DF Update: Failure to Fail (Failed in the end)

The dwarves arrive from the mountainhome "The Rainy Helm".

The first thing we notice is a Chasm on one corner of our land. We have no idea what lies inside of it, and have no intention of finding out any time soon.

Our leader, Kol Cattenag, is a nervous dwarf, who is eager to help others, and finds it rewarding.
He might be useful, unlike most leaders.Dwarves set out to clear away stone, and put up the wooden walls of our first building.
It's quick work.

The local weather does not take its time to hit us with a snow storm, just as half of the walls are up, our dwarves are already freezing. During the storms, I notice one of the dwarves running across the stone, chasing after a marmot.

Later on, a few beds are made, however we have to put a roof over our heads before we can use them. One of the dwarves goes to the wagon to grab a bottle of rum, when suddenly a skeletal marmot attacks him! The wardogs go bounding off in the direction of the dwarf, and probably save him. I'm to busy watching the construction to notice.
I'm told one of the Dwarves has become an animal caretaker. Fair enough, Someones has to take care of the war dogs.

Later on, the hunter is attacked by a zombified mountain goat. This place is quite hellish. Everyone is still alive however, and construction is going well. There is a pile of marmot bones, so the hunter must be being a little... overzealous.
Our hunter, while attempting to eat. (Marmot?) gets attacked by a skeletal marmot. This is getting old fast. But really, why are there marmots, and goats here, in a mountain range encased in ice? That's what I want to know.

Well, the hunter has been struck down. He wasn't very important anyways.. but this is bad news for the rest of the fortress.
The animal caretaker seems to be doing well. At least something is getting done, unfortunately,t he dwarves are being rather dull, and not mining down in the ground where they should. This is getting worse...

I deciede to have the workers dig a channel, right away, they hit jet. Not a bad find. Meanwhile, another dwarf tries to hunt, and gets attacked by a zombie mountain goat... A group of dwarves brought some marmot corpses to spread around the wagon. I wonder if they think it will stop the undead that are plaguing us. Hunting is now banned, no one is aloud to hunt.

Summer has come now, we are about half way through our pit we are digging. It's a hell of a lot of effort, but there have not been any recent deaths. Things are looking up.

There are Marmots EVERYWHERE.

Some immigrants show up.Who the hell would want to come live out here? A stonecrafter, a clothier, a soap maker, and 2 peasants show up. All is fine, so long as they can fend off the constant zombie onslaught. If nothing else, they are bait for the undead. On a lighter note, we've struck brown jasper.

We also begin construction of the Granite Tower, what will someday be a heaping monolith on the horizon for all to remember us by. The immigrants are put to work carrying granite over to the construction site. It's going to take a long time, but it will be well worth it when it is done.
And proof, that dwarvenkind can conquer anything.
One of the dwarves deciedes that it is a good idea to start hunting. Zombie goats follow.
This terrain seems to be letting us off easy. Or at least this first year it is.

Autumn is finally here. Its about time.Winter is going to hit any second.

On the ice of the glacier, a mahogany wagon appears, its a caravan from the dwarves!
They are here to trade with us and see how our efforts are turning out.

Meanwhile, a zombie war seems to be raging outside, as dwarves run to grab... who knows what to bring back to base. Also, we have struck hematite, which really makes me wish I wasn't making a granite fortress. Hemetite would make an awesome tower.
One of the stray war dogs gives birth to a puppy.
And we don't trade anything to the caravan, as they don't have enough animal strength to carry a few tons of claystone. I'm also finally getting a roof on the first building I made. We might finally have our bedrooms set up someday. The dwarves have begun to complain about always drinking the same alcohol. To bad. It's all we have.
Go eat a zombie marmot...

Ok here is a new one. We struck petrified wood, underground, on a mountain, bursting out of a glacier, that does not have a single tree, let alone plant on it...

As the caravan leaves I put in an order for more wood, granite, plump helmets, and... reluctantly, Dwarven Ale. They leave, and I will not see them again until next year I assume.

Just before winter comes, another batch of immigrants comes. I'm shocked that this fortress is doing so well. A fortress with 3 beds, no income to speak of, on a haunted, evil, freezing glacier mountain thing across the world from the mountainhome, attracts immigrants. Life must suck in the mountainhome. This time, my immigrants include, a minor, dyer, cook, and peasant. a bone carver, a weaver, and another peasant.

I am informed that Backpacks are in high demand, and I will be recieving 200% bonus to profit next visit.... this affirms my suspicion that the mountain home is going through some rough times.

The fortress is now 20 members strong.

Now that it is so large, I have a sort of crazed mob that attacks random jobs that need to be done. Its really funny. Also, one of the dwarves have claimed a craftsdwarf workshop, and has started a mysterious construction... interesting.

The construction has been complete, it is a claystone crown named Thilsegnugreth. It is valued at 3600 monies.

Here is the desctiption:

"This is a claystone crown. All crafsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is encrusted with claystone. This object menaces with spikes of claystone"

This is exactly why I love Dwarf Fortress.


Winter is FINALLY here.

A peasant dies from thirst. It suddenly occurs to me, we have no water here whatsoever.
That brings the deathcount to 2. And I've struck tigereye. At least being in a mountain, I have some nice rocks. Another peasant dies from thirst. This isn't looking good.

Death count 3.
One of the dwarves begins throwing a tantrum. This doesn't last long, as they die from thist almost immediatly. 4...5... we are not going to make it through the winter. 7 our leader has died, and a new leader chosen.

All I can do is watch as they all die of thirst slowly.

8 There is chaos, a tame mule is killed as one of the dwarves goes bezerk. Followed by a war dog. 10 A stone crafter etches out a mural before dieing. The subject...
Thin crosses, a tower cap, which is the symbol of the Curses of Innocence, dwarves, and finally, a hatch cover. 18 dwarves dead. Only one remains.

It's Geshud, maker of the only artifact here. The clay crown.
She is ecstatic. Oblivious to the chaos around here.
She trudges through the snow alone, bringing bodies to the graveyard.
Finally she goes inside, and dies. The last of The Curses Of Innocence.