Entry 1: The Quiet Months (Late Summer, Year 112)
The deep caverns are… strangely calm. The toads hop about, blissfully ignorant, the troglodytes are their usual grubby selves, and the bats swoop in silence. It’s been like this for three cycles now. Almost unsettling. Usually, there’s some kind of grumbling or scuttling emanating from those depths. Makes a dwarf think. Perhaps the earth has finally settled in these mountains and found its peace? I almost dare to hope for it. We’ve been focusing on our underground farms here. The plump cave wheat is almost ready and those plump mushrooms grow in strange patterns. A good yield for the coming winter though. The workshop is humming, and the clanging of hammers is our most common sound of conflict here. May it stay that way.
Entry 2: The Stirring (Early Autumn, Year 112)
The calm did not last. The shivers started yesterday in the farm sector, a troglodyte squealing in terror. We found nothing, but the anxiety is in the air. Even the bats seem to be flying more frantically. Today, we found the source of the terror. It shambles and snarls from the darkness, too large for any cave dweller we’ve encountered before. I've never seen such a thing. It is a thick, hulking mass of chitinous plates, its form riddled with jagged spikes. Its eyes glow with a sickly green light, and it leaves a trail of oily slime wherever it goes. The farmers have fled and the farm is now left to defend. We've named it the "Spikeback Horror." It’s a thing of nightmares. We need to get organized.
Entry 3: Defending the Depths (Mid Autumn, Year 112)
The battle was… bloody. I took the lead, of course. As head of the Guard, it’s my right and my responsibility. The Spikeback Horror was a terrible beast, its spikes tearing through shields, and its claws leaving deep gouges in our armor. We fought with all the ferocity of the mountain itself, axes rising and falling with a rhythm as old as the world. Ol' Borin stood in the front this day. My axe found its mark numerous times, but the horror just kept coming. The young lads fought well beside me. Many were wounded and will be recovering for weeks. Finally, with a deafening screech, it fell. But victory has a bitter taste. We lost three good dwarves, and many more are wounded. It was a Pyrrhic victory, the caves were ruined. They will be repaired, though. We’ve lost the farms so close to harvest. Another hardship for the coming winter.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Entry 4: Recovery and Growth (Late Autumn, Year 112)
The farms have been repaired. The loss of a season's harvest stung, but our stores were sufficient. The recovery is progressing, and we’re fortifying the caverns further now. We cannot be caught off guard again. Above, the fortress is taking shape. New rooms are carved into the mountain, each with the precision and care only dwarves can possess. The workshops are running at full capacity, churning out tools, armor, and weapons. And the gems! Oh, the gems we’ve found! Topaz, garnet, and even a vein of glittering emeralds! These are now being cut and polished, transforming into objects of beauty to be traded or given as gifts. Today we made a beautiful emerald necklace that shines in the candle light. It will be a fine gift for one of the new wives we are preparing for.
Entry 5: The Haggling (Late Autumn, Year 112)
Ah, the caravan arrived today. The merchants from the Iron Peaks were in good spirits. Haggling with fellow dwarves is an art form, you know? Every piece of ore, every barrel of ale, every gem is scrutinized, its value debated down to the last copper. We offered our crafted gems, our extra metalwork and our excess of textiles. They started low as usual, but I knew I would win the day. I bartered with my heart and my voice booming with my soul. In all my years I can read a dwarf better than anybody. After two hours, and after much stubbornness, we finally came to an agreement. A good price for all. May the gods bless our hard work and our trade routes.
Entry 6: Preparing for Winter (Early Winter, Year 112)
The first snows have begun to fall. The mountain is wrapped in a blanket of white. We have done well, though. The underground farms are stable, the granaries are full, and the workshops stand ready to forge through the long, cold months. The caverns are fortified, and the defenses are strong. We are ready for whatever winter, or the depths of the earth, might throw at us. We made a beautiful emerald crown and shield to celebrate our victory over the horror. We’ve worked hard, and we’ll be ready. We’ve earned this peace, and we will defend it. The warmth of the forges and the fellowship of good dwarves is a balm to my soul. There is a feeling deep in my bones for it now. We are strong, we are dwarves, and we will endure.