I also picked up an extra pick in hopes we'd be getting some migrants, including a miner. We traded for some food and in turn provided them with some nearly worthless chert crafts. The trade depot was completed and just in time for a caravan. We dug out a total of 32 rooms so that we had room to expand for the future migrants. We also completed digging out the private bedrooms and begin fitting them with beds, doors and cabinets. I ran the still round the clock to produce a healthy reserve of ales. The completion of the stills had the lads spirits high. Our miners went straight away to work on the stockpile room. On the third level I dug out eight nice niches for workshops to house the new carpentry, masonry, jewelers and craftdwarfshops. I also provisioned the beginning of a channel from the river but stopped short of the fortress. The first of which house the farms, a food storage, seed storage and a modest dining hall. I heard several complaints about sleeping on dirt and work ethic suffered.

I believe this will be more defensible but I'm a farmer so what do I know? Inside I put in two temporary workshops - a carpenter and a mason - and a barracks so the lads have a place to sleep. I excavated a wide entrance tunnel and placed the trade depot deep inside. Our food stocks are high and ales supplies are rising as well. I now have 6 healthy plots producing plump helmets every season. I set out immediately to plant farms to ensure we didn't run short of food in winter. Unsure of how arable the land around and under Helmgorge was we opted to drop a large portion of our supplies in favor of food and more food. The name of the land allocation authority provided this hearty chunk of land in the deep wilderness is Helmgorge. I took with me seven hardy dwarves on a fools errands to a plot of land nestled against a brook.

Dwarf fortress stone