Expedition leader's log, day 24.
No crops, no food, and rocks everywhere! We were too busy building our incredible burials to notice everyone was slowly withering away. Our men were forced to hunt vermin down for precious bits of food. So then, all the engravers were quickly reassigned to Fishing and Farming, for the time being. A fishery was built hastily next to the rich brook, and fishing soon began.
Then, my good mechanic Oddom came to me hastily, telling me about a serious lack of chairs. Bah, I have no time to fabricate stools, I've an empire to run! I quickly told him to ready the mechanics workshop and he soon began building gears and cogs. The lack of traps is making me most worrisome.
Soon everything was underway, and then an unexpected arrival! It seems the Elven caravan was upon us. Our current supply of valuable trade crafts was, minimal. No matter, I had arranged for such an event.
Elf: "Greetings. We are enchanted by your more ethical works. We've come to trade."
Tekkud: "Not to worry, I trust you will find our proceedings most ethical."
Elf: "Proceedings?"
Tekkud "Not to worry, we will return shortly with the fabrications of our skilled craftsdwarves"
Elf: "Ah... excellent, we will wait here."
Soon my trusty miners got to work, and the trap was set
A flimsy staircase is all that holds the very roof over the elves' heads. It was quickly knocked out in the hopes of seeing these scoundrel elves buried alive, and their goods dug out afterwards. But, once the stairwell was destroyed, the ceiling mysteriously hadn't collapsed! Perhaps the depot was steadying it? No matter, a remote collapse would do just as well.
...Nothing. The underbelly of this second mass had been thoroughly mined out, and then channeled. It seems we have discovered a sort of way of attaining floating masses! We may be able to exploit this feat later on, but for now the elves must die. A temporary bridge was made to rescue the miner, and a second plan was already underway.
And so I pondered this question, can elves swim? A floodgate was quickly placed, and a lever connected to it. The elves forewarned me they would be leaving soon, and that they would like me to remove that rock block from the stairs. I have no time to please these preaching elves, I've an empire to run! My miners were indeed quick, the channel was dug out in great haste and the water soon engulfed the narrow passage, and then the elves.
It seems they couldn't swim after all, and they will indeed be leaving in some sort of way. As the dwarves eagerly awaited the demise of the elves to ravage their bodies for every scrap of meat, I looked up to the stars for guidance. It was the end of a fruitful day, and perhaps tomorrow we shall begin making defense preparations.
