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[Thuellai]

Yeah, did I get murdered by carp yet or what?  I always figured that'd be how I go...  Drowned by the Chicken of the Sea's murderous older brother, the Elephant of the Sea.

[dresdor]

No, no carp, but I'm not saying either of you is alive either, just that two named dwarves and two spear catcher unnamed dwarves have been killed by year 3.

Since we know Malaki was one, that means one of you is dead.  I'm updating as best I can, but Bay12 forums seems to be down a lot lately.

[WorkerDrone]

...Well crap.

[Astus Ater]

Well, this is cool. My character's wife is dead, and yet he's still cheery. Also, what is the diety As like?

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

My wife isn't an insane killer?
Bliss.

[dresdor]

No but she did give birth while forging gold bars...that's perfectly safe, right?

Okay, the updates cometh today, right after I finish some french homework.  The reason for the delay? 

The big secret project that a certain Siegelord will be held responsible for leaked....a lot.  It nearly flooded the fortress three times.  Luckily I now always include a means of shutting off and safely draining anything dealing with water or magma.  (This was the cause of one of the nameless deaths).  I finally figured out that when I initially tried to fix the overflow problem (by reducing it from three floodgates to just one) the stupid dorfs let one of the floodgates inside the other one, so that there was no way for it to actually close or shut off.  Given the amount of water stored in the system, shutting off the pumps still means 3-4 seasons of water can leak out, and with the drainage pumps below the system not working as intended, it all has to drain somewhere...

At the moment our "mines" at the bottom most z-level are mostly 5/7 with water.  Not sure how I can get rid of it, but I'm working up a plan.  Once this homework is out of the way, I will update...a lot.

[Shoruke]

If it doesn't screw up your design strategy too much, I request a catapult in my room. Then I can practise blowing rocks to bits against a wall as fast and accurately as I can.

[dresdor]

I've typed an update three times now and every time I finish it the forums give me the downtime error.  It's very frustrating.

And Shoruke, you have a firing platform above the main entrance that is only accesable by the main base and barracks, so no gobbos are getting up there while you rain down death.

As is a god of trade and money basically, represented by a female dwarf.

Going to write it up in word now and hope and pray I can actually post the damned thing.

[WorkerDrone]

...Anyone in here? *Taps glass*

[dresdor]

The General watched the influx of migrants with casual interest.  She knew what she was looking for, and this motely lot didn't have a lot of it.  That would train, as each and every one would go through extensive training, along with everyone else.  Suddenly, a dwarf walked accross the main bridge and the General's heart dropped.

"What is that dwarf's name?" She asked of Sarek, nodding to the dwarf.

"Let's see here...Urist...Urist Sigunstorlut."

"That's a strange name for a male dwarf." She mused.  "What is his profession?"

"He has none, he has minor military experience, but nothing important." Sarek said. 

"Very well, send him to my office once he gets settled."  The General turned on her heel and walked down the corridor.

__________

The General looked up as the door opened.  "Welcome, Urist, please have a seat."

"I prefer to stand, General." The dwarf said, staring at the General.  "What can I do for you, sir?"

"From the information Sarek has given me, you have some minor military experience?"

"Yes, sir, I was undergoing training for inlcusion in "The Distant Swords" before I decided to come here."

"And why did you decide to come here instead?"

"I sustained injuries and the Distant Swords was destroyed to the last dwarf in the most recent battle at the Mountain Homes."  He said.  "I had no reason to  stay, and a new wife to concern myself with.  Her safety is very important to me."

"So you come to a military outpost, makes perfect sense to me." The General said dryly.  She sized up the young dwarf in front of her, and closed the ledger in front of her.  "May I be frank, Urist?"

"You may be whatever you like, sir, you are in command here."

"Urist is a very effeminate name for a male dwarf." She said.  "Is that your given name?"

"No. sir, it is an honorarium."

"Honorarium for whom?" She asked.

"An honorarium for a commander who did everything she could to ensure I stayed alive and suffered greatly for every dwarf she lost.  A commander who was the best soldier I have ever met."  The glittering of a tear formed in the corner of his eye.  "That is why I bear that name instead of my given name."

"What is your given name?"

"I prefer to be known only as my honorarium, Urist."

"May I be presumptuous?" She asked, but didn't wait for a response.  "If you give me no name besides this Urist honorarium, then I shall call you something arbitrary...say, Maggarg.  Is that suitable to you?"

"Only if I may be presumptuous and call you something arbitrary...like Urist Babkadol."  His face was emotionless as stone, until the General broke into laughter.

"Welcome back to the living, Maggarg," she said, shaking his hand.  "How on earth are you here?"

"Same as you, General."  He said.  "That wizard Dorflin.  His voodoo magics have awakened me to find our nation in this hell.  How could I not try to help?  I only found out about you and this fortress by chance."

"Dorflin seems to have a hand in many things," she mused.  "It is good to serve with you, Maggarg.  I shall hear your whole story in time, but now there are many things I must take care of.  I do hope your new wife is not the jealous sort."

Maggarg laughed.  "Indeed, she is not, which is the only reason I decided to marry her and not run the other way.  It is good to see you again, General." He saluted and headed out the door.  The General sat back with a smile on her face.

Maggarg's reincarnation is a good omen.  This fortress stands a better chance with the two of us than with just me. She thought.  We make the last stand for this kingdom, and though neither goblins nor elves have found us yet, we will be ready to fight them to the last breath.

She paused in thought and picked up a chisel that was laying on the ground nearby as part of the smoothing project for her office.  Taking it to the wall, she chiseled into the living stone.

We are the Lords of War.
No Goblin or Elf can slay us.
We are immortal warriors.
Here we make our stand.
This is the last stand of Dwarves.
The Heroic Stand of Glory

[WorkerDrone]

PREPARE FOR GLORY! Charge onward!


Serve your Mountain Home today! The Military Outpost of today is here to stay! The Green and Tree menace are no match for their skill! Join the Lords of War today! For tomorrow, there may be Goblins at the gates. So join the-

~ Leaflet from the Mountain Homes

[dresdor]

"General?" Shoruke called through the halls.  "General?  Has anyone seen the General?"  He looked around, but none of the other dwarves seemed to pay the engineer any attention.  he stormed down the staircase and ran into the General heading up.  "Oh, excuse....GENERAL!  I was looking for you!"

"Calm down, lad," She said, disentangling herself from the excited dwarf.  "What's all the fuss about?"

"Simple, General!  I found a way to utilize the brook to provide us with a constant supply of fresh water.  Even during a siege!"

"Shoruke.  This is a military outpost, we are going to be able to beat off any siege imaginable.  We don't need any additional resource of water besides the brook." She turned and began walking away.

"General!  It can also be used for our defenses."

She turned to face him.  "Go on."

"Imagine that the goblins come to our bridge, and they expect at worse, some traps maybe the bridge to be raised.  What they don't expect is that upon siezing our gatehouse..."

"We don't have a gatehouse."

"Well, we will have one, and upon entering it, they find themselves trapped inside.  They don't panic, being of the military sort, but then they hear a trickling noise, and find that the gatehouse is slowly flooding with water.  It goes higher and higher until they all drown."

"That sounds like a very...interesting idea from a defensive standpoint." The General said.  "Might I ask where all this water will go when we are done with drowning the goblins?"

"Well that's the beauty of it.  We can pump it right into the brook again.  Then we can recover any equipment the goblins had.  I also have plans to..."

"Shoruke, I approve the construction of this goblin drowning defense thing you've just described," she said, heading off Shoruke from explaining another complicated contraption.  "Use whatever resources you need, and when it's done and working we will discuss any other designs you have."

"At once, sir!" He said, and ran upstairs like he had just heard the year's best brew was spilling out of a cask and needed to be drank before it all spilled on the floor.

The General shook her head.  She never did get used to engineers and their crazy ideas.

[dresdor]

From the Personal Log of the General

The year passes very swiftly.  Our military endeavors are progressing very well.  Every dwarf has been trained to proficiency in unarmed fighting as well as the use of armor and shields.  Additionally, we now have a standing force of five wrestlers (due to our lack of weapons that is all they are) and five marksdwarves.  The abundance of wood here ensures that there are plenty of bolts for target practice and that every dwarf here has a shield waiting for when war comes to our doors.

Shoruke has had us working non-stop on what he has dubbed the pumping tower.  It is a massive stone structure that elevates water up five stories.  It's quite impressive and completely sealed against leaking.  However, he estimates that it will require at least four windmills to operate the whole system.  I've told him to include a means to shut off the entire system just in case anything should happen.

Zak has been acting very strange as well.  He hid away in the Mason's workshop and then finally presented me with Mothdast Midor, an excellent Alunite statue.  I've ordered it placed in our dining hall for all to enjoy.

Additionally, Maggarg and his wife have had their first child.  It is a very blessed event, and in old times I would be opposed to having any children within a military outpost, but to be honest, it is the safest place for them.  The mountain homes are under constant siege.  Maggarg's little girl, along with the twin brothers who arrived with their parents during the immigration, will be better protected here than at the mountain homes.

I should note that Vesa is doing a very good job at keeping us all fed.  Until we get some swords, I've ordered William Dark to be her assistant, primarily because she seems forgetful and we have been wasting food because it sits in the kitchen burning or rotting before she can get to it to put it away.  Our supplies are excellent at the moment.  We have more than enough food and drink.  Our farms are all very well protected and with our massive amounts of dogs and our breeding pair of donkeys, we have more than adequate supplies for a siege.

We are preparing for the arrival of our fall caravan, which should be here very soon.  Hopefully they bring the anvil we've been longing for.

_____________________

"General?" Zak called from the doorway.  The General looked up from her logbook.  "A dwarf with a mule has been spotted, it may be the first part of the caravan."

"Excellent, send first squad out to meet him, and begin brining our trade goods to the depot." She said.  "I'll be there in a moment.

***

The dwarf walked accross the bridge with a heavy limp.  He was covered in blood and one of his eyes was hidden behind a bloody bandage.  His mule was in better shape, but covered in blood and mud.

"Welcome to Obursavot Anil."  The General said.  "What has happened to you?"

"I was attacked," he said.  "Goblins ambushed the caravan on the road.  Our wagons were destroyed and I was the only one to make it out of the attack alive.  I've afraid I've not much to offer you."

"Bring it inside, friend, and we will talk." The General eyed the mule's cargo.  Not one bulge in the saddlebags seemed big enough for an anvil.  She sighed, and followed the dwarf into the depot.

***

"You have brought us nothing of use, friend." The General said, looking at the merchant's wares.  All he had brought were a few bars of aluminum and one of rose gold.  "We need an anvil, and desperately."

"I am sorry, General, but this is all I have." He said. "Your anvil was on the wagons, and by now the goblins have it."

"We cannot afford to loose war material to the greenskins." The General said with a measured voice.  "We have supplies for you to send back to the Mountain Homes." She gestured to the bins full of wooden crossbows and wooden shields.

"General, the King's forces have no use for those."

"The King's forces here at this stronghold are making use of them because we have no alternative.  I'm sure he can put them to use.  If not, it should inspire him to send us an anvil and properly guard the caravans." Her voice reached a fever pitch with anger.  Realizing how close she was to striking the already battered merchant, she regained her composure and added "For us to be succesful we need that anvil.  My men will escort you to the main road."

"Thank you, General.  I will send your...message to the King." He loaded up the two bins onto his animal and led it out of the depot, flanked by two of the marksdwarves.

The General sighed, and headed back to her office.  Another year wasted waiting for an anvil.

[dresdor]

OOC: Photobucket seems to not want to cooperate with my post, so no profile yet for Maggarg nor image of the grand statue, which is aptly named "The Onslaught of Power"


IC: Nako cracked his knuckles apprehensively.  "hey, boss, you made up your mind yet?  Is this the place?"

The crossbowgoblin glared at his underling.  "It's hard to figure out exactly where those scouts disappeared to, runt." He growled. 

"They probably got lost and eaten by a wolf." Nako laughed.  "That'd just be like Ago and Ngom, stupid twits."

Ozud crumpled up the crude map he had and tossed it to one of the other goblins.  "Look for some sign of them, even if they were eaten by wolves, there'd be something left of them."

The six goblins fanned out, advancing carefully.  The two scouts they were looking for hadn't reported back for weeks, and while it wasn't unusual for goblins to die in the wilds, especially if they were alone, Ozud had a bad feeling about this.  And if the goblin King Catten got it in his head that Ozud had abandoned the search early, his head would be on a pike tomorrow.

One of the two goblins named Usbu made a sign to stop, and the goblins slunk into the tall grasses.  He pointed ahead, and there was a lumpy figure standing by the river.  It was a dwarf digging at some small shrub that grew along the banks.  Ozud smiled and motioned to the other Crossbowgoblin to let loose a volley.

***

Neo stood, leaning against her axe after felling yet another tree.  She wiped his brow and readied herself to tackle the next in a long line of logging projects.  As she set her stance to take the first swing at the oak in front of her, she heard a blood curdling scream coming from the brook behind her.  Without thinking, she took off running towards it, fearing that a wolf had gotten ahold of another dwarf like they had Malaki.

***

Ozud laughed as the four goblin wrestlers with him pummeled the still body of the dwarf into the dust.  It was riddled with bolts, and blood was everywhere, but the wrestlers had not gotten a shot in while the dwarf was still alive.  It was a good warm-up, as where there is one dwarf there are surely others.  As if answering his thought, another dwarf was running up to them with an axe raised high.  Ozud gave the order and the dwarf fell under a volley of goblin bolts.

"Pitiful" He said.

***

Neo saw the hazy yellow figure of Urist Nosimmeng fall under the volley of bolts.  A rage grew inside of her, and she felt the rage of Armok's blood curse rise within her.  She saw the bloody body of Atir in the dirt by the brook and lost her mind to rage. 

"Looooooooooords oooooooooooof Waaaaaaaaaaaar!" She shouted "Obursavot Anil!  GLORY!" 

Neo barely felt the sting of the first bolt.  It penetrated her arm, and stuck through the other side.  Ten steps and she would reach the goblins around Atir's body.  The second bolt pierced her calf.  She raised the axe high.  Eight steps.  Antoher volley.  This time her shoulder and her off-hand were pierced.  It didn't matter.  Vengeance.  She needed vengeance.  Vengeance for Atir.  Vengeance for Urist.  Six steps.  The goblins fired to stop the raging dwarf.  The bolts went wide.  Four steps.  Neo's flesh burned.  Her hand felt the sting of the goblin bolt, and her axe fell to the ground.  Another struck her thigh, and she tumbled to the ground in a bloody mess.

***

Ozud saw his bolt fell the dwarf.  It had absorbed so many bolts that he was worried they may not be able to stop it.  He ordered his wrestlers to stay put for now.  Let the dwarf bleed out instead of risking goblin lives to the axe it carried.

***

Neo felt the life-blood spilling from her.  She knew she was dying to the goblin bolts.  She had failed Atir and Urist.  Now these goblins would go and kill more of her friends and the rest of the fortress.

No!  She couldn't let that happen.  She was still alive.  She ripped the bolt out of her hand, and grabbed her axe.  She felt her strength building, and the blood rage rising within her.  She stood.

***

Ozud gasped as the dwarf rose from the ground.  It was a bloody mess.  It raised the axe in it's dreaded hand and started towards them.  He ordered his wrestlers in front to block the dwarf's advance while he readied another bolt.

***

A bolt hit her in the chest.  She didn't care.  Two steps.  A few goblins swarmed to her.  She swung her axe wildly, lopping off the arm of one of the goblins.  It looked in horror at the stump, and Neo slammed the axe down hard into it's skull.  She barely noticed the other goblins shying away from her.  As she tried to pull the axe free, a bolt pierced her squarely in the chest.  She couldn't breathe.  Another flew towards her head.

***

Ozud vomitted at the sight of poor Ago.  There was no doubt this time that the dwarf was dead.  It had a dozen bolts sticking out of it, including one in the heart and one in the forehead.  Whatever that monster was, it was dead now.

"There must be a fortress or outpost nearby.  Let's go!"  The goblins hurried now, there was no need to be sneaky.  In the distance a stone tower loomed.  Ozud pointed to it, and the group headed for it.  All of the sudden, a shadowy part of the hillside spewed out bolts, bringing down three of the remaining five goblins.  Ozud fired at the darkness, and was answered by another volley, which killed the wounded, and hit Ozud in the leg.  "Run, Ngom!  The King must know about this!"  The wrestler nodded and ran as fast as he was able.  A group of crossbow-toting dwarves stepped out of the darkness and fired after him, but missed by a large margin.  Ozud, knowing death was near, fired at the crowd, hoping to give Ngom a chance to escape.

"Come and get me, you miserable dwarves.  You are all but the last of your cursed breed."  The bolt missed wide, but the return fire did not. 

***

"Throw the vermin in the refuse pile."  The General said.  "Damned goblins.  I was hoping they wouldn't find us."

"General.  Urist, Atir, and Neo have not been found yet." Vesa said.  "Everyone else is accounted for, and without injury."

"Good, keep looking for the others."  The General seemed calm but worry was eating her up on the inside.  This was the first test of the mettle of her forces against an actual enemy.  There were bound to be casualties.

Three dwarves entered the main gate with bloody bundles of clothing in their arms.  The General ran up, but Zak, carrying the center bundle shook his head.  Sorrow filled her heart, and the General gave orders for tombs to be dug for their fallen heroes. 

***

OOC: Goblin ambush, we killed all but one, unfortunately we lost two unnamed dwarves and Neo, who was chopping wood at the time.  Still, Neo killed one wrestler after being shot to pieces by crossbowgoblins.  A heroic stand if I do say so myself.

Four dwarves in the crypts at the moment, with more to follow.

[WorkerDrone]

Ruffled pages of the journal sped past as they were thumbed through to a differant entree by a Dwarf whose name was written with silver letters on the front.

Damn! Goblins, the Green skin vermin that have haunted the dreams of children in the Mountain Homes! The Greenskins were promptly exterminated as was fit for their kind, but alas! Not before three dwarves fell to their attack. I almost flew into a rage, surpriseing Vesa, in a none to well manner. I said I was sorry at least. I thought of demanding the current Force Commander put me on the front lines, but until we have the armor and weapons, I'd better serve helping Vesa.

More searching of the old journal reveals more.

The entering of the Dwarves, Neo and two others whose names, I'm sorry to say, can't enter my mind. They shall be entered into the earth...

Slightly bloody pages ruffle block most of the text for several pages. On one page, printed boldly was simply...

BLOOD! Blood of the Goblins! Blood of the Elves! Blood for the Blood God! Lords of War!