Dwarf Fortress - Blog Posts
Just discovered that I have to hunt vampires in Dwarf Fortress. He killed my axelord and I immediately go to the wiki because there is no way I can deal with a (literally) goddamned vampire. After the mandatory rabbit hole, I did manage to find out that this is a very common issue that I've somehow never experienced.
Anyway, I found the vampire (unfortunately they killed another dwarf and somehow no one saw despite being in a 5x10 burrow with the victim and murderer, and for whatever reason the vampire traumatized themselves) but I am keeping the rest of the suspects detained for investigation because now I'm paranoid.
A buzzard interrupted one of my axedwarfs in full steel armor while he was getting a drink and proceeded to get his leg busted up and his wing severed with no harm to the dwarf.
Did he attack the dwarf because he was shiny or did he expect to win or?
There is a Dwarven child playing make believe in someone's (in use) tomb while saying trade is the lifeblood of modern society during a siege. I feel like I should be worried.
A Dwarven child drowned in the river and I didn't realize until a year later when I launched an expedition to retrieve the body that the ghostly apparition was in fact not a glitch but a ghost.
Said ghost has since been put to rest, though I really should get around to building that bridge so this doesn't happen again.
You must always have a table in the corner for Aragorn. 'Tis the law.
Playing Dwarf Fortress, I think dwarves might actually be able to make communism work. Pretty much all of them like their job, they're able to handle autonomy of taking resources when they need them with very little to no issues, and they are fine with working for the good of the Fortress rather than personal gain (even in pretty bad conditions).
In fact, they are kind of practicing it already. They don't really use money and private ownership is pretty low. The only thing really left to do is get rid of or never instate the nobility and go on a communist revolution of the rest of the kingdom.
Redbubble Shop, Ko-Fi, YouTube Channel, Instagram
Dwarf in Bronze and Blue
Trying a handful of different things with this one.
I wanted to try to draw a fantasy dwarf without the usual visual identity I give them, hence no shoes or arm coverings. Just a large metal chain vest and a bucket-helm, both made of bronze instead of iron. Also a gray-blue skin as I think it'd be neat if dwarfs had their own unique skin colours often effected by nearby metals (as silver poisoning can make your skin turn this colour)
Also wanted to give the off-aligned colour thing that you often see in screen printing a try.
Observers Guide to Kobolds #3
Kobold burrow, Illustrated!
A kobolds bedding will often be a shared space, albeit a quiet one. There is little privacy in the burrow even so, with their few personal belongings kept in small bags, pots and shelves close to their sleeping shelf. Kobolds will make their bedding with dried stalks & stems, and if cloth is available will readily make use of it. Scaled hides do not require soft furnishing, but cushioning is always valued.
Gently glowing fungi and gems are often kept in the communal dens, illuminating the area just enough to be a comfort and help guide those awake. Scavenging insects will sometimes find their way in to feast upon the discarded scraps of previous meals, and then find themselves part of the next meal the kobolds around inbibe.
Art & graffiti are commonplace in the shared dens, usually depicting the inhabitants in addition to their thoughts and feelings on recent events. Dissenting imagery will appear closer to latrines, approving imagery closer to sleeping areas.
Observers Guide to Kobolds #2
Art & Crafts, with Illustrations!
Fig 1:
Kobolds are a very kinestetic species; the sense of touch being very important to engage with their art & crafts. Colours are appreciated, but are not as important due to their poor eyesight. A lot of their wearable crafts also server dual function as a fidget toy; helping control the species natural high anxiety and energy when focus is desired.
Fig 2:
a) Statuary and self representation is mostly used in instructional art, and funeral markers. This piece is the latter, and a rare example of a hollow marker with a piece of the owners bones inside.
b) Assorted glass, gem and painted stone beads. Most kobolds will have at least a small collection of interesting small stones, and do not discern precious gems from common stones. As long as it catches the eye, it goes in the bag.
c) Decorated sling shot. Shot from slings will often be re-used if successful in their first conflict, and will be decorated with various iconography to convey their luck or battle prowess. This example depicts "bloody teeth" possibly depicting a kill.
Fig 3:
a) Common storage pot. Pottery is a well practiced skill in Kobold communitys, with labelling often being a primitive braille- allowing important vessels to be found even in the dark.
b) Drinking flute. Due to the misalignment of the top and bottom of this flute it seems that it was an early piece fault by the creator rather than an intentional design choice.
c) Eating plate/low bowl. Kobolds do not require cutlery, as their teeth and claws are often of utility enough during meals. plates and bowls will over time be worn down by a flurry of scratches, requiring new crockery to be made.
Observers Guide to Kobolds #1
Tools, with Illustrations!
The first hole a kobold will make is a small burrow in the soft loam or sand. They use their tough nails to dig a hole big enough to sleep in, and hide in. Familys and tribes will make a burrow-village of connected tunnels.
Next the kobold will find a suitable strong rock, one that can be knapped like flint, and they will break a sharp line along one side to give it an edge. This tool can be used and made when there is little to no wood or metal available, and whilst heavy and not the most effective, it can break down materials the kobolds nails cannot or would take months of scratching to achieve.
If metal and wood are available, the kobold can start to make mining and digging tools that humans and dwarves would recognise. Crude and humble they may be, with shafts of bone and heads of scrap copper, but they perform their task well.
Goblin!
Goblins in Dorf Fort have a rough time of it. Their society is cruel to them and Armok knows the players are too. They can often be capable of great things when introduced to society sans all their coded baggage, I've had my fair share of great goblin citizens in my forts.
Made using PetMate, a free PETSCII art maker thing!
(might have to click pic to get rid of any blurryness)
Second Dorf Fort propaganda poster! Spoof of the old american one of the german soldier peering over a wall menacingly.
I think if I did this again I'd have him peering out of a bush or tree foilage, the whole "over the wall peering" vibe isn't very elfy.
Just say no!
A fun spoof of an old soviet era poster, I think the origional was trying to tell people to not drink booze with meals? Anyway, I like the whole Elves Vs Dwarfs Dorf Fort has going on and I tried to capture the low graphic nature of the game in a different way to the previous PETSCII/ASCII ones.
I actually like salad, but as part of a meal, not the whole thing itself.
Tankard of "Wine"
Wine probably shouldn't foam this much, but I'm a cider guy so what do I know.
I like to think the Plump Caps and their resulting wine share a lot of flavour with where/what they're grown on. like if you grow them on wood chips you get a nice woody or earthy undertone.
Made using PetMate, a free PETSCII art maker thing!
(might have to click pic to get rid of any blurryness)
Grilled Plump Cap
Plump caps must be the Dwarfen equivilent of the humble potato; full of every nutrient you need, and you can make booze out of it!
I always imagined that they'd have a nice starchy taste, somewhere between a sweet potato and a chestnut mushroom.
Also, turns out you CAN make wine from 'shrooms irl! apparently it tastes a lot like normal grape wine.
Made using PetMate, a free PETSCII art maker thing!
(might have to click pic to get rid of any blurryness)
Dwarfen Miner, finding some Adamantium
I love the classic Dorf Fort art style. an ASCII/PETSCII kind of look with limited colours and shapes. Really gets your imagination going you know?
I put a wee plump cap and a hidden monster in the picture too, as is required of a spooky cavern.
Made using PetMate, a free PETSCII art maker thing!
(might have to click pic to get rid of any blurryness)