A goblin and undead siege decided to hit me once again.... This time, instead of wasting my bolts on the enemy, I contrived to turn on the bridge seperating the two forces together and watch them go at it........
It was a slaughter of undead. A single swordsmaster rushed past my weapons trap, dodging into the river as planned.......... Instead of drowning however, he fought his way to shore, cleaving through undead with his silver two handed sword. Dodging and weaving, he cut a swath of destruction through the undead, buying precious time for his following pikegoblins to purchase a vital foothold on safe ground. My sole weapon trap overwhelmed by undead corpses, the pikes were able to push past the riverbridge chokepoint and on to safe ground....... Safe that is, save for two goblins who drowned, dying as every step they made towards shore was mauled by the undead. They died in extreme pain, having suffered nothing more serious than a broken arm, or a foot....... save for the water flooding into their small lungs as they died, a single step away from safety.... amidst a mountain of foes.... as their frail bodies drifted away in the current and brought them under.....
Meanwhile, the 4 pikes were slowly being overwhelmed. Despite their leader valiant efforts, pinning and slaughtering their foes, the corpses still found time to surround them. Even as their leader assault shattered any attempt to mob them under, an occasional lurch could still break through their defence.... And so did Atu Azubax fare ill.... as a corpse after another charged at him, grabbing his helm, punching through his armour, fracturing his leg.... But Atu stood firm. His pike was shining silver and he endeavoured to stain it black with ichor. When his foe grabbed his helm, it only brought them closer for him to stab them. When he was bearhugged, it only meant that it was time to strike at their feet! A shield wall formed, as his compatriots rushed to defend him.His incredible muscles quivered as he stood up one more time.... for another foe.....just.... one more....... Blackness....... Red........Pain........no you filthy beast! BACK! BACK! Was that his comrade? Someone who stood by him even as a human abductee tried to murder him? To grab his glory? No.... it was just a yawing mouth..... Funny... He always knew he would die at the hands of a goblin........
I'm still alive...... why?
Dostngosp.... His leader....
"Pick up your weapon."
"Leave him sir, he's of no use to us."
"HERE THEY COME!"
"WAARRRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!"
"DWARVES! I COME FOR BLOOD! BLOOD! Be thee undead or living, FALL!!!!!!!!"
"Countness, the human necromancers flee. This force is more elite than any we ever seen. And this time, winter will not save us."
"Have faith recruit. Furgig will see that what must be, will be."
"You breathe? Then Atu, you stand. You fight. They're there......... cowering behind their walls. We lost too many bows to winter to hurt them. As I breathe, they shall fall!"
Dostngosp was panting, as drops of ichor fell from his lips.... A goblin who tried to lay hands on him...... It now had bite marks on that hand...... what remains after it had been smashed to pieces. "Reinforcements........ They come.... Their whips shall drive the dwarves into defeat."
"Once a beautiful tree, now this! You.... Tree Killer! Away with your ale and your beer. No, I will not sell nature bounty to you, AWAY!"
"Come patsy! We pack the wagons. Now!"
"AIEEE!!!!~!! T...T...TROLLS!"
"Wow.... For a hippie, he's tough. That troll looks like he's actually wheezing!"
"Cut the chatter. Hold the line!"
Dostngosp snarled as he brained the hunting dog to death with his shield. He would had preferred his sword...... but that was long gone now. Along with his hand. He looked back. His pike force..... Captured......... A new undead force to plague his kind. The trolls.. dead amongst the trade depot..... Half of the invasion force had fled......... Cowards...... The last he remembered was the bowgoblin saying "we hurtz them see, so, we go now, and come back for another go, see!" They are closing in......
"AWAY WITH YE!" The howls of the dog ceased, as it lay still, its blood splashed across his shield...... It was the last of his strength. They were closing in..... Crossbows......."FALL!!!!!"
"We lost many captain. Several dogs........ Kikrost died.......... He was just called back to the colours after recovering from lack of alcohol....... Just.... weeks.... Imagine if he had stayed as a farmer, he would still be alive."
"Aye.... And the countess is SLEEPING. Too minor a clean up? MINOR? Our war dogs,my.... my beloved fluffy................. All the injuries we suffered. Our elite "executioner" was defeated by a mere MACE! And that swordsmaster was too great a threat. I say she was a coward, she feared to match her axe against his sword.........This... This makes me mad......So mad..... I.... I......"
"we still have swords gobbos to kill across that river. Save it....."
My military has been attritted away, this even as the enemy camps across my river, their leader trapped in a cage trap. At this point, I'm at a serious loss of what to do. I'm tempted to just seal my dwarves in until I get hold of more gear, training, and complete the second wave of inner/outer defences... At least, on my side of the river anyway. I don't dare send my now much smaller military into combat anymore. A single elite bowgoblin has crippled my military, and in mopping up, a crippled macegobbo has hurt my recruits and veterans... The tantrum spirals that's going to set in any time now, especially if infection gets hold is going to cripple me.... This could be the end of my fort, even though it suffered so 'little".
An amazing story....... that unfortunately won't hold true because I shut down DF without saving by accident...
Still, all this has prompted me to create a SCIENCE project... Well, at least for the arena. The Silver sword was AWESOME. It cut tendons, ligaments, fractured bones, all stuff that would kill an undead and from a very subjective view, slow down the undead attack. Yet, it singularly failed to create massive body parts! This even as its heavy weight fractured bones over and over again..... Silver, bane against the undead? Tests results to come as soon as I get to it!