This is the tale of the ill-fated Eviscerated Siege and the fortress of Ekirzulban, Lucidbanner, the dwarven Mountainhome nestled in the desert mountain valley of Udobuma.
To understand the scene in which our tale is set, it is best to begin by describing Lucidbanner itself. Presently 9 years old, the massive fortress supports a population of 270 mostly happy dwarves. Throughout its history, Ekirzulban has been defended by a combination of clever engineering and sheer dwarf-power. Included in the defense repertoire is a raising bridge that acts as a massive hatch to the fortress entrance, a water pump in the nearby brook to drown unfortunate invaders caught in the entry hall, and good old dwarven steel and mettle.
Casualties in all cases were low. Playing very cautiously, I've only lost 10 dwarves at most over the past decade or so. The wealth of Ekirzulban has grown vastly, with ample supplies of Hematite, native gold, sapphires, and marble. The only downside to the site is its climate: In the first year of the fortress's existence, all the pools dried up and the grass was forever turned a golden yellow by the heat. Having a brook offset the problem, but nonetheless the first dwarves of Ekirzulban struggled in the heat to provide for those to come.
Most recent in the history of Lucidbanner is the aptly named "Eviscerated Siege" by the goblins of Utes Olzul, "The Spider of Legends", who worship their pagan deity and wage war in her name.
Though in the past those of Utes Olzul were slaughtered mercilessly in Ekirzulban, including a failed siege that saw their chief warlord routed from the site, the goblins were undeterred, and in this siege brought with them a huge army: 4 squads of melee goblins of various weapons, a squad of trolls and a squad of cragtooth boar, a beast especially bred for the fell purposes of the Spider.
The bold dwarves of Ekirzulban, having established their dominance over the armies of the Spider, decided to do something they had never done before: They would meet the enemy in outright open combat, charging headfirst unaided by trap or sprung surprise.
A multitude of dwarves were in the army that marched forth from the crimson gates of Lucidbanner, spearheaded by two squads of legendary dwarves. What follows is the account of the first part of the battle of the Eviscerated Siege, where for the first time the warriors of the Arrow of Tests face off against the iron fist of Utes Olzul.
http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-2544-theevisceratedsiegepart1