Introduction

Hi I'm going to write posts about a sort of Dwarf Fortress playtrough now. Dwarf Fortress is a civilization simulation game but also much more than that. You've probably heard about it as it's 20 years old by this point.

Resources

If you want to try it out yourself:

• Dwarf Fortress Steam Page - Released on Steam in 2022 with new graphics, music and interface designed around the mouse. I'll be referring to this version of the game as v50
• Dwarf Fortress Classic (Free) - v50, but without the new music and graphics, only has the traditional ASCII graphics
• Older Dwarf Fortress Versions (Free) - If you're not planning on buying the game for now I personally suggest getting v47, as I believe keyboard controls play nicer with the ASCII graphics. There are some gameplay version differences
• Dwarf Fortress Wiki - You probably want this. It lists some alternative ways to download the game also

The first year

The story of our fort is set in The Dimension of Enchanting and begins at the year 100. 7 dwarves that call themselves The Geared Urn have departed from the mountainhomes in of The Portal of Fins in early spring and have settled close up north, led by Avuz 'DameDaNe' Knifeclapped.

I designed a flag which I think would look like a flag for The Portal of Fins, take a look:

DameDaNe, dissatisfied with the mountainhomes of The Portal of Fins being constantly under attack by various beasts and demons, has brought Rith 'Fuckhead' Passshoots - a miner with no taste, Thob 'The Grandiose' Diamondburned - an anxious woodworker, Inod 'Bitch' Lungorbs - an annoying but skilful mason, Muthkat 'Chlirer' Snarledkey - an ambitious metalworker, Onul 'Niski' Planktheaters - a peaceful fisherdwarf and Ustuth 'Grasa' Notchbell - a lazy planter, and settled on a site that her group has called Rockssears. She also brought a few animals and materials.

The party has embarked on a tall hill with two rivers, one going over the hill and the other - trough it. They collide in a small lake-like area deep in the hill.

The former lake falls into the cliff formed by the river and cliff and forms a 43 meter tall waterfall. I probably suck at describing this so here's a voxel representation generated by Vox Uristi:

Setting up our fort as an underground tower next to the waterfall seems like an interesting idea (After all creatures love waterfalls).

Fuckhead gets commands to start digging a staircase on the west side of the river while Grandiose starts gathering wood. It occurs to me that my dwarves unfortunately can't swim, a skill they could really benefit from. For now they quickly craft some mechanisms out of nearby rock and make a wooden bridge to the west side.

Fuckhead digs downward on the west side of the river, with plans to make a bridge that goes in front of the waterfall to the east side, where he will start carving out the dwarven fort.

A month later and the project is going rather slow, so Niski gives up his love for fishing out turtles to help Fuckhead with mining upwards.

Eventually I find out I'm fucking stupid and I just make them dig downwards from the top of the east side of the river. This will also help the process of the dwarves transporting their possessions from the wagon they arrived with to the fortress.

The original plan was to force dwarves to go from the west side to the east side forcibly trough a single bridge built in front of the waterfall but while designating dig locations for the fort, I realized I could have several bridges on different floors, and creatures going trough them could still experience the mist.

The dwarves also construct a wall on each bridge to protect themselves from falling down the cliff while extremely drunk.

They establish a farm plot and a food and alcohol industry on the east side of the first floor (going down) of the fortress to keep them warm and fed during the winter that is about to come.

While the months are passing, the group continues construction of the fortress. Some dwarves of The Portal of Fins hear about DameDaNe's plans to distance herself from the large sites and migrate to Rockssears, joining her group. Some notable migrants include:

• Moldath 'Moldster' Palmletter and Rigoth 'Twister' Hidepaint - A socially obnoxious stonecutter husband and miner wife
  

• Solon 'Olvex' Tombknow - A conservative old dwarf who has grown tired of the battles of The Portal of Fins and simply wants peace. Has killed 5 goblins in a legendary dark fortress. Came to Rockssears divorced with his only 8 year old daughter, Endok Syruppointy.

While he was settling in, a trade caravan from the mountainhomes arrived. Willing to trade, DameDaNe designated Olvex as the broker of The Geared Urn. With his intimidation skills, he managed to trade a single stone figurine for silk supplies and food.

• Kogan 'Unlau' Paddledshimmered - Skilled miner with a musical sense but no ambition

• Kib 'Dynner' Hoofcraft - Legendary weaponsmith who settled with his 3 children and wife. Was taken by a fey mood and constructed Billzardbrash - a limestone drum-like instrument, claimed to be his family's heirloom

The total number of the population is now 20.

During early autumn, the miners are curious and mine downwards, south of the fortress. Eventually they reach a flooded underground cavern and quickly flee from the scene, putting a locked hatch on the entrance. Floor fungus spread towards the fortress, which lets the dwarves keep the animals inside the fort. They start collecting various cave plants which grow on the fungal surface.

As winter comes, the dwarves establish a stoneworking industry on the east side of the second floor (going down) and begin making furniture and crafts to sell to traders. They begin the construction of bedrooms and temples dedicated to gods of Portal of Fins mythos on the third floor.

The groups creates The Cathedral of Suns dedicated to Edem the Most Climax - a god associated with the Sun, The Shrine of Liberty dedicated to Lal - a god of freedom, The Mindful Dream, a temple dedicated to Thikut Teachwondered - A god associated with writing and literature and The Musical Temple, dedicated to The Brave - a god of music.

The Shrine of Liberty is very popular with outside visitors. It was visited by the prophet Cerol 'Fake' Lucidrope of The Portal of Fins who claims that Lal spoke to her and is displeased with The Geared Urn. Hopefully the dwarves don't fall for such obvious deep state propaganda.

Billzardbrash gets stored in The Musical Temple to be used for performances.

Right before the year ends, Grasa gets promoted to a bookkeeper with an office on the west wing of the fortress to keep track of the group's wealth.

End of year report

By the end of the year, the fortress looks like this:

The first floor

The first floor contains our farming and cooking industry, as well as our woodworking industry. It is located entirely on the east side.

The second floor

The second floor contains our stoneworking industry, levers for controlling the bridges and a mistake. It is located mostly on the east side.

The third floor

The third floor contains a long hall of bedrooms on the east side and temples and offices on the west side.

"losing is fun" mfs when i kill their entire family

Next episode: Dwarf Fortress - Rockssears - Year 101