The Fall of Boardsomber: Part 2
Mayor's Log: Mid spring 205We have been holding out in the inner chambers for days now. It has been suspiciously quiet ever since they've seized the workshop levels. The few of us remaining have managed to hide ourselves away, barricading ourselves in
in the lowest part of the fortress via a locked hatch. I hope that we are not discovered.
The situation appears to be quite grim, food supplies are dwindling and we are almost out of booze as our main food stores are located in the workshop levels. I fear we will be forced to subsist on vermin if things go south, already I see the blank look of hunger on some as they stared at the rats scurrying by.
"Its all your fault Edem!""I don't want any of your stinking kind anywhere near me!""I knew never to trust a goblin!" Bickering ensued as dwarves driven mad with hunger and despair took turns laying the blame at poor Edëm who had bore the brunt of scrutiny for his spectacular failure at diplomatic negotiations.
The situation only came under control when Dodók came over to separate the others. Weak with hunger, they knew not to challenge the goblin general who had been doing better than the rest of us since he did not need to partake of refreshment. There are a few who resented him, but all respected his skill in combat and prowess at arms. Begrudgingly, they let the matter slide and sauntered off elsewhere.
This disparity in the treatment of Dodók and Edëm symbolized how our dwarven multiculturalism functioned, and how this stigma against
"outsiders" came about. Our goblin and human comrades were held as
role models; of what proper dwarven education could lead
"foreign" individuals to become in dwarven society. However, this particular brand of multiculturalism was a doubled edged sword that magnified their every deed or misdeed, and so it became particularly easy to associate their mistakes with their race even though they were assimilated and raised as fully fledged dwarves.
Perhaps my brief time of being integrated into goblin society gave me the perspective to be able to sympathize with Edëm's plight, instead of treating him like how the other dwarves did. I was kidnapped as a young beardling, though I managed to escape afterwards, so I had an inkling of how goblin society functioned. Upward mobility in goblin society meant taking out the fella above you in hierarchy and holding everyone else down, so only the strong can wrest power. This
"meritocratic" approach sidestepped the issues of nobility inherent in dwarven society, plus goblins aren't so bad to be around once you realign your moral compass and overlook the whole
"will kill you without batting an eye for no rhyme or reason" thing they've got going on.
The two goblin nobles took turns patrolling the upper levels in the event of an ambush, while the rest of us waited for impending doom to fall.
Disaster almost befell. The goblin invaders had disguised their turned dwarves and humans in the gear of our fallen comrades to scout out our defenses. Fortunately, their blood stained attire made them stand out from our citizens whom had never participated in any battles. Edëm was the first to encounter them and was also the first to see through their ruse, noticing that their accents and mannerisms were suspiciously like the goblins that he long had dealings with in his diplomatic sojourns. It was he that devised a plan to lure them into a false sense of security before turning our weapons on them. They were led into an ambush in the throne room and none were left to tell the tale.
We managed to buy some reprieve as the goblin leaders were left awaiting further news from their spies whom they must have assumed were successful in their infiltration efforts. Of course, no one credited Edëm for managing to save us from certain disaster.
Taking advantage of the lull, we retook the workshops and bedroom quarters, but the goblins had destroyed our kitchens and food production facilities.
They was an eerie silence hanging over the normally bustling workshops, it seems the goblins had rounded up all the food as well as the civilians and carted them off. We did not manage to find much left over, only a pile of plump helmets, so we had little choice but to subsist off the water deposits in the caverns. The military went scavenging for food in the open caverns, managing to slaughter a pair of pond grabbers. We greedily feasted on their grubby innards and staved off starvation for another day.
In the search of the upper levels for food, Zasit encountered survivors hidden away in an alcove in the bedroom quarters.
Uzol Sandalcraft and Nil Portalcrews were stricken in fear, so it took some coaxing
(with food) to get them to abandon their hideaway. But they refused to speak of their ordeal or indeed, of anything at all.
Meanwhile up on the surface...
"What is taking them so long!?" Barked Lebes; a hulking man-sized goblin that led the invading forces of
The Immortality of Battles.
"I do not know supreme leader, perhaps they encountered resistance?" remarked one of the goblin attendants.
"What!?" Bellowed Lebes over the din of the goblins greedily splitting the spoils of war among themselves.
"I can't- AHHHHHH!!!! SHUT- UP- THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU!" Snapped Lebes as he hurled a spear at the nearest reveler, skewering the poor bastard. The nearby goblins scattered away in fear of Lebes fury.
"Hyeee!" groveled the goblin attendant in fear.
"YOU- GO FETCH ME NGEBZO VTILEROAR AND HIS NASTY BOYS- BEFORE- I- BLOW MY TOP!" Snarled Lebes as he grabbed hold of the goblin attendant and shaked him around mercilessly.
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