#4: Why me?

I’m the last person that should be put in charge of a new dwarven settlement. What does it say about the state of things when they put someone like me in charge? It makes you think the elders don’t even want this thing to succeed.

The elders said “head to the Forest of Good, and do good”, but I’m thinking… “untamed wilds?” How about something a little less likely to feast on the poor dwarves entrusted to me, and a little closer to some mountains and cliffs!

I use the worn, undecipherable map they gave me and decide instead I’ll head a bit to the southwest, to the Mirthful Plains.

Ah, much better. Calm surroundings, a diverse selection of minerals, a lake nearby. The dwarves won’t like the heat here, but this whole part of the world is warm. It’ll give them something good to bitch about. Something to distract them from my gross mismanagement.

I’m asked to “prepare for the journey carefully“.  Carefully? They don’t know who they’re talking to.

I have all of seven dwarves in my stead (ok, so maybe they don’t trust me that much after all). Feb, Shem, Dastot, Mebzuth, Bembul, Sarvesh, and Aban. Oh, the poor fools.

I at least spend some time getting to know them.

All my dwarves “need alcohol to get through the working day“. I’ll try and keep that in mind.

• Feb (female): Angry, assertive, modest, disorganized, and self-disciplined.
• Shem (male): Calm, comfortable in social situations, rarely happy or enthusiastic, grounded in reality, doesn’t openly express emotions, willing to compromise.
• Dastot (female): reserved, prefers routines, very trusting, not easily moved to pity
• Mebzuth (female): self-concious, over-induldges (sounds like a fatty to me), avoids crowds, also prefers routines, is also disorganized, but really strives for execellence
• Bembul (male): nervous, quick to anger, friendly, cheerful, appreciates beauty, hates intellectualism, likes rules
• Sarvesh (male): handles stress, enjoys crowds, grounded in reality, appreciates beauty, dislikes intellectualism, doesn’t overachieve
• Aban (female): calm, rarely discouraged, loves to defy convention, trusting, candid and sincere, doesn’t compromise

From this crew I need to assign them some jobs, a few each. I figure I’m going to need some miners, a farmer, a woodsman, a craftsmen, some general peasantry, and perhaps someone to act as a bodyguard.

• I decide the fatty, Mebzuth, should be the peasant, all the running around gathering stuff may help her out.
• Aban seems like a great person to have making stuff. She’s designated as a Novice Armorsmith, Novice Metalsmith, Metal Crafter, a Stone Crafter, a Wood Crafter, and a Novice Bone Crafter.
• Dastot sounds like the best one for a soldier job. She’s designated a Competent Wrestler, a Skilled Hammerdwarf, a and a Competent Armor User. She can help out Fatty with peasant tasks when there’s nothing to kill.
• Shem sounds like a good farmer to me, since he doesn’t get frustrated or disorganized like the other 3 men. I designate him a Proficient Grower, a Novice Herbalist, a Brewer, and a Novice Cook.
• Bembul, the quick to anger anti-intellectualist, gets assigned Skilled Wood Cutter. He can take that anger out on the trees, away from everyone else.
• That leaves Feb and Sarvesh to be Miners.

Next, I have to outfit our expedition. Beyond the load the elders gave me, I add some more food, alcohol, and seeds. I also see that a hammer for Dastot would cost 10 times what a crossbow would, so Dastot becomes a marksdwarf instead.

Using the madlib-like form provided by the elders, I name our expedition the Brave Furnaces of Forever, or, “Atastsarvesh Nalish” in dwarven. Likewise, the name of our Fortress will be Tallmighty, or “Shukarekur”. It all just rolls off the tongue.

We embark!

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