“Hey, Feral, wake up!” Skull said as he shook the sleeping woodsman awake. “Mmm..>W as-What is it Skull?” He gestured to the door. “Humans!” Feral blearily got to his feet and walked out, and sure enough there was a human leading a giant beetle laden with goods and a cage containing a duck into the stockade, followed by a second and humans could be heard coming down the large hill in their wagons. Suddenly there was shouting, and Ospery could be heard shouting obscenities.
-
“You aren't goin' anywhere motherfucker!” Osprey said angrily as he grabbed one of two kobolds as they attempted to flee. He grabbed it by its tail and slammed it bodily into the dirt, a feeble swing from it's dagger managing a light bruise, to wich Osprey responded with a leglock, going so far as to shatter the poor little creature's ankle. He let it go, but only long enough to grab it by the ear and slam it on it's back, where he began to slam his fist into its lower body, before grabbing its arm and smashing it's dagger-wrist, before delivering a crushing blow to it's temple, which smashed in far more more bone than it should. The other kobold, faced with dwarves carrying bags of heavy clay in one direction, and a steep hill to the north, tried to flee past, only for Osprey to perform a diving tackle and knock the kobold flat on its face. As soon as Osprey was up on his knees he began to snap every limb he could reach, breaking first it's left leg, then it's left arm, before punching it in the spine and smashing it into the dirt repeatedly, it's cries getting more and more pathetic with each slam, until it lost consciousness when he punched it in the nose and shattered the bone, the piece managing to pierce its skull and drive into the kobold's frontal lobe. He grabbed their knives, saying as the humans showed up, shocked by the dwarf's ruthless execution of the kobolds, “Ah yes, these'll do just fine...”
-
“Corai! Lev! Come on, we got merchan- Splint?” “Making more goods.” Splint said flatly with an ingot of electrum. “Hail dwarf! We're friends of the dwarves who traded here ast fall. Got anything for us?” The lead human said as he offloaded the duck cage and packs of goods. “We most certainly do! Wait... Who's that?” Feral said before spotting something. “Silver Xelics. Nothing but a bunch of animal humping freakbugs. You request their presence?” Feral looked quite grim at the thought of more than who was intended to be here showing up.“No. Wax! You and the others are up! We have uninvited guests.” The settlement militia was swift and brutal, the humans cringing at the massacre of the silver xelics, limbs being sent flying and puddles of ichor forming under severed limbs and beetle bits. “What madness is this!? We come in pea-CACGHEHG!” One of the two xelics cried as a dagger was driven into it's body. By the time Usi had pulled the first blade out, Wax and Mantis had already viciously dispatched the other xelic and its pack beetle. Wax was particularly vicious, seeming to become a different person when he fought, using his pick to tear the second merchant apart before setting upon the remaining pack beetle with the others. It died of bloodloss rather quickly, and afterward the milita were told to rummage through the goods if they chose to. Mantis let out what could only be described as a squee of joy as she pulled a red falchion from one of the bags. “You know what that is dwarf?” Mantis shook her head, as she had grabbed it only because of it's color. “That there is elemental metal. Incindium. Looks like the freakbugs brought an incindium pick and a glacium one too. Good tools those.” A human soldier said. “Is that wrought iron?” Splint said, poking his head over Mantis' shoulder. “Y-” Splint cut mantis off with a sudden “GIMMIE!” before grabbing the bar and saying that he had to work it before Usi sees it, running off to the forge with it. “This'll make a fine beating stick.” was all anyone heard him say. Corai, meanwhile rushed to meet the merchants while Mantis handed over her brightsilver sword and took the falchion instead.
Nearly a day or so of work later, Lev approached Feral with the seasonal purchase report. “I think gutting those xelics was the right thing to do boss; made getting provisions far easier and it'll encourage trade with the humans come next year. I hope you don't mind, but I asked they send a diplomat with a list of what their home guilds can offer us.” Feral took the list, and dismissed Lev, looking over the purchases....
Our recent purchases, summer of year six.
Primary trader: Lev Chewedlash
Metal
1 bar, trifle pewter
1 bar, black bronze
Glass and glassmaking materials
2 raw glass, crystal
1 raw glass, green
2 raw glass, clear
Flasks
Booze
25 units/ 1 barrel, Prickle Berry Wine
25 units/ 1 barrel, Sewer Brew
25 units/ 1 barrel, Strawberry Wine
25 units/ 1 barrel, Raspberry Wine
Edible plants
15 bushels, Raspberries
15 bushels, Blackberries
15 bushels, Rat Weed
10 bushels, Blueberries
10 bushels, Fischer Berries
5 bushels, wild strawberries
Meat
50 units/ 1 tenths ton preserved meat, various types
Fish
10 units/ 2 tenths tons smoked fish, Brown Bullhead
10 units/ 2 tenths tons smoked fish, Sailfin Molly
5 units/ 1 tenth tons smoked fish, Perch
5 units/ 1 tenth tons smoked fish, Yellow Bullhead
Seeds
1 bag, Raspberry seeds
1 bag, Prickle Berry seeds
Cheese
45 units/ 1 half ton, various sources; appears to be a mix of cow, pig, yak, horse, and llama sources.
Cloth, thread
4 spools, rope reed fiber
2 spools, sheep wool yarn
1 spool, llama wool yarn
Clay
Gems
1 rose cut red pyrope
1 oval cut picture jasper
Armor
Weapons
2 warhammers, standard bronze
Medical
Animals
1 giant beetle, male
Other
1 crate, crafting manuscripts
1 barrel, pine
1 -barrel-, birchen
10 units/ 1 barrel, alpaca milk
10 units/ 1 barrel, donkey milk
1 anvil, standard iron
SOLD ITEMS
Flasks
3 flasks, lay pewter
Goblets
6 goblets, brass
Clothing
2 loinclothes, small, Giant cave spider silk
2 tunics, small, cave spider silk
1 cap, over-sized, gray languar leather
1 robe, over-sized, emu leather
Weapons
1 shortsword, bladestone
Crafts
1 -totem-, yak bull
1 totem, giant flying squirrel
1 earring, rope reed fiber
1 puzzle box, wrought iron
1 sceptre, giant squirrel tooth
1 figurine, mussel shell
Other
1 hive, standard bronze
1 jar, wrought iron
1 +backpack+, pig leather
1 bag, blue vitriol
1 bag, ikal nabid
“'Scuse me, sir, mind letting us stay a few more days? We could use a break from traveling.” One of the merchant guards asked. “Of course; you brought us much needed food and drink, so stay as long as you like. Just don't go picking fights with my people.” Feral said dismissivly. Mantis then asked for additional chopping space and to have Skull help her out with body processing. “His job revolves around the dead as much as mine, I think it's fair to ask he help me.” Feral waved her away, rubbing his head.“Something wrong boss?” Lev asked. “Bumped my head helping Zinc with her rediculous project. Pay it no mind. Corai get the main floodgate up yet?” Feral said, folding the purchase report up and putting it in his pocket. “Not yet boss, he's workin' on it now.” Lev said, gesturing to the merchant carrying a bundle of mechanisms and small axles. “Good, maybe we really will have crops sown by fall, or at least by next spring.”
A sudden yell for assistance broke a momentary calm: Usi had managed to hurt himself, slipping down a temporary ramp with a bag of clay, which landed on and shattered his leg. “Sit still Usi! We'll get you taken care of ok? Squid, what do we do!?” Mona said. Squid was the only one with even a cursory understanding anything's anatomy, but that only accounted for so much when she had no medical expierence. “Outta my1 We gotta get hi to the dorm!” Wax said, muscling the other dwarves from his path and picking up Usi. “Don't worry man, you'll be ok. I'm not gonna let anything put down another friend.”
[So, Usi managed to hurt himself. Squid's in temporary charge of assiting him and Leve is fashioning some medical equipement (just in case.) And yes, I'll be boring you with a meticulous list of everything we buy and sell from now on. Asea's hut is finished save for a couple stairs and a roof on the second floor which I suspenmded because of Usi's injury and Feral whacking his head. And come on people, tell me what you think so far!]