For some reason I've been having a hard time getting into a proper dwarf fortress mood so updates will be slow.
The journal today is mostly a narrative write up of a battle that took place. The actual battle took place some time ago, so my memory of what happened is sketchy, but I can remember that no one important (named) died. Nightwings are scary, even with all their limbs severed and their wings cut off they still refuse to die.
Journal:
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20th Hematite
A group of travelers arrived to join us in our frigid desert home. Most have been assigned to the masons to assist in our construction efforts. No matter how many workers we have we always seem to be behind on building homes and defenses.
14th Galena
A caravan has arrived from the capitol, we have plentiful supplies to trade, but little need for the goods they brought. It seems strange to think of how much wealth we have actually accumulated here.
16th Galena
A horde of Nightwings mounted on giant beasts was seen approaching. Most are riding giant frogs or mosquitoes. I am concerned that our walls won't stop them, their wings will allow them to bypass out defenses.
20th Galena
It was horrible. The screams of the merchants and the clash of weapons on armour as the attackers stormed the trade depot. The foul buzzing as mace wielding Nightwings poured over the walls. If it weren't for our soldiers none of us would be alive now.
Grim ran through the panicked crowd, a hundred scattering humans fleeing in all directions as jackal headed monsters riding great insects dove down from the skies above them maces lashing out and blood sucking proboscis stabbing down. Feeling a presence behind him Grim glanced over his shoulder and saw one of the foul invaders pulling itself from the arrow ridden corpse of it's mount. It looked at him and snarled, a deep predatory noise, and advanced towards him. Frozen with fear the smelter worker found his feet locked in place and his mouth working in panicked motions as the monster strode towards him, mace raised to strike.
There was a flash of steel and a pained cry, the Nightwings hand swept from it's body by the sweep of a halberd and the beast spun on it's feet to face it's attacker. Commander Mountain struck again from his position low on the ground, taking off one of the invader's wings.
Grim fled, his control over his legs restored by the intervention of the commander, he ran towards the food silo. It had a roof, it had a door, it would be safe. It had to be safe. Past Christopher he fled, the warrior engaged in a frenzied battle with a mounted Nightwing.
Reaching the door to the silo Grim hauled the door open, blind to the blood coating the door, and staggered into the gloomy room, barrels and boxes of supplies piled high around him. Even as his breathing began to slow to normal a low growl caught his ear and the sound of something dragging across the floor began to move towards him.
Peering around a crate he saw a Nightwing, one of it's arms hanging limp, it's wings in tatters and one of it's legs dragging behind it. It's claws were coated in blood and the body of a man lay on the floor behind it. Grim crept away, trying to stay as quiet as he could, panic rising in his mind.
'I can smell you human, there is no point in hiding.'
Grim scrabbled at the boxes in front of him, desperately trying to get away from the creature behind him. As he hauled himself over a crate a sinewy hand wrapped around his ankle and he was jerked back onto the floor. Rolling over he found himself looking into the feverish dead eyes of the Nightwing, the stench of rotten flesh strong on it's breath.
'We will kill you all and nail your corpses to the walls of this place. Those of you we don't eat anyway,' the foul monster chuckled, it's claws reaching out to grip Grim's neck.
With a crash the door was thrown open and light streamed into the room, the shadows of two humans framed in the doorway. Two soldiers with spears lunged towards the Nightwing, war cries on their lips. The beasts reared back as steel spears tore into it's flesh and roared in pain.
When the creature lay still the soldiers turned and left to join the battle still raging outside. Grim crawled deeper into the stacks of boxes, curled up and sat and hugged his knees close to himself and shut his eyes tight until the screams and roars stopped.