>>6158802> Turn 9> Global Context: The Great DarkeningBarely had the dwarves begun preparing for the new season when catastrophe struck on a planetary scale. Night skies turned black as if the stars themselves were plucked from the firmament and hurled into the western seas. Earthquakes rattled the coasts, sending great waves surging inland, and in the days that followed, a withering dryness blanketed the realm. The sun, shrouded in a ruddy haze, cast feeble rays that struggled to warm the land. Crops withered, lakes froze, and animals starved for lack of pasture. In the face of this calamity, the Urotti Dwarves pressed on, adapting their plans to meet the challenge.
> Action 1: Search the Snowy Plains for Pack AnimalsDetermined to bolster their dwindling supplies and strengthen their trade routes, the Urotti sent forth beastmasters and scouts into the snowy plains to the east. Once, these frosted fields had been mere wilderness; now they lay under a chill deeper than any dwarf could remember. Where fresh snow might have hidden predator tracks and fodder, the scouts found only barren drifts and weakened wildlife. Yet, hope persisted. After days of relentless searching, they spotted herds of gaunt, long-furred creatures eking out a meager living among the ice-encrusted shrubs. Though the beasts showed signs of malnourishment—victims of the withering sun and frozen graze—many still displayed an admirable hardiness. Taming them would not be easy, but the dwarves believed these creatures could become vital pack animals, helping transport resources across the beleaguered kingdom.
> Action 2: Build a Mushroom FarmWith the sun failing and crops in danger, the dwarves turned underground for sustenance. In the depths beneath Virn-Urdor, masons and farmers worked side by side to hollow out a series of cool, damp chambers ideal for cultivating mushrooms. This newly constructed mushroom farm promised a stable food supply insulated from the blighted surface. Using a mix of carefully harvested compost, along with residual heat from deeper geological layers, dwarves planted spores of robust fungal strains known for their resilience. Despite the Great Darkening above, the mushrooms flourished in the steady gloom below, offering hope that the kingdom’s tables would not be empty in the days ahead.
