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Yes! Let the death pinchings commence!

6 (75%)

Eh, I could go with ants or crabs.

2 (25%)

No! I want my promised giant ant death pit!

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 8

[Aseaheru]

chuck everything down a pit. hope that no necro showsup. EVER.

[Mephansteras]

I think the settlement may just have to be considered cut off from the dwarves. Weird, though, since you got the dwarven caravan at least twice if I remember correctly. I've had isolated forts before, but they only ever got the first migrant wave and first caravan (which seem to always happen) but nothing after that.

But this long and no migrants? I have a feeling you have everything you're going to get for a while.

You way want to consider just locking up tight for some months to avoid having to deal with ambushes. That'll give you time to get stuff done without needing your military on standby.

It's not like you need all that much from outside to survive at this point.

[Splint]

Yeah but the stockade and the mines are seperate and I rely on imports of metals and armor (Though I can only get useful armor from the elves and vamari with the dwarves not showing up.) And it' strange because clearly they know I'm here but no migrants are showing up because I'm not attracting them somehow. If it's the matter of the dwarven caravan not showing up to take shit away then fine, but usually if i trade at all I end up swamped in migrants.

[Mephansteras]

Yeah, usually if you have trade you get migrants. By now, with some artifacts and a golden road, you should be up to at least 50 dwarves, if not more.

[Splint]

I wonder if my popcap being low has anything to do with it.... I had a bad expierience ona glacial fort because for the first years of its life I relied on valuable elkbird bone exports to stay alive and drowned in people so I've always kept it low (around 30-50, for this it's set to 35 and I have 26 dwarves.) Now that i actually have the food and drink for a larger population I'm not getting people which is a shock.

[Mephansteras]

Try setting it to 100 and see what happens.

[Splint]

I'll bump it up a little, but no way in hell am i going to let myself drwon in people in one sitting. I do plan on eventually digging out an undergroun fortress for others though, but the original clan is going to stay topside.

[Splint]

The days seemed to move slowly in Limulid. Maybe it was just the snow and slightly annoying cold, or the fact that they were beginning to run out of things to talk about. Grasshopper men were killed when they accidentally wandered into the area, one being killed on a trap and the other by one of the beetles. Not long after the incident, the hobgoblins arrived rolling down the golden road. They were surprised to see such a splendorous thing made by the dwarves here, living in clay and wood. Feral was out cutting wood when he saw them and was first to greet them. He himself was also shocked by the size of the caravan, seven wagons strong and a fair number of pack animals. As they pulled in the dwarves came out bearing boxes of goods to trade (Among them being the oversized bugbear clothes and their own threadbare and worn out attire they had begun to replace.) They bought numerous bars of metal, among them three bars of ward iron ingots, bags of seeds, spare chests, undyed thread, barrels of booze, scores of meat, fish, and cheese, and bags of strange things: Ikal nabid and alum. Why they bothered was anyone's guess though Cobalt recalled them being used in alchemical work and figured it would be good to have these things on hand in the future. As the final plat of the road was bolted down into the adobe roadbed, the sound a cage trap springing could be heard: The guttural obscenities made it clear who would be accosting them this season: Bugbears. This was hammered home when Usi ran into one and chased it into a trap, where several copper and silver daggers shot out of the wall on strong sticks and perforated the beast's chest and head. Mantis became wary at this, and sure enough the sound of a bugbear trying to batter down the ancillary door only served to prove her suspicions. “Stay your weapons hobgoblins. We'll handle this.” Mantis said, drawing her falchion. The miners would take time to prepare for battle, but half of the militia was always armed at at the gate  just as the apparent leader, a macebear leading a squad of hammerbears. Mantis seemed dead to the world as she out paced her comrades, with the macebear chief leading four of its kin at the dwarves.

The chieftain and mantis met head on, with Mantis smashing Skull's artifact into the bear's arm, causing it immense pain by the look on it's contorted angry face. Mantis however bounce back when she made contact, but managed to remain standing and swung her falchion low, chopping away the brute's right foot. The bear yelped in pain and tumbled backwards and a hammerbear leapt over and swung at Mantis, but she ducked away, as Anvil came charging up and thrusted her hungry spear forward, but the bear ducked away. Mantis, seizing the opportunity, flanked around and struck at the macebear, her red blade carving into the chief's gut and spilling her guts onto the ice of the pond they fought on. She then planted her blade into the beast's leg and held her in place as her clansdwarves split the hammerbears up. The macebear however managed to swing an awkward blow at Anvil as she stabbed at the chieftain and clipped her hand. In response, Skull, who had just caught up, sliced off a foot and Anvil smashed her shield into the bear's head, crushing a fair chunk inward along with her helmet. At this, the hammerbears seemed to cut and run, not wanting to join their chief in the underworld. Anvil however, incensed by her injury and her first kill as a full militia member, tossed a rock at the back of a hammerbear's head, causing it to fall face first into the mud. Mantis however, plowed over it and went after the next bear, cleaving away its foot, and as it hit the ground in a flailing pain-suffering mess, she shoved her blade into it's elbow and severed its arm.

Meanwhile, Anvil shoved her victim violently into Skull, who sliced off the raider's arm. Anvil leapt on its back after tossing her shield aside and gouged one of it's eyes and Skull, taking advantage, clove away it's remaining arm, and then ran the beast through as Anvil jumped off, the hammerbear's guts coming out in a tangled mess of gore. The armless victim and two dwarves were stunned as the entire upper portion of the other hammerbear tumbled over and Mantis came charging over, smashing her blade into the woozy bear's head, putting it out of its misery.

“Well, that was fun. You guys can handle the rest a them yeah?” Anvil asked, testing her hand to make sure she could still feel it. “Sure thing Anvil. You just get that looked at.” Skull said with a nod. “How come you guys can move so quick in all that armor but I can't?” Osprey said as he saw the fight end. “Wood.” Mantis said, thumping her sword on her armor. “Not all dorfs are strong as me'er Skull either. 'Cept for the miners.” Avil said proudly. “Oh screw you both.” Osprey said with a sneer. “Where's Corai?” Mantis asked. “Running off the last two bears. I couldn't keep up with the little bastard.”

-

“Come're you little thieving shit!” Corai shouted a little flamboyantly as he ducked under a swung maul that splintered away chunks of a cedar tree. “Oh really now, what'd that tree ever do to you?” He said with a smirk. The bear, either out of fear or anger at his quip swung an overhead strike at the merchant.

And collapsed into the muck and snow without a head, which landed some feet away with the helmet of its owner.

“Now, where's your other friend.” His question answered itself when he saw the last attacker ducking through a  small thicket of cedar trees. Corai gave chase and slowly but surely gained ground, with his first strike coming in awkwardly and, while a sickening sound of breaking bone was evident, failed to draw blood proper. The bear backhanded him with her shield in a fight of pained fury and adrenaline, sending him into a tree. She then swung her maul at his head, but he ducked, causing bark to fly from the trunk and the bear to be thrown off balance, which allowed Corai to get into the hammerbear's guard and slice off a limb, which bore its shield. The bear swung her hammer angrily at Corai, the adrenaline now the only thing allowing her to remain vertical. He blocked it, though the blow dented his shield and caused him to stagger but he quickly recovered and returned the blow, his blade this time hitting home and sending bits of copper scale mail into the gut of the hateful cretin. The beast could only vomit on itself as Corai yanked his blade out and shoved it up though the bugbear's chin and out the top of its head.

-

As the squad regrouped, Mantis was quick to help Slade, who was bleeding from his leg and battleing a thief while Wax pulled his pick out of another's gut before expertly ripping the bugbear's head off with an upward swing of his bright red pick. Mantis cut away her quarry's arms before planting the blade through its skull. “Come on Slade, on your feet. Where the hell are your weapons?” Mantis said, offering hima hand and providing support “Someone took the damned crate they were in! Gah! Put me down put me down! Ahhh!” Slade blurted out. His leg burned with pain when he tried to put any weight on it. Not a few minutes after, Lev appeared and flung Slade over his shoulder. ”Where the hell did you come from?” Mantis asked, shocked at how quickly he had appeared. “OW! Easy man!” Slade cried. “Sorry Slade. Didn't mean ta hurt ya. Heard him cryin' like a little girl on the other side a the wall.” Suddenly mattock shouting more were coming snapped the militia to attention. “Great, more of them. Skull said with a sigh. “Come now Skull, a little bit of sport's good for you!” Corai said enthusiastically. “Sport? We might die you lunatic!” Skull spat back. “Nothing like the ultimate risk to make you feel alive Skull! Come on, more of the vagrants want to go a round with us.” the merchant said with a grin.


[More violence! Yay! There's still some bloodshed to come, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow. Mantis and Corai were the badasses of the fight so far, Corai taking down two bugbears solo and Mantis bisecting one outright. Wax i've come to expect one-hit kills from so his thief kill doesn't count.]

[Mephansteras]

Your militia is pretty formidable.

[Splint]

Yeah when they have thier weapons. Before it was flat luck now they actually have the skill to back them up (And generally numbers and/or trancing helps.)

[Splint]

As the militia wheeled around to face the enemy, mattock was seen running for his life, ducking and dodging the bugbear chieftain until Mantis came charging in and while failing to knock over her enemy, she managed to cleave away her weapon hand. The bubgear, blood gurgling out of the stump of its hand, swung it's shield at Mantis, but she blocked the attack and wheeled around, he blade going low and slicing away a foot. As the macebear went down, a swordbear lashed out at her and slammed her bodily into the stockade wall, shaking snow and icicles from it, and as the bear raised it's blade to strike again, Skull slammed into it from the side and sent him skittering off balance across the pond they stood over. Mantis meanwhile gathered her wits and continued pressing her attack on the chieftain, her blade coming in at an off angle at the chief's left arm. While no blood was drawn per se, her blade did strike with sufficient force to yield a sickening (and satisfying) crack as the bugbear's upper arm shattered. Skull then put his own ability on the chopping block, managing to get in the guard of the swordbear and putting his short sword through its head. He then pulled the blade free, the bugbear warrior still blabbering nonsense before it fell over, and swung a mighty overhead strike of the macebear as she tried to crawl away,  completely slicing the bugbear in half, entrails and blood forming into a puddle between the two halves.

There was still one left that they knew of, who seemed to be staring in horror as it watched its kin die in front of it. Mantis charged with a mighty roar, with Skull close behind, and swung her falchion, which clipped the still shocked raider in the neck and caused it to spurt blood sporadically. Skull went around one side and cut off its escape (and both legs,) allowing mantis to follow up with one well aimed chop, the the bugbear's helmet making a 'putchnk' sound as the incindium blade sunk in. As she pulled her blade out, Skull nudged her with his shield and pointed with his sword. “One more.” He said as if it were a minor annoyance. “Never learn do they. Alright, follow my lead.” With that, the two dwarves charged the scared and confused swordbear. However, either incensed by the sight of its dead comrades or just out of natural stupidity and aggression, the bugbear lashed out at Mantis, lost a foot for his trouble as Mantis ducked the swing and took off a foot. The bugbear hit the ground and his blade went  into the slushy snow with a plop and Mantis, seizing the chance, removed the invader's right arm at the elbow, and Skull followed up by perforating one of the unlucky bugbear's lungs, bits of bone and copper armor fragments being driven in as well. As they finished killing the unlucky brute, Squid could just be heard screaming for help. They were about to turn and head to her aid, but Wax appeared and yelled “Behind you!” as another group of bugbears let loose a war cry and charged downhill, using their access ramp. Without missing a beat, a beetle that had been following Wax charged between the swordsdwarves and slammed into the chieftain.

-

“Gah! No! Keep your dirty claws off me!” Squid shouted frantically as she ducked a spear thrust and was swept off her feet by a second. She managed to scramble away from the offender, who's speartip dug into ice, but the other quickly followed up, moved to stab, and got a boot square in the testicles. As the spearbear fell over cringing, tripping up the other bugbear, Squid hastily got to her feet and threw a stone at another pursuer, stunning them and causing them to trip over a root. From there, Squid beat a hasty retreat around the side of the stockade into the graveyard. Corai and Osprey meanwhile, rounded the opposite end. “Hey assholes! Over here!” Osprey shouted waving his daggers. This group's chieftain, yet another macebear, was helping ohis warriors to their feet and ordered the two still standing already to charge the dwarves, who gladly returned the favor, both sides hollering at eachother the whole way. Osprey made first contact, shoving his way into the spearbear's guard and getting a dagger in one hand, causing the bear to drop his shield, while Corai ducked a thrust and put his sword through the owner's foot., before counter the flailing attacker's swing of his spear-shaft and slicing off the arm holding said spear. Osprey meanwhile, dug his blades into the leg and chest of his foe, before ripping the knife in its chest out and planting it firmly in the bear's weapon hand. In rapid succession, Corai began slicing way limbs in short but bloody arcs before smashing his shield with crushing foce into the bear's head, bringing its yowling to an end, while Osprey cut away a foot and then planted his dagger into the bear's dome. The macebear, angry over this, quckly dragged the last of his stunned troops to their feet and ordered them forward while it lead the charge and attacked Corai.

-

The beetle had, through sheer ruthlessness [and many counterstrikes] torn the lasher to shreds. Mantis closed and engaged a swordbear, but found herself flung backwards by a charge. The beetle, later founded to be the beetle Constructbridges who had earned a name for herself in  an earlier battle, flung itself in the path of the bear and threw it off balance, whereupon it landed squarely on it's back. Skull took this chance and cut off the confused bare-thing's weapon hand. Wax then stepped up, and punched his pick right between the swordbear's eyes.

-

Corai cut again into the macebear who pulled back a stump of an arm after his mace dug into ice. The blow ripped away the chief's foot, and Corai skewered the chieftain's head on the tip of his sword. The two dwarves Stood and stared down their enemies, unsure of what they'd try now that half there number and their leader were dead.

-

“They realize charging us is counter productive to their survival right?” Skull said as he helped Mantis to her feet. “If they're so eager to die then let's send'em to meet the gods.” Mantis said grimly. With that, Mantis surged forward and cut away both of the lead bugbear's legs in one stroke, though she joined it on the ground as the feat threw her off balance. However, not to be deterred, she lopped off the kopesh-bearing hand of the beast in a manner one would use a paper cutter. Meanwhile the beetle bit down on the sword-hand of a bugbear that struck it in the middle right leg, and refused to let go, pulling violently until the hand came loose, despite the protests of the bugbear banging it's shield against the beetle's thorax. Wax then struck the cretin in the back with his pick, disabling its legs, and the beetle proceeded to bite the bear in the face, destroying one of its eyes.

The battle continued for a full ten minutes before it was over. After all was said and done, bits of bugbears, be it limbs, organs, teeth or even severed heads and eyes, and puddles of blood lay spattered across the battlefield, stuck in trees and some even on top of the walls. After the bodycount had been done, nineteen bugbears were killed and four more were captured. In exchange, the militia suffered several nonthreatening wounds, Slade needing stitches and most likely a crutch for his leg, and Anvil needed some stitches in her hand but it was otherwise functional, and Constructbridges had a few superficial dents in her chitin and a mangled foot. The clean-up would likely take several weeks as well. All in all however, the battle was a resounding success with no debilitating injuries on the part of the dwarves and those suffered being largely superficial or non life threatening.

This surely bode well for the next year, which was heralded by the soon after melting of snow.


[ BODIES. LIMBS. HEADS. TEETH. EEEEVEEERRRRYYYWHERE.

This one is nearly all blood and guts ladies and gents. oddly enough this has begun making me look into various injuries. It has be torn between curiosity and disgust. Like a "Can't look away" disgust. But then, that shall serve me well I'm sure. Trade was as you know done safely, and aside from Slade and Anvil getting clipped (Thankfully with non-nerve damage injuries) we got through unscathed.

Skull's description says he's weak, so he's clearly the strongest weak person in history since he's now bisected a total of three bugbears, a feat only Mantis can match and her weapon is weighted for that. Overall, one hell of a fight.]

[Mephansteras]

Well done, indeed. And well written, sir!

[Splint]

Thank you for the compliment. I'm not kidding when I said there we bits and peices EVERYWHERE. Stuck in trees, on walls, in piles, scattered arounf the battle sites... toes, teeth, arms, legs, heads, upper and lower halves of bugbears.... Honestly I think any other bugbears would have seen that and probably thought a demon went on a ramapge in one of thier villages.

[Mephansteras]

Hehe.

Yeah...that's the one nice thing about blunt weapons. Cleanup isn't nearly as messy.

[Splint]

Yeah, but it tends to take alot longer to kill things with them that won't crumple like zombies to a hammer srike or two to the chest. With that in mind, I decide to instead got for the somewhat more efficent means of dispatch, cutting them apart. Either they'll pass out from pain or bloodloss will get them so either way I win.