Let me tell you the story of Unlucky Bim. Archers had taken my courtyard, and I sent the axes in to get rid of them. The squad all popped out of the ground at the same time, but they we're surrounded and outnumbered. This poor sap got an arrow embedded into his lower spine the second he made it to the surface. He never saw it coming. Bim had severe nerve damage, couldn't walk, stand, or grasp...I'd bet he probably couldn't speak either. He had to crawl around everywhere at this excruciating pace. It was always easy to pick him out of the crowd, he was the one flashing different colors and barely moving, and yet all his fellow dwarfs just walk past and ignore him. I felt terrible, because of me, this creature is paralyzed in the worst way, denied the glory in battle of his comrades, denied the satisfaction of mastering a craft, denied a normal fun filled life that every dwarf deserves. He was just a cripple, miserable about his injuries (which never healed) and miserable about being relieved from duty. I gave him a grand noble's room (much to the displeasure of my mayor), kept him close to food stockpiles so he didn't have to go very far, and freed him of doing any intensive work. His sole responsibility was to bring food and water to the wounded, just to keep him preoccupied. Bim had trouble doing that too. I'd see him crawling for days on end to the well and back. I decided to make things easier for him and build another well closer by, almost flooding my fort a third time.
There was a second Bim in my military, this one was known as Lucky Bim. He was the kind of bastard that manages to charge into a group of enemies, kill one, and then run about in circles until reinforcements arrive, not receiving a single wound in the process. Lucky Bim had a few notable military achievements, mostly from doing his idiotic charge and run around tactic. I imagine Unlucky Bim spited Lucky Bim very much. And perhaps Unlucky Bim had his prayers answered. One day a forgotten beast showed up, one with deadly blood. Lucky Bim was a captain at this point, and it was his squad's turn. They made short work of that ancient monstrosity. However, Lucky Bim's luck had run out. He didn't make it up the stairs before his flesh rotted off his bones from the inside out.
I maintain that Unlucky Bim was a hero, and Lucky Bim was an arrogant prick.
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Topic: The Dwarven Caring Thread (Read 4650 times)