Room - Empty Caverns (3), Forge, Volcanic Shaft
Belly full of stew and smoke, Doddot continues her trek. The next two chambers are huge and empty, perfect for a richer or more well-connected dwarf to build more rooms in in the future. Some ancient papers and signs curl yellowed and foul on the wall, but those'll be easy to clean up when the need comes. Each is warmer than the one before.
The fourth room is different. A huge, sticky crater occupies the center of the room. Thick globules of brownish black have solidified along the ceiling, frozen as though perpetually dripping. This same substance rims the crater. Doddot treks carefully up the slope, her boots pulling up thin strands with every step. A belch of hot air from below fills Doddot's nostrils with a cloying, sulphurous sweetness. A molasses shaft.
"That," considers Doddot as she leans way too far over the shaft for a better look, "explains the smell down here. Good place for a forge, with all this heat." By the time she managed to get down from the edge of the shaft, construction was complete. Doddot appreciated the blacksmith's style - you sure couldn't miss a sign like that.
Far, far below, molten molasses glows a rich, deep brown.
It's probably not a problem.
It is, however, the end of her lateral exploration.
Summary
- 5♦️ - +6 Trade Goods, an Empty Cavern
- 3♥️ - +4 Resources, an Empty Cavern
- 6♥️ - +7 Resources, an Empty Cavern
- 10♣️ - Natural Formation - Dormant Volcanic Shaft
The Hold
- Library - 2/5 Mage Occupancy, Good Magic: Nurse's Sigil (when Units move through this square, they recover all of their STR).
- Kitchen - +50% STR to units housed in adjacent squares (current: Library).
- Forge - 0/1 Cannon Occupancy, can build traps.
- Volcanic Shaft - Dormant. For now.
Resources
- Resources - 1/50 ( +11 from 3♥️ and 6♥️, -15 from Forge )
- Trade Goods - 5/50 ( +6 from 5♦️, -7 from Forge )
- Soldiers - 5/X - 5 STR
- Mages - 2/5 - 4 (+2) STR
World Notes
- Doddot Dimorc - The ostensible protagonist mining the caves beneath her family hold. A bit dim herself.
- Hamgard - The chef! He's never been a chef before, but he's figuring it out quickly.
Takeaways
- Since the first level is free of monsters, I decided to draw cards until the game said 'stop'. A volcanic shaft? Message received. I probably shouldn't have built the forge right next to it, but the imagery is worth it. My OSHA liaison here is not best pleased though.
