Limestone 21st
There are clouds of spores drifting in from the cavern making some dwarves sneeze. Perhaps Armorsouls can grown its own wood with these cavern spores. I have designated a tree farm to be dug out in the fireclay to the south. It will be directly beneath the river so that the farm will be moist.
Timber 5th
When Armorsouls was as prepared for the battle as it was going to get with all in their positions I went over the plans one last time with Ashton and went down to pull the lever.
When the gate opened a force of mostly Ettins rushed into the entrance corridor with some of the beak wolves close on their heels. The reloaded cage traps took care of many of them. The rest charged out into the fort balley slavering for blood.
There were Ettins with forked pikes and massive crossbows, horrible wolf like monsters led by their larger mad eyed kin and unexpectedly a force of kobolds that snuck in unnoticed until the last second. Ashton's strategy worked wonderfully, she calls it using meat shields, the basic idea behind it is this: place dogs and poison worms between the enemy and your fighters when the invaders charge the animals will attack and distract the invaders while your own fighters wade in and strike down the invaders.
We lost some dogs and pioson worms in that battle and many more were wounded but not a single one of Ashton's soldiers died. At the end there were only two ettins left who tried to run but as I and Ashton had planed the gate was now closed behind them. The two ettins led the militia on a long chase all through the balley. The one who carried a pike made it into one of the main stairwells and there made his last stand injuring Conan in the leg and ripping a dwarf's toe off with its teeth.
That one was finaly killed when Ashton brought her hammer down on its head earning her the title of Violet Flower of Fighting.
The other Ettin had been a leader of the others and fought ferocusly taking many wounds, until it finaly collaped from exhaustion and could be put down.
I am in the hostpital tending the wounded as I write this. On the surface Ashton is reassembling her dwarves to fight the next horde of invaders when the gate opens again. I am too busy to look into it but I have heard that Goldendagger is acting strangely.
Timer 8th
This time when the gate came down it smashed some beak wolves and some more ran. Those that remained are now fighting the militia in the entrance corridor.
From what the wounded tell me the fight goes well, beak wolves are not much better than beasts in a fight because they carry no weapons or armor.
Timber 13th
The siege is lifted, it is finally lifted!!! Much blood has been shed but the siege is lifted at last!
A single cyclops ambusher has found its way in to annoy the exhausted soldiers. Some can barely lift their weapons.
Tiber 14th
My hopes are fulfilled! the caravan from the mountain homes has come! Praise the gods! Now if only they can make it to the fort.
Timber 18th
Goldendagger has completed a hatchcover of surpassing workdwarfship.
The Merchants from the caravan have reached the safty of the walls but outside their escort of warriors is beset by multiple ambushes I have the few militia members who can still fight out to help.
Unfortunatly the Outpost Liason tried to talk to Goldendagger while he was still in his strange mood. The Liason was insulted when Goldendagger ignored him and has now left.
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On a more personal note:
DocHiemer has scored! What can I say, hammers are sexy.
Its true that we have been working closely together on all these battle plans but what really brought us two together was our shared hatred of shellfish.