Abandoned - The Forge (of Dwarves) - Story 65

[kid1293]

Oh, how I like that first picture! Those new trees look so promising. I love trees, you know that

[Abandoned]

  Trees are good    The Climate Cold Mountain may not be so good for crops but it sure makes the spring and fall trees look pretty 

[taniu]

@Abandoned Me and my wife are delighted with this tale of the land of the dwarves. We love the wood and stone buildings, the bright and new mines are fantastic, especially the wrought iron gate at the Trading Post. The Lighthouse building is very nice - an element of frosted glass has been added. by the way, is it possible to add frosted glass to other large buildings? or to cover a piece of roof? I came up with this idea as the roofs of these buildings were covered with snow, something like in the picture. My wife and I admire  much to create a beautiful land of dwarves - thank you @Abandoned i @ kid1293 for the beautiful buildings  you both created , you can see them on as in a slow movie - if this mod comes out, it will be a handyman. I have one more idea if you can add a mysterious gate or tunnel - it would be a very nice thing - I think it could be applied to various fantastic lands? We only have Stargate! Maybe someone will write a story about how the banished got through this gate to the countries of other interesting creatures or aliens? @Abandoned will you write a story about creatures from fairy tales like smurfs or fairies, it was nice to add a few buildings in the shape of a mushroom? Of course, about the elves,there are some in "Christmas Mod" , it would be interesting - the end of the series of a small edition about the countries that Hobbit traveled ,You write different stories about the Banished who travels through various interesting lands. I Respect and Regards

[Abandoned]

  @taniu Glad to hear both you and your wife are well.  The lighthouse is from Kid Tiny Downtown mod.  I don't know if that frosted glass is the same as on greenhouses but I would think it could be used on other buildings.  The large gate leads to underground which could lead anywhere I suppose - I pretend it does but  a magic portal is good idea .  I will add to very long wish list -don't tell Kid.     Kid said I can tell you a secret    We have actually started working on another mod called Fairy Garden.  It will blend nicely with both elf mods, Kid Forest Deep and Kid Fairy Tale. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 12


  By early spring we began building houses to get the families out of the cave dwellings and closer to the workplaces.  The more we built the less wild foods and branches were close by to gather.  Our log supply and food supply were low.  We built another forge forester closer to the woodcutter and the 2 farmers headed to the new crop field to begin planting.  It snowed in late spring.  When the field was 90% ready to harvest we assigned a 3rd farmer and began an early harvest.  It snowed even earlier that year, it was late summer.  The harvest was completed however.  It disappeared as soon as it got into storage, it never made it to the mill that was built near the field.  People were hungry.  The trader arrived too late with flour, potatoes, and wool.  Lila, the worker, died of starvation followed by Eugenery, the student.

[taniu]

@Abandoned ;DIt's great news that you are still working together @kid1293, that you will add something new to these mods, I'm looking forward to the story about elves, you have great talent, it's a pity that only here on this page you develop your talent? unless you are actually a writer? In my youth, I wrote poems for my daughter for fun. I can send you 1 touching poem about longing - I did not know that my daughter would cry over these words - if I translate it into English. Chapter 12 is sad , but I think the dwarfs are tough and it'll all be fine. Greetings

[Abandoned]

 

Chapter 13


  We dwarves were struggling to stay alive above ground but we had little choice.  In late spring we traded for apples, flour, and potatoes, and in summer we traded for more potatoes.  Rock said he was beginning to feel like a hobbit.  Michele said it was because of hobbits that he had the potatoes and apples to trade.  We collected more wild foods.  We had flour but were short of herbs for the herb bread.  We were always short of logs so we were not making enough tools and axes for trade.  Michele said he would take some of our stone in trade since our surface iron was almost gone now.

  It snowed in early autumn but it was only a brief snow shower, it warmed up and the harvest was completed.  This year 2 farmers grew 788 units of barley compared to the 620 units 3 farmers harvested the previous year.  This year the barley went directly to the mill and we had more flour for the bakery and our food supply improved slightly.

  For the most part, logs, firewood, and wild foods and herbs were far from our workers.  We could see so many resources right across the river.  Being short of logs we decided to build a stone bridge across the river so we could gather up some of those resources and cut some of the trees.  There was more surface iron and stone we could trade for food.  Things could only improve.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 14


  Both forge foresters were now cutting trees so we had a few more tools and axes for trade.  Another worker was assigned to the coal mine and another to the trading post.  When the trader returned we were able to get more apples and walnuts than before.  One of the forge foresters was planting trees on land used by the thatch forester.  We thought the thatch patch was a bit more reliable since it did not require laborers to harvest the thatch when the meadow forester was busy planting.  We built another thatch patch across the stream. 

  We needed meat and warm coats and it was brought to our attention that there was a group of bears a stone's throw away from the hunter tower but neither of the hunters was in sight.  Rock tracked them down on this side of the river way over to the east where they ended up after tracking a herd of elk.  They got no elk but Rock got their help in herding the small flock of mountain sheep back to town.  A sheep shed was built near the hunting tower. 

  Our first frost was late that year, the barley harvest was complete but totaled only 608 units compared to 788 the previous year.  Luckily the merchant returned with apples, walnuts, and potatoes, we did not need to trade for wool now.  It snowed by the time the sheep shed was completed and a textile market cart was built by the tailor to bring needed items closer.  There would be a few more warm duds to be had that winter.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 15


  Those new warm duds were snatched up pretty quick and we were again short of clothes.  We did have logs, firewood, and a bit of food left after another long cold winter so one could say that things have improved.  In fact my Rock said it won't be long now before he starts building that castle and rose garden he promised me.  He is such a sweetheart.

  Rock and I and our oldest daughter were all hunting on the other side of the tunnel, we need leather and furs, not to mention more meat.  Our second oldest daughter was still a student.  Our son, Corne, finished school, became a teacher, and built a small house right across from us.  He had a family of his own now and his wife, Princenza, just became teacher at the new school that was built across the stream by the sheep shed.

  While we were hunting, Rock pointed out the area that the men were considering for the castle.  A lot of trees would have to be cut.  The tree fellows have not left the area even though we had elven bows and dwarven axes.  All the more reason, Rock said, to have a castle with sturdy stone walls should any trouble suddenly arise.  We still had a lot of work and stabilizing to do before such a project could begin.

  Our attention turned to the other side of the river.  We built another fishing pier, a hunter, and a gatherer.  There were bears and elks sighted nearby and there was a large area to gather wild foods.  When Mechele, the merchant, returned we traded for walnuts, potatoes, and apple.  Our food supply had never been better.  We also traded for a bit of leather and wool to back up our small supply until the new hunters started making a real difference.  By the time the snow started falling again, we had a 2nd bridge crossing the river down to the south of town.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 16


  By early spring of year 16 we had a forester work station build on the other side of the river reached by that new bridge.  There were a number of elk and bear there but no tree fellows.  We would add a workplace for 2 more foresters.  Yes, it seemed the elk and bears were everywhere but where our hunters were.  Our hunters missed a large herd of elk by the barley field where planting was delayed by a late spring snow.  We needed more leather.  The riverboat merchant had none when he came in spring but we traded for the usual apples, potatoes, and walnuts.  Mechele came regularly now twice a year.

  By summer we had 3 foresters working across the river, one of them was our daughter Jane.  She had a house on this side of the bridge.  Our daughter Laylan was married with a newborn and was the gatherer across the river where she and her family had a house.  That summer, Rock and I had a newborn son we named Owen. We took turns hunting and watching the children.  Our towns population was 133, 77 adults, 17 students, and 39 young children.  There were adult children still living at home but most were only 13 or 14 years old so we would wait a year or 2 before building more houses.

  It snowed again in late summer, Bessica and Carson hurried to harvest the barley but the count was only 620 units compared to 804 the year before.  Nevertheless, our food supply was again better than ever before.  All our supplies were good but our surplus of duds was still small but had improved.  The tailor alternated between making warm coats from furs or leather and wool, we were usually short of 1 of the 3.  Hunting was not as good as it should be but one day I did see  a cute sight, a tree fellow was protecting a baby bear by keeping it from wandering farther away from mama bear and the others.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17


  By spring of year 17 we had a small forge quarry built by the mines, we would need a lot of stone to build a castle.  Checking overseer inventory records we discovered we had a lot more coal than we did iron ore.  The miners in the small mine would switch from mining coal to mining iron ore.  A few mine carts were built by the mines and a market cart for coal and iron ore was built next to the smelter.  We wanted to insure a steady supply of tools and axes for the trading post but the trader did not come that spring.  Our food supply began to dwindle slowly.  We collected wild foods and herbs.

  It was early summer before work on the forge gates and walls began.  We thought it best to protect the settlement in case building a castle caused trouble with the tree fellows.  Two of the three closest to town moved farther away but one still remain.  The tree fellows were too big to be able to enter the old tunnel or the forge gates.  We have not seen them climb the hills or enter the small stream.

  The barley harvest was completed and we gathered as much wild foods as we could before it snowed, the river boatman returned in early autumn.  We again traded for apples and walnuts.

By the end of the year the wall was finished and we felt that the forge area of our settlement was adequately protected.  No plans had yet been made for the castle itself.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 18


  At the start of year 18, we still had 2 concern.  Our supply of coats hinged on poor hunting in this area and the supply of thatch to feed the sheep that supplies us with wool.  We added an extra worker to each of our thatch patches, if that did not help we would build another.  When the river boatman arrived we traded for the leather that he had with him.  Our food supply depended for the most part on the arrival of the riverboat merchant.  We needed a larger surplus.

  We built a gatherer's station by the main gate,  there was wild foods in the forge forester's forest and more outside the gate.  One tree fellow remained close to the wall now but he was no threat, the big fellow could not fit inside the gate.  When work continued on the stone road the tree fellow retreat closer to where the baby bear protector still stood.

  Meanwhile in the forge area 2 stone statues were created to honor our miners and quarry workers.  One statue had a prominent place near the soup stand where those workers took their lunch breaks and the other statue had a place of honor in front of the Forge itself. 

It was decided that the forge wall would become part of the castle wall.  A corner tower was constructed and worked continued on the south wall.  There would be a side gate with a road that would lead to the stone crossing.  There was a considerable amount of stone that could be collected there.  Work slowed at times because of summer storms that brought heavy rain and high winds.  We had a lot of branches to gather.  When Mechele returned later in the year with apples and potatoes he said the weather was even worse to the south of us.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 19


  Year 18 ended with an outbreak of mumps.  There were 10 cases before a hospital was built, 2 patients recovered immediately, the others were well by early spring.  Our coat supply was still lower than we would have liked and our food supply was again dwindling.  Rock and I both gave up hunting in the castle valley.  He was busy supervising the mines and the castle construction and hunting just was not good.  The tree fellows were now watching over the small herds, especially those with young ones.  We saw the tree fellows with the elk in early spring and we saw them with the bears the previous autumn.  We could not risk hurting one of the tree fellows.  We would trade for leather and I would help the laborers gather more wild foods.

It was early summer before Mechele returned with food and news.  The settlements of Springfield, O'Leary's Farm, and Newport all suffered damage from tornadoes in Spring.  Some smaller settlements were wiped out.  We were sad to hear that news but were surprised and happy he had as much food with him for trade considering how much bad weather there was last summer and fall.  We traded for apples, walnuts, and barley but it made little difference to our surplus, our pantries had been pretty empty.  He said the settlements that were rebuilding would be glad to have the tool and he would return as soon as he could with more food.

  Worked stopped on the walls again because a small group of bears moved into the area we were trying to enclose.  There were only a few small groups of animals on this side of our settlement now and we were very careful not to cut more trees than necessary and we used our dwarven axes to cut the ones we did.  Our efforts were paying off, two of the tree fellows were seen headed for the pass through which they entered our valley.

  Hunting continued with the elven bows and enchanted arrows, the hunting tower by the barley field doing only slightly better than the tower across the river.

  By summer the bears moved on and work on the walls continued.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 20


  At the beginning of year 20 our overall health was down a bit and to insure a steady supply of herbs to our baker, we built an herbalist work station not far from the stone bridge that led to the bakery.  A small herd of elk were now grazing within the thatch forester's work area.  We planted another thatch patch to feed the goats and sheep in the animal sheds.  Goats milk for the children and wool for warm clothes were necessities.

  Another gate was being built in the castle wall, this one leading in the direction of the cave tunnel.   Wild foods could still be collected in that area and workers would have 2 entrances to the secure areas of our settlement.  The walls were almost finished.  It took all of spring, summer, and fall to completely enclose the Forge castle area.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 21


  The first thing Rock wanted to know when the castle walls were complete was where do I want my new house.  I said there was nothing wrong with the first house he built me when we came out of the caves.  We had plenty of room yet it was warm and cozy.  My sister lived next door and our eldest son and his family lived across the street.  Our children still at home lived close to their friends and their school.  We had a wild forest area through the tunnel and we were right outside the caves and could go often to check on the old folks who did not want to move.  I did not want to move either.  Rock said nothing only gave me a big bear hug.

  The area south of the castle was untouched and likely to stay that way.  A small stockpile was built right outside the south gate for downed branches or trees that were cut if they grew too close to the castle walls.  Inside that gate a large two-story storage unit was build.  Rock said it was time we had a meeting hall where we could meet with other townfolk to discuss the progress or problems of the town.  A meeting hall was build and the dwarf craftsmanship was displayed when the builders used some of the crystals from our mine to add a beautiful colored crystal window to the structure.  There would be a meeting to discuss other plans for the castle section of the Forge.