Seven Dwarves set forth to create a new life for themselves, spending months traveling as a small caravan to the east, away from civilization. As supplies dwindle, they come across a beautiful waterfall on the side of a cliff. The surroundings are tranquil with tall trees all around. As the wagon comes to a halt, Tosid Olinuvar, the expedition leader, proclaims that this is where they will begin their lives anew.
You have arrived. After a journey from the Mountainhomes into the forbidding wilderness beyond, your harsh trek has finally ended. Your party of seven is to make an outpost for the glory of all of Cudïstmosus.
There are almost no supplies left, but with stout labor comes sustenance. Whether by bolt, plow, or hook, provide for your dwarves. You are expecting a supply caravan just before winter entombs you, but it is Spring now. Enough time to delve secure lodgings, ere the cougars get hungry. A new chapter of dwarven history begins here at this place, Ònuler Gatalkun Oshnïl, "Mirrorlake the Ageless Cat of Betrayal". Strike the earth!
The members of the expedition include:
- Tosid Olinuvar, expedition leader. Born on the 15th of Malachite in the year 196 (54 years old).
"Her taupe gray hair is long and wavy, arranged in double braids. She has a broad chin and short, flattened ears. Her head is extremely tall and her nose bridge is slightly convex. Her skin is a dark brown and her eyes gleam a bright gold."
- Ònul Cloistereddash, a miner born on the 28th of Opal in the year 190 (60 years old).
"His taupe gray hair appears very dry and brittle, medium length and braided tightly. He has braided sideburns hanging down the sides of his face, a matching double-braided moustache, and a very long braided beard; all common in Dwarven fashion. His voice is strong and clear. He has a somewhat narrow nose, and the bridge is slightly convex. He has copper skin and slightly rounded gold eyes that are slightly sunken from spending most of his life deep underground digging."
- Rovod Unolmeng, a miner born on the 16th of Granite in the year 167 (83 years old). Tomorrow will be his 84th birthday.
"His head is clean-shaven, but he still sports a long moustache and medium-length beard, both in double braids. He has very low cheekbones and short, flattened ears. He has gold eyes with thin irises. His skin is a pale brown and slightly wrinkled. Touches of gray are showing through his taupe gray facial hair."
- Stodir Udilkilrud, a mason born on the 18th of Opal in the year 185 (65 years old).
"She has very low cheekbones and very thin lips. Her ears and flattened and fuse-lobed. Her slightly thin-irised gold eyes are slightly rounded. Her nose bridge is slightly convex. Her hair is taupe gray, and her face is clean-shaven. Her skin is a pale chestnut in color."
- Adil Melbilost, a farmer born on the 17th of Hematite in the year 189 (61 years old).
"Her hair is very long, very dry, and neatly combed straight. She has flattened ears and very low cheakbones. Her hair is a taupe gray, skin a pale brown, and eyes a bright gold. Despite her years of working the fields, she appears rather weak and quite clumsy."
- Zuglar Cattenugut, a town guard of a small town whose axe is now used mainly for chopping down trees. She was born on the 11th of Felsite in the year 167 (83 years old).
"She is tall and very muscular. Her hair is a taupe gray with touches of gray, very short, wavy and crinkly, and neatly combed. Her head is tall and she has thick lips. Her nose is somewhat narrow. Her copper skin is slightly wrinkled and her eyes are gold."
- Onol Otiliden, a nurse born on the 5th of Obsidian in the year 184 (66 years old).
"Her ears are very short and flattened. Her taupe gray hair is long, wavy, and arranged in double braids. Her head is tall and lips are very thin. Her slightly sunken round gold eyes have slightly thin irises under slightly low eyebrows. Her nose bridge is slightly convex and her skin is a pale pink."
Along with these two men and five women come a breeding pair of alpaca, two guard dogs for additional protection, two cats for companionship and to kill vermin, and a yak bull and buffalo cow who tirelessly pulled the wagon all the way here.
The two miners begin digging out an entrance, digging a long tunnel that will serve as a defensible area later. Once it's long enough, a spot for a Trade Depot will be carved to serve as a place to trade with outsiders and any other caravans passing by. Then they'll begin digging down, expanding the fortress deep into the earth; carving out the beginnings of their new fortress.
Zulgar grabs her axe out of the back of the wagon and begins marking trees around the entrance clear out. They'll need lots of wood for crafting tools and furniture for their new life. Items that are far too heavy to bring with them like beds, doors, tables and chairs will be among the first things to create.
The rest of the expedition creates makeshift pens for the animals to graze, while dismantling and unpacking the wagon. Adil quickly grabs the stepladder and begins harvesting fruit from the nearby trees she can use for cooking and brewing once a kitchen is set up.
With some digging out of the way, Adil sets up a kitchen and a still to provide sustenance for the settlers. Tosid plows out some underground fields to begin planting the first crops: dimple cups and plump helmets. A room is dug out on the same level as a permanent home for the turkeys; once nest boxes are crafted they'll begin to supply eggs for Adil to use in her recipes.
Digging deeper, the miners carve out rooms for Onol and Stodir to set up their workstations and begin crafting furniture. Stockpiles are set up around them so any idle Dwarves can haul raw materials over to speed up production. First order of business: a table, chair, and door to create an office for Tosid so she can keep the records updated. Keeping track of how much food and alcohol are in the stocks is a critical piece of ensuring everyone is well fed and happily inebriated at all times.
