Day 14, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

Another week, another batch of whelps blundering through the front gate. Gods, they’re practically tripping over their beards. At least they come with some skills – a few miners amongst this lot. Not that I'm complaining about the extra hands, though. They need something to do other than complain about the lack of ale. They're conscripted as soon as their names are added to the ledger. I’ve got a few decent leather-clad warriors now, but mostly they’re barely able to heft a pickaxe, let alone a battleaxe. It's enough to make a dwarf weep.

The caverns, though… they’ve been calling to me since we broke through last week. The tunnels are dark and damp, and the air feels heavy with secrets. That’s where the real work lies. We will need the resource there. I ordered the new militia to get their gear and meet me at the main entry. We head into the dark.

Day 21, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

The caverns are a chaotic symphony of dripping water and rustling… things. We ventured deeper today, the new recruits fumbling with their spears and shields. They still smell of the surface. I tried to impart some of my knowledge of cave combat but it's like trying to teach a gobbler to read. The first encounter was with… giant cave spiders. Ugh. Hairy, bulbous things with too many legs, spitting globs of sticky web. I managed to bash one silly with my war pick, but two of the militia got tangled in the webs. They were panicking, trying to break free. Thankfully, they were more scared than hurt. We quickly learned to stick together, shields raised high. We managed to kill a few spiders, but some escaped. We quickly barricaded the main passage way with a hastily constructed wall. We need more training.

Day 28, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

Progress is slow but steady. I've designated a few recruits to farm duty. we've begun clearing out a large cavern for a mushroom farm. Even with the poor light, we can make do with the resources at hand. We’ve wall off the eastern passage from the main cavern complex to make it safe. They are learning quickly, even if they still flinch at every drip and echo. I think I saw some kind of… toad down there. Big as a badger, with mottled skin and bulging eyes. It didn’t attack, though. It just sat there and croaked. I’m not sure what to make of it. Perhaps it is a friend. For now, it will continue to live.

Day 35, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

The toads are… everywhere. They're congregating near the underground pools of water. They seem docile enough, but their croaking is starting to drive me mad. At least we had our first harvest of plump helmet mushrooms today. It is quite a sight. The fortress is abuzz with the smell of fungal stew, and for the first time, morale seems… acceptable. Even the new recruits seem a little less green. We encountered another new critter today: troglodytes. Naked, pale, humanoid things with long claws and sharp teeth.They were much faster than the spiders, and they fought with a surprising ferocity. We lost one recruit, Hargin, may his beard grow long in the afterlife, to a nasty bite. I ordered a full retreat. They are formidable foes. I need to make more training dummies. We have retreated and sealed off the access way.

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Day 42, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

The toads remain undisturbed. They seem to like the water we’ve started diverting toward the farm. We seem to have a steady supply of mushrooms. The training dummies have helped a little. The militia (or at least the ones who can wield a weapon without hurting themselves) are getting better. I even managed to sneak in a few crafting lessons in between cave expeditions. A good smith needs to be well rounded. We tried a different tunnel today and found what looked like an enormous, slug. It oozed slowly across the floor, leaving a trail of slime. It was HUGE, easily bigger than me. It didn't threaten us, just continued its slow progress down the passage. I’m not sure what they eat. I hope we do not have to kill it. We have decided to leave it be for now, and wall off that tunnel. This has been a valuable lesson, the caverns are vast and full of both resources and unknown perils. There is much to be done.

Day 49, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

The caverns continue to surprise us. The mushroom farm is doing brilliantly. We also have some caverns that have been cleaned, and are being used as training areas, and even sleeping areas for the militia, we might as well get them used to the darkness. I discovered that the sludges are called “Cave Crawlers”. They just make their way around slowly, with no real threat. They do leave behind a trail of slime, though I have not found a use for it to this point. We managed to get a good look at the Troglodytes today. They seem to be very territorial, fiercely defending their tunnels. We found that there is a lot of good ore in their tunnel network, so we might need to make plans to exterminate them. We also discovered another type of creature we’ve dubbed “Giant Bats”, they fly fast in the dark, but seem to avoid us. They are rather large, though.

Day 56, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

We pushed deeper today, seeking more resources. We found a huge cavern, filled with the same “Giant Bats”. They are not aggressive, like the troglodytes, but are easy to scare. We found what may be their nests in the ceiling of the caverns. I have ordered the area to be mapped out. We could start an underground farm for these creatures. I have also ordered a more permanent wall to be built around the mushroom farm. The militia is getting better at fighting, with some real progress being made. There is still much to do, but we have made some real strides down here in the dark. I feel quite a bit of satisfaction. This fortress will thrive.

Day 63, Granite of Obsidian, Year 101

The fort has settled into a rhythm, though there is still much work to be done. We began to build a small fort down in the caverns today. It is still rudimentary, but we have some basic walls set up and are working on roofing. It is much safer than just sleeping on the floor. The Bat farm is an exciting prospect. Though I need to figure out what they eat first. The Troglodytes have been silent for a while. I hope they haven’t decided to attack. The caverns are a strange place, full of danger and opportunity. But we dwarfs are hardy and stubborn. We will carve a home here, one stone at a time.