Chapter 81: From the journal of Stinthad Kekimtobul
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1st Opal, 1056, Mid-Winter
Okay, enough is enough. I've spent most of the last month just staring at this thing. Thinking about...I'm not even sure what I've been thinking about. Or why I even made this in the first place. The last month has been a complete blur! Like it's messing with my head. That's crazy though...I've probably just been having too much to drink . That would also explain why I've been hearing creepy voices sometimes. Voices that you don't hear, but you feel them scratching at back of your brain. Like a thought that belongs to someone else got into your head somehow...
...wait what was I going to do? Oh right, stop looking at the armor stand. I should go do something productive. Maybe Silent Thunder needs help cleaning up the hospital.
5th Opal, 1056, Mid-Winter
The masons have finished extending part of the burial platform, so now we can finally give the dead proper graves. Most of the bodies would already have been sealed up by now but we actually ran out of coffins to store them in. It's never pleasant having to put in an order for more coffins. Hopefully the dead being buries will put their grieving relatives at ease. And perhaps it will also placate the ghosts. Last thing we need is another murderous spirit running around tearing arms off.
11th Opal, 1056, Mid-Winter
I've spent the last few days checking the stockpile records, even though they are already up to date. Really I've just been trying to do anything I can to keep my mind off that armor stand. I don't get why it's bothering so much when I made the damn thing! Well I got sick of reviewing how many elk bird roasts we had left so as a change of pace I decided to listen to some petitions from the citizens. Standard complaints really; lack of exotic food, abundance of blood stains, the public dormitory being a mess, etc. Only thing of note was that Vallorn actually came to talk. I hadn't seen him since he left the hospital after regaining his strength.
Stinthad: "Vallorn! What a pleasant surprise! Are your legs still feeling okay?"
Vallorn: "Much better now. Still causing me trouble, but considering they didn't even work a month ago it's a big improvement."
Stinthad: "Glad to hear that. Is something troubling you though?"
Vallorn: "Yes. It seems that Commander Root is being completely irrational, and I want you to talk to her about it."
Stinthad: "What exactly do you mean?"
Vallorn: "She refuses to let me serve in the military! As a proud dwarven soldier it is my duty to fight for Reveredtour, but she denies me on account of my legs being busted. I can walk now though! Isn't that good enough?"
I wanted to agree with Vallorn, I really did, but I knew that Root was right. Vallorn might be able to walk now, but he's only able to do so through the use of a crutch.
He can't move very fast, and no doubt trying to fight whilst supported by a crutch would be very difficult. I feel that if I let him into the military, he'd just end up getting killed. He might be okay with dying in the line of duty, but I can't help but think about his children. In good conscience, I just can't let him fight.
Stinthad: "Um...well I hate to say it but I agree with her."
Vallorn: "What?!? Why?!?"
Stinthad: "You can barely walk! If I sent you out to fight you'd just lag behind everyone, or even worse get hurt!"
Vallorn: "That's what Root said! You're honestly telling me that she can be the god damn commander with one arm, but I'm not allowed in because of this crutch?!?"
Stinthad: "Look it's not that bad! You don't have to fight to be useful! There's plenty of other stuff you can do to help!"
Vallorn: "Like what?"
Stinthad: "...hauling?"
Hauling might not be the most dignified of jobs, but there really isn't much else he can do. I'm sure he'll get used to it though. He has a family now, and I'm sure they'll support him no matter what he's doing.
17th Opal, 1056, Mid-Winter
So the forge masters stopped working. Again. They cited a lack of fuel as the problem. This time however it was a legitimate complaint. They hadn't forgotten to refine the bituminous coal; we actually just ran out of the stuff! I guess we hadn't dug up as much as I'd thought. Right now they're using lignite as an alternative fuel source, but I've ordered the diggers to search for new coal veins. If we run out fuel our entire metal industry will grind to a hault.
22nd Opal, 1056, Mid-Winter
Did I tell Goden I like strawberries? I don't remember doing that. And even if I did, why make an engraving of it? Seems like a weird thing to do. Still It's a nice engraving so I shouldn't complain. If she just added in a cute little demon rat nibbling on the strawberries it would be perfect.
28th Opal, 1056, Mid-Winter
This is odd. The mechanics seem to have built some strange workshop. I don't recall seeing one like this back in the capital. Not sure what exactly they're going to do with it either. I won't pry though. If they were going to do anything big they'd have to tell me anyways. Rabid might be ranting about how he is going to be able to stop the goblin siege, but I'm sure he's just exaggerating.
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In which I foreshadow a plan that is no doubt going to accomplish fuck all.