon there are near a dozen of us.”

“A dozen. Do you know why this door wasn’t installed?”

He scratched his chin. “I don’t rightly know. Could be something to do with priorities.”

“Priorities? What do you mean?”

“Well, you see this piece of moonstone? There’s a pile just down the way where we’re supposed to put it. When we’re done with that we all go on to the next job. I think its obsidian next but I can’t recall. All the info's at the manager's office.”

 

Thanked the hauler for his information and decided to drop by the manager’s office. It was locked and he wasn’t around. There was a job board posted outside. Perused it looking for the door installation work order. It was number 78 in the queue behind a job ordering the stacking of 45 blocks of casserite ore in stockpile number 116. Decided to try an experiment. Removed all ore and stone hauling jobs from the board and went to bed.

 

Woke up today to discover that during the night my front door had been installed and a jet dining room table had been delivered.

 

28^th Galena (Late Summer)

 

The last day of summer. The harvest has been good. There’s even a small amount of surplus. It’s become increasingly evident that the attrition over the past year has severely depleted some of the outpost’s skill positions. For many of the farmers working with this summer, it was their first time to use a hoe. There are amateur smiths and craftsdwarves in some of the outpost's mission critical workshops. Something must be done.

 

Discussed dwarf resource management with the newly arrived replacement manager. Investigating work place procedures found that most dwarves are responsible for several duties. This autumn will anounce reorg. Employees will specialize in one, perhaps two job functions. Feel very strongly that this will dramatically increase Skullsseal’s efficiency.

 

3^rd Moonstone (Early Winter)

 

Autumn was for the most part uneventful. Sadly, a stone crafter went insane and slaughtered a child. The heroic marksdwarf Sabrina died in the child’s defense.

 

In better news, the reorg was successful. The outpost has plentiful food stores for the winter. With the food crisis over was able to focus on appeasing the nobles and making plans for Skullsseal’s future development.

 

Put together a research study to study crowd flow and siege survival feasibility. Study came back with the following information. The section of the outpost between the outside and the river, while beautiful is not easily defensible. There are several spread out access points. It also suffers from major congestion through the section's major arteries.

Suggest that another, self-sufficient, section be built on the far side of the river that can be sealed off in case of invasion. Built a retractable bridge over the underground river for just such a purpose. A dining hall and several workshops have also been constructed on the far side of the river.

 

Additionally, suggest that another entrance be mined to link the inner section with the outside that can also be sealed off in event of an emergency. Eventually, this can serve as a great hall in which to entertain visiting dignitaries. Fortifications can be carved along the hall’s length for defense.

 

1^st Granite 1060 (Early Spring)

 

Spring is come. The outpost is in good order. Food stores, while not overflowing, are ample and the dwarves are happy. A magma forge was recently installed so the outpost can soon start metal production in earnest. I wish my predecessor the best of luck. Also, note that the dwarf Spandikow is in a fey mood.