Today we bring this whole carp thing to a close. But Senshuken, don't pop that champagne cork too quickly ...
(The continuing journal of Eral Moppedtrumpets, captain of the guard)
(note: Sadly, Eral had no part in the kill of the carp cult leader. Due to an oddity in DF’s pathing algorithm, he kept charging into the wrong room, again and again, and did not get to spill carpling blood as I had hoped he would. But I will use my editorial privilege to write as if he did. Also, I got so wound up in all of this that I forgot to take screenshots. Sorry about that.)
With me were two crossbowdwarves and a soldier. More could be heard approaching.
“You …. will …. join …. meeeeeee,” groaned Dishmab with the last of his dwarven voice. His transformation was complete.
Two bolts flew into his body, and he began to conjure his vile magic. Spinning balls of vomit and putrid webs of slime began flying at the dwarves around him. A shield injured his foot, and Dishmab fell to the ground, but continued his ferocity against us.
One of the crossbowdwarves, Reksas, began gagging and vomiting uncontrollably. And then, before our eyes, her flesh began to mortify, and she transformed into a monster! This was stunning to consider: did this cult leader have the power to cause dwarves to turn against their will? It seemed that it was so.
Now there were two carplings to fight -- and we were critically unmanned by a cleverly placed web of slime that held us in a choke point at the doorway. Inside the room, there were only a crossbowdwarf with no ammunition, and a single Deathcrafter with no weapon. Also in the room were two infants, babies carried in by the crossbowdwarves.
The fighting lasted a long time. Dishmab absorbed an incredible amount of punishment without even seeming to notice. The monster formerly known as Reksas was quickly killed, but Senshuken was the next to be taken against his will. He was cut to pieces, which means that he died as he had lived: thinking about fish and chips.
The baby that Reksas had been carrying laid on the ground, and Dishmab mauled it to death with his teeth. We were helpless to save it. Meanwhile, Dishmab continued his foul conjuring, and clouds of toxic vapor spewed throughout the living quarters.
But at last, we fought free of the web that held us back at the doorway, and once we managed to flood into the room, we overwhelmed Dishmab in minutes. It was Ushang who struck the killing blow, and for that he has been named the new military commander. Ushang was the one who struck down both Zaneg and Astesh (may rats eat his eyeballs), which makes him very highly regarded. Like me, he also lost a wife and child, for his family consisted of Reksas and her baby.
After it was clear that our mission was accomplished, I knelt, and I painted my body with carpling blood. I still have a vial of it in my quarters.
A final, sad but necessary footnote: when the battle ended, a runner came to us with bad news. Carpsmasher, the baby who fought the baroness, was found dead of dehydration while we were fighting. He was only a baby, yet he will be buried with full dwarven honors. The baroness, by contrast, formerly our highest noble, now decays on the midden heap, along with Zaneg and Astesh, may demons pickle his skull.
It has cost me more dearly than I can bear to contemplate, but we have rid our fortress of the gilled menace. I continue to serve in the fortress guard, but only a sense of duty motivates me to continue. The sight of fish in the brook still fills me with rage and anguish. I find nothing left to live for.
You will find me on the front line of every future battle, until finally my turn comes to leave this life. Perhaps Armok will finally grant me my release.
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Topic: ☼Bellweasel☼ - Cleansed in carpling blood (Read 9731 times)